Free Republic

We have the "leader" in TOM TANCREDO of Colorado or
Robert Vasquez of Idaho. Both were up front in
battling those who are invading our country.

The laws on the books that guided our integration policy of the past is good enough for today. Unfortunately, our elected officials have been paid off to deliver cheap wages and they continue to offer the smoke screen of "guest worker" programs.

If they take a look at Europe they'll see what is about to happen in the US. A combination Mexican/Muslim invasion is upon us.

Isn't it time we took our country back before LaRaza, Congress, Attorney General Gonzales and President Bush destroy it?

Diversity = Alberto Gonzales, who escaped any questioning of his membership in La Raza, the hispanic KKK, when Bush pushed him through to become Attorney General.

Robert Vasquez and Tom Tancredo are American Patriots at a time when we need dozens more like them.

Support Robert Vasquez at http://www.vasquezforidaho.org

I know him personally, he's the real deal.

I saw him for the first time in 1957, he was on tour with the "Shower of Stars", Chuck Berry and other black recording artists traveled in a bus by themselves and upon arriving in each city, they checked into rundown hotels where blacks were allowed to stay.

Meanwhile, the white recording artists who were on stage with them in each city, traveled in a bus for whites only and checked into hotels in the better part of each city.

It was all perfectly acceptable in those days, just fifty years ago. It was the music of Fats Domino and Chuck Berry that eventually would open the door to end discrimination.

Once their music was introduced to white audiences by the very first top forty radio stations - it was over.

More than any other thing, Rock n'Roll was the key to ending discrimation in the United States.

Let's pray and hope Fats Domino is OK.

I stand corrected and appreciate the details on Bill Haley's Rock Around The Clock, I know his wasn't the original.

Frankie Ford had Sea Cruise

Illegal aliens will be the GOP and George Bush's WATERLOO

Over and over the American people have spoken out on this issue and the white house has ignored them.

It now will become a weapon the Democrats will use to defeat Republicans.

Nationally syndicated talk show host, Rollye James, will interview Pat Boone tonight on her XM satellite show. George Noory will interview Pat on Coast to Coast, Wednesday night.

Here'a Rollye's comments from her www.Rollye.net website.

The story of Pat Boone (yes the singer) is a textbook case of positioning nightmares. When Pat was starting out, rock and roll was in its gestation. The top 40 radio format was a not yet conceived. Rhythm and Blues music was still considered "race records" and while rock would be strongly influenced by it (as was rockabilly), the hard core (and absolutely wonderful) R&B tunes were not going to get mainstream airplay. Racist, wrong and disappointing-- but true. (Heck, the wonderful R&B based southern music form was named "Beach Music" because kids were afraid to bring those 'race records' into the house. Pictures were notoriously absent from the album covers.) While you'd hear the real deal late night on WLAC with John R., Hoss Allen and the gang, Main Street USA was beyond unaware of R&B's existence.

Eventually that would change. But eventually probably came quicker due to Pat Boone and the folks at Dot Records. As rock and roll emerged so did Pat with white covers of R&B hits. In an era where even rock and roll was seen as the 'devil's music' Pat's polished pop standard sound, and wonderfully clean cut good looks, made the unthinkable actually acceptable. And clearly not just mom and dad tolerated his version of "Ain't That A Shame" or "Tutti Frutti" --the 45s were million sellers which meant a lot of kids more than accepted Boone.

OK, I'm not gonna tell you I liked those covers. I'm not going to tell you I bought them. But I am gonna tell you I respected the bridge they created, bringing sounds, however watered down or whitened up, to mainstream audiences. (And if you think that's not the goal just ask Berry Gordy who produced every Motown smash to appeal to white teens. In Berry's days, it wasn't racial-- rather pure mathematics. White is what the masses were.) Pat paved the way for an entire genre of music to move into the mainstream. (Oh I'm also gonna tell you that I think Pat Boone is one of the finest pop vocalists ever. Perhaps the best pre-rock ballad voice. Clearly in the league of the greats like Joni James or Jo Stafford. )

Pat was not the only major star to cover an R&B hit. One of Elvis Presley's biggest hits "Hound Dog" was done first (and lord knows much better) by Big Mama Thornton. But here's the irony-- today Elvis is seen as a rock legend, and Pat some kind of interloper. What's the difference? Elvis was equally white and cleaned up (if you doubt it, you didn't know Big Mama Thornton's music), but somehow he was hip and Pat wasn't? But Pat was hip at the time. So the real question is, what happened to change perception and when did it occur? That question is worthy of a marketing grant. We'll get Pat's take on it.

