Alan Freed

Before the payola scandal brought down his empire, Alan Freed was rock & roll's first superstar DJ, hosting his own TV show, starring in numerous quickie film musicals, and wielding enormous influence within the R&B and rock communities. Moreover, he's often credited with coining the phrase "rock & roll." Freed's name appears on many various-artists collections from the genre's early years, and he even cut a few tracks under his own name for Brunswick as the nominal leader of a rocking big band comprised of New York session aces. ~ Bill Dahl