Rock N Roll

Little Richard is America’s original and best wild child within rock and roll. Born Richard Wayne Penniman in 1935, Little Richard had his very first taste of everything showbiz when he sang with the church choir.

He was only 16 years of age when he recorded and made his first song. He was signed with RCA Records in Atlanta and began laying down tracks. He had no success with the record label or the songs he had made, but that was only the beginning.

Eventually, he signed with Specialty, which was just becoming a huge label at that time and he never looked back. He had hits such as “Long Tall Sally”, Rip It Up”, Ready Teddy” and many others. He had hits both in the US and eventually in the UK charts.

In 1957, Little Richard cut his amazing career short by going back into the church and leaving rock and roll behind him for good. There are a few theories and speculative reports as to why he would give up a lucrative career so fast, but they are all rumours. Some people think he was involved in gangland activities and needed to leave rock and roll fast, some others simply believe it was the work of god. Only little Richard knows why he gave up his amazing career so quickly and easily, and it looks like no one else will ever know.

Whatever the reason, rock and roll should just be thankful he was involved at all – he created amazing songs that still pass the test of time.

The 50’s was when rock and roll was really discovered by the masses. Rock and roll in the 50’s is usually divided into two camps – Primal, party music (Big Joe Turner, Wynonie Harris) and Rockabilly music (Elvis Presley).

Rockabilly combined the sounds of blues music found in the south and country music. Elvis Presley made rockabilly popular with his good looks, swaggering style and guitar riffs combined with a lush voice. Rockabilly songs focused on fats cars, gorgeous girls, and love found and lost again.

Rockabilly seemed to wane towards the end of the 1950’s as new music emerged in the 60’s. Rock changed forever in the 60’s with the British invasion of the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. Artists new they had to evolve the sound of rockabilly music to keep the kids and the adults entertained.

Rockabilly did enjoy a comeback in style during the 70’s and the 80’s. Many artists use rockabilly music as the basis of their sound and adapt it to the age they are in. Rockabilly was the rock and roll music that changed a generation – kids love it and parents couldn’t stand it. Rockabilly gave kids a sense of freedom, rebellion and a new found wave of sexuality.

Rockabilly is the foundation of the rock and roll music we love today, and is also the backbone of everything you hear in the charts now.

Rock and roll has provided us not only with fantastic music and brilliant stars, but also given us some of the best and most intriguing conspiracy theories!

The most famous case would be that of Elvis Presley. Many people actually believe he didn’t die and is walking around living a normal life now. The circumstances of his death have been widely documented, but many people question what actually happened. Some believe that he was over worked, stressed and wanted peace and quiet again. So, he faked his own death to escape the media and the life he had.

The rumours are rife around the world that he is still alive and they still continue today. There are books about his death and whether or not it was real, there are websites dedicated to finding out if he is alive or not and there are millions around the world who think they see him on a regular basis.

Elvis could not have known how huge he would have become around the world; he wanted to be able to walk around like a normal guy out with his family, something which he couldn’t do anymore. The big question is how much he wanted to be ‘normal’.

Many stars and other singers have questioned whether or not his death was real or not – stars such as Ronnie McDowell and Merle Haggard have all wondered whether or not he is actually dead or alive.

Do you think he is still alive?

Bob Dylan used his music in the 1960’s to convey social messages and to protest against the Vietnam war and other social upheavals.

A few of his songs, more notably, “The Times They Are a-Changin’” and “Blowin’ in the Wind” became the soundtrack for many civil right movements that took place. It is mainly his lyrics that take centre stage rather than the accompanying music. His influences can be heard heavily in his lyrics, particularly his literary, political, philosophical and social influences.

Bob Dylan is still touring the world and thrilling huge audiences. One of his latest albums called Modern Times is massive hit and has won the acclaimed title of Album of the Year by Rolling Stone magazine.

Dylan uses a guitar, harmonica and a piano to wow his audiences with his sound. His sound is not only unique, but so is his attitude. From his protesting days in the 60’s to his subtle political messages now, Dylan has always wanted to be able to express himself and his views freely.

Dylan is still touring now and his tours have been penned as the never-ending tour. Some people believe that as his vocals are not as strong as they used to be, he should stop touring. However, many of his fans and the fact that the tour sells out night after night, would clearly disagree with the critics.

The Rolling Stones began their journey in 1962 and are still going strong today. Keith Richards and Mick Jagger became childhood friends and shared a mutual interest in music and all things rock and roll.

They formed a band called Blues Inc with Brian Jones and Tony Chapman had their first ever recorded hit was actually rejected by the record label EMI. They changed their name to The Rolling Stones and played their first ever gig at the Marquee in 1962. Some changes were made and Bill Wyman and Charlie Watts gave a new look and feel to the group.

The Rolling stones were released to the public when a manager called Andrew Loog Oldham decided to market them as the ‘wicked’ opposite to the very wholesome and clean Beatles.

The marketing worked and they soon became huge thanks to their hit songs, unique style and charisma. They have had a few stumbling blocks and tragedies throughout their time: Brian Jones left the band after not seeing eye to eye with other band members. He wanted to create a band of his own, but this plan was cut tragically short when he was found dead at his home in his swimming pool.

Another tragedy struck during the Thank You America concert when the Stones hired the hells angels as security. They murdered a young, black fan called Meridith hunter while the Stones sang Under My Thumb.

Many changes have befallen the Stones, but the main members of the group still rock the world today.

Rock and roll keeps defining eras throughout history. Not only has it been associated with hatred, protests and drugs; it is also strongly associated with peace, love and happiness.

Love and peace took a prominent place on the stage during the 60’ and the 70’s. Social issues and problems were often addressed using music and this made it possible to convey messages of peace and love all over the world.

Folk artists such as Bob Dylan and Woody Guthrie made a huge impact on the social messages that the music conveyed. Other artists such as John Lennon, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young’s also made songs that held strong, social and personal messages.

Spiritual messages have also featured heavily in rock and roll music. Many artists have explored many areas of spirituality in their work, artists such as Pete Townsend and the Beatles to name but a few.

Many bands and artists have used God and religion as a foundation for their music and many are very religious. Some artists have even become born again Christians after overcoming drug and sex addictions due to their fame and money.

Rock and roll music has changed the world that we live in forever. It can be accredited with spreading and promoting the message of love and peace, but many still believe that it is nothing short of evil. While everyone is entitled to their opinion on all forms of music and the message they convey to the masses, most would agree that rock and roll has given the world something that many could not – soul.

It was official in the 60’s and during the height of rock and roll – adults didn’t get it, kids loved it and many thought rock and roll was the work of the devil! Rock and roll music was a way for the younger people to rebel against society, the government, their own lives and their family.

Living in the rock and roll lifestyle usually meant dabbling in sex and drugs. This wasn’t the same for everyone, but many artists and fans used drugs and had unprotected sex with, well anyone!

Psychedelic music became prominent in the 60’s and so did the drug use of everyday people. This is partly due to the fact that many of the artists and the bands actively encouraged their listeners to appreciate the music while being under the influence of drugs.

The rise of drug use coincided with artists and bands openly admitting that they too took the drugs. A famous case of this includes the Beatles. Once they had admitted to taking cannabis and writing songs while under the influence, the fans followed suit. Drugs and rock and roll soon became intertwined with each other and one of the main reasons why adults and parents hated it with a passion.

Many famous and legendary rock stars have died from drug abuse and many wear the scars and the tell tale signs of hard rug use on their faces today. Of course today, we are a little wiser about drugs and stars try not to promote taking illegal substances.