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This webpage is a collection of Alan Freed clippings and images from various newspapers, as well as The Cash Box and Billboard magazines, for the time period 1950 to 1954.
LISTEN TO ALAN FREED RADIO SHOWS FROM WJW (Cleveland) AND WINS (New York City).
PART THREE (1955) HISTORY. ALAN FREED HISTORY MAIN PAGE.
SALEM NEWS, February 18, 1950: SUIT TRIPS FREED'S KILOCYCLE HOP
An Akron radio announcer, Alan Freed, formerly of Salem, has been enjoined from broadcasting over an Akron radio station, at least until next Tuesday. A temporary injunction was issued Thursday....at the request of attorneys for radio station WAKR.Freed last week left WAKR, where he had been employed for five years as a disc jockey, and started broadcasting over another Akron station, WADC, Wednesday night. WAKR attorneys went to court Thursday. They accused Freed of a breach of contract and asked that he be prohibited from broadcasting on any station within a 75 mile radius of Akron for one year.
The WAKR suit alleged Freed signed a contract agreeing that he would not accept radio station employment within 75 miles of Akron for one year after leaving the station's employ.
Freed's attorney, asking that the injunction not be granted, argued that a man's livelihood was at stake. He emphasized that Freed was not employed by WADC but merely used the station's facilities to broadcast. Freed, he argued, was employed by the Lew Platt Agency, an Akron advertising firm, which had contracted the broadcast time.
The judge ignored the argument and issued an order restraining Freed from further broadcasts, until Tuesday morning when a hearing on a permanent injunction is scheduled.
Mr. Freed is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Charles S. Freed...
SALEM NEWS, February 28, 1950: FREED PLANS APPEAL ON COURT'S RULING
Promising to appeal his case, Alan Freed, popular Akron disc jockey and former Salem resident, faces a year's silence on Akron airways following a hearing of his contract battle with Radio Station WAKR. The judge ruled Saturday that Freed was a "salesman" and not an "entertainer" and ordered that he be kept off the air within a 75-mile radius of Akron for one year.After leaving WAKR, Freed broadcast an hour record show over WADC, the CBS outlet, on Feb. 15. Under Ohio law, salesmen can be restricted from going into business for themselves or going to work for a competitor, if a restrictive covenant has been entered into the employment contract.
Freed's next move, which he plans to make soon, will be to take the case to the Court of Appeals. It is generally felt that Akron businessmen and the general public will aid in raising the funds so that Freed can carry the case to higher courts. "I'll be back on the air in Akron, and you can bet your last nickel on that", he said after the Saturday hearing.
AKRON BEACON JOURNAL, March 30, 1950:
FANS OF ALAN FREED will have a chance to see as well as hear him when he moves into the late evening spot following the 11 p.m. news program over WXEL-TV. He'll be viewed on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday nights for one hour, starting next week.
SALEM NEWS, April 8, 1950: FREED HAS SHOW
Alan Freed, son of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Freed of N. Lundy Ave., who has been in radio for nine years, can now be seen on television over WXEL station, Cleveland. His program is the Alan Freed Variety Show.
SALEM NEWS, April 24, 1950: ALAN FREED'S VIDEO SHOW MAY EXPAND
Alan Freed, former Salem resident, who now has charge of a television show from 11 to 2 p.m. every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday over station WXEL, Akron, is expected to have shows every day starting next week over the station.The son of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Freed of N. Lundy Ave., Mr. Freed also operates a radio and television school in Akron. His brother, David, is assisting him by teaching courses. David, who is majoring in direction and production of radio at Kent State University, will graduate in June.
(NOTE: In 1956 WXEL-TV, actually located in Cleveland, changed its call letters to WJW-TV to compliment their WJW radio station. In the above blurb, "11 to 2 p.m." should be "11 p.m. to 2 a.m.")
ABOVE LEFT: AKRON BEACON JOURNAL, March 19, 1950 — ABOVE MIDDLE: AKRON BEACON JOURNAL, April 2, 1950 — ABOVE RIGHT: AKRON BEACON JOURNAL, April 5, 1950.
AKRON BEACON JOURNAL, March 12, 1951: DISC JOCK MOVES INTO NITERY
....WADC's Alan Freed late-night platter show is airing from Ted Boyer's. Although Freed is at Boyer's from 12:05 to 1, someone else spins the records in the WADC control room. Freed introduces the tunes and keeps up with his chatter while the control man does the rest.
