Happy birthday, rock! Er, how old are you now? (July 5, 1954: ROCK'N'ROLL IS BORN)

Christian Science Monitor ^ | from the January 15, 2004 edition | Kim Campbell

[Chi-townChief]

Blackboard Jungle.

[Roccus]

I've always thought that Johnny Ray was the start. Mike off the stand, roaming the stage, arms and hips swaying and playing to the audience. "Little White Cloud That Cried" came out in '51.
JMHO

[Graymatter]

My parents didn't own a phonograph until Elvis came along, in '56. I remember the night we bought it---along with an Elvis record. It was a very big deal in those days! :)

[Red Badger]

You mean, The Blackboard Jungle...........

[Old Professer]

My bucket's got a hole in it works for me.

[ErnBatavia]

My cousin, who has lived in Alabama all her life, laughs about how her parents would forbid her to listen to any Bo Didley "Race Music".

[Old Professer]

It all exploded here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transistor_radio.

[evets]

Lock around the crock.

[Lancey Howard]

Good article. Personally, I'm in the Bill Haley camp as far as launching modern rock and roll in 1954, but I can certainly live with the Elvis theory, no problem.

[Chi-townChief]

[HungarianGypsy]

How cool! Rock and roll born on July 5, 1954. My son born on July 5, 2002.

[Chi-townChief]

When we were kids, most folks thought the first rock song was the Ames Brothers' "Rag Mop" from about 1950, an update of an old country tune; novelty lyrics, the big beat, electrified guitar, etc. Pretty politically incorrect now.

[HungarianGypsy]

I could never compare rap with scat. I like the sound of it. Rap just sounds like -- well -- I guess I can't get into that detail. This is a family site.

[Inyo-Mono]

Blackboard Jungle.

With the actor, Vic___ what's his name, who was killed by a helicopter blade making the Twilight Zone movie.

[RockinRight]

It's not my birthday...

[mathluv]

Was it Morrison? I remember him from the TV series Combat (or somithing war related).

I remember Bill Haley & the Comets. I learned to Bop to that. What about "Work with me Annie"? I tried to find my old list of my 45's to see who sang it, but no luck so far.

[AZLiberty]

July 5, 1954 was the day I was born. My kids think I'm as old as the hills, but now they can know I'm as old as rock.

[Luke Skyfreeper]

Nonsense. Everybody knows rock 'n roll didn't really take off until 1957, when Chuck Berry got the idea for Johnny B Goode over the phone from his cousin Marvin, who in turn got it from a young high school guitarist named Calvin Cline.

Or something like that.

[andy58-in-nh]

Vic Morrow.

[Luke Skyfreeper]

No, wait. It was 1955. November 12, 1955.