Major Antedating of "Rock and Roll"

[Baker, John]

        I keep wondering:  There is a dance step called the "rock and roll."  It consists, straightforwardly enough, of a rock followed by a roll.  Is there any connection between this term and the music?

John Baker


-----Original Message-----
From: Fred Shapiro [mailto:fred.shapiro at YALE.EDU]
Sent: Saturday, July 06, 2002 6:58 AM
To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Subject: Major Antedating of "Rock and Roll"


The earliest citation in the OED for "rock and roll" as a type of music is
dated 25 Dec. 1954; this citation was contributed by me.  A few years ago
I sent an antedating from early December 1954 to the OED.

Now I have found a much earlier citation, establishing that music from the
"race"/rhythm and blues milieu was called "rock and roll" substantially
before Alan Freed popularized the term in the early 1950s:

1946 _Billboard_ 22 June 33  JOE LIGGINS AND HIS HONEYDRIPPERS ... _Sugar
Lump_ [title of album being reviewed] ... It's right rhythmic rock and
roll music that provides plenty of inspiration in Joe Liggins's "Sugar
Lump." ... Backside builds on an infectious bouncy beat.

Fred Shapiro


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