to a $200,000 -a-ycar income. As a diskjockey for New York’s station WINS, his program reaches 12 states and Newfoundland. On tape he’s heard in Chicago, St. Louis, Kansas City and over the powerful “We’rc having some fun before Radio Luxemberg throughout BY THE ODORE IRWIN we get too old to enjoy ourselves” Europe and England. His first said one l5 -year-old girl in a recent movie, Rock Around the Clock, has grossed a profit of $3,000,000. PAGEANT JULY 1957 . Gilbert Youth Research survey. Is rock ‘n’ roll merely harmless On the side, Freed writes songs, teen-age fun? Or is it something makes records, le ads a band, em c e es shows and is a partner in two music more dangerous? Any serious investigation prob- publishing firms and a record com- pany. One of his song-hits, Sincere- ing for the answers to these ques- tions in evitably runs smack into a ly, sold 2,000,000 records. Last IN RECENT YEARS, getting upset year, one of his in-person shows in shrewd, cool-headed, knowledge- over the mysteries of teen-age be- Brooklyn brought out a record able and surprising young man $228,000 crowd in a single week. havior has almost become a na- named Alan Freed. He coined the tional pastime. A noisy crowd is “In this business,” he says can- phrase, “rock and roll,” and not didly, just a crowd, for instance, unless only sparked the trend but fanned “your career is so short, it’s composed of adolescents and you’ve got to get it from all angles.” it into flame. then it’s labelled a “riot.” And Today, he is the acknowledged To understand the why and how lately, when youngsters get into high priest of the rock ‘n’ roll cult, of rock ‘n’ roll, you’ve got to know troub le , adults groping for a scape- the Pied Piper and dedicated evan- The King. A wiry, int e ns echain- , goat have pointed an accusing fin- gelist of the teenagers’ Big Beat. smoking, 35-year-old dynamo, Alan ger at a new “corrupter of youth” “Rock ‘n’ roll is kids,” he says. Freed is actually shyly introverted -that “awful music,” rock n’ roll. despite his “hard-sell” radio tech-, If you have normal hearing, you “It’s not me or Elvis Presley or n ique .He’s a devoted family man must be aware of this musical phe- anyone else. The music belongs to with no visible qualities of a ro- nomenon with its undulating, two- them-they had a need for it and mantic idol, and it’s difficult for beat rhythm. Apparently rock 'n ' they discovered it. I don’t set the adults to understand why hordes of pace-these kids do.” roll has no charms to soothe the young girls call him “the greatest, savage breast, for its impact upon Until fairly recently, the name of the most e st.” Before a microphone, youthful masses has been at times Alan Freed had no meaning to however, this rock n' roll spieler explosively violent. In Boston, most adults, despite his astonishing “sends” the younger ge n e ration. As Washington, Minneapolis, Atlanta popularity with the younger gener- a record spins, he slaps out the -across and up-and-down the na- ation. Then, three rock ‘n’ roll characteristic beat on a telephone movies he made for Columbia book, shouts “Go! Go! Go!” or tion -over-exhilarated teenagers in jammed theatres all over the world, “Blow, man, blow !” He has a grand many rock ‘n’ roll audiences have causing “riots” as far off as Paki- time, he says, enjoying the music screeched and screamed, smashed stan. His stage shows and rock ‘n’ along with the kids. windows, thrown beer bottles, About half a million fan letters bowled over police, wrecked thea- roll parties in various cities have and telegrams deluge him during tres and dance halls, and produced stampeded audiences. Last Washington’s Birthday, for a year. Close to 7,000 Alan Freed blaring headlines. Fan Clubs, each with ten to 300 In the frenzy 'n ' furor accom- example, some typically tumultuous members, have sprung up in the panying each breach of peace, hor- scenes were enacted in New York’s rified parents, harried police and Times Square, in and around the past couple of years. What, precise- some vocal social scientists have Paramount Theatre. The program ly, is the magnet? included a Freed rock ‘n’ roll movie, viewed such goings-on with alarm. “Teenagers believe in me,” he his 20-piece orchestra, assorted live Elders have fumed, fretted, pon- explains, “because they know I’m entertainers and Freed in-person, tificated and legislated against the their friend and give them the billed as “The King