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It’s “The Best of Saturday Night Radio” … or is it? >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Back in the mid 1950s, many parents were aghast at the music their kids were listening to—some even called it "THE DEVIL'S MUSIC!!!!!!!" Many refused to let their kids listen to it in the house. And to whom were the youngsters listening? Alan Freed, one of rock and roll's earliest champions. He even coined the phrase "Rock and Roll" to describe this exciting new sound. So if your "square" parents wouldn't let you listen at home or in the car, what to do, what to do? In true find-a-need-and-fill-it fashion, some New York City retailers capitalized on these parental restrictions by renting portable radios. Tonight, it's the once forbidden fruit of "Alan Freed's Rock and Roll Party" on New York's WINS 1010 AM ...
Sadly, Alan Freed died penniless and broken!
In 2011, the great Mark Steyn interviewed the great Paul Simon. Among the many nuggets, Paul Simon described hearing Elvis Presley for the first time on the Alan Freed show in New York City.
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Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers. Their first song and biggest hit was "Why Do Fools Fall in Love." He was listed as one of the composers. Frankie died of a heroin overdose in 1968. He had been using since he was fifteen years old. Diana Ross released a cover in 1981 that created several lawsuits. You see, Frankie had more bad habits than just the heroin. He kept getting married. There were three Mrs. Lymons when he passed, and the division of the income to the estate was complicated. His first wife also had a previous marriage without the benefit of divorce. His second wife had no documentation to prove her status. His third wife was married someone who already had two wives. In the judicial jump-ball to straighten all this out, the third wife prevailed. This was the subject of the semi-fictitious 1998 biopic Why Do Fools Fall in Love.
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Larry Norman's response to "The Devil's Music".
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I think Frankie Lymon was one of the greatest pop singers of all time!
And I found the movie you mentioned quite entertaining.
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And since the Devil can't abide mockery, this should be your response if he ever comes calling: "Well at least I didn't lose my golden fiddle to some hillbilly down in Georgia!"
That was cool, Joel, I hadn't heard it.
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Is this post lifted comments and all from 2024?
As to the rental radios, it reminds me of when our young family all came down with the flu and as the least sick, I went to Giant Eagle and rented a VCR and several Disney animated movies to keep us amused while we all languished on the sofa bed in the living room.
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