Casey Kasem is one of those people that were kind of dyed into the wool when it came to rock music for those of us of a certain age. His voice is instantly recognizable and if you listened to the radio very much, it was impossible to miss at least part of his American Top 40 Countdown every week.
Kasem hosted the American Top 40 Countdown for 18 years before moving on to doing a similar show called Casey's Top 40, which lasted another 9 years. He revived the American Top 40 Countdown in 1998 and there were spin-offs of that which included country music. He also created the American Video Awards in 1983 and hosted it until it stopped being produced in 1987.
His journey in radio started in high school, covering the sports teams and he took that up a level when he went to Wayne University and did voice work for children's programming. In 1952, Kasem was drafted into the US Army and went to Korea where he worked as an announcer for Armed Forces Radio. He took his turns as a disc jockey in his hometown of Flint, Michigan, as well as Cleveland, Ohio. Kasem also worked at radio stations in California. He did quite a bit of voice over work, including his most famous role as "Shaggy" on the Scooby Doo cartoon show.
Casey Kasem had a passion for broadcasting and was the most recognizable voice on radio for a generation. He is a member of the National Radio Hall of Fame, has a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame and was the first recipient of the Radio Hall of Fame's Lifetime Achievement Award.
INDUCTEE
The Beatles
What can I write about The Beatles that hasn't been written already? Anyone that loves music knows the great songs and anyone that is a hardcore music fan already knows how they changed the game. Pop and rock music started to be thought of as an artistic endeavor. Musicians were free to experiment by crossing genres, using different mic techniques, exploring the studio, expanding the roster of instruments and as important as anything The Beatles paved the way for artists to use their own songs and be a big part of the production process. Album covers got colorful. Wearing long hair became a staple. The topics that songs could be about became a little more overt, but they also maintained the ability to hide song meanings and be about nothing at all but phrasing and cadence.
At any rate, the very band I could talk about most is one that I don't really feel like I have to talk about at all. They have stood the test of time in many ways and they were the right guys at the right time to push the envelope and allow others to take it to the next level.
Although BB King can probably be best described as a blues artist, his impact on rock n roll is felt not only though the influence of his songs on the likes of Eric Clapton, Paul Butterfield, and the Rolling Stones, but in his guitar work as well. His string bending and distinct solos were to be emulated and adopted by many guitarists who followed. King toured tirelessly, playing upwards of 200 shows a year, won 15 Grammy's over a 39 year period and recorded 43 studio albums. He routinely had his songs in the top 10 of the R&B charts and sold over six and a half million records. All Music states that King "is the single most important electric guitarist of the last half of the 20th century."
Dick Clark
The seemingly ageless Dick Clark was a true ambassador for rock n roll. His greatest claim to fame may be the Dick Clark Rockin' New Year's Eve specials he hosted every year, but his most lasting impact was as the host of American Bandstand. American Bandstand was a popular program that highlighted Top 40 pop music every week for 37 years. Artists would promote their music by lip syncing their songs while teenagers danced, after an enthusiastic introduction from Clark. In its' earliest form, American Bandstand as a local program wasn't integrated, so only white audience members were allowed, but Clark insisted on integrating the program when it went national. Clark and the program were responsible in part for launching the careers of artists such as Prince, The Jackson 5, and Aerosmith, with their TV debuts being made on the show. For many "baby boomers", Dick Clark is synonymous with rock n roll and was a memorable part of their exposure to music and also to their favorite artists in a visual format.
INDUCTEES
My second set of inductees are similar to the first. Both had a profound impact on budding musicians and performers. While their styles and tones couldn't be more different, they found a common ground with the passion they inspired from their fans and the musicians that emulated them in both style and substance.
Buddy Holly
Buddy Holly was born in Lubbock, Texas during the height of the Great Depression. He came from a family that embraced a gamut of music, including gospel, country, swing, and R&B. Holly started out opening for acts such as Elvis Presley and Bill Haley when they would come through Texas. Holly was enamored by the thought of making a living playing music and was discovered by Decca records. He formed a band called "The Crickets" with Niki Sullivan, Jerry Allison, and Joe Maudlin and they recorded their first hit record "That'll Be The Day" in 1957, peaking at #3. The Crickets were the basis for many rock bands to follow. Instead of just being a backing band for a singer, musical groups started being consistent in their members, with each musician bringing their own talents and production efforts to the music. While Holly was only able to take advantage of his rise to stardom for a couple of years, his three albums and songs would inspire singer/songwriters that created some of the greatest rock and country music ever made. His best work still holds up over 60 years later, as "True Love Ways", "It's So Easy", "Rave On", and "Peggy Sue" are familiar tunes to almost all music lovers.
