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The History of Rock N Roll
By 1953, Bill Haley and His Comets were first on the scene hit the pop charts with "Crazy Man Crazy", which went to #12. Black R&B artists such as the Doo Wop group "The Orioles" achieved crossover success on the Pop Charts in that same yeasr with their R&B hit "Crying In The Chapel". More cross-over hits from black R&B artists such as Fats Domino and The Platters climb the pop charts. White artists such as Pat Boone, The Crewcuts and Georgia Gibbs found success covering R&B songs, turning them into hits on the pop charts. Independent record labels such as Sun, Vee-Jay, Specialty Records and many other labels were quick to pick up on the opportunity and began to release Rock and Roll records from newly signed artists.
In 1955, Bill Haley's "Rock Around The Clock" topped the pop charts and created the very first nationwide #1 hit! In April of 1956 Elvis Presley topped the Pop Charts with his first RCA single release "Heartbreak Hotel". By 1957 rock and roll artists appear regularly on the popular music charts and by 1959 rock and roll records accounted for 43% of all records sold. The end of the decade was marked by tragedy as a February 1959 plane crash took the lives of rock and roll stars Buddy Holly, The Big Bopper and Ritchie Valens, known as "The Day The Music Died".
Charles Edward Anderson, aka Chuck Berry. An American icon! A songwriter, guitarist and singer is one of the true pioneers of Rock N Roll. Born October 18th, 1926 he created lasting hits still played today all over the world. Johnnie B. Goode, Roll Over Beethoven, Sweet Little Sixteen, No particular Place To Go, and Maybellene (Chess Records), inspired and adapted from an old Western Swing fiddle tune "Ida Red" which was recorded by Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys in 1938. Chuck Berry was among the first to be inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame when it opened in 1986.