AKRON BEACON JOURNAL, March 22, 1951: FREED CASE RULING STANDS
The Ohio Supreme Court has declined to review the case of Summit Radio Corp., operators of WAKR, versus Alfred James "Alan" Freed, former disc jockey at the station. The court's action leaves the decision of the Common Pleas and Ninth District Appelate courts in effect. They held that under provisions of a contract between Freed and WAKR, Freed could not announce for another Akron broadcasting station for a year. The year has elapsed since the case was filed, and Freed is now with WADC.
ABOVE: AKRON BEACON JOURNAL, April 16, 1951.
AKRON BEACON JOURNAL, May 9, 1951: ALAN FREED FILES BANKRUPTCY PLEA
A petition in bankruptcy was filed in Cleveland Federal Court today by Alan Freed, Akron disc jockey. Freed listed $4,738.61 in debts and $100 in assets. He also listed as personal property a 1950 Dodge coupe, valued at $1,300, against which there are two liens totaling $1,800. All debts were of a personal nature except for $2,100 for a loan and attorney fees owed to John A. Russell of Akron. Freed now has programs with WADC, Akron, and WXEL-TV, Cleveland.
ADDED 6/5/20 BROADCASTING MAGAZINE, June 25, 1951:
ALAN FREED, WXEL (TV) Cleveland, signed to a daily disc jockey show on WJMO Cleveland.
SALEM NEWS, March 22, 1952: CLEVELAND DANCE FAILS FROM TOO MUCH SUCCESS
"The Moondog Coronation Ball", which a pair of promoters put on at Cleveland's Arena last night, was such a success it failed. When 6,000 persons crashed the gates to join an already over-capacity crowd of 10,000, police riot squads stopped the entertainment and dancing. About 9:30 the crowd outside, angry because they could not buy $1.75 tickets, stormed the gates, knocking down four panel doors. Two men were stabbed in the melee.
LISTEN (Windows Media Player):
Alan Freed begins his March 23, 1952 WJW radio show discussing the Moondog Coronation Ball Disturbance.
ADDED 6/5/20 ABOVE: BROADCASTING MAGAZINE, April 7, 1952.
ADDED 6/5/20 BROADCASTING MAGAZINE, April 28, 1952: WJW'S FREED PACKS 'EM IN
Overwhelming response to a disc jockey's two-week promotion over WJW Cleveland of a Coronation Ball for fans of his Moon-Dog House brought a crowd of 25,000 to the ball and 70 extra firemen and policemen to handle the throng, the station notes.The huge group in Cleveland was reason enough for WJW to add an additional segment from 5-6 p.m. to the Moon-Dog House show and marked a fitting climax to the efforts of Alan Freed, the show's star since it started six months ago.
The late show started with the title, The Freeditorium, and changed its name to Moon-Dog House when a record shop bought part of the show across the board. Fan clubs and mail followed and advanced balls were held a few weeks ago in Akron and Canton, with 4,000 attending each event.
Mr. Freed's two weeks of promoting the Cleveland "Moon-Dog House Ball" was done on his own program and not a word of promotion was used through other media. Although advance ticket sales reached 6,000 and the crowd began to gather almost an hour before the ball, not even Mr. Freed was prepared for the crowd of 25,000 at the Cleveland dance.
Needless to say, the two original Moon-Dog House sponsers are continuing the Monday through Saturday broadcasts.
ADDED 6/5/20 APRIL 1952: R&B BEAT COLUMN
....Alan Freed, of Cleveland's ABC outlet WJW, is one Moon-Dog to keep an eye on. The guy pulled a terrific crowd for his recent Coronation dance, as reported in this column. Freed airs from 5 to 6 p.m and then later from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m....
AKRON BEACON JOURNAL, May 13, 1952: OK PERMIT FOR ANOTHER MOON DOG BALL
CLEVELAND—Over the protest of Police Chief Frank W. Story, the safety department today issued a permit for another Moon Dog Ball at the Arena here. It will be held Saturday and Sunday with three sessions. The Moon Dog Coronation Ball on March 21 ended in a riot of 25,000 people trying to storm the Arena, a stabbing, fights, and property damage.As the permit was issued for the ball, suit for $50,000 against Alan Freed, disc jockey, and his associates in running the Coronation Ball was filed in commom pleas court. The suit was filed by the Orioles, a quintet of singers who said Freed had falsely advertised they would appear at the March 21 affair.
