Popular Music, Popular Myth and Cultural Heritage in Cleveland

This book untangles the construction of popular myths about "first" rock 'n' roll concert—the Moondog Coronation Ball on 21 March 1952, hosted by legendary DJ Alan Freed—the "invention" of the phrase "rock 'n' roll", and the subsequent rebranding of Cleveland as the "birthplace of rock 'n' roll" by local radio station WMMS "The Buzzard" during the 1970s. These myths re-emerged and re-circulated in the 1980s during the successful campaign to attract the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The author explores the fascinating and unusual story of Cleveland, uncovering how and why it became the site of a major popular music museum.