This is the fifth and final installment in writer Ralph Horner’s newest column, “The Birth of Rock & Roll (and those who brought it into the world),” about discovering Rock & Roll music as a teenager in the 1950s.

In the 1950s, doo-wop was a new style of singing that caught on big. Due to the possible unfamiliarity of this 1950s phenomenon, I will explain.  Doo-wop was the use of a nonsensical style of lyrics that had no actual meaning.

The phrase “doo wop” was sung over and over in popular song and it kind of caught on. Some other examples were “Hey Nonny Ding Dong,” “Alang Alang a Doo,” and “Dip Dip Adoo.”

The Penguins with Johnny OtisYes, I know, it sounds ridiculous, but it caught on very big.

Some of the popular doo-wop Groups were the Orioles, the Crows, the Ravens, the Flamingos, the Swallows, and the Penguins. A guest list at an Aviary?  No, Doo Wop groups loved to take bird names for some reason. 

The three quintessential 1950’s doo-wop songs were “Earth Angel” by the Penguins, “Gee” by the Crows, and “Sh-boom” by the Chords. 

These three songs are the most well-known of the doo-wop genre. “Gee” and “Sh-Boom” were among the first crossover smash hits. “Gee" was the first 1950s doo-wop album to sell more than one million records. It was one of the first such records to crossover to the wider pop market.

“Sh-Boom” caught on like no other song ever did. The upbeat rhythm and the nonsense lyrics blew me away because it fit my 1954 persona to a T—at least, that’s what I thought at the time. 

“Earth Angel” was another big crossover hit. These three songs were memorable because up until the point of becoming popular, R&B songs were something we liked and listened to—but it was only as outsiders. “Gee,” “Sh-Boom,” and “Earth Angel” felt like they were a style of pop music marked by the use of close harmony because they seemed to legitimize the genre.

Jefferson AirplaneSo, what where did Rock & Roll go after the events in this story? Well, that is another story. Too much to tell here!

A hint: It got really good in the 1960s and 1970s when many West Coast rockers—like Sly & the Family Stone and Jefferson Airplane—took a revolutionary step in Rock & Roll and raised it to an unheard new sound and level.

It kind of leveled out a bit after that but it still had its great moments. But just like everything in life, there are ups and downs and highs and lows. History will tell, I guess. Do not lament though.

No matter what happens, I am sure that someday we will all, well most of us anyway, will hear Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, and many others singing and playing their Gibsons at that Great Woodstock in that Sky. And, have no doubt! Cast off your fears. Rock and Roll was most assuredly born in Cleveland and is here to stay.  

Long Live Rock and Roll!