How Rock Got its Roll

by Amy Portillo Pacheco, age 10

        Rock and roll is a type of music that combines blues, country, and gospel music.
        It first became popular in the United States in the early 1940’s and 1950’s. Alan Freed was the father of rock and roll but his career was eventually ruined by a radio scandal.
        Many instruments are used in rock and roll music. In the late 1940’s and 1950’s the piano and saxophone were the lead instruments. But by the late 1950’s and 1960’s these instruments were replaced by the electric guitar as the lead.
        During this time, teenagers created new dance crazes to rock and roll. Many Americans stayed current on the latest dance styles and fashion by watching Dick Clark’s American Bandstand. Lots of teenagers had gym dances, home basement parties and “Sock hops’’. The irregular rhythm of rock and roll was used to bring back the once popular jitterbug dancing of the big-band era.
        Teenagers in the 1950’s loved rock and roll just as much as teenagers today love pop music. Rock and roll was a very influential type of music and its presence is still strong today.

[Source: Strange-facts.info]