On the this day, May 19, in 1960, Alan Freed and eight other disc jockeys were accused of payola, or accepting bribes from record companies to play certain songs.
Freed, who used the on-air nickname “The Moondog,” was credited with coining the term “rock and roll” to describe the uptempo black rhythm and blues records in 1951 on a Cleveland radio station. He also was an organizer of the “The Moondog Coronation Ball” on March 21, 1952, known as the first rock ‘n’ roll concert.
Freed’s career was destroyed by the payola scandal. He also took songwriting co-credits, most notably on Chuck Berry’s “Maybellene,” which allowed him to receive royalties. Freed was able to line his pockets by promoting the record on his own radio show.
Freed pleaded guilty to commercial bribery and received a suspended sentence. He was blackballed from the business and died in 1965 of liver cirrhosis brought on by alcoholism. He was 43.
In 1986, he was in the first group of inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
