Rock Radio Scrapbook

AIRCHECK OF THE WEEK
For week of May 29, 2016
Edition #887

Talent: ALAN FREED
Station: WJW Cleveland
Date: 1953
Time: 27:38 (unscoped)

In the beginning, there was Alan Freed.

He played R&B long before it was cool to do so. While everyone else was playing Doggie in the Window by Patti Page, Freed was spinning Sixty Minute Man by the Dominoes. It was Freed who popularized the term "rock and roll" and promoted "race music" - as R&B was then called - like no white person had ever done before.

The Pennsylvania-born Freed originally wanted to be a big band leader, but an ear infection put an end to that. So he went into radio, starting in 1942 at WKST in New Castle, Pa. He was also at Ohio stations WKBN Youngstown and WAKR Akron in the '40s. At WAKR he developed a following playing hot jazz and pop, a precursor of things to come.

Freed arrived in Cleveland in 1949 at WXEL-TV where he hosted the afternoon movie. By this time, he'd met record store owner Leo Mintz, who noticed the popularity of rhythm and blues records and told Freed about it. In 1951, Freed started doing a classical music show at WJW Cleveland, but Mintz came to him and suggested he'd buy air time if Freed devoted his entire show to R&B records. Starting July 11, 1951, Freed did just that - and radio would never be the same again.

Calling himself The King of The Moondoggers, Freed ushered in a new era in radio with an upbeat, frenetic approach. Pounding on phone books, practically screaming into the mic, and sounding like every teenager's best friend (even though he was at least a decade removed from high school), Freed became a sensation with The Moondog House.

In March, 1952 Freed hosted what's called the first rock and roll concert, The Moondog Coronation Ball, at the Cleveland Arena. More people showed up than the arena's capacity would allow, and the near-riot that ensued led to cancellation of the concert. It only increased Freed's popularity, which continued to grow after he left WJW for WINS New York in 1954. A legend had been born and the rock 'n' roll era had begun.
 

Enjoy Alan Freed on WJW here.

Enjoy Alan Freed on WJW here.
 

(The Don Shuttleworth Collection)