A rousing, poignant look at the cultural history of rock & roll during the early 1960s. In the early 1960s, the nation was on track to fulfill its destiny in what was being called "the American Century." Baby boomers and rock & roll shared the country's optimism and energy. For "one brief, shining moment" in the early 1960s, both President John F. Kennedy and young people across the country were riding high. The dream of a New Frontier would soon give way, however, to a new reality involving assassinations, the Vietnam War, Cold War crises, the civil rights movement, a new feminist movement, and various culture wars. From the former host of NPR's Rock & Roll America, Richard Aquila's Rock & Roll in Kennedy's America offers an in-depth look at early 1960s rock & roll, as well as an unconventional history of Kennedy's America through the lens of popular music. Based on extensive research and exclusive interviews with Dion, Bo Diddley, Brenda Lee, Martha Reeves, Pete Seeger, Bob Gaudio, Dick Clark, and other legendary figures, the book rejects the myth that Buddy Holly's death in 1959 was "the day the music died." It proves that rock & roll during the early 1960s was vibrant and in tune with the history and events of this colorful era. These interviews and Aquila's research reveal unique insights and new details about politics, gender, race, ethnicity, youth culture, and everyday life. Rock & Roll in Kennedy's America recalls an important chapter in rock & roll and American history.
Richard Aquila (Buffalo, NY) is professor emeritus of history and American studies at Penn State University and the former host of NPR's Rock & Roll America. He is the author of The Sagebrush Trail: Western Movies and Twentieth-Century America and Let's Rock! How 1950s America Created Elvis and the Rock & Roll Craze.
Introduction: Only in America Part I. New Directions for Early 60s Rock & Roll Chapter 1. "It's Now or Never": Rock & Roll Enters a New Decade Chapter 2. "What Does a Girl Do?" The Girl Group Revolution of the Early 60s Chapter 3. "Heat Wave": Motown's Hot Sounds for Young America Chapter 4. "Surfin' Safari": Surf Music, Car Songs, and the Mythic West Part II. Old Styles Rock On Chapter 5. "On Broadway": R&B Rock Takes Center Stage Chapter 6. "Let's Have a Party!": Rockin' the Country Chapter 7. "A Teenager in Love": Veteran Pop Rockers in the Early 60s Chapter 8. "Take Good Care of My Baby": Pop Rock's Second Wave Chapter 9. "Wild Weekend": Top Tunes, News, and Weather Part III. Rockin' on the New Frontier Chapter 10. "God, Country and My Baby": Rock & Roll and the Culture of the Cold War Chapter 11. "This Magic Moment": Rock & Roll in Kennedy's America Acknowledgments Interviews Notes Index
A rousing, poignant look at the cultural history of rock & roll during the early 1960s.