Buddy Holly made only 3 standard studio albums, but his music spawned some 29 compilations after his untimely and infamous death in 1959. Holly and The Crickets have sold over 2.5 million records worldwide and as a side note, one of the first two compact discs I bought was "Buddy Holly's Greatest Hits" (the other being Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon"). No need in pouring over the details of his death, as you can find more on that from better writers, such as this article at ALL THAT'S INTERESTING. His star burned briefly, but left a legacy behind to be picked up on by countless musicians such as The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Waylon Jennings, Elton John, and so many others that came of age in the years following Holly's death. The nature of his music and story has led to a feature movie on his life and of course the great Don McLean song "The Day The Music Died".
Freddy’s Buddy Holly Playlist: 5) Oh Boy 4) Brown Eyed Handsome Man 3) Maybe Baby 2) Everyday 1) That’ll Be The Day
Chuck Berry
While there are plenty of musicians and artists that led to the rise of rock n roll music, Chuck Berry may well be the single most important and influential "Founding Father" of them all. Berry took his love for blues to another level, bringing the tempo up, and showing a flare for the dramatic, he was as great a showman as he was an artist.
Berry planted his musical roots though gospel, country, and blues, getting his start singing in his church choir in St.Louis. After completing a short prison sentence for armed robbery while still in high school, he began his music career by performing at small clubs. He decided that he wanted to make a career of music and left for Chicago, where he befriended Muddy Waters and was eventually signed to a recording contract in 1955. In that same year, he recorded the top 5 hit "Maybellene" and over the next few years had massive hits with "Roll Over Beethoven", "Rock and Roll Music", "Sweet Little Sixteen", and "Johnny B. Goode". These up beat songs about teenage life touched a nerve with young audiences and almost every rock band formed and performing around the early 1960's had at least one if not several Chuck Berry tunes in their playlist. His career didn't stop with those 50's staples, in 1964, he had a hit with "No Particular Place To Go" and in 1972 scored a #1 hit with "My Ding-A-Ling".
Berry continued to do shows through the 70's and 80's and his impact can be measured in the artists that covered his songs and praised him as influencing their own music and motivations for wanting to be a musician. Elvis, The Beatles, Linda Ronstadt, and The Rolling Stones were all disciples of Berry and we may not know them as the musicians we enjoy today without the role he played in their love for music.
Berry recorded 20 studio albums, 12 live albums, and over 30 compilation records of his music have been released. He charted 25 singles (3 of those making the top 10) and 5 albums.
Freddy’s Chuck Berry Playlist: 5) Roll Over Beethoven 4) Johnny B Goode 3) Rock n Roll Music 2) No Particular Place To Go 1) You Never Can Tell
I am starting off with the first set of "Honorees". This group boosted "rock n roll" into the public consciousness. They were early pioneers that molded western swing, rock-a-billy, and rhythm and blues into a new sound which Alan Freed described as "Rock and Roll".
Bill Haley and The Comets
Bill Haley sold over 60 million records and had the first rock song to ever hit the American Billboard charts, hitting #12 with "Crazy Man, Crazy" in 1953. Bigger things were ahead though, Haley and his Comets kick started a craze with "Rock Around The Clock" as it hit number 23 on the charts in 1954, but was re-released due to inclusion in the film "Blackboard Jungle" and went to #1 in 1955 and stayed there for eight weeks, becoming the first million selling record in Germany and Britain. Other notable songs include "Shake Rattle and Roll", "See You Later Alligator" and "Dim, Dim The Lights". Bill Haley & The Comets emergence opened the door for rock and roll radio airplay and ushered out the dominance of crooners such as Frank Sinatra, and Bing Crosby, among others.
Fats Domino
Fats Domino was a very popular pianist/vocalist in the era that birthed rock and roll. He is credited by some music historians as having released the very first rock single with "The Fat Man", which would be the first rock record to sell over a million copies. From 1949 to 1955, Domino released five gold records, including "Lawdy Miss Clawdy" and "Ain't That A Shame". In 1956, he released his biggest hit and song that may be his most recognized, "Blueberry Hill". "Blueberry Hill" reached number two on the Billboard charts and was number one on the R&B charts for eight weeks and is among the Rolling Stone magazines top 500 songs of all-time. In his career Domino sold in excess of 65 million records and had a major influence on Elvis Presley, Paul McCartney, Elton John, and John Lennon and many other musicians.
