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.
