Timeline: MusicBigBang_01_LSK | Timetoast

Period: Apr 5, 1851 to Apr 5, 2014

A- Illinois Central Railroad connects New Orleans and Chicago and north to Minnesota

The link between New Orleans and Chicago
Period: Apr 2, 1876 to Apr 2, 1965

B- Jim Crow Laws

Jim Crow history
Apr 2, 1877

01- Thomas Edison invents wax cylinder recordings

My family acquired an Edison phonograph with a large collection of wax cylinder recordings from my Grandfather, Lloyd P Shapleigh, Sr.
Period: Apr 2, 1885 to Apr 2, 1930

C- Tin Pan Ally Sheet Music

History of Tin Pan Ally
Mar 1, 1900

02- Charley Patton's family moves to Dockery Farm

Founder of The Delta Blues
Apr 1, 1903

03- WC Handy is inspired by an unnamed muscian using a pocket knife for a slide on a guitar

Train station in Greenwood, MS as it looks today
Period: Apr 2, 1904 to Apr 2, 1957

D- Silas Green from New Orleans variety tent show

Silas Green history
Apr 2, 1910

04- 10 inch 78 rpm shellac gramophone recording discs became standard

Various speeds ranging from 16 rpm to 78 rpm and sizes 12 inch to 10 inches were in use during this time.
Period: Apr 2, 1910 to Apr 2, 1930

E- First Great Migration

1.6 million migrants left rural south to northern industrial states
Apr 2, 1912

05- WC Handy first published sheet music with "Blues" notes

History of Fox Trot Blues
Period: Jan 31, 1915 to Jul 19, 2002

F- Alan Lomax

Alan Lomax biography, folk music and culture collector and historian
Jan 31, 1917

06- Original Dixieland Jazz Band

First jazz recording
Mar 21, 1917

07- Son House delivers his first sermon near Lyon, MS

Son House biography
Apr 2, 1920

08- Jimmy Durante and Original New Orleans Jazzband record in NYC

Jimmy Durante and Red Hot Jazz
Period: Apr 5, 1920 to Apr 5, 1949

G- Golden Age of Rado

Radio history
Period: Apr 8, 1920 to Apr 8, 1929

H- Jazz Age - Roaring Twenties

Jazz Age overview
Mar 22, 1922

09- Early AM Radio first transmission

Powel Crosley, Jr. am radio broadcast
Feb 16, 1923

10- Bessie Smith records Downhearted Blues

Recording of Bessie Smith, Empress of the Blues
Period: Oct 28, 1924 to Sep 6, 2008

I- My Dad, Lloyd P Shapleigh, Jr

Lifespan of my Father, born in Kittery, Maine, died in Stevensville, Michigan
Feb 26, 1925

11- Electric Era 78 rpm Recordings

History of 78 rpm records
Period: Dec 25, 1926 to Aug 15, 1927

J- Great Mississippi Flood of 1927

Great Flood article
Jan 1, 1927

12- Great Mississippi Flood of 1927

Film footage of 1927 flood
Oct 24, 1929

13- Great Depression

Men lining up for day labor work during the Great Depression in Memphis, TN
Period: Oct 24, 1929 to Dec 14, 1941

K- The Great Depression

PBS Great Depression Timeline
Apr 2, 1930

14- Howlin' Wolf meets Charley Patton

Blues Legends meet
Apr 1, 1934

15- Robert Johnson trades his soul to the devil

Robert Johnson biography
Apr 2, 1934

16- Patent filed for electric guitar

Electric Guitar history
May 11, 1935

17- Rural Electrification Act - artwork by Lester Beall

Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed to provide power to rural areas throughout south and western USA
Apr 1, 1938

18- Jelly Roll Morton interviews with Alan Lomax and recordings

Audio file of John Lomax interview with Jelly Roll Morton
Apr 9, 1939

19B- Marian Anderson sings at Lincoln Memorial to a crowd of 75,000

Denied by DNR to sing on stage, she went to the memorial to perform
Oct 2, 1939

19A- Lionel Hampton and Benny Goodman record Rose Room

Benny Goodman and Lionel Hampton
Mar 2, 1940

20- Alan Lomax interviews Woody Gutherie

Alan Lomax interview with Woody Gutherie
Apr 2, 1940

Solid Body Electric Guitar

Les Paul and Electric Guitar history
Period: Apr 2, 1940 to Apr 2, 1970

L- Second Great Migration

5 million or more moved from the south to California and other western cities
Period: Aug 1, 1941 to May 29, 1945

M- LP Shapleigh, Jr serves in WWII

USAAF service dates
Dec 7, 1941

22- Attack on Pearl Harbor

Images of Pearl Harbor attack
Apr 2, 1942

23- Congress discontinues funding for Library of Congress recording project

Alan Lomax continues collecting folk music independently.
Period: Apr 2, 1944 to Apr 2, 1947