Alan Freed
Alan Freed was among the first disc jockeys and concert promoters to push rock n roll music out to the masses and in particular targeting young people. While he may not have invented the term "rock n roll" he is widely thought to have popularized the term and attached it to the up and coming musical phenomenon sweeping the country in the 50's. Not only was he important in promoting rock music, but he also is credited for exposing white audiences to "black" music, paving the way for people of all races to embrace the rock n roll art form.
Sam Phillips
Sam Phillips was a DJ, musical engineer and record producer that was instrumental in the emergence of rock and roll as a popular art form with both white and black audiences. He came to own several radio stations in the south and in 1950 opened the "Memphis Recording Service" which allowed amatuer musicians such as Howlin' Wolf and BB King to record their first records which were subsequently sold to larger record labels. In 1952 Phillips launched his own label called "Sun Records". During its' 16 years, Sun Records produced 226 rock and roll singles, more than any label in the same time frame. Phillips work with Elvis helped launch his career and it would be the "home base" for some of rock n rolls earliest heroes, such as Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Orbison, and Carl Perkins.
INDUCTEES
The first "Inductees" are a pair of rock legends that catapulted the genre into the mainstream and influenced countless young people all over the world to start singing and playing instruments. Both, Elvis and Little Richard were popular but also could be polarizing for older audiences. Was this new, loud and bombastic music just a fad? Hardly.....Elvis and Little Richard lit the first torch to which many others would pick up and run with.
Little Richard
The influence of Little Richard can be felt not only in rock music, but also permeates through R&B, hip hop, funk, and soul. Not just a great musician with a powerful and distinctive voice, he was a showman that gave extra energy to the music he played. He began his professional career in 1949, leaving home and performing for Hudson's Medicine Show. Often times Richard would perform in drag and sometimes be billed as "Princess LaVonne". He also would be in and out of different bands and vaudeville shows, picking up a lot of flair and wardrobe preferences along the way. Richard would find his footing in 1955, recording "Tutti Frutti" in just three takes. The record would climb to #2 on the R&B charts and crossed over to the pop charts in America and Britain (#21 and #29 respectively), eventually selling a million copies. His follow up "Long Tall Sally" was even more popular and his songs would become cross-over sensations, covered by the likes of Elvis, Buddy Holly, The Everly Brothers, and many more. The Beatles opened for Little Richard on several European tour dates in the early 60's and his influence on Lennon and McCartney was pronounced as McCartney would channel him more than once on Beatle recordings. Among his many accolades, Little Richard is a member of the Songwriting Hall of Fame, The "Rock and Roll" Hall of Fame and has several liftetime achievement awards for his contributions to music. During the 50's, he appeared in several "rock n roll" film productions at the behest of Alan Freed and continued his assault on the music charts.
Richard's popularity and career had ebbs and flows over the years, which even involved his putting music on hiatus to work as a minister. His various comebacks included a tribute to Otis Redding, movie appearances, and several dives into children's entertainment. In a career that spanned nearly 70 years, Little Richard released 19 studio albums, 3 live albums, and 77 singles. He charted nearly 30 times in the top 20. His value to rock music is unquestionable and his body of work and influence put him in a deserving spot as one of the first two inductees into Freddy's Rock Hall of Fame.
Freddy's Little Richard Playlist
5) Tutti Frutti 4) Keep A-Knockin 3) Lucille 2) Good Golly, Miss Molly 1) Long Tall Sally
Elvis Presley
What is there to say about Elvis that hasn't been said before? Not much. He isn't called the "King of Rock N Roll" for nothing. Everyone knows Elvis, despite his being dead for over 40 years. The scope of his influence went well beyond rock music. He is an icon, a legendary figure and is still felt in our culture today. As a performer in the 50's, he captivated teen audiences and pissed off their parents. As a performer in the 60's and 70's, he became an icon and blessed his fans by dipping his toes into R&B, gospel, and country.
He began his career barnstorming through small southern towns and recording songs for Sam Phillips and Sun Records. Phillips knew he couldn't get Elvis to where he should be going and Tom Parker and RCA took over managing Elvis and releasing his records. In 1956, "Heartbreak Hotel" became Presley's first #1 hit and by the end of the year, Elvis would be selling upwards of 10 million records for RCA.
Elvis became a star like few other people have ever experienced. He was known world wide, and he took that up a notch when he started doing films. The movies are not generally that great, but it was a vehicle in which Elvis could keep the momentum of his music going, while also appealing to a larger audience and try to keep up with his fans as they matured. I'll admit my fandom of Elvis is passive, but I enjoy his music, from the early days right up through the end of his life. My favorite Elvis album is "Moody Blue" and "Way Down" almost always finds its' way on to music mixes I create.
