LINK (click here): List For All Honorees & Inductees
HONOREES
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
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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
6) In The Ghetto 5) Burnin' Love 4) Moody Blue
3) Kentucky Rain 2) Suspicous Minds 1) Way Down
