The Pied Pipers of Rock 'N' Roll: Radio Deejays of the 50s and 60s

by Wes Smith

Looks at the lives and careers of Alan Freed, Dick Biondi, Hunter Hancock, Zenas Sears, Jocko Henderson, John R. Richbourg, Gene Nobles, Hoss Allen, and Wolfman Jack

Genres: Music, History

300 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1989

Reviews

[James Hutter · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a fan of the early days of Rock 'n' Roll, I have a fascination with all of it's promotion mechanisms. Perhaps the most powerful was radio, more specifically, the regional disc jockeys who broke iconic records that would become national hits. That was because the radio business of the 1950's and 1960's was less homogenous and more individual to specific regional markets. This led to many of the disc jockeys, like Alan Freed, Pete "Mad Daddy" Myers, or George "Porky" Chedwick becoming celebrities in their own right.

Detailing these and other individual disc jockeys makes me realize what I missed by being born in the 1960's and being subjected to the consultant-controlled radio of the 1970's and 1980's. Pop radio had been an American art form up to that time, but merely bland commerce afterwards.

[Cheyenne Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first book I’ve ever seen on the subject, but hopefully not my last. I was born in the late 90s so I didn’t grow up with THESE legend DJs but I grew up listening to radio and my own local legends on 105.9 the rock John Boy and Billy, Joe Elvis, Jimmy the K, etc. and I knew about the people in this book mainly because
1. I’m a history and music freak
2. I’m a music nerd because of my mom and dad.
My mom is the ultimate music geek and always has been. Never met a radio station or a song she didn’t know and my dad always had the radio playing too.
It was so great to get to know the people who helped raise them and bring about the culture that raised me.

[Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great history lesson on the role of AM radio DJs' rise of a new genre in the 50s- Rock and Roll. I had always heard that radio DJ Alan Freed was instrumental in the creation and perpetration of rock and roll, but had no idea of the tragedies of his life. This book opened my eyes to that. He was kind of a martyr for something he loved and believed in.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting, it really shows how different the radio was back then, and how influential the DJs were, both in the music business and popular culture.
Plus Mr. Smith's writing style is very fluid and I enjoy that he never missed the opportunity for a pun.

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eye opening! You can't listen to secular after reading this book. I need to buy it and read it again!

[Steven Pofcher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book about the history of rock radio. Makes me wish that I had gone to those early DJ conventions.