Permit for this weekend's Moon Dog Ball was granted after the law department said it could not legally be refused. Arena Manager J.C. Hendy said only 6,000 tickets would be allowed sold for each session and up to 50 special police would be hired to keep order. The permit was issued to Hendy.
ABOVE: King 4240-B label. The record was released in 1948. Todd Rhodes, from Detroit, was a pianist, composer, arranger and orchestra leader.
It was Alan Freed's Theme Song on his WJW Moondog Show in Cleveland. Note that Todd Rhodes leads the featured orchestra for the Moondog Maytime Ball at left.
ABOVE: CLEVELAND CALL AND POST, May 10, 1952.
LISTEN (Windows Media Player): Blues For The Red Boy - Todd Rhodes Orchestra - King 4240-B - 1948.
ABOVE LEFT: AKRON BEACON JOURNAL, May 18, 1952 — ABOVE RIGHT: AKRON BEACON JOURNAL, February 18, 1953.
JUNE 28, 1952: "MOONDOG" FREED ATTRACTS 5,000 FANS WITH SOCK R&B PACKAGE IN OHIO
NEW YORK—Cleveland deejay Alan (Moondog) Freed and a line-up of sock rhythm and blues disking talent pulled nearly 5,000 admissions last weekend at the three dances staged in Vermilion, Akron, and Youngstown, Ohio. Moondog, as the jock is known via his r.&b. stanza over WJW, Cleveland, sponsored his "Dance Caravan Of Rhythm And Blues Stars" featuring the Swallows, Edna McGriff, and the Buddy Lucas Ork. Freed emceed the three dances and did remotes over WJW from the dance halls.First dance, held June 19 at the Crystal Beach Ballroom, Vermilion, pulled only fair attendance, with about 1,000 present. The following night, however, a capacity crowd of 2,342 packed the Summit Beach Ballroom in Akron, and the night after another 1,522 filled the Avon Oaks Ballroom, near Youngstown. Jockey Freed, who stresses dance orks and dance disks on his Moondog program, has sponsored a number of dances in the past in the Cleveland area.
"The Moondog Show" is expected to air over a five-city hook-up in September, taking in Detroit, Columbus, O., Chicago, Pittsburgh, and New York, in addition to Cleveland.
AUGUST 1952:
....Alan (Moondog) Freed, Cleveland's well-known r.&b. deejay, threw another of his radio-promoted dances at Summit Beach Ballroom, Akron. Stars were Charles Brown and the Clovers, with the jock broadcasting his regular radio show from the ballroom. Paid attendance was 3,007, with a few thousand being turned away....
JANUARY 24, 1953: MOON DOG R.&B. UNIT SKEDS ROAD DATES
CANTON, O.—Cleveland spinner Alan (Moon Dog) Freed and his manager, Lew Platt, of Canton, are planning a package of blues and rhythm artists to play auditoriums and ballrooms in the midwest and southern Canada.Freed is known for his "Moon Dog" programs on radio and TV and in recent months has been staging "Moon Dog" dances in Akron, Youngstown, Lorain, and Canton to big crowds. At Cleveland Arena a year ago, a "Moon Dog" dance drew an estimated crowd of 25,000.
Freed and Platt are dickering with an agent in New York to produce and book the show. Dates in Ontario were included in the plans because over a third of all mail at WJW, "Moon Dog"'s home station, comes from Canada, it was claimed.
FEBRUARY 28, 1953: BASIE-MOONDOG UNIT PLAYS OHIO DATES
AKRON, O.—The swinging Count Basie Orchestra plus singer Danny Overbea and the Moonglows drew 2,468 at the Akron Armory Friday. Same package followed with a 2,244 draw at Stanbaugh Auditorium, Youngstown, O., on Saturday. The "Moondog" radio show was included in the unit, which is produced by Alan Freed of Canton. Package is planning a tour of several midwestern and Ontario arenas and auditoriums.
AKRON BEACON JOURNAL, April 29, 1953:
ALAN FREED, the former Akron disc jockey who has become a Cleveland TV personality, is sicker than first reports after his Shaker Heights auto accident indicated. Freed had 200 stitches taken in his face and is suffering from internal injuries. He isn't due to leave St. Luke's Hospital until the middle of May.
