Seminar & Discussion: Who Invented Rock 'n' Roll?

6:00 PM in the Music Department

Join the Music Department and music historian Stephen Tow for a guided seminar and discussion about the origins of one of America's most popular music genres!

Have you ever wondered who invented rock 'n' roll? Unfortunately, there is no definitive answer. Part of the problem is that rock 'n' roll is not a pure art form. It mixes together influences from the blues, country, jazz, and at times, even classical. For the seminar portion of this program we’ll introduce some contenders for the title of rock 'n' roll inventor, give a little background on each, and listen to their music. Then we’ll see if we can come to a conclusion.

The contenders are: Chuck Berry, Jackie Brenston, Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup, Louis Jordan, Elvis Presley, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, and Big Mama Thornton.

This program is part of the Free Library’s suite of celebrations commemorating the 250th anniversary of the United States.

Presenter Bio

Stephen Tow has been an adjunct professor of history at Delaware Valley University since 1999 where he created a course on rock 'n' roll history. As part of that, he arranged to have a number of prominent musicians talk to the students including members of The Kinks, The Byrds, Nirvana, Talking Heads, Patti Smith Group, Yes, Jethro Tull, The Go-Go’s, Chicago, and many others. In addition, he is the author of two music-related history books: London, Reign Over Me: How England’s Capital Built Classic Rock and The Strangest Tribe: How a Group of Seattle Rock Bands Invented Grunge.

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