Timeline: Music's Big Bang: The Genesis of Rock 'n' Roll

Nov 24, 1868

Scott Joplin's born

Scott Joplin
Nov 16, 1873

W.C. Handy born

W.C. Handy
May 26, 1883

Mamie Smith's born

Mamie Smith
Apr 26, 1886

Ma Rainey's born

Ma Rainey
Apr 20, 1887

Charley Patton born

Charley Patton
Jan 1, 1890

invention of the 78 rpm records

invention of the 78 rpm record
Oct 20, 1890

Jelly Roll Morton

Ferdinand "Jelly Roll" Morton Jelly Roll Morton
Sep 24, 1893

"Blind" Lemon Jefferson born

"Blind" Lemon Jefferson
Apr 15, 1894

Bessie Smith's born

Bessie Smith Bessie Smith
Jul 2, 1897

Radio!

Radio
May 5, 1898

Blind Willie McTell born

Blind Willie McTell
Sep 18, 1899

song: Maple Leaf Rag (Scott Joplin)

Maple Leaf Rag
Song played by Scott Joplin
Aug 4, 1901

Louis Armstrong born

Louis Armstrong
May 3, 1903

Bing Crosby born

Bing Crosby
Jan 24, 1904

Will Batts born

Will Batts
Mar 6, 1905

Bob Wills born

Bob Wills
Jul 8, 1908

Louis Jordan born

Louis Jordan
Jun 10, 1910

Howlin 'Wolf born

Howlin 'Wolf
Dec 7, 1910

Louis Prima born

Louis Prima
May 8, 1911

Robert Johnson born

Robert Johnson
May 18, 1911

Big Joe Turner born

Big Joe Turner
Oct 26, 1911

Mahalia Jackson born

Mahalia Jackson
Apr 4, 1913

Muddy Waters born

Muddy Waters
Jul 15, 1914

song Memphis Blues (W.C. Handy)

W.C. Handy - Memphis Blues
Period: Jul 28, 1914 to Nov 11, 1918

World War 1

World War I
Jul 1, 1915

Willie Dixon born

Willie Dixon
Dec 12, 1915

Frank Sinatra born

Frank Sinatra
Aug 22, 1917

John Lee Hooker born

John Lee Hooker
Dec 19, 1918

Professor Longhair born

Professor Longhair
Aug 10, 1920

song Crazy blues (Mamie Smith)

Mamie Smith - Crazy blues
Jan 1, 1922

WSB broadcasting (Atlanta)

WSB
Feb 16, 1923

song Gulf Coast Blues (Bessie Smith)

Bessie Smith (Gulf Coast Blues, 1923)
Jul 18, 1923

song Grandpa's Spells (Jelly Roll Morton)

Jelly Roll Morton - Grandpa's Spells
Sep 17, 1923

Hank Williams born

Hank Williams
Sep 26, 1923

song Cemetery Blues (Bessie Smith)

Bessie Smith - Cemetery Blues (1923)
Jun 9, 1924

song Big Foot Ham (Jelly Roll Morton)

Big Foot Ham - Jelly Roll Morton
Oct 15, 1924

song Roots of Blues -- Ma Rainey

Roots of Blues -- Ma Rainey „Booze And Blues"
Sep 15, 1926

song Black Bottom Stomp (Jelly Roll Morton)

Jelly Roll Morton - Black Bottom Stomp
Oct 18, 1926

Chuck Berry born

Chuck Berry
Jan 1, 1927

Great Mississippi Flood

Great Mississippi Flood of 1927
Mississipi river
Jan 1, 1927

song Black Snake Moan - Blind Lemon Jefferson

Black Snake MoanbyBlind Lemon Jefferson Black Snake Moan - Blind Lemon Jefferson
Jan 1, 1928

quartet Mills Brothers

Mills Brothers
Feb 26, 1928

Fats Domino born

Fats Domino
Oct 17, 1928

song Statesboro Blues (Blind Willie McTell)

Statesboro Blues Blind Willie McTell - Statesboro Blues
Dec 30, 1928

Bo Diddley born

Bo Diddley
Jan 1, 1929

song Spoonful Blues (Charley Patton)

Charley Patton - Spoonful Blues (Delta Blues 1929)
Jan 1, 1929

song Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out (Bessie Smith)

Bessie Smith (Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out, 1929)
Oct 24, 1929

Wall Street Crash

Wall Street Crash
Oct 24, 1930

The Big Bopper born

The Big Bopper
Feb 26, 1932

Johnny Cash born

Johnny Cash
Apr 9, 1932

Carl Perkins born

Carl Perkins
Dec 5, 1932

Little Richard born

Little Richard
Mar 9, 1933

Lloyd Price born

Lloyd Price
May 3, 1933

James Brown born

James Brown
Jan 8, 1935

Elvis Presley born

Elvis
Sep 29, 1935

Jerry Lee Lewis born

Jerry Lee Lewis
Apr 23, 1936

Roy Orbison born

Roy Orbison
Period: Jul 17, 1936 to Apr 1, 1939

Guerra Civil Española

Guerra Civil Española
Sep 7, 1936

Buddy Holly born

Buddy Holly
Nov 27, 1936

song Cross Road Blues (Robert Johnson)