JUNE 1953:
....Moondog, otherwise known as Alan Freed, one of Cleveland's top r.&b. deejays, is back at work and just about completely recovered after a serious automobile accident nearly two months ago....
ABOVE: AKRON BEACON JOURNAL, July 12, 1953.
JULY 25, 1953: GALE GRABS LOOT WITH R.&B.; FREED HYPES CLEVELAND SHOW
NEW YORK—The Gale Agency's giant rhythm and blues package, featuring Ruth Brown, Joe Louis, the Clovers, Wynonie Harris, Buddy Johnson's Orch., and other stars, racked up strong grosses in its first week on the road....In Cleveland, the show packed in a Monday night audience of 10,000 at the Cleveland Arena despite 94-degree heat. Promotion of the show was handled there by Lew Platt, of LCL Productions, and Alan Freed, Cleveland disk jockey. They said gross was nearly $17,000 with a $3 top. Included in the package (in addition to the above stated) were Leonard Reed (comic), Ella Johnson, Nolan Lewis, Lester Young's Band, Dusty Fletcher, Stuffy Bryant, and the Edwards Sisters.
Platt was enthused by the results and recalled pre-show predictions were that, in view of recent flops by aud-arena shows in Northern Ohio this mid-summer, the Monday date would be another. Several ads in daily and Sunday newspapers, plus 2,000 window cards, 300 three-sheets, and 200 one-sheets were backed by Freed's air plugs via his local radio show.
AUGUST 1953:
....Leonard Chess, of Chess and Checker Records,.... came up with one last week that started an avalanche of orders. Seems Al Benson played "Nadine" by the Coronets on his WGES airer and station's phones were promptly jammed. "We're airfreighting the orders and filling them only in rotation as they are received" Chess claimed. The group, incidentally, hails from Cleveland, where they were discovered by Alan (Moon Dog) Freed. Sax Mallard's combo backs the group on their disk....
(NOTE: The record label claims composer credit to "Allan Freed" on both sides.)LISTEN (Windows Media Player): Nadine - The Coronets - Chess 1549 - 1953.
AUGUST 22, 1953: FREED, DOMINOES SOCKO IN OHIO
CLEVELAND—Alan (Moon Dog) Freed's "Second Anniversary Dance", featuring the WJW spinner and Billy Ward's Dominoes, plus Rene Hall's Ork, drew 3,032 youngsters at the Akron Auditorium on August 14, and 3,087 at the Stanbaugh Auditorium in Youngstown, O., on August 15. Total gross for both events was estimated at slightly over $12,000.One of the most popular r.&b. jocks in the country, Freed, along with his manager Lew Platt, are now considering several r.&b. shows and dances for the fall and winter season in a number of Ohio and Pennsylvania cities. They successfully promoted the Gale Agency's r.&b. show in Cleveland on July 20 [See clipping further above]. Freed is now mixing vacation and business in Las Vegas, where he is meeting a number of waxery heads concerning promotional angles for r.&b. tunes.
NOVEMBER 1953:
....MOON DOG HARVESTS OHIO CROWDS: Cleveland deejay Alan (Moon Dog) Freed's Harvest Moon Ball in Akron, O., on Friday (August 13) attracted 2,480 customers at $2 each. The dance featured Freed, Clyde McPhatter and the Drifters, and the Bull Moose Jackson Orch. The same package did strong business the previous week in Steubenville and Youngstown, O. ....
THE CASH BOX, November 18, 1953:
....Station WJNR-Newark, N.J...."Moon Dog" (Alan Freed) will have a two hour taped show daily....
JANUARY 2, 1954: MOON-DOG CATS HAVE HOLIDAY BALL
NEW YORK—Alan (Moondog) Freed's annual "Holiday Ball", featuring Billy Ward And His Dominoes, attracted 3,182 to the Akron Armory Christmas night. The building became so jammed the authorities were forced to stop the sale of tickets and about 2,500 were turned away.The ball also featured Little Walter And His Jukes, plus the Ralph Williams Ork. Admission was $2 per person. Freed, Cleveland's top r.&b. deejay, who broadcasts daily over WJW there, is now negotiating to become the first network r.&b. jock. He is heard on WNJR in Newark, N.J., via tape, in addition to his show over WJW.
AT RIGHT: "Mean Old World" Checker 78-rpm record label image. The song was recorded by Little Walter in October 1952 and released in November 1952.
