There is a movement to get the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame to create an exhibit for 60s Garage Rock. You'll want to learn more about this! Please visit the
David and Goliaths Project MySpace page to learn about, and become involved in the movement!
Here is an essay written by our good friend Lynne (Lyndsey) Price, about Garage Rock, in support of the exhibit at the RnR Hall of Fame. Enjoy!
The advent of 60's Garage and the role it played in the lives of teenagers.Before the 1950's and Elvis Presley, one thing was certain. There was no such creature as a "teenager". Children stayed in school or dropped out and went into the army. Women got married and set up family life.
After World War II, a president named Franklin Delano Roosevelt set up the G.I. Bill, enabling returning soldiers to go to college, get a decent education and earn their share of the American Dream. A man named Mr. Levitt established a development of 3 bedroom homes in Long Island. These homes would have garages and basements were now called recreation rooms. Levittown became a symbol of what was to be the "new emerging Middle Class". Children of this era enjoyed beautiful toys with outer space themes, Barbie Dolls, A large Doll called Patty Playpal and TV shows like Bozo the Clown, The Little Rascals, and in the Midwest, the Mulcane's and Kiddy-A -Go-Go. When people became putting away their toys, they picked up musical instruments. A Farisa Organ with a slight horror movie sound, loud drums, and best of all, guitars went electric. Plug them in and BOOM - loud, raunchy, and scratchy. Rehearsals took place in garages and parties in the rec rooms. You now had your block party band, your church picnic band and school lunchtime band to keep kids out of trouble. This era was a relatively good one, with drive in theatres, an ice cream palour named Carvel's that had a space age design on their buildings as well as their treats. The local drugstore was now a place to hangout - eat banana splits and read comic books, not to mention socialize. A teenager was considered too young to marry and was expected to get the same education that their father had and do even better financially. The future had hope. 1960's Garage actually spans from about 1959-1971 and includes the following genres: Psychedelic, R & B, Motown, DooWop, British Invasion,Blues and emphasized boy- girl relationships with the notion that "someday" we will marry. A girl was expected to stay chaste and women's lib was unheard of. In terms of music, there was a lot of radio, "sock hops", shows at the beach, amusement parks, and theatres. Dancing was at it's peak. Candy bars at the local supermarket were large and nonfat was unheard of. It was an era of pleasure. Jockeys and radio stations:
From New York: MurraytheK (Murray Kaufman) from 1010 WINS, NY
From New York: WMCA Good Guys - one being Dan Ingram
From New York: WABC with Cousin Bruce Morrow - or Cousin Brucie
All over Jockeys were spreading the great music that was now being played on the Ed Sullivan Show, and Rock and Roll shows were coming up from all over. American Bandstand - with Dick Clark - would be the #1 Statue of Dedication to the new generation called "teenagers" who, after school, went there to dance in Philadelphia and eventually California or New York. A great show called "Soul Train" - the Motown version of American Bandstand, had a fantastic station at the end of the dial called WBLS. It was one heck of an era.
And this could be one heck of an exhibit. You would have people coming in from all over. It's something good that many, many Garage Rock fans and acts would love to have and somehow contribute to. The advent of 1960's Garage has once again circled the globe. There must be a reason.
The hundreds of groups and fans in the USA alone, not to mention around the world, would be very happy knowing this exhibit is bringing back "Happy Days". We need "Happy Days". Please consider then why this era is returning.
Thank you!
Lynne C. Price
Labels: David, Essay, Fame, Garage, Goliath, Hall, Rock
