Beginnings of African-American Rhythm and Blues/ Elvis
Tuesday, November 9, 2010 7:21 PM
Beginnings of African-American Rhythm and Blues/ Elvis
The origins of rhythm and blues (R&B) began at the beginning of the twentieth century, around Texas, Tennessee, Georgia and Mississippi. Most of the influences were work songs, religious music, minstrel shows and white country artists. Placing all these influences together help to promote a new type of music that became very popular down south. After World War l and during the depression era (R&B) music, became very popular among white people. This was seen as a way to bring in profits and so the early recording companies began searching for individuals who could appeal to African-Americans. The migration of blacks from the south to the north and north to the south helped to promote (R&B). Around 1940’s Jerry Wexler of Billboard magazine introduced the phrase “rhythm and blues” as a marketing word instead of “race music” (Wynne, 2008). Rhythm and blues set the foundation for subsequent styles of future music for example, rock and roll, soul, disco and rap. By the 1950’s, many new artist began to show a more aggressive type of (R&B) which evolved into rock and roll. New artists for example, Little Richard, Chuck Berry, and Bo Diddley began to have a big showing. Soon after they would be influencing white teenagers. As the music became more popular many white artists began to sing cleaned up versions of (R&B). For example, Pat Boone sang “Tutti-Frutti” by Little Richard and it would become a Top Ten hit (Wynne, 2008). Many of the black artist, from the beginning were not profiting from these songs. They were paid up front for the music which was recorded and were denied any profits or royalities. Music executive kept them from profitting and would keep them in dark. With time new white artists would continue to sing (R&B) but it would take Elvis to make the most impression.
Elvis Presley became a rock and roller in the 1950’s. He became an important icon who sang country, blue and gospel music. He was born January 8, 1935 in Tupelo, Mississippi. His mother Gladys Presley was the person he was influenced by growing up. She would take him to church which always involved singing. Elvis spent much of his time hanging out in the black neighborhoods where blues artist would play for example B.B. King. He soon recorded a song in the local recording studio owned by Sam Phillips. He returned to re-record a song after several months and soon met Phillips. Together with new musicians were able to record new songs. They were played on the radio and soon became hits. “Elvis said that he sang all kinds of music—“I don’t sound like nobody.” It was in fact as succinct a definition as one might get of the democrat vision that fueled his music, a vision that denied distinctions of race, of class, of category, that embraced every kind of music equally, from the highest up to the lowest down” (Guralnick, 2007).
Guralnick, P. (2007). How did Elvis Get Turned Into a Racist? New York: The New York Times.
Wynne, B. (2008, January 1). Rhythm and Blues. Retrieved November 8, 2010, from MyWire: http://www.mywire.com/
