In the 1940s and 1950s, Cincinnati’s King Records promoted and recorded artists from a variety of genres including country, rhythm and blues, jazz, and gospel and in doing so paved the way for the emergence of rock ‘n’ roll. In addition to its notable contributions to American music and culture, the company served as a model for integration. The King story is more than worthy of local and national recognition, and in the last couple of decades activists, preservationists, and public historians have attempted a number of initiatives to honor the label’s impact on American society and culture, though not without opposition. In fact, recent preservation and memorialization efforts are currently a matter for the courts.
This content is only available via PDF.
© 2017 by The Regents of the University of California and the National Council on Public History
2017
You do not currently have access to this content.
University of California Press