Elvis inspired and influenced countless musicians and singers and will likely continue to do so as young people continue to discover his music by following the trail of influences that their favorite artists today took after.
Guinness recognizes Elvis as the greatest selling solo artist of all time, with up to 500 million records sold. Presley released 23 studio albums, 8 live albums, 18 soundtrack albums and 117 singles. He place 109 songs on the Billboard Hot 100 with 30 #1 hits across all charts. You can't have a Hall of Fame for rock, pop, general music, or rock n roll without Elvis being at the top of your list. So, here he is, along with Little Richard, cutting the ribbon.
Freddy's Elvis Presley Playlist
10) Crawfish 9) Like A Baby 8) Always On My Mind 7) Little Sister
Hello to anyone that happens upon this page. In my previous post (LINK: from 5/29/2023), I had advised I would be writing on music and felt inclined to start my own "Rock Hall of Fame" since I'm not crazy about what they have going on in Cleveland.
My intention is to have a Hall of Fame that is a little truer to the art form. The inductees/honorees are going to be based more upon my opinion rather than a rigid set of criteria or boxes to check. That said, longevity, critical quality, promotion, sales & chart positions, breaking new ground, expanding a medium, and influence (within the rock world or culture) can all come in to play. And yes, the term "rock" can be applied loosely, but I don't want to deviate very far off the beaten path. If a rap, pop, or country artist has made a contribution to rock, they may be in the honoree section and not a full fledged inductee/member.
Honorees are going to be artists or any figure that contributed in a positive way to rock music, but perhaps not on a big enough scale to be a full inductee. Some may be (but not necessarily limited to) early influencers, promoters, producers, radio personalities, or managers. Honorees may also become inductees at some point.
Inductees are going to be the full fledged members of the Freddy Rock Hall of Fame. These are artists or bands (but not necessarily limited to that) that made (or are making) significant contributions to the world of rock music and who I consider to be to the cream that has risen to the top of the art form.
Am I going to miss some people (producers, managers, artists, bands) or put an artist in that may be disagreeable to some fans? Probably and there won't be any way to make everyone happy. I hope anyone that reads this knows I'm doing it out of love for music and my love of writing and putting my thoughts out there. I'm not going to go overboard with throwing names on a list. I want it to be a process and approach it from my limited knowledge of the rock genre. I am not going to follow any sort of time line for this thing, so it will be a work in progress....to hopefully never be completed.
Write ups on the honorees and inductees to follow in a subsequent post.
The last time I "published" anything to this blog was in December of 2020. I just haven't been in the frame of mind to write much since that time. In 2021 we moved from our former home of 18 years and while the new home is bigger and better, I don't have a spot where it's convenient for me to work from the PC and be in a comfortable position, near a music or TV source. Well, I have felt the urge to write, so I got the old...and yeah, it's old...laptop out and will try to write as much as I feel like.
Seems like getting good conversation about music is becoming harder and harder, so I suppose I will just talk to myself and express my opinions and positions on the things I want to. And one of the topics I have been feeling strongly about lately is music.
With that, I am going to make my own "Rock Hall of Fame". It's going to be Freddy style. I don't feel like I need much of a set criteria. Like many music fans, I am disenchanted with what the "official" Rock n Roll HOF in Cleveland is. In my opinion, there were too many artists thrown in too quickly and there are some acts/artists that just don't belong. It feels like they are just trying to fit as much under the Rock n Roll umbrella as possible to take advantage of names and brands. (I love Willie....love Dolly, but they shouldn't be in the R&R HOF in my opinion)
With that, I will start a series of articles and "inductions", if you will, to honor the artists, bands, and other important figures in the world of Rock. The inductees/honorees are going to be based more upont my opinion than a rigid set of criteria or boxes to check. Longevity, critical quality, sales & chart positions, breaking new ground, expanding a medium, and influence (within the rock world or culture) can all come in to play.
I'm not doing this to debate or argue with anyone, but I will keep the comment sections turned on, while reserving the right to delete any comments that are lewd, obnoxious, or are the rantings of an asshole. Anyone that goes back through my blog may find some stuff I've written they don't like. Well, don't read it. I am not changing anything I've ever written. It's where I was at that time and even if I have had a change of mind or opinion, I am not interested in white washing who I was, even at the risk of offending someone.
OK, so there is all that. Unless I just forget about it, or change my mind, my next move is to start a page dedicated to the inductees/honorees of the Freddy's Open Mind Rock Hall of Fame!
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