7 Non-Musicians Who Changed Pop Music Forever

1. Alan Freed

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdVb_3tVvzU The people we've been talking about here are major movers and shakers who've heavily influenced both how we've listened to and how we've thought about pop music over the past. Of course, their contributions are hugely important; they wouldn't be on this list otherwise. How many of these people, however, have actually INVENTED a genre for the music they loved? None but Alan Freed. After working as a DJ for Armed Forces Radio during World War II, Freed worked as a jockey for a string of small radio stations all across the northeastern United States. Freed began to gain some fame at one of those small stations, WAKR by name (based out of Akron, Ohio), where he came to be known as the best jazz/pop DJs in the area. After leaving WAKR, Freed took the only job he could find, working the graveyard shift at a little radio station based in Cleveland, call letters WJW. It was during his stint at WJW that Freed would secure his place in rock n' roll history. In fact, it was at WJW that Alan Freed would dust off the term "rock n' roll" (an old R&B slang term for sex) and permanently attach it to that new country/R&B/gospel blend of music that was only beginning to attract attention. Much like Wolfman Jack would do a few years later, Freed carved out a special persona for himself. He took the name "Moondog" from an offbeat little tune titled "Moondog Symphony" and affixed it to himself. Freed infused a lot of energy into his jockeying style, which teens found to be a refreshing breath of fresh air after the more subdued pop DJs they were more used to. During this time, Freed organized what's considered to be the first rock concert of all time, the "Moondog Coronation Ball." In 1954, Freed left WJW, moving to New York to work at WINS. During his same period, Freed recorded another radio show, titled "Jamboree!". Freed didn't know it, but "Jamboree!" would shape the genre he invented in a big way. You see, "Jamboree" is arguably responsible for forming one of the greatest rock groups of all time. You see, "Jamboree!" was broadcast in Europe over Radio Luxembourg. The station's powerful AM radio signal made it possible for Freed and "Jamboree" to be heard all across Europe, but the signal was particularly strong in northern England. Sometimes, in north England, the signal was so clear that Radio Luxembourg sounded like a local radio station. One northern city where this was the case was Liverpool. "It was through "Jamboree!" that four young Liverpudlians, John, Paul, George, and Richard (later to be known as Ringo), first heard artists like Chuck Berry, Little Richard, and Elvis Presley. These four boys were so moved by this music that, eventually, they got together to form their own rock band. You know them as The Beatles. Unfortunately, Freed's later career would be marred by the "payola" scandal. In 1959, it was revealed that Freed, along with other rock DJs, were accepting bribes from record companies. In return for the cash, Freed agreed to give extra airtime to specific records. Freed and his fellow DJs were also accused of paying special attention to songs that they had received co-writer credit for, thus increasing their royalties (one such song, in Freed's case, was Chuck Berry's "Maybellene"). Freed eventually pleaded guilty to two charges of commercial bribery. Freed lost his jockeying and TV hosting jobs as a result of the scandal. Yes, Freed's later life was marred by some dishonesty. However, there's no denying that Freed had a major positive influence on rock music. In fact, if not for Alan Freed, we wouldn't even know what rock music was. Ultimately, all of the people in this article helped shape what pop music is today. What's even more remarkable is the fact that all of them did so without ever having written or recorded a single song. While the music is what keeps us coming back to the pop genre, it's the non-musicians, whether they be TV hosts, DJs, or writers, who help us understand what we love about our favorite music.