nPostednon January 20, 2015
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Anvery famous disc jockey died on this date in 1965.
Anvery famous disc jockey died on this date in 1965.n
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nAndisc jockey is someone who introduces and plays recorded music on thenradio or at a party, club, or dance hall.
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nAlannFreed, who was known as Moondog, promoted a mix of popular music onnthe radio in the United States and Europe. We’re talking blues,ncountry music, and rhythm and blues. He called it…rock and roll!
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nYep,nhe introduced the phrase rock’n’roll to the world, and that’snwhy he is called the Father of Rock’n’Roll. He also helped tonintegrate the music world by presenting on his radio shows music madenby black artists rather than cover versions by white bands. His livenconcerts were attended by racially mixed audiences…somethingnremarkable in the U.S.
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nFreed’snlegacy was somewhat marred by the end of his career, because he hadnaccepted “payola” – payments from record companies to playntheir songs on the radio. Payola wasn’t illegal when Freed acceptednit—but many people thought it was wrong, and shortly after Freednlost his radio and TV shows, payola was made illegal.
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nStill,nthere are lots of honors heaped upon Alan Freed. After his death, henwas inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (which is located innhis longtime home of Cleveland to honor him), and also into thenNational Radio Hall of Fame; he was awarded a star on the HollywoodnWalk of Fame and a Trustees Award at the Grammys. The name Moondogncomes up once in a while in homage to Freed—for example, the mascotnof Cleveland’s pro-basketball team is Moondog—and Freed isnmentioned in many songs. Rock and roll songs, of course!
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| Rock music today is, of course, huge and diverse. But I thought these two pictures show a bit of the span from rock in Freed’s time, above, to nowadays, below. |
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nDonyou want to be a disc jockey?
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nNowadaysna DJ can be someone who, like Freed so long ago, introduces and playsnand talks about music on the radio…OR a DJ can be someone who mixesnrecorded music for a party, club, or rave. A club DJ may work withn(in the words of Beck) “two turntables and a microphone” – and anmobile DJ travels with a portable sound system. Some DJs arenconsidered performers because they add percussion using turntablenscratching or produce new music using turntablism andnsampling.
Check out how to become a party or performing DJ
here, and how to become a radio DJ here.n
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nAlsonon this date:
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nCelebratenRio de Janeiro
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nAnniversarynof the first game of basketball
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nAnniversarynof the U.S. patent for the first successful roller coaster
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nPlannahead:
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nChecknout my Pinterest pages on:
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nJanuaryn holidays
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nJanuaryn birthdays
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nHistoricaln anniversaries in January
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nAndnhere are my Pinterest boards for:
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nFebruaryn holidays
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nHistoricaln anniversaries in February
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