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Birth of the Detroit Sound, 1940-1964 (Images of America) (Images of America)
Birth of the Detroit Sound 19401964 - Images of America Author:S. R. Boland, Marilyn Bond From the 1940s through the early 1960s, a new form of popular music was born in the United Statesóone that would take the world by storm. Detroit disc jockey Alan Freed, among the very first to play and promote new music, christened it ìRock ín Rollî from an old blues lyric. Detroit, like New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Los ... more »Angeles, and Memphis, contributed its own distinctive regional character to the music and became a hub of industry activity. ÝÝAn epicenter of American music by the mid-1950s, Detroit built its reputation upon a wealth of talented singers and musicians, the vast amount of clubs and theaters available to them, and a multitude of enthusiastic industry professionals who helped bring their unique sound to the world. Many record labels, including Fortune and Fox, also thrived in the metro Detroit area in the days before Berry Gordyís Motown Records gained international recognition. ÝÝThis book documents the extraordinary style of music that took shape in Detroit well before Motown was a gleam in Gordyís eye. The Birth of the Detroit Sound chronicles great talents like John Lee Hooker, Hank Ballard & the Midnighters, Jackie Wilson, Jack Scott, Andre Williams, and Nolan Strong. Featuring a rare collection of vintage photographs, the book also spotlights record industry personalities, deejays, and long-forgotten venues where the giants of Detroit music once performed. ÝÝ« less