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1950s Radio In Color

July 14, 2011 | Book

Collector's Weekly has an article on a new book called "1950s Radio in Color: The Lost Photographs of Deejay Tommy Edwards." The book reproduces color slides that Edwards took of all the music and movie stars who passed through the studios of WERE-AM in Cleveland from 1955-1960. Edwards would project his slides on the walls of high school gyms, where he produced record hops and live shows.

His color slides were the social media of their day. Obviously there was no Internet, TV was mostly black and white, and the press was stingy in its coverage of pop music, let alone rock 'n' roll, compared to today. For many of the kids in those gyms, this was the first time they had seen, for example, that famous photo of Bill Haley and Elvis Presley taken in 1955, when Haley was still the king of rock 'n' roll (Elvis would leave him in the dust within a few months). Today that photo is a classic that we take for granted. Back then it made people gasp.

The article includes an interview with the book's author, Christopher Kennedy, as well as eight photos from the book (two of Presley).

Source:Email

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ElvisCriticsSuck wrote on July 14, 2011
In the photos from 1955, Elvis had actually had the top part of his hair permed, trying a "Dean Martin" Look. Glad he went back to "The Tony Curtis" 'do...!
Jerome wrote on July 15, