Well, Hi and Welcome to the first Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame Induction. You don't have to be quiet because...IT'S ROCK 'N ROLL, BABY! First up we have "Godfather of Soul", Mr. James Brown (1933-2006). A singer, dancer, musician and bandleader, James grew from poverty to become one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century.
A pioneer in the funk genre, Brown's many hits include "I Got You (I Feel Good)", from the 1964 album "Out of Sight".
2. "Love Me Tender"
Answer: Elvis Presley
The "King of Rock and Roll", Elvis Presley (1935-1977) began his musical career in Memphis, Tennessee, with Sun Records in 1954. He was a pioneer of rockabilly, fusing country music with rhythm and blues. In January 1956, Elvis had his first number one hit, i.e., "Heartbreak Hotel".
In November 1956, he starred in the movie "Love Me Tender", and made that song a hit too. In 2018, Presley was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
3. "Hit the Road Jack"
Answer: Ray Charles
Imagine a little, blind, black boy born in Atlanta, Georgia in 1930 becoming one of music's brightest stars?! Ray Charles Robinson (1930-2004) was a singer, piano player and composer called "Brother Ray" or "The Genius" by his colleagues. Despite losing his sight to glaucoma at the age of six, Ray went on to innovate and help create soul music as early as the 1950s, fusing gospel, blues and rhythm and blues into a new sound."Georgia on my Mind" was his first number one hit in 1960, followed the next year by "Hit the Road Jack".
4. "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On"
Answer: Jerry Lee Lewis
Called "The Killer", Jerry Lee Lewis was born in Ferriday, Louisiana in 1935. Known for his flamboyant style and fierce piano playing, Lewis was an influential musician and pioneer of early rock and roll. Another musician from Sun Records, Jerry Lee's first big hit was "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" in 1957.
This was followed by the popular hit "Great Balls of Fire". His popularity diminished when he married his thirteen year old cousin, Myra Gale Brown.
5. "You Send Me"
Answer: Sam Cooke
One of my personal favorites of the rock and roll era was the smooth sound of Sam Cooke (1931-1964). Sam was a composer, singer and civil rights activist. He was called "The King of Soul" by some for his importance in the new, soft rock sound. Among his hugely popular hits were "You Send Me", "A Change Is Gonna Come" and "Chain Gang". Sadly, in December 1964, Cooke was shot and killed by the manager of the Hacienda Motel in Los Angeles, California.
6. "Everyday"
Answer: Buddy Holly
Born in Lubbock, Texas in 1936, Charles Hardin "Buddy" Holly died in a plane crash on February 3, 1959, the "day the music died". Another pioneer of the rock and roll era, Holly was from a musical family, and combined the elements of gospel, country and rhythm and blues.
After opening for Elvis and for Bill Haley and His Comets, Buddy Holly signed with Decca Records. Along with the Crickets, Buddy had hit songs with "That'll Be the Day", "Peggy Sue" and "Everyday" (1957).
7. "Tutti-Frutti"
Answer: Little Richard
Singer, songwriter and musician Richard Wayne Penniman was born in Macon, Georgia on December 5, 1932. Along with the other Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame inductees, you may know him better as Little Richard. His flamboyant stage performances paved the way for the the rock and rollers yet to come.
In 1955, "Tutti-Frutti" became one of Little Richard's signature songs, reaching number two on the Billboard Rhythm and Blues Best Seller chart. In 2003, Penniman was inducted into the Songwriter's Hall of Fame.
8. "Johnny B. Goode"
Answer: Chuck Berry
And who could forget Marvin Berry's cousin Chuck Berry (from "Back to the Future")? Chuck Berry (1926-2017), born in St. Louis, Missouri, was yet another ground-breaking, rock and roll pioneer. Sometimes called "The Father of Rock and Roll", Berry helped define the sound of the genre with songs like "Maybellene" (1955), "Roll Over Beethoven" (1956), "Rock and Roll Music" (1957) and "Johnny B. Goode" (1958).
9. "Cathy's Clown"
Answer: Everly Brothers
Anyone still remember when music was actually melodic? Remember when instead of shouting, talking and cursing at you, singers crooned sweet love songs and made your heart race, not your ears bleed? Such a description fits the duo of Don and Phil Everly of the Everly Brothers. Blue-eyed soul-singing brothers, Don and Phil were born in Kentucky; Don in 1937 and Phil (1939-2014).
Their first hit song was "Bye Bye Love" in 1957, followed by "Wake Up Little Susie", "All I Have to Do Is Dream", and "Cathy's Clown", their biggest-selling single, in 1960.
10. "Ain't That a Shame"
Answer: Fats Domino
If you don't go to "Blueberry Hill", "Ain't That a Shame"? Then you wouldn't have the benefit of hearing singer, songwriter and New Orleans native Antoine "Fats" Domino's (1928-2017) biggest hits. Fats was there when rock and roll was in its infancy. Between 1953 and 1960, Domino had eleven Top Ten hits, and 35 records on the US Billboard Top 40 in his career.
As a tribute to Fats Domino's influence on John Lennon, John covered "Ain't That a Shame" on his 1975 album "Rock 'n' Roll".
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