The Beginning of 20th Century Black Music:





The music industry has been greatly influenced by African-American music and continues to be. In the early 20th Century, American theaters displayed musicals that were often written and produced by African-Americans and the first known recording done by an African-American musician was by Bert Williams and George Walker. Early 20th Century Black music mainly took place in Operas, orchestras and choruses. The first Black orchestra was established in 1906 in Philadelphia. The Black orchestra "Clef Club," atrracted both the Black and White community from 1912-1915. This type of music served as a gateway into the world of jazz.







Blues and jazz became popular in the African-American community around the early part of the 20th Century. Ragtime music was also a popular genre. Most of the time, African-American music was "simplified" for the White community, as it was seen as innappropriate and vulgar. Jazz, Blues and Ragtime influenced the genre of Swing into the White community. Black music was performed at Carnegie Hall, and included both orchestras and jazz. Pioneers of the jazz genre include: Jelly Roll Morton, James P. Johnson, Louis Armstrong, Count Basie and Duke Ellington.





Mid-20th Century Black Music:



By the middle of the 20th Century many songs by Black musicians were topping the music charts, both only when sang by White musicians. The original musicians were only successful among the Black community. In 1955, The Apollo Theater was opened and was a place for Black musicians to perform. Right around this time, another type of music became popular, the genre of bebop. Popular musicians of this time included Miles Davis and John Coltrane.



During the 1940s and 1950s, the African-American music developed a type of music known as Rock and Roll. This type of music was able to become streamlined through White musicians like Elvis Presley and was known commercially as "rockabilly" music, although it was greaty influenced by the Black musicians. Some Black musicians, such as Chuck Berry, were able to find success breaking into the White music industry.



In the late 1950s "doo-wop" became popular and "Soul" also developed. Ray Charles served as a pioneer for this type of music. Soul and R&B led into the development of girl groups, such as The Angels. In 1959, Berry Gordy established Motown Records, the first record label to represent mainly African-American musicians. This label developed a "Pop" sound and represented major African-American musicians of the 20th Century. Motown Record artists included: Marvin Gaye, The Temptations, The Supremes and Aretha Franklin. By the end of the 1960s, African-American musicians broke into the "metal" world and included the works of Jimi Hendrix.



The 1970s began with such as artists as Smokey Robinson and incorporated Soul with a new type of music, "Funk." Around this time, Black musicians were able to gain more mainstream success and some were even able to have a crossover audience. These musicians included: Stevie Wonder, Dionne Warwick and Gladys Knight. In the late 1970s, "Hip-Hop" developed.



"Hip-Hop" music had a more rebellious side to it and elements that hadn't been seen before, such as spinning records and different beats. DJs and MCs became popular and started a major movement in young Black America. In the 1980s, Hip Hop spread across the nation and became more diverse. A small number of solo Black artists also became successful crossover artists, inlcuding, Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, Lionel Richie and Luther Vandross. In the later part of the decade, rap had great success in the mainstream music industry.



The End of the 20th Century:



At the end of the 20th Century, the main genres of African-American music were Hip Hop, Rap and R&B. A rapper, 2Pac, had great success as an artist during this time. R&B artists included, TLC, Destiny's Child and Jagged Edge. By the end of the 20th Century, Black music had become completely mainstreamed and incorporated into the White community, while also influencing White artists and musicians.

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

The Beatles, Elvis Presley and their African heritage.

Rock & Roll is arguably one of the most popular genres of music of all time. It was partially responsible for waves of social change, and still defines popular music to this day. However something often ignored is the fact that African American gospel, and blues were the basis and the origin of early Rock 'n' Roll music.
Big Mama Thornton originally recorded in 1952, received acclaim across the African American community but was largely ignored by the radio and music industry.


Elvis Presley performed this version of the song on the Milton Berle Show. Because of the widespread exposure his name was quickly associated with the song and this association was one of the many that contributed to Elvis Presley's title as King of Rock and Roll.
Chuck Berry one of the most influential early African American guitarists recorded the song "Roll Over Beethoven" in 1956 a hit single that received wide spread play. 


The Beatles released a cover version in 1964 as a part of "The Beatles Second Album". This album soared to the top of the charts in the U.S. replacing the Beatles first album, a first and only occurrence in music history.


In fact many of these early hits from legendary white Rock 'n' Roll artists were not originals but in fact covers of African American songs played of by d.j.'s y radio as original brilliance. To White America these songs were miles away from the African American music that played in smokey clubs in Harlem, and Chicago but many white artists acknowledge their roots whole heartedly.
"When I took up guitar, I wanted to play like Chuck Berry more than anything in the world," says the late Jerry Garcia of The Grateful Dead.
 






























The Rolling Stones were influenced so much by Muddy Waters that they named their band after his song "Rolling Stones."
































By promoting the "white" version of Rock 'n' Roll music executives, d.j.s, and promoters were able to transfer the popularity and commercial success from the African American founders. Other genres of music created by African Americans have also been taken and transformed to a more "white" version. 
"And I'd like to give my love to everybody, and let them know that the grass may look greener on the other side, but believe me, it's just as hard to cut." Little Richard


During a 1972 visit to Johnson Publishing Co., Beatle John Lennon told Jet magazine that the lack of success of the African American artists that inspired him such a Chuck Berry, Little Richard and Bo Diddy bothered him. "It hurt my heart that they were not as big as they were in the 1950s," he said. Some are more impassioned suggesting that African American artists had been robbed and reparations should be made. Still to this day popular opinion holds bands such as the Beatles and the Rolling Stones to the credit of the originators and founders of Rock 'n' Roll.

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