Cross Road Blues
Jan 1, 1939

song I Love my Fruit (Sweet Violet Boys)

Sweet Violet Boys "I Love My Fruit"
Period: Sep 1, 1939 to Sep 2, 1945

World War II

World War II
May 13, 1941

Ritchie Valens born

Ritchie Valens
Sep 6, 1946

song “That’s All Right, Mama” – Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup

That's All Right “That’s All Right, Mama” – Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup (1946)
Jan 1, 1948

song “Good Rockin’ Tonight” – Wynonie Harris

Good Rocking Tonight “Good Rockin’ Tonight” – Wynonie Harris (1948)
Jan 1, 1949

song “Saturday Night Fish Fry” – Louis Jordan & The Tympany Five

Saturday Night Fish Fry “Saturday Night Fish Fry” – Louis Jordan & The Tympany Five (1949)
Jan 1, 1949

song “Rock This Joint” – Jimmy Preston and his Prestonians

Rock the Joint “Rock This Joint” – Jimmy Preston and his Prestonians (1949)
Jan 1, 1950

Chess Records

Chess Records
Jan 1, 1951

the term "Rock and Roll" (Alan Freed)

Alan Freed
Mar 3, 1951

song “Rocket 88” - Jackie Brenston and his Delta Cats

Rocket 88 “Rocket 88” - Jackie Brenston and his Delta Cats (1951)
Apr 20, 1955

The Wee Small Hours, first album conceptual

The Wee Small Hours
Jan 1, 1957

Everly Brothers (group)

Everly Brothers
Mar 24, 1958

Elvis begins Military Service

Military Service Elvis Presley se enlista en el Ejército
Feb 3, 1959

accident: The Day the Music Died

The Day the Music Died
Dec 23, 1959

Chuck Berry's prison

Chuck Berry's prison
Aug 1, 1960

group The Beatles

the beatles
Jan 1, 1964

song Hello Dolly

song Hello Dolly

Scott Joplin's born

W.C. Handy born

Mamie Smith's born

Ma Rainey's born

Charley Patton born

invention of the 78 rpm records

Jelly Roll Morton

"Blind" Lemon Jefferson born

Bessie Smith's born

Radio!

Blind Willie McTell born

song: Maple Leaf Rag (Scott Joplin)

Louis Armstrong born

Bing Crosby born

Will Batts born

Bob Wills born

Louis Jordan born

Howlin 'Wolf born

Louis Prima born

Robert Johnson born

Big Joe Turner born

Mahalia Jackson born

Muddy Waters born

song Memphis Blues (W.C. Handy)

World War 1

Willie Dixon born

Frank Sinatra born

John Lee Hooker born

Professor Longhair born

song Crazy blues (Mamie Smith)

WSB broadcasting (Atlanta)

song Gulf Coast Blues (Bessie Smith)

song Grandpa's Spells (Jelly Roll Morton)

Hank Williams born

song Cemetery Blues (Bessie Smith)

song Big Foot Ham (Jelly Roll Morton)

song Roots of Blues -- Ma Rainey

song Black Bottom Stomp (Jelly Roll Morton)

Chuck Berry born

Great Mississippi Flood

song Black Snake Moan - Blind Lemon Jefferson

quartet Mills Brothers

Fats Domino born

song Statesboro Blues (Blind Willie McTell)

Bo Diddley born

song Spoonful Blues (Charley Patton)

song Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out (Bessie Smith)

Wall Street Crash

The Big Bopper born

Johnny Cash born

Carl Perkins born

Little Richard born

Lloyd Price born

James Brown born

Elvis Presley born

Jerry Lee Lewis born

Roy Orbison born

Guerra Civil Española

Buddy Holly born

song Cross Road Blues (Robert Johnson)

song I Love my Fruit (Sweet Violet Boys)

World War II

Ritchie Valens born

song “That’s All Right, Mama” – Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup

song “Good Rockin’ Tonight” – Wynonie Harris

song “Saturday Night Fish Fry” – Louis Jordan & The Tympany Five

song “Rock This Joint” – Jimmy Preston and his Prestonians

Chess Records

the term "Rock and Roll" (Alan Freed)

song “Rocket 88” - Jackie Brenston and his Delta Cats

The Wee Small Hours, first album conceptual

Everly Brothers (group)

Elvis begins Military Service

accident: The Day the Music Died

Chuck Berry's prison

group The Beatles

song Hello Dolly

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