SUMMER 23 Roots of Rock

ROOTS OF ROCK AND ROLL covers seminal rock/pop acts from the ‘50s and early ‘60s, including Chuck Berry, Sun Records artists such as Elvis and Carl Perkins, early rockabilly, and early pop like The Beach Boys and Phil Spector-produced acts. This material is the foundation for everything that came after it, and its educational importance can’t be overstated. Rock & Roll really started to develop around 1953-1954 when iconic songs like “Hound Dog” by Big Mama Thornton and “Rock Around The Clock” by Bill Haley were released. By 1955 the floodgates started to break open and artists such as Little Richard were making huge names for themselves with hits like “Tutti Frutti.” Around this time a truck driver in Memphis, Tennessee, by the name of Elvis Presley started tearing up the south with his adrenaline pumped “Rock-a-billy” covers of R&B and Country songs. Presley would go on to define his sound in its signature style with hits like “Don’t Be Cruel” and “Heartbreak Hotel.” The mid-1950s were a cultural Big Bang that - through the talent and brilliance of many artists such as Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly, The Ronettes, Ritchie Valens, Elvis Presley, and more - transcended social boundaries and created a music movement that youth from all walks of life could feel like they were a part of. Rock & Roll is the ultimate freedom in musical expression and changed our entire world forever, and this show explores where it all began.