Big Beat Heat: Alan Freed and the Early Years of Rock and Roll

by John A. Jackson

Book Overview

This is the story of Alan Freed's life. He brought the sounds of rhythm and blues to an increasingly integrated audience starved for rock and roll, and in Cleveland he developed his distinctive style: shouting into the mike as the records played and ringing a cowbell.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0028711564
• ISBN13: 9780028711560
• Release Date: January 1995
• Publisher: Schirmer Trade Books
• Length: 400 Pages
• Weight: 1.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.9" x 8.8"

Customer Reviews

Big Beat Heat

This is a good book about the life of legendary DJ Alan Freed. His personal life, as a radio and tv host and as promotor of his own concerts around the east coast. His failures seem to have caused his downfall, a terrible riot during a show in Boston for which he was indicted and also payola, receiving money to play records. Both cases cost him a lot of money and pain. He was married three times, unfortunately the last two wives refused to talk to the author. Jackson says that his third wife Inga was also a heavy drinker, which did not help at all. He died in 1965, only 44 years old

explains a lot!

I really enjoyed this book. Several personal stories about Alan Freed provide insight into his life. The writer does a good job of explaining the historical events/context that surrounded Freed's life. It's a shame Freed didn't live longer to see what he contributed to popular music.