Musician, artist and founder of the legendary Todd Hobin Band.
This History of Rock n Roll
An annotated search for the roots and subsequent history of the world's most dynamic art form. It is an ongoing project of Todd Hobin and the students of Le Moyne College in Syracuse, NY. We are making every attempt to give credit where credit is due and to correct every link....
First came the stick and the log... We thumped for a long time... It was all about the groove... It still is.
To get some perspective on the length and breadth of Rock and Roll in the course of history, let's first take a brief look at ALL of music history.
PREHISTORIC MU...
Who decides what is Pop anyway?
ROOTS - The cultural stewpot of America blessed this land with uniquely geographic styles of music. Indeed, European Classical music was taught and learned by the landed gentry. But the "folks" were listening to, and creating, their own brand of...
Who invented Rock n Roll?
We know who coined the phrase to describe this music. Allan Freed. And we're pretty sure we know who recorded its first rumblings. Sam Phillips. But, just who invented this music that shook the world? Clearly, no one person or group i...
1951
Sam Phillips records B.B. King at the Memphis Recording Service in January 1951
B.B. KING - In the 1950s, popular music began to evolve. Taking its cue from the “black” music of the time, pop began to develop the rhythm and style that would eventually be known as rock and roll. The...
1953
January 1st at 7:00 AM - Hank Williams is pronounced dead at the age of 29.
It was an ominous beginning to a new year. Hank Williams was a Country and Western music superstar. He drank too much. He lived too hard, and he left us way too soon. His parting signaled the end of an era. Or, quite po...
1954
In January, Elvis Presley finds his way back to Sam Phillips' Memphis Recording Service to record a couple more songs. His song choices are decidedly Country, but his singing style is deep, rich and bluesy. Sam takes notice, and takes his phone number. While up in Ch...
1955
Allen Freed started his "Moondog" radio show back in Cleveland, Ohio. His late night broadcast would feature Rhythm and Blues hits of the day. He is quoted as saying that what the kids were craving was something they could dance to, after all those "crooners." NY...
Earth Crisis: What’s the Passion?
I never really understood the meaning of music, let alone punk/rock and roll until my cousin Scott Crouse joined a band in 1991 called Earth Crisis. They started it all, notably. Opening the doors for metalcore and setting the bar for politically motivated hea...
Janis Lyn Joplin was an American singer, songwriter, and music arranger. She rose to fame in the 1960's and in 2008, Rolling Stones ranked Janis number 28 out of 100 Greatest Singers of All Time. She was the lead singer of Big Brother and the Holding Company and later became a solo artis...