The Southern Ontario/WNY Radio-TV Forum / Can You Spot The Real Pioneering Rock DJ Alan Freed?

**Posted by RadioActive** January 8, 2025 7:59 am

He was the man credited with coining the phrase “Rock ‘N Roll.” And in the 50s, as Elton John once noted in “Crocodile Rock” when rock was young, he and two imposters appeared on an episode of “To Tell The Truth,” a popular game show designed to see if a panel could detect the real person. What’s interesting to me as I watched this 8-minute segment, was how many questions got asked of #s 1 & 3, and how few were directed to #2.

Alan Freed, of course, was the pioneering DJ who popularized the teen genre on radio, only to die many years later a broken man due to the payola scandal. If you’re not familiar with his face, see if you can pick him out in this clip from around 70 years ago.

**Posted by Shorty Wave** January 8, 2025 10:32 am

Alan Freed was the guy in the middle. I only recognize him as years ago, when I worked for MuchMusic, I produced a promo for the 50s movie “Don’t Knock the Rock”, starring Freed. We aired a couple of those rock ‘n’ roll movies back in the day, a bit campy but good fun!

**Posted by RadioActive** January 8, 2025 10:46 am

It kills me how the panelists barely asked the real guy anything, and then some voted for the imposters. I believe he was at the top of his popularity around tis time, and it's kind of sad they seemed to have no idea who he was or what influence he had.

**Posted by Shorty Wave** January 8, 2025 4:05 pm

RadioActive wrote:
It kills me how the panelists barely asked the real guy anything, and then some voted for the imposters. I believe he was at the top of his popularity around tis time, and it's kind of sad they seemed to have no idea who he was or what influence he had.

I wonder if the panelists were a bit younger if they would have recognized him, as he was in a couple of movies, and might have been featured in the pop music magazines of the day? Just a thought. Too bad he will always be associated with payola, it sunk him.

**Posted by mace** January 8, 2025 4:23 pm

This episode is probably from sometime in 1958. The "Riot" that is referred to happened in Boston in May 1958. Interesting to note that the anniversary of Alan Freed's death is soon. He died January 20, 1965 at the age of 43.