An in-depth history of rock and roll's Louisiana roots. Taking the position that rock and roll started in New Orleans in 1947 when Roy Brown recorded "Good Rockin' Tonight," Aswell provides an expansive history of this beloved American music form. By looking at the Louisianan influences of swamp pop, Cajun, zydeco, R&B, rockabilly, country, and blues music, the author explores the way these musical forms gave birth to rock and roll as we know it today.
"It was a great read all the way to the end. Tom has definitely managed to put Louisiana's music connection into perspective. This should be required reading for anyone studying music and the arts in Louisiana high schools and colleges."
-Scott Hodges, retired disc jockey, news anchor and reporter, and public affairs director for KEEL and KBCL in Shreveport, WTIX in New Orleans
"Could not put it down once I started reading. His book puts the spotlight back on the great artists who have called Louisiana home. Thanks for a long overdue work."
-Bob Robin, retired disc jockey, WTIX in New Orleans, and producer for record labels Stax, Tower, Bell, Warner Bros., Capitol, and ABC-Paramount
A showcase of Louisiana's musical heritage, this history of rock and roll music and its Louisiana roots presents an in-depth study of the industry players and musicians who contributed to establishing the Pelican State as the birthplace of rock and roll.
Home to a polyphony of musical styles including swamp pop, Cajun, zydeco, R&B, country, blues, and rockabilly, Louisiana provided a unique environment for the evolution of popular music. These musical genres-influences that author Tom Aswell studies with precision and exuberance-would converge to create the new sound of rock and roll. The state's independent recording studios tapped the wealth of local talent, and locally owned radio stations promoted once-obscure artists. Before long, rock and roll became part of Louisiana's centuries-old musical legacy.
From Roy Brown's recording of "Good Rockin' Tonight" in New Orleans in 1947 through the musical revolutions of the 1960s and beyond, Louisiana played a major role in the rock and roll explosion that captivated the world. During these pivotal years of popular music history, some of rock and roll's most notable founding fathers-Fats Domino, Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard, and Ray Charles, for example-were in Louisiana recording the records and performing the music that would forever change the American music landscape.
Tom Aswell is an award-winning journalist who worked as a newspaper reporter and editor for more than two decades. His work has appeared in nine Louisiana newspapers, including the Baton Rouge Advocate and the Monroe News-Star. Aswell has always had a passion for music, and his study of Southern music began while working as a radio disc jockey during college. A graduate of Louisiana Tech University, he is also the editor of Pelican's With Edwards in the Governor's Mansion: From Angola to Free Man. Aswell lives in Denham Springs, Louisiana, with his wife.