The Rolling Stones have been on stage for over 40 years-- respected by critics and fans. How come no one mentions that their first chart hit here was a Buddy Holly cover, and their first big smashes were covers of Irma Thomas' "Time Is On My Side" (Don't tell me you think Mick Jagger is more soulful than Irma. Just don't.) and The Valentinos' "It's All Over Now".? Come on, if this was Pat Boone you'd be hearing how he obscured the work of The Valentinos. But it's the Rolling Stones so you're saying The Valen-who's? Look at early Beatles records. No one has proclaimed them the predatory cause for less Arthur Alexander music to be played (Anna) or less Cookies tunes to air (Chains) or so many other R&B covers on their first few albums. But somehow Pat Boone is a rock and roll problem? We'll find out exactly when the "problem" surfaced. Someone rewrote history. And I fear it's from ignorance. This is a man who belongs in the rock and roll hall of fame and he's not there. I'm going to try to change it. And people who have seen my record collection (if it was black group harmony in the '50s or if it was soul in the '60s, I've probably got it) will think I've lost my mind. But I strongly believe that Pat was a catalyst of sorts and rock would have developed differently (or maybe just later) without him. (FYI The aforementioned record collection includes a few Pat Boone records, such as the wonderfully politically incorrect"Speedy Gonzales", his cover of John Stewart's "July You're A Woman" (John's version didn't chart, but Pat's did) and "Friendly Persuasion" a stellar example of that great pop-standard sound I referenced.)

We'll definitely talk about the past, but we'll also spend time on the present which includes a flurry of new CDs, including a gospel album called "Glory Train" packaged with a tribute to Billy Graham DVD. You can see it (and here it-- "Thank You Billy Graham" is also a single on the "Glory Train CD), by clicking here. You'll see he's joined by everyone from Bono to Andre Crouch-- clearly not an unhip crowd. Definitely worth seeing. It's a QuickTime Streaming movie. If for some reason it doesn't come up for you, click here and go to Pat's order page. You can access it from there too, as well as see what's available right now from Pat, whom I look forward to talking with at 10. Hope you can join me.

You are correct, your knowledge of American music history sends you to the head of the class. Interesting, in all of the posts on this subject of "rock" not once did the name Eddie Cochran come up. He was voted into the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame early along with Bill Haley, Bo Diddley, Jackie Wilson, Marvin Gaye and others.

The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and many English hit makers claim Cochran was their inspiration. While he was an American artist, he is largely unknown here except by the music industry. In England, where he died in a tragic automobile accident in 1960, Eddie Cochran is considered on the same level at Elvis and Buddy Holly there.

Bill Haley & the Comets had the big hit on "Rock Around The Clock" in May of 1955 but they also "covered" the song that was first recorded by Sonny Dae, a black artist.

You might be interested in seeing a list of those who have been inducted into the Rock Hall of Fame.

http://www.rockhall.com/

Check out the total list of inductee's.

If you havent been to the museum in Cleveland, it's well worth your time.

According to the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame,
Johnny Cash, Joni Mitchell, Billy Joel, Dusty
Springfield, Bonnie Raitt, Brenda Lee and
Gene Pitney have all been inducted.

If you have limited knowledge of what rock music
started out as 50 yerars ago, you may challenge
any of these artists. "Town Without Pity" by
Gene Pitney was not "rock" by today's yardstick
of what rock is.

Brenda Lee has almost all ballads except "Rockin
around the Christmas Tree". Billy Joel and
Joni Mitchell are no way "rock" artists by today's
view of what rock is. But, they are considered
"rock" artists by the music industry.

Pat Boone is just as qualified to be in the Rock
hall of Fame as Johnny Cash or any of these artists.

Pat had many hits that were considered "rock"
at the start of his career 50 years ago. Tutti Frutti,
Ain't that A Shame, Speedy Gonzales were just three of his 20 chart toppers. "Rock" in the early days was a label given any artist that had what was called a "rock beat".
"Rock" at the start wasn't as we know rock to be today.
Prior to Pat Boone, rock didn't exist. He was there even before Elvis.

Read www.JohnRook.com for more