Stand by · pulling the latest frames
Stand by · pulling the latest frames


This is the story loosely based on Cleveland disc jockey Alan Freed, who introduced rock'n'roll to teenage American radio audiences in the 1950s. Freed was a source of great controversy: criticized by conservatives for corrupting youth with the "devil's music"; hated by racists for promoting African American music for white consumption; persecuted by law enforcement officials and finally brought down by the "payola" scandals.
5.7
Score
20 votes
“1959. New York City. The battleground was Rock and Roll. It was the beginning of an era. You shoulda been there.”

ABC promo American Hot Wax 1982
Editorial context, craft details, and films that share its DNA.

Carl Weaver
Carl Weaver
Member of The Chesterfields
1981