Overview

"A rousing, poignant look at the cultural history of rock & roll during the early 1960s. In the early 1960s, the nation was on track to fulfill its destiny in what was being called ""the American Century."" Baby boomers and rock & roll shared the country's optimism and energy. For ""one brief, shining moment"" in the early 1960s, both President John F. Kennedy and young people across the country were riding high. The dream of a New Frontier would soon give way, however, to a new reality involving assassinations, the Vietnam War, Cold War crises, the civil rights movement, a new feminist movement, and various culture wars. Based on extensive research and exclusive interviews with Dion, Bo Diddley, Brenda Lee, Martha Reeves, Pete Seeger, Bob Gaudio, Dick Clark, and other legendary figures, the book rejects the myth that Buddy Holly's death in 1959 was ""the day the music died."" It proves that rock & roll during the early 1960s was vibrant and in tune with the history and events of this colorful era. These interviews and Aquila's research reveal unique insights and new details about politics, gender, race, ethnicity, youth culture, and everyday life. Rock & Roll in Kennedy's America recalls an important chapter in rock & roll and American history."

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9798212130202

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Reviews

"With his appealing pitch and tempo patterns, narrator Chris Abernathy provides this engaging audiobook with the perfect balance of documentary clarity and vocal pizzazz.-- ""AudioFile"""

Author Information

Richard Aquila is professor emeritus of history and American studies at Penn State University and the former host of NPR's Rock & Roll America. He is the author of The Sagebrush Trail: Western Movies and Twentieth-Century America and Let's Rock! How 1950s America Created Elvis and the Rock & Roll Craze. Chris Abernathy is a lifelong professional storyteller who found his calling telling scary stories to campers around a roaring fire at Camp Sumatanga in Alabama. He spent the next thirty years telling stories on radio and television, earning a dozen Best in Broadcasting awards from the Alabama Broadcasters Association. In 2015 he began narrating audiobooks and now works full-time from his home studio. He is married with two sons and takes every opportunity to travel anywhere and everywhere he can convince his wife to go.

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