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.