Take Your Burden to the Lord Benny Goodman Quartet 1937 Little Richard - Tutti Frutti
Although black songwriters and arrangers Only white audiences were allowed to patronize recorded previously by black artists. Elvis’s
flourished during the first half of the 20 th this all black music venue. Trailblazing racial “Hound Dog” in 1956, was originally recorded
century, they were often behind the scenes integration in pop music was Benny Goodman, and released four years earlier by Big Mama
in their musical activity within “white music”. who included African American musicians in Thornton. And Pat Boone released “Tutti Frutti”
This was due to widespread segregation, his Benny Goodman Quartet during the swing a year following Little Richard’s recording.
and the lack of acceptance of black artists years of the late 30s.
onstage. These artists typically carved out
The third best-selling recording artist of the
their own separate musical careers, alongside Despite musical 1950s was Ricky (Rick) Nelson. He was the
white markets. New York’s “Tin Pan Alley”, the contributions to “white radio” as songwriters younger son featured on “Ozzie and Harriet”
leading creative stream feeding the recording, and arrangers, African American musical mentioned previously. Once again, a white artist
movie, radio, and stage musical industries, influences in our nation’s sound was muted covered a black artist’s music. The significant
included separate black music publishers who within the grand scope of things. Early 20 th thing here is that black music, because of being
found markets of their own. Touring black century ragtime piano followed by jazz music “covered” by white artists, had now started to
artists (with accompanying “Negro Motorist out of New Orleans during the 1920s, would find a larger audience and even bring some
Green Books”) during the late 30s through the morph into “Swing Music” and become the pop exposure to certain black artists. Pioneer R&B
mid-60s, now traveled via the automobile, and music listened to during the 30s, and prior to the and early rock labels such as Atlantic Records
were able to establish themselves as “Territory introduction of bebop jazz during the 40s. The and Chess Records were building an audience
Bands”, calling on performance venues within stage had been set for the musical floodgates of avid listeners predominately outside the
the “Chitlin’ Circuit”. to open during the next two decades. white record buying public.
Mainstream record labels had special sub- Radio airplay was very much segregated during In 1959, things really started to change with
labels where “Race Music” was recorded, this time period. It is through radio airplay that regard to radio. However, the church remained
distributed, and sold. Even New York City was music written by African Americans during the unaffected by what is organically happening
much segregated during this time. Harlem’s advent of rock and roll, will connect in a larger culturally in America.
“Cotton Club” is a good example of this. way with white listeners. This will be done
the
significant
ongoing
through white artists covering those same 1959 is critically important to our discussion.
songs in their recordings. The Civil Rights Movement was in full swing.
Rosa Parks and The Little Rock Nine had
Negro Motorist Green Book
Cotton Club
The most notable pop/rock artists of the 50s already made their marks in history. And despite
will employ this technique of recording black the popularity of artists like Nat King Cole,
music, or covering songs originally released Louis Armstrong, Chuck Berry, Ray Charles,
by black artists. Elvis Presley, Pat Boone, and Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Ella Fitzgerald,
Ricky Nelson will all cover songs written or Billie Holiday and others, black music had not
Big Mama Thornton - Hound Dog Ricky Nelson - I’m Walkin’
February 2019
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