It was March 21st, 1952, in Cleveland, Ohio, at about 9pm, when the first 7,000 or more ticket holders streamed into the Cleveland Arena with high hopes of seeing 5 of their favorite Rhytm & Blues artists perform for a huge dance. By 9:30pm, the place was filled to capacity with over 9,000 teens- but there were still more than 10,000 more "Moondoggers" waiting outside. The doors broke down, glass shattered, seats were ripped from their moorings on the floor, and pandemonium ruled for the next hour. It was all the creation of a talented WJW radio DJ named Alan Freed, who, on his midnight shows, had been promoted The Moondog Coronation Ball for weeks. It was the first of many firsts that night- the first rock concert and dance, the first dance to which black teens were invited (although they made up 99% of the crowd), the first time "Rock and Roll" came to mean good music with a beat which could be enjoyed by all races, and the first time a concert had to be shut down by the police. Freed would go on to earn the title "The Father of Rock and Roll" and make 4 movies starring as himself, R&B would be recognized as the progenitor of Rock, and Cleveland, thanks to that seminal concert, would be chosen to host the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Story at 1001 Heroes, legends, Histories & Mysteries Podcast beginning Sunday Aug 25th.
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