Alan Freed | |
|---|---|
 Freed c. 1958 | |
| Born | Albert James Freed December 15, 1921 Windber, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | January 20, 1965 (aged 43) Palm Springs, California, U.S. |
| Resting place | Lake View Cemetery, Cleveland, Ohio, U.S. |
| Occupation | Disc jockey |
| Years active | 1945–1965 |
| Spouses |
|
| Children | 4 |
Albert James "Alan" Freed (December 15, 1921 – January 20, 1965) was an American disc jockey.[1] He also produced and promoted large traveling concerts with various acts, helping to spread the importance of rock and roll music throughout North America.
In 1986, Freed was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. His "role in breaking down racial barriers in U.S. pop culture in the 1950s, by leading white and black kids to listen to the same music, put the radio personality 'at the vanguard' and made him 'a really important figure'", according to the executive director.[2]
Freed was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1991. The organization's website posted this note: "He became internationally known for promoting African-American rhythm and blues music on the radio in the United States and Europe under the name of rock and roll".[3]
In the early 1960s, Freed's career was destroyed by the payola scandal that hit the broadcasting industry, as well as by allegations of taking credit for songs he did not write[4] and by his chronic alcoholism.[5]
- ^ Obituary Variety, January 27, 1965, page 54.
- ^ "Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ousts DJ Alan Freed's ashes, adds Beyonce's leotards". CNN. August 4, 2014. Retrieved January 27, 2021.
- ^ "ALAN FREED". Walk of Fame. May 27, 1991. Retrieved January 27, 2021.
- ^ "Son of DJ Alan Freed says Rock Hall of Fame no longer want his cremated remains". The Guardian. August 5, 2014. Retrieved February 4, 2021.
- ^ "The Man Who Knew It Wasn't Only Rock 'n' Roll". The New York Times. October 14, 1999. Retrieved February 3, 2021.
He began drinking heavily ... he was accused of taking lucrative songwriting credits for songs that were actually written by members of the young groups he championed.