Sam Phillips 'The Man Who Invented Rock N' Roll

The 1960s can be seen as a transitory period from the America of the oppressive to the America of the equal and free. Hundreds of years of oppression which had veiled the lives of blacks were finally beginning to be readily uncovered from this veil of oppression. World famous Motown singer Sam Cooke’s song “A Change is Going to Come” symbolizes this intermediary period of hope compounded by the residual deep seeded fears of the past and the future. This songs’ lyrics bring about questions of how Cooke felt of the Civil rights movement and how it would benefit his people and the nation as a whole. “A Change is going to Come” wrestles with the questions of this doubt, uncertainty and hopefulness for Cooke in this period. All results of the

Hank Snow was a popular and important musical artist, active before 1960, who is not included in the Dalhousie University 2017 - 2018 Popular Music until 1960 course. Hank Snow’s, “country standard I’m Movin’ On, a twelve-bar blues, came out before 1960. ” In this paper I will argue that Hank Snow and his song I’m Movin’ On must be a required listening in this course as he has had historical significance, has influenced musical artists (several that are covered in this course) and most importantly he is a Nova Scotia native with a successful musical country career on an international scale. I will provide relevant background information on Hank Snow as well as proof of his importance in the areas of historical significance, musical influence

Nevertheless, Phillips kept on putting out influential, black music. Despite the hardening Civil Rights movement in the 1950’s, songs by African American artists slowly became extremely popular. In 1958, the first black artist reached the top of the billboard hot 100. This marked the climax of Phillip’s goal to make popular music from an unpopular race. Sam Phillips’s persistence on creating popular black records and the equality protests go hand in hand. The exposure of the protests and music gave new

Music as a whole blends together. One style leads to another, the music becomes more progressive. It evolves to fit the new generation, leaving the old generation behind. From the spritual songs of the late 1800s to the gospel of the early 1900s. Then it changed into rhythm and blues, and when the 1950s rolled around it became Rock’ n’ Roll. With the invention of new iconic instruments like the Fender Precision Bass and then the Fender Stratocaster, the sound of the music changed. The sound that was soft and low was now crunchy and loud. While it did not sit well with the adults, it was a hit among the new generation. Even the African American roots of the music didn’t deter the youth listening

However the arguments put forward on the notion that the social and political context of the 1950’s was the reason behind the emergence of rock n roll is undermined by Peterson who states that the birth of Rock n roll can not be purely based and credited to the individuals mentioned above. That is not to say he is undermining their talent but instead such talent can be found on a wider scale, however only a few make the forefront.

The rise of Soul music was a product of the particular environment of that time in which the musicians who created it lived, a period much paralleled with the Civil Rights Movement (CRM) and Black Power Movement (BPM) (Maultsby, 1983, 54). The objective of this research was to examine any existence of political and social messages delivered in Soul music around the civil rights movement era in America, which would lead to a better understanding of the role of Soul music having served in the process of political and social changes in the country.

The main artist to capitalize on combining country with blues and jazz was the king of rock and roll, better known as Elvis Presley. He had the country twang along with the bluesy deep message and jazz type feel, which started the music we all know today as rock and roll.

Rock and Roll comes from the mid-1950s and is a combination of a blues, country music, and gospel music. Bill Haley and The Comets are considered the driving force behind the start of rock and roll. In the summer of 1955 Bill Haley and The Comets, had the first Rock and Roll song to be placed on the top of the Billboard best sellers, most played song on jukeboxes, and the most played by disc jockeys. Rock around the clock is a very iconic song written and performed by Bill Haley and the Comets, and is recognized as a timeless Rock and Roll song and showcases the bands western and country roots. Even though Bill Haley and The Comets had started the Rock and Roll genre, the audience wasn’t there and shortly died out. As a result, there

Teenage Rebellion is a major influence on the popularity of rock and roll in the 60’s. Society as a whole was well reserved and private about their personal and sexual lives. A struggling economy left most families spending the majority of income on basic living needs. Few households had disposable income.

Rock ‘N’ Roll’s birth came after the Great Depression and World War II. It was in the 50’s called the baby boomers that started it all. It expanded the teenage population with 3.4 million babies born. The 1950’s scrap the ideology of a conservative family, where the father is the bread winner and the mother was a stay home mother. The young adults found an escape and enjoyment in Rock ‘N’ Roll.

I have definitely learned a lot about the Evolution of Music in this class. I found it to be very intriguing. So when I was faced with the chore of deciding what I would do my report on, I chose to use the book Black Music in America by James Haskins. This book gave a detailed account of not only the music genres but it’s performers. American music is made up of music from many different types of ethnic backgrounds. What gives this book a plus is that it highlights aspects American music, and its performers. The people and events that really caught my attention were the concert singers, Minstrelsies, Jubilee songs, and brass bands. Born as a slave, a girl by the

Cooke’s music career was propelled by the captivating influence he had on the black crowd as a gospel singer. But after observing the events that sparked the civil rights movement: Emmitt Till’s dehumanizing murder and Rosa Park’s prideful stance on the bus, Sam Cooke became unsatisfied with the limited role he had in the music industry. Cooke desired

The folk genre has origins all the way back to the 19th century, which in many ways is mirrored by many popular genres in modern musical genres. To make it easy folk music is merely, “ballads and songs which are composed and conveyed vocally, without being written.”(Mclean 12) Though what we distinguish ‘folk’ today as stylistically very different to what ‘folk’ was during the 19th century, at its basic form, it still holds the same standards and concepts, describing the simpler times. Through vigorous research, it’s hard to overlook the past and expansion of folk music originating from the south, and how it could help understand the significance for observing and expanding the dynamics of southern race relationships. Equally, race

Rock and roll has developed a long way throughout the years from a dance craze in the 1950’s to a political and cultural landscape that is recognized worldwide. Rock and roll has come to define the roots of teenage rebellion, people who don’t follow the norms, and have disrespect for authority. The style of rock and roll itself is a melting pot of music, a combination of sounds that include jazz, country, blues, ragtime, gospel, swing, classical, and ethnic music. It can be a simple variation of three chords to a complex chromatic scale combination. It can convey emotions such as love, hate, fear, lust, sadness, joy, disillusion, or a strong sense of reality. Many things can be said about rock but the fact is that it is the most widely

In the midst of a time where black Americans were facing extreme ridicule and fighting for their rights, Sam Cooke arose from the Gospel music style and merged into the music known as Soul, a genre that spoke to the socially crumbling nation about peace and civil rights changes. Through his smooth style, velvety voice, handsome appearance, and appeal to black and white audiences alike, Sam Cooke made a difference in the lives of Americans in the 1960s by singing with pure emotion and soul, like in "A Change is Gonna Come." Through this genre’s sincere singing with lyrics full of emotion, a sense of understanding was brought to the people of America about the