By the early 1950s, however, a number of independent radio stations, again, mostly White, owned, began popping up, including rhythm ‘n’ blues or Negro radio stations. Since it was not possible to segregate radio waves, Black music became accessible to everyone and White teenagers began taking an interest in it. Seeing this, the music industry recognised the potential of appropriating Black music and record companies started making sanitised covers of the music with White artists to distribute to White listeners. But as Maultsby explains, they did so while keeping the original artists in the background, unexposed and rhythm ‘n’ blues music, covered and performed by White artists, was now marketed to the mainstream White listener as rock ‘n’ roll.
Record companies and White artists wanted the Black sounds and styles that appealed to the White audience but they did not want the Black artist. American record producer and founder of Sun Records Sam Phillips had been looking for a White man with the Negro sound and the Negro feel when he found Elvis Presley. The Beatles got their start by covering various blues artists like Arthur Alexander and rock ‘n’ roll pioneer Chuck Berry. Janis Joplin, who was dubbed the Queen of Rock... covered Tutti Frutti, an original song by musician, singer and songwriter Little Richard, and reached 12th place in the national charts of 1956, several places ahead of the original.
Robert Wyatt - Tubab
- Released in: 2009
- Genre: Jazz, Rock
- Written by: Robert Wyatt
"Robert Wyatt is a retired English musician. A founding member of the influential Canterbury scene bands Soft Machine and Matching Mole. He was initially a kit drummer and singer before becoming paraplegic following an accidental fall from a window in 1973."
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