Calling all Moondogs. March 21st 1952 The most terrible ball of them all.
Today was the date of what was considered the very first Rock & Roll concert at Public Arena in Cleveland Ohio. It was promoted by WJW radio disc jockey Alan Freed, the first person to coin the term "Rock & Roll".
It was the Moondog Coronation Ball "The Most Terrible Ball Of The All". It was clearly meant to be revolutionary and confrontational as there was a public outcry against the "Negro music" being played on some stations, like WJW, and the kids were loving it. This was a stick in the eye of the old status quo and a spawning of a new constitution. It ran from 10:00 to 2:00 AM and artists included Paul "Hucklebuck" Williams, Tiny Grimes and The Rockin' Highlanders, The Dominos, and others.
Whether planned or not, the concert was oversold with 20,000 tickets in hand for a venue designed for half that. When the crowd outside swelled to upwards of 6,000 disappointed kids, some kicked open doors and streamed in. With the house rockin' to Tiny Grimes, the cops pulled the plug and filed everyone out. This is why Cleveland has The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. The town where rock began to roll.
I proudly hang this signed and numbered print above my desk as a reminder of my rockin' rebel roots. Sometimes I look up and pick out faces and ponder what a long strange trip it's been.
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