Early rock’n’roll was a combination of
several different musical genres that
already existed, with a faster beat.
•Young people in the 1950’s (just after World War 2) began to
identify as “teenagers” – a word which had never been used
before!
•Teens were looking for a new culture. They wanted to be
different from their parents.
•Rock’n’roll was music for the teenagers of the 1950’s –
in other words, the BABY BOOMERS. Your grandparents
were cool!
Rock’n’roll music typically has:
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A strong beat
Simple chord progressions
Light-hearted lyrics with positive, popular themes
A lead vocal line, backed by guitars, string or electric bass, drums &
sometimes piano.
• Early rock’n’roll groups sometimes featured a saxophone.
Pictured: Bill Haley
& His Comets
Chuck Berry
Ritchie Valens
Elvis Presley
Jerry Lee Lewis
Little Richard
Buddy Holly
Click on the pictures to learn about these musicians
FAMOUS ROCK’N’ROLL MUSICIANS
Chuck Berry
Born: 18th October 1926
Major Hits: “Maybellene”, “Roll Over
Beethoven”, “Rock and Roll
Music”, “Johnny B. Goode”
• One of the first internationally
successful African-American
musicians in rock’n’roll.
• Famous for his ‘guitar duck hop’.
• Arrested in 1959.
Click here to find out more about Chuck Berry:
http://foglobe.com/chuck-berry.html
Click here to listen to “Johnny B. Goode”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNeEb7I3
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Elvis Presley
8th January 1935 – 16th August 1977
Major Hits: “Hound Dog”, “Blue Suede
Shoes”, “Love Me Tender”, “Jailhouse
Rock”, “Heartbreak Hotel”
• Successful due to being ‘a white
man who had the Negro sound’.
(Sam Phillips, Sun Records)
• Famous for his provocative dance
moves.
• Referred to as the ‘King of Rock and
Roll’.
• Joined the army in 1958.
Click here to find out more about Elvis Presley:
http://www.elvis.com/about-theking/biography_.aspx
Click here to listen to “Hound Dog”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzQ8GDBA8Is
Little Richard
Born: 5th December 1932
Major Hits: “Tutti Frutti”, “Long Tall
Sally”, “Ready Teddy”, “Lucille”
• Sang in church from a young age.
• Attracted mixed race audiences,
breaking down the segregation
between black and white people.
• Retired and became a preacher in
1957.
Click here to find out more about Little Richard:
http://foglobe.com/little-richard.html
Click here to listen to “Tutti Frutti”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFq5O2kab
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Ritchie Valens
13th May 1941 – 3rd February 1959
Major Hits: “La Bamba”, “Donna”,
“Come On, Let’s Go”
• Grew up listening to traditional
Mexican music, R&B and blues.
• Played guitar, trumpet & drums.
• Pioneered Latin rock.
• Died age 17 in a freak plane
accident that also killed musicians
Buddy Holly & J.P. “The Big Bopper”
Richardson. The crash was
nicknamed ‘The Day the Music
Died’.
Click here to find out more about Ritchie Valens:
http://www.last.fm/music/Ritchie+Valens
Click here to listen to “La Bamba”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCXlp3D5N
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Jerry Lee Lewis
Born: 29th September 1935
Major Hits: “Great Balls of Fire”, “Whole
Lotta Shakin’ Going On”, “Breathless”,
“High School Confidential”
• Known as rock’n’roll’s ‘first great wild
man’ due to his dramatic &
unpredictable performance antics.
• Caused a scandal in 1958 when it was
discovered he had married his 13year-old cousin. His career never fully
recovered after the scandal publicity.
Click here to find out more about Jerry Lee Lewis:
http://www.last.fm/music/Jerry+Lee+Lewis
Click here to listen to “Great Balls of Fire”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7IjgZGhHrYY
Buddy Holly
7th September 1936 – 3rd February 1959
Major Hits: “That’ll Be The Day”, “Peggy
Sue”, “Oh Boy!”, “True Love Ways”
• Signed two recording contracts at
once; one as a soloist, and one with
his band, ‘The Crickets’.
• Influenced the Beatles, who in part
chose their name to reflect the
Crickets.
• Died age 23 in a freak plane accident
that also killed musicians Ritchie
Valens & J.P. “The Big Bopper”
Richardson. The crash was nicknamed
‘The Day the Music Died’.
Click here to find out more about Buddy Holly:
http://foglobe.com/buddy-holly.html
Click here to listen to “Peggy Sue”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mb7KyPSbFqo
The Decline of Rock’n’Roll
The “rock’n’roll” culture ended very quickly, with most of the style’s key
figures leaving the scene within a time frame of two years.
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On ‘The Day the Music Died’ in 1959, Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens & J.P. “The Big
Bopper” Richardson were killed in a plane crash.
Elvis Presley left music to join the army in 1958.
Little Richard retired in 1957 to become a preacher.
The scandal over Jerry Lee Lewis’ marriage to his underage cousin destroyed his
career in 1958.
Chuck Berry was imprisoned in 1958.
Alan Freed (rock’n’roll’s most important record promoter) was discovered to have
been taking bribes and the scandal ruined his career.