Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular Music

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FREED, Alan

(b 15 Dec. '22, Johnstown PA; d 20 Jan. '65, Palm Springs FL) US disc jockey who gave rock'n'roll its name. Fronted jazz band Sultans of Swing in Ohio high school, became interested in radio at college. After WWII moved from WKST (New Castle PA) through WKBN and WAKR in Akron, Ohio to WJW in Cleveland, where he started Moondog's Rock'n'Roll Party, playing rhythm and blues but rechristening it to avoid racial stigma, becoming the most famous of disc jockeys who had their finger on the pulse (see Payola). Surprise caused a mini- riot March '52; the music business was changing and nobody could have predicted that 25,000 fans would try to attend a live Moondog Coronation Ball; he moved to WINS NYC '54, carried on concert activities still breaking down racial barriers; his shows were syndicated in USA and to Europe (Radio Luxembourg); his manic style and jive patter (lubricated with copious quantities of scotch) were both irresistible and inimitable. Appeared in quickie films Rock Around The Clock and Don't Knock The Rock '56, Rock, Rock, Rock and Mr Rock'n'Roll '57, others; he also took favours from music sources (e.g. co-credit as writer of Chuck Berry's 'Maybelline', which he helped to make a hit); by refusing to play inferior white covers of black records he made enemies who later exploited his carelessness. A riot at Boston Arena led to charges of incitement, dropped 17 months later, but legal bills bankrupted him; he was fired from WABC late '59 for refusing to sign an affadavit denying he'd accepted payola (which was not then against the law); his honest naivety led to 26 counts of commercial bribery: he escaped with a fine but his career was broken. Others were luckier, but Freed was believed when he bragged that he'd never played a record he didn't like. He died while facing charges of income tax evasion; Cashbox wrote that 'he suffered the most ... for alleged wrongs that had become a way of life for many others'.