The 1950s

For many years, well into the 1960s, in fact, rock'n'roll followed the time-honoured tradition of the package tour to play to audiences around Britain (it was a concept that was followed in America, ...

There were many who tried to make quick money from the rock boom in Britain, not just as performers, but managing acts and organising tours - which was where the real money lay. But only one of them ...

Although Britain had its own rock stars in the 1950s, there was a definite hunger for the authentic American sound. Since the early 1950s American bluesmen and jazz musicians had toured Britain, but ...

Cliff - one word is all you need. He's been a star in British music longer than anyone, an icon that transcends generations and who's sold millions of records in his time. But he's become so much a ...

By 1956, American rock'n'roll had gained a foothold and fans in Britain. Skiffle was fine, but rock had power and literally, electricity. It was inevitable that a number of young men would try their ...

He ushered in the rock'n'roll era in Britain and he was the King of Skiffle. He influenced an entire generation of musicians as his hit Rock Island Line inspired them to pick up guitars. He was, to ...

It might seem strange at this remove, but in the late 1950s there was a surprising amount of rock on television. The medium was still new, and there was a need for programming to fill it. Rock was ...

For anyone who grew up during the 1950s, or anyone familiar with the music of the time, the term "skiffle" can bring a nostalgic sigh. Long before punk, it was the first DIY music; master three ...

Like its American counterpart, British rock'n'roll started in 1954 and one record began it all, as did Elvis with "That's All Right." But unlike the States, where rock was essentially a melding of ...

Soho has long had a reputation as the bohemian area of London, sometimes seedy, sometimes artistic. It's certainly long been a magnet to those a little outside mainstream society, which is perhaps ...