Editing Rhythm and blues (section)

===Early to mid-1950s===
[[File:Little Richard (1967).png|thumb|left|upright|[[Little Richard]] in 1967]]
At first, only African Americans were buying R&B discs. According to [[Jerry Wexler]] of Atlantic Records, sales were localized in African-American markets; there were no white sales or white radio play. During the early 1950s, more white teenagers started to become aware of R&B and began purchasing the music. For example, 40% of 1952 sales at [[John Dolphin (music producer)|Dolphin's of Hollywood]] record shop, located in an African-American area of Los Angeles, were to whites. Eventually, white teens across the country turned their musical taste toward rhythm and blues.<ref>{{Cite book|title = [[Rockin' in Time]]|last = Szatmary|first = David P.|publisher = Pearson|year = 2014|location = New Jersey|page = 16}}</ref>

[[Johnny Otis]], who had signed with the Newark, New Jersey–based Savoy Records, produced many R&B hits in 1951, including "[[Double Crossing Blues]]", "Mistrustin' Blues" and "[[Cupid's Boogie]]", all of which hit number one that year. Otis scored ten top ten hits that year. Other hits include "[[Gee Baby]]", "Mambo Boogie" and "All Nite Long".<ref name="billboard.com">{{cite magazine|url={{BillboardURLbyName|artist=johnny otis|bio=true}} |title=– Biography: Johnny Otis |magazine=Billboard |access-date=April 20, 2012}}</ref> [[The Clovers]], a quintet consisting of a vocal quartet with accompanying guitarist, sang a distinctive-sounding combination of blues and gospel.{{sfn |Gilliland |1969 |loc=show 3, track 2}} They had the number five hit of the year with "[[Don't You Know I Love You]]" on Atlantic.<ref name="billboard.com" /><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.history-of-rock.com/vocal_groups.htm |title=The Vocal Groups |website=History-of-rock.com |access-date=April 20, 2012 |archive-date=June 12, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120612042733/http://www.history-of-rock.com/vocal_groups.htm |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cduniverse.com/search/xx/music/pid/6730003/a/Don't+You+Know+I+Love+You+&+Other+Favorites.htm|title=Clovers Don't You Know I Love You & Other Favorites CD|website=Cduniverse.com|date=May 11, 2004|access-date=April 20, 2012|archive-date=August 31, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110831000642/http://www.cduniverse.com/search/xx/music/pid/6730003/a/Don%27t+You+Know+I+Love+You+%26+Other+Favorites.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> Also in July 1951, Cleveland, Ohio DJ [[Alan Freed]] started a late-night radio show called "The Moondog Rock Roll House Party" on [[WKNR|WJW]] (850 AM).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://library.case.edu/digitalcase/SearchResults.aspx?q=mintz|title=Kevin Smith Library : Case Western Reserve University : Search Results : Mintz|website=Library.case.ueu|access-date=May 21, 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140203100439/http://library.case.edu/digitalcase/SearchResults.aspx?q=mintz|archive-date=February 3, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://buzzardbook.wordpress.com/category/buzzard-audio/page/4/|title=Buzzard Audio – The Buzzard: Inside the Glory Days of WMMS and Cleveland Rock Radio — A Memoir – Page 4|website=buzzardbook.wordpress.com|access-date=February 12, 2018|archive-date=February 12, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180212201539/https://buzzardbook.wordpress.com/category/buzzard-audio/page/4/|url-status=live}}</ref> Freed's show was sponsored by Fred Mintz, whose R&B record store had a primarily African-American clientele. Freed began referring to the rhythm and blues music he played as "rock and roll".

In 1951 [[Little Richard]] Penniman began recording for [[RCA Records]] in the jump blues style of late 1940s stars [[Roy Brown (blues musician)|Roy Brown]] and [[Billy Wright (musician)|Billy Wright]]. However, it was not until he recorded a demo in 1954 that caught the attention of Specialty Records that the world would start to hear his new uptempo funky rhythm and blues that would catapult him to fame in 1955 and help define the sound of rock 'n' roll. A rapid succession of rhythm and blues hits followed, beginning with "[[Tutti Frutti (song)|Tutti Frutti]]"{{sfn |Gilliland |1969 |loc=show 6, track 2}} and "[[Long Tall Sally]]", which would influence performers such as [[James Brown]],{{sfn|White|2003|p=231}} [[Elvis Presley]],{{sfn|White|2003|p=227}} and [[Otis Redding]].{{sfn|White|2003|p=231}}

Also in 1951, the song [[Rocket 88]] was recorded by [[Ike Turner]] and his Kings of Rhythm at a studio owned by [[Sam Phillips]] with the vocal by [[Jackie Brenston]]. This song is often cited as a precursor to [[rock and roll]] or as one of the first records in that genre.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2004/apr/16/popandrock |title=Will the creator of modern music please stand up? |date=April 16, 2004 |work=The Guardian |access-date=December 26, 2022 |quote=}}</ref> In a later interview, however, Ike Turner offered this comment: "I don't think that 'Rocket 88' is rock 'n' roll. I think that 'Rocket 88' is R&B, but I think 'Rocket 88' is the ''cause'' of rock and roll existing".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/the-first-ever-rock-and-roll-song/|title=Listen to the first rock and roll song ever recorded|website=Faroutmagazine.com|author=Lee Thomas-Mason|date=November 13, 2021|access-date=December 26, 2022}}</ref>

[[Ruth Brown]], performing on the Atlantic label, placed hits in the top five every year from 1951 through 1954: "[[Teardrops from My Eyes]]", "Five, Ten, Fifteen Hours", "[[(Mama) He Treats Your Daughter Mean]]" and "[[What a Dream]]".{{sfn |Gilliland |1969 |loc=show 3, track 2}} [[Faye Adams]]'s "[[Shake a Hand]]" made it to number two in 1952. In 1953, the R&B record-buying public made [[Big Mama Thornton]]'s original recording of [[Leiber and Stoller]]'s "[[Hound Dog (song)|Hound Dog]]"{{sfn |Gilliland |1969 |loc=show 7, track 4}} the year's number three hit. Ruth Brown was very prominent among female R&B stars; her popularity most likely came from "her deeply rooted vocal delivery in African American tradition".<ref name="Floyd177">{{cite book|last=Floyd|first=Samuel Jr. |title=The Power of Black Music|year=1995|publisher=[[Oxford University Press]]|page=177}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/charts/yearend_chart_display.jsp?f=Hot+R%26B%2FHip-Hop+Songs&g=Year-end+Singles&year=1953 |title=Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs 1953 |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |access-date=December 23, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071211063633/http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/charts/yearend_chart_display.jsp?f=Hot+R&B%2FHip-Hop+Songs&g=Year-end+Singles&year=1953 |archive-date=December 11, 2007 }}</ref> That same year [[The Orioles]], a [[doo-wop]] group, had the number four hit of the year with "[[Crying in the Chapel]]".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.colorradio.com/orioles.htm|title=The Orioles Record Label Shots|access-date=December 23, 2007|archive-date=July 8, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080708212629/http://www.colorradio.com/orioles.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref>

[[Fats Domino]] made the top 30 of the pop charts in 1952 and 1953, then the top 10 with "[[Ain't That a Shame]]".{{sfn |Gilliland |1969 |loc=show 6, track 3}}<ref>Go, Cat, Go! by Carl Perkins and David McGee 1996 pages 111 Hyperion Press {{ISBN|0-7868-6073-1}}</ref> [[Ray Charles]] came to national prominence in 1955 with "[[I Got a Woman]]".{{sfn |Gilliland |1969 |loc=show 15}} [[Big Bill Broonzy]] said of Charles's music: "He's mixing the blues with the spirituals{{nbsp}}... I know that's wrong."<ref name=Cohn/>{{rp|173}}

In 1954 [[The Chords (US band)|the Chords]]' "[[Sh-Boom]]"{{sfn |Gilliland |1969 |loc=show 4, track 5}} became the first hit to cross over from the R&B chart to hit the top 10 early in the year. Late in the year, and into 1955, "[[Hearts of Stone]]" by the Charms made the top 20.<ref>Go, Cat, Go! by Carl Perkins and David McGee 1996 page 111 Hyperion Press {{ISBN|0-7868-6073-1}}</ref>

At [[Chess Records]] in the spring of 1955, [[Bo Diddley]]'s debut record "[[Bo Diddley (Bo Diddley song)|Bo Diddley]]"/"[[I'm a Man (Bo Diddley song)|I'm a Man]]" climbed to number two on the R&B charts and popularized Bo Diddley's own original rhythm and blues clave-based vamp that would become a mainstay in rock and roll.{{sfn |Gilliland |1969 |loc=show 3, track 5}}

[[File:Etta_James04.JPG|thumb|200px|[[Etta James]] blended blues, R&B, and gospel influences.]]

At the urging of [[Leonard Chess]] at Chess Records, [[Chuck Berry]] reworked a [[country music|country]] fiddle tune with a long history, entitled "[[Ida Red (song)|Ida Red]]".{{sfn |Gilliland |1969 |loc=show 5, track 5}} The resulting "[[Maybellene]]" was not only a number three hit on the R&B charts in 1955, but also reached into the top 30 on the pop charts. [[Alan Freed]], who had moved to the much larger market of New York City in 1954, helped the record become popular with white teenagers. Freed had been given part of the writing credit by Chess in return for his promotional activities, a common practice at the time.<ref>{{cite magazine|url={{BillboardURLbyName|artist=chuck berry|bio=true}} |title=– Biography – Chuck Berry |magazine=Billboard |access-date=April 20, 2012}}</ref>

R&B was also a strong influence on [[rock and roll]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rockhall.com/roots-of-rock |title=Roots of Rock |date=June 15, 2020 |work=Rock & Roll Hall of Fame |access-date=December 25, 2020 |quote=rock and roll's roots: Gospel, Blues, Country/Folk/Bluegrass and R&B}}</ref> A 1985 article in ''[[The Wall Street Journal]]'', titled, "Rock! It's Still Rhythm and Blues"{{Full citation needed|date=December 2022}} reported that the "two terms were used interchangeably" until about 1957. The other sources quoted in the article said that rock and roll combined R&B with pop and country music.<ref>{{cite journal |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/1214792 |title=The Black Perspective in Music |date=March 1, 1985 |journal=The Wall Street Journal |jstor=1214792 |access-date=March 15, 2021 |quote=by Lawrence N. Redd |last1=Redd |first1=Lawrence N. |volume=13 |issue=1 |pages=31–47 |doi=10.2307/1214792 |archive-date=May 25, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190525225022/https://www.jstor.org/stable/1214792 |url-status=live |url-access=subscription }}</ref>

Fats Domino was not convinced that there was any new genre. In 1957, he said, "What they call rock 'n' roll now is rhythm and blues. I've been playing it for 15 years in New Orleans".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/paul-mccartney-remembers-truly-magnificent-fats-domino-128449/|title=Paul McCartney Remembers 'Truly Magnificent' Fats Domino|first=Elias|last=Leight|website=Rollingstone.com|date=October 26, 2017|access-date=March 15, 2021|archive-date=November 25, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201125142548/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/paul-mccartney-remembers-truly-magnificent-fats-domino-128449/|url-status=live}}</ref> According to ''[[Rolling Stone (magazine)|Rolling Stone]]'', "this is a valid statement ... all Fifties rockers, black and white, country born and city bred, were fundamentally influenced by R&B, the black popular music of the late Forties and early Fifties".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/feature/the-50s-a-decade-of-music-that-changed-the-world-229924/|title=The 50s: A Decade of Music That Changed the World|first=Robert|last=Palmer|website=Rollingstone.com|date=April 19, 1990|access-date=March 15, 2021|archive-date=February 22, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210222202919/https://www.rollingstone.com/feature/the-50s-a-decade-of-music-that-changed-the-world-229924/|url-status=live}}</ref>