of Rock ‘n’ "craze ." Sporadically, rock ‘n’ roll music they want.” Roll.” Before dawn, at 4:00 A.M., has been officially banned in some To vehement, vitriolic criticism teenagers with lunch-boxes started public places. Eminent psycholo- of rock ‘n’ roll, Freed says he queuing up. During the day, 13,120 gists, sociologists and psychiatrists usually turns the other che e k. But “cats” poured into Times Square, have characterized rock ‘n’ roll as one recent Sunday afternoon, talk- overflowing sidewalks, tying up everything from “adolescent rebel- ing to me while relaxed on a couch traffic, pushing over barriers. As a lion” to “a medieval type of spon- in his studio at home, the King of result, 175 cops were called out. Rock ‘n’ Roll sounded off. taneous lunacy.” Between shows, Freed stepped Yet millions of youngsters vir- “What are those psychologists out through the stage door for a yelling about?” he said. “They don’t tually live by rock 'n’ roll and every breath of air. Instantly, a group of day more and more of them are know these kids and have probably high school students descended on never seen a rock ‘n’ roll show. Our becoming exponents. Ninety per- him. Before he could retreat, they cent of all single records-45 rpm- teenagers aren’t bad-they’re just tore off his jacket, Ivy League cap, enthusiastic. are bought by teenagers and many tie and cuff-links for souvenirs. record companies arc operating on “No music can bc morally bad. “I love it,” he told me later, in Whether he’s playing a ukulele or a three-shift basis to fill orders for the seclusion of his Stamford, rock 'n' roll. The young devotees listening to rock ‘n’ roll records, a Conn., home “I love being mobbed will tell you that disapproving child is cutting his teeth on music, by kids. I wouldn’t want it to stop.” and I say he’s on the path to finer “middle-aged” people - anyone It 's understandable that such over 25-are hopeless squares who music. In fact, one recent survey adulation is welcomed by Freed. fail to keep up with the times and revealed that about 37 percent of Virtually overnight, this super- teenagers enjoy opera or classical now condemn what they don’t salesman has parlayed rock ‘n’ roll understand. records as well as rock ‘n’ roll.” Undeniably, Freed had some- Freed is honestly convinced that called off. But apparently the crowd thing. Throughout the country, a rock ‘n’ roll is “good” for children had such a grand time breaking strong upsurge of interest in all and he backs up his contention with into the Arena that no one asked kinds of music has been reported. piles of fan letters. Boys have writ- for his money back. “Rock ‘n’ roll was discovered by ten that once they hung around Thereafter, Freed staged eight the kids themselves,” Freed went street corners at night and now they rcscrvcd-seat shows, all sell-outs. on. “They feel it’s new; for their stay home with their rock ‘n’ roll His fame spread to New York and generation alone. Before it came records. Many teenagers write in I954 came the inevitable high- along, they were starved for enter- something like this: “My parents priced deal for a rock n’ roll disk tainment. The ballad-type music are too busy going to parties. If I jockey show on WINS. Four they’d been hearing was too soupy didn’t have rock ‘n’ roll, I don’t months later, he threw two rock ‘n’ and languid for dancing. Tele- know what I’d do,” roll dances at the St. Nicholas vision offered very little musical Rock ‘n’ roll burst upon the Arena in New York. variety for them. So when they en- nation, via Freed, virtually by acci- “In a way,” he recalls, “those St. countered the powerful, affirmativc dent. Until then, he was an ob- Nick dances were the turning point. jazz beat of rock ‘n’ roll, it was like scure toiler on the airwaves. You see, those Cleveland affairs ap- making an exciting discovery.” Born in Johnstown, Pa., of a pealcd most to colored people. In To show how rock ‘n’ roll “be- Welsh mother and a Lithuanian fact, after I ran them, I received longs" to the youngsters, Freed Jewish father, a clothing salesman, batches of poison-pen letters calling cited scores of simple songs aimed Alan was raised largely in Salem, me a ‘nigger-lover.’ But at the St. directly at them: Teen-Age Crush, Ohio. At 12, he took to the trom- Nick the audiences were about 70 Young Love, Sitting in the Bal- bone, soon organized a high-school percent white and 30 percent cony, Teen-Age Prayer.