Robert W. Morgan, KHJ Los Angeles, February 22, 1969 1PM-2PM (56:49)

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The KHJ Rockumentary has traced the merger of country and rhythm and blues in earlier sections
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[Description by Uncle Ricky from notes by contributor Don Kent]

This is Hour 26 of the First and Original History Of Rock And Roll, as broadcast by KHJ between 1PM and 2PM on Saturday, February 22, 1969. Our host is Robert W. Morgan.

This, the second hour of the "Rock" portion of The Original KHJ History of Rock & Roll, focuses on 1956 and 1957, when rock & roll "became more than commercial rhythm and blues". Still, R&B pioneers dominate the hour and there are comments from Art Laboe and Frank Zappa to support their importance to early Rock & Roll.

Thanks to Joel Whitburn we know that B.B. King started his remarkable career at WDIA in Memphis, and "B.B." meant Blues Boy, and of course, he went on to influence thousands of talented performers, just like Fats Domino, who had hit records before anyone discovered "Rock & Roll". And what about that James Brown? And remember, The Bobbettes shot Mr. Lee a couple years later, so I'm not so sure we want to remember the story at all...

This was the first "Rockumentary", produced by KHJ Program Director Ron Jacobs. Following the unprecedented success of this legendary broadcast, Jacobs left KHJ later that year. RKO made the show available to the other stations in their group, narrated by station-specific talent. When RKO was done with it, Drake-Chenault offered a re-recorded version in syndication three times between 1970 and 1982. An edited version (no jingle) of the last release, narrated by Bill Drake, was still in syndication as of 2006.

The morse code REELRADIO "copymark" included (five times) in this exhibit is a reminder that duplication and distribution for trade or sale is illegal and inappropriate. Do not copy, do not trade, do not sell.