It is being reported that 2004 is rock 'n' roll's Golden Jubilee year: the 50th anniversary of the release of Bill Haley's Rock Around the Clock and the recording of Elvis Presley's That's Alright Mama. This is just another example of white man’s history.

See the following for an account of the birth of rock ‘n’ roll.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/arts/fridayrevie...1192358,00.html

Rock 'n' roll has been used in blues records to describe lovemaking long before it came to signify a dance beat. By 1948 it was used in a number of songs to suggest lovemaking and dancing:

Good Rockin' tonight - Roy Brown
Rock All Night Long - Ravens

In 1951 Gunther Lee Carr used the term in 'We're Gonna Rock' this time without the sexual implications.

From 1954 to 1956 there were Five distictive styles of rock 'n' roll

Northern band rock 'n' roll - Bill Hayley
New Orleans dance blues
Memphis country rock (rockabilly)
Chicago rhythm and blues
Vocal group rock 'n' roll

Although completely independent they became collectively known as rock 'n' roll.

All five styles use dance beats based on contemporary black (Negro) dance rhythms.

CAN WHITE MEN SING THE BLUES?

Recent research suggests that rock and roll dates back to Somerset in 1847. In that year the Somerset County Herald reported on the tour of “The Rock Band”. The leader of the band was a Fred Richardson who played what he called a “rock harmonicon”.