Little Walter (Jacobs) sings and plays the "spine-tingling" amplified blues harmonica. Muddy Waters plays guitar on both sides. "Night Caps" on the label was a typographical error... it was supposed to be "Night Cats". Later he became "Little Walter And His Jukes" to capitalize on his earlier big hit "Juke".
LISTEN (Windows Media Player):
1. Mean Old World - Little Walter And His Nitecaps - Checker 764 - 1952.
2. Sad Hours - Little Walter And His Nitecaps - Checker 764 - 1952.BOTH SELECTIONS ABOVE played in sequence.
NEW YORK AGE, May 15, 1954:
....One of the wonders of the musical world is Alan "Moondog" Freed, Cleveland Dee Jay, who spins rhythm and blues platters over station WJW. When he appeared at the Sussex Armory in Newark two weeks ago there was a total of 10,000 people inside, and about 3,000 who were turned back. If you want to dig "Moondog's" show, you can catch it over WNJR, Newark.
May 29, 1954: EBBETS FIELD TO HOST NEXT FREED JUBILEE
NEW YORK—Cleveland r.&b. jockey Alan (Moondog) Freed, who has attracted crowds ranging from 3,000 to 25,000 at his monthly "Moondog" dances, has given up on holding dances in armories. For his next extravaganza, "The Moondog Jubilee Of Stars Under The Stars", which will be held here in August, Freed has hired Ebbets Field, the 30,000-seat home of the Brooklyn Dodgers.The date will be set within the next week. The nut for the show will run about $25,000 with about $15,000 laid out for talent. Talent set for the show includes the Clovers, the Dominoes, the Orioles, the Count Basie and the Buddy Johnson bands, and six combos, including Muddy Waters', Fats Domino's, and Little Walter's.
AKRON BEACON JOURNAL, July 7, 1954: FREED GOING TO N.Y. AT $75,000 YEARLY
Alan Freed, who left the Akron disc jockey ranks four years ago for Cleveland, where he became "King of the Moondogs", may soon be the highest paid rhythm and blues platter spinner in the nation.Billboard magazine announces this week that Freed, once heard over WAKR here, will be guaranteed $75,000 a year plus percentage rights (which would increase that figure considerably) in a new contract with Radio Station WINS, New York City.
Freed has been under contract to WJW in Cleveland for his "Moondog" show, but this expires Aug. 15. It is possible that WJW or some other station in the area may pick up Freed's new WINS program. However, the "Moondog" feature will continue over WJW, with a new disc jockey.
Freed's popularity can be attested to by the turnouts he has been getting at his "Moondog Balls". A crowd estimated at 25,000 persons tried to get into Cleveland's Arena, with a capacity of 10,000, two years ago. A recent show at the Armory here drew a crowd of 3,100. Freed also has been seen as emcee of the afternoon feature film program on WXEL.
THE CASH BOX, April 2, 1955: (Picture at left)
Pic of the week—Virgil Brinnon (WJW-Cleveland, Ohio) doing well we hear. Brinnon took over the Alan Freed "Moondog Show" when the popular "rock and roller" came to New York. Brinnon is on the air three hours each night....
(NOTE: Brinnon had previously been a sales executive at WJW and an afternoon disk jockey for them.)
SALEM NEWS, August 5, 1954: ALAN FREED TO ENTER NEW YORK RADIO WORK
Disc-jockey Alan J. Freed, 31-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Charles S. Freed, recently signed a contract with New York Radio Station WINS at $75,000 a year. Freed graduated Salem High School in 1938 and, since then, has worked on radio stations in Akron, Youngstown, New Castle, Philadelphia, and Cleveland.It was when he was with WAKR in Akron in 1945 that Freed started to click with radio fans. He moved to WJW in Cleveland in 1951, where his disc show became so popular.
Freed's business manager is Lew Platt, another Salemite. Freed is a partner with his brother, David, 29, in a wholesale record distributing agency in Cleveland. Another brother, Charles Jr., 35, is a free lance writer of background music for radio and TV shows in New York.
AKRON BEACON JOURNAL, August 13, 1954: ALAN FREED CONTINUES "LIVE"
Alan Freed, former Akron disc jockey, whose Moon Dog House program changes to New York's WINS Sept. 6, will continue to be heard "live" on Cleveland's WJW. It is reported in Cleveland, where he became "King of the Moon Dogs" as a rhythm and blues platter spinner, that a nine city "Moon Dog Network" has been created.The network will pipe the show directly from New York to Cleveland, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, Pittsburgh, Norfolk, Va., Raleigh, N.C., and Winston-Salem, N.C.
Freed's contract with the 50,000-watt New York independent outlet calls for a base salary of $75,000, which would not include his cut from the newly formed network. He concludes his WJW originations Saturday and will vacation until leaving for New York next month.
THE BILLBOARD, August 28, 1954: WINS PLACES FREED SHOW IN 5 MARKETS
NEW YORK—Tho rhythm and blues disk jockey Alan Freed won't make his switch from WJW, Cleveland, to WINS here until September 7, the local indie has already sold the syndicated Freed show in five additional markets, hopes to sell the package in no less than 60 markets and has kicked up a fuss among some record distributors and manufacturers.The fuss came up this week when a record distributor called a press conference here in which he "exposed some of Freed's activities", but then asked the press to withhold the story until further action, if any, was taken.
WINS, however, has been garnering plenty of local and out-of-town publicity over the move of Freed to this area. The signing of Freed, originally reported in The Billboard, calls for the dee-jay to earn a minimum of $75,000 a year, but according to WINS general manager Bob Leder, an incentive plan will push that figure much higher.
The station plans to syndicate the show as a one-hour, across-the-board transcribed show, but may pipe a full three hours a night into 8 or 10 markets. WJW and WCAC, Flint, Mich., have already signed to carry the show live for three hours nightly—probably the same hours aired here, from 11 p.m. to 2 a.m.
The WINS plan calls for selling the show to regional or national sponsers. Such a sale has already been made, says Leder, to a Mid-western brewery which will put the show into St. Louis and Kansas City, Mo., while a wine manufacturer is expected to pick up the show for 20 markets. Columbus, Ohio, is also reported set to carry the one-hour show.
The show will be billed as the Alan Freed Show, the "Moondog" tag which Freed has been using will be played down. Radio Station WINS has also signed Bill Graham, ad expert on Negro markets, to represent the station and the package for sales, merchandising, and promotion.
Freed, currently on a vacation, is due here next week to set programming plans for the show.
PITTSBURGH COURIER, September 11, 1954: NEW YORK GETS BIG R&B TREATMENT AS MR. MOONDOG MOVES ON SCENE
NEW YORK—The "King of the Moondoggers", rated the top Rhythm and Blues disc jockey in the nation, moved to Radio Station WINS in New York this week. Alan Freed, who owns that moniker, and whose late evening Cleveland program has projected him into the national spotlight during recent months, airs his "Moondog House" from 11 p.m. to 2 a.m., Monday through Saturday.Young Freed, who has created much excitement throughout the Midwest, began his career as a sportscaster in 1944. He became a disc jockey by accident and later, also by accident, created the "Moondoggers" groups which caught on with his audience. So powerful was the effect of the Rhythm and Blues music on his audience that Freed in 1951 arranged a series of "Moondog Balls" throughout the Ohio area to bring in the great recording artists in person. The successes of these jamborees have pulled over 87,000 people.
Bob Smith, program manager of Station WINS, in commenting on the acquisition of Freed, stated "I feel that there is a definite trend towards Rhythm and Blues and that WINS and Alan Freed will have a great deal to do with the success of this great phase of music in the metropolitan New York area.
NOVEMBER 1954:
....Alan Freed's early show over WINS here (New York City) is being extended for an hour and will soon run from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Freed also has three hours from 11 p.m. to 2 a.m. ........Alan Freed and his groovy Moondog antics are a definite asset to retailers around these parts (Harlem), causing r.&b. sales to mount higher and higher wherever we chance to visit....
NOVEMBER 27, 1954:
....Alan Freed will present his first dance in this city (New York City) on January 14 and 15 at the St. Nicholas Arena. Talent will be chosen from those artists who finish highest in his current artist popularity poll....
AKRON BEACON JOURNAL, December 6, 1954:
Former Akron disc jockey Alan Freed has been enjoined by a New York judge from using the nickname "Moondog", or any variation thereof, on his radio show. Louis "Moondog" Hardin, a colorful blind street musician who dresses in monk's habit and has been known by that name for seven years, brought the action. A $100,000 damage suit brought by Hardin against Freed has been dropped.
Last Updated: 6/5/20 Original Start Date: 5/23/20
E-mail: PART THREE (1955) HISTORY.