N- Chuck Berry sent to reformatory for armed robbery

Chuck Berry history
Period: Apr 2, 1947 to Apr 2, 1970

O- Imperial Records - Universal Music Group

Imperial years
Apr 15, 1947

25- Jackie Robinson signs with the NY Dodgers breaking the MLB color barrier

Jackie Robinson story
Apr 2, 1948

24- Example of Backbeat

Backbeat explained
Apr 2, 1949

45 rpm 7 inch gramophone records introduced
Apr 2, 1950

27- Howlin' Wolf cut tracks at Sun Records
Period: Apr 2, 1950 to Apr 2, 1975

P- Chess Records

Active recordings for Chess Records
Jan 1, 1951

DJ Alan Freed declared "Rock and Roll"

Birthplace of Rock and Roll in Cleveland Ohio
Mar 3, 1951

Rocket 88 Chess Records

First rock and roll song
Oct 1, 1951

30- Lloyd P Shapleigh Jr and Elizabeth Griffiths wed

My parent's wedding day
Period: Feb 1, 1952 to May 2, 2014

Q- Sun Records

Sun Records
Apr 2, 1952

Big Mama Thornton - "Hound Dog Blues"

"Hound Dog" Big Mama Thornton
Apr 2, 1953

32- "Bear Cat" Rufus Thomas first big hit for Sun Records

Rufus Thomas answers Big Mama Thornton's Hound Dog with Bear Cat
Apr 2, 1953

33- Chess Records wins Howlin' Wolf's business, moves to Chicago

Mississippi Blues trail
Jul 18, 1953

Elvis Presley first recording at Sun Studo

First Sun Recordings Elvis Presley at Sun Records
May 30, 1954

35- Texas Instrument invents transistor radio

Technology of Rock and Roll
Apr 2, 1955

Fats Domino "Ain't That a Shame" Imperial Records

The first guitar song John Lennon learned to play
Apr 28, 1955

First car all-transistor radio

Chrysler radio TV ad
May 21, 1955

Chuck Berry records "Maybellene" with Chess Records

"Maybellene" - Chuck Berry
Nov 13, 1955

Sarah Shapleigh

My sister Sarah born
Nov 20, 1955

Bo Diddley banned from future Ed Sullivan Shows for singing his own song

Ed Sullivan Show appearance
Dec 1, 1955

Rosa Parks Civil Disobedience

Rosa Parks refused to give up her bus seat to white passenger
Jan 1, 1956

42- Carl Perkins "Blue Suede Shoes" Sun Records

Carl Perkins Sun Recording
Jan 9, 1956

43- Lisa Shapleigh - Me

Born in Boston, MA, raised in southwestern MI, adult life spent in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Apr 2, 1956

Little Richard "Tutti Frutti"

Dancing and singing with Little Richard
Apr 2, 1956

Elvis, Buddy Holly, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash footage

Rare footage of Rock legends
Apr 2, 1956

Northern Rock n Roll example

Bill Haley and His Comets
Period: Apr 2, 1956 to Apr 2, 1974

R- WSJM St. Joseph MI pop AM station

Radio station we tuned in to hear pop music
Oct 4, 1957

47- Sputnik

Prompt to acquire family TV
Jan 3, 1958

48- Rebecca Shapleigh, born

My sister Becky
Period: Mar 2, 1958 to Mar 2, 1960

S- Elvis Presley US Army service

Elvis in the service
Feb 3, 1959

49- Buddy Holly dies in plane crash

Buddy Holly links
Period: Apr 2, 1959 to Apr 2, 2014

T- FAME Music recording studio opens

Muscle Shoals recording studio begins
Sep 5, 1959

Laura Shapleigh

My sister Laura born
Dec 24, 1959

Family Television

Shapleigh family gets a black and white television
Dec 25, 1960

Family Reel to Reel recorder

Gift from my Grandfather. We lived in Michigan and he was in Maine. We made voice recordings to share with him.
Jun 2, 1961

Shapleigh girls first record player
Period: Oct 29, 1963 to Apr 2, 1967

U- First British Invasion

First British invasion
Nov 22, 1963

54- JFK Assassination

History of JFK death
Apr 2, 1964

Gas station premium 45 rpm

Leslie Gore "Look of Love"
Apr 2, 1965

56- Bob Dylan extends 3 minute 45 rpm limitation "Like a Rolling Stone"

"Like a Rolling Stone" - Bob Dylan
Apr 4, 1968

57- MLK Assassination

MLK Assassination
Apr 2, 1969

Muddy Waters Chicago Blues

Muddy Waters biography
Aug 15, 1969

Woodstock Aug 15-18

Concert history
Apr 10, 1970

60- Beatles breakup

Paul McCartney announced he quit the Beatles
Apr 2, 1976

61- American Folklife Center

Established to preserve American Folklife
Apr 20, 1983

62- Rock and Roll Hall of Fame opens in Cleveland, Ohio

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame link
Apr 2, 1986

63- Alan Lomax receives National Medal of Arts from Ronald Regan