Old Time Rock And Roll

Music: The Beginning of Rock and Roll For Me - (1955)
By Jerry Aragon

In the 1950's, television sets were only affordable for the privileged, so my family could not afford one, and so we listened to radio. My uncle had a television at his house, and when us kids first saw a television set for the first time, we were afraid of it! Hey, we were 10-12 years old, and there were few television sets anywhere in the country! We wondered, how they could get all those little figures in such a little box! (Hey, we were kids and television was new to all of us)

In the late 1950's, my father bought a television set, and we watched shows like Lucy; the Honeymooners; My Little Margie; Leave It To Beaver; Ozzie and Harriet; 77 Sunset Strip; Life of Riley; Flash Gordon; the Millionaire, Ed Sullivan; Gun Smoke, etc. Television was new to everyone all across the country. But, there was one television show, that was a MUST on our to-do list...and, that show was American Bandstand! The oldest American teen-ager, Dick Clark, hosted the show for many years, when it was broadcast (live) out of Philadelphia EVERYDAY! At that time, Dick Clark was probably in his mid-twenties.

Because of American Bandstand...it was television and rock and roll that teamed up, to spread the music of rock and roll throughout the country. As kids, we watched all the singers and groups that came out on American Bandstand to showcase their talents. What was amazing, is the fact, that many of these stars were only teen-agers or in their early twenties at the time...such as Smokey Robinson; Leslie Gore; Carol King; Buddy Holly; Paul Anka; Neal Sedaka; and many others. Many of the hits they sang...they wrote themselves! And, the hits they wrote back then, still thrive today! (2006) What a great time to grow up!

At the community center down the street, from where we lived, we attended dances (sock-hops) every week! Everyone showed up, including Long Tall Sally; Peggy Sue; Nadine and we would all "splish-splash the night away! There was only one "type" of dance that was popular going on at the time..."Band-standing," which was similar to jitter-bugging! Everyone on American Bandstand did it, so we learned from watching the dancers on the show!

It was exciting to get off from school about three in the afternoon...race home...so we could see all the new stars on American Bandstand! One after another...all the biggies of rock and roll came on the show! Little Richard; Jerry Lee Lewis; Buddy Holly; Connie Francis; the Platters; the Drifters; Chuck Berry; the Coasters; Fats Domino; somebody named Elvis-somebody-or-another...and, the list was endless! There were, of course, no oldies at that time...as these singers, songs, songwriters and performers were the main ingredients of the beginning of the rock and roll era!

But, rock and roll was not liked by everyone at the time! As a matter of fact, it was down-right hated! Parents; school officials; the government; churches; and the "establishment," frowned on rock and roll right from the beginning! "Rock and roll was corrupting our kids."..was the cry! Certain songs were banned from the church, and the "establishment frowned on rock and roll. It was later in the mid-1960's, when the drug culture came onto the scene, and it was then...when rock and roll was more accepted by the establishment!" After all, parents thought it was best for their kids to be having fun with music...than to get into the hazards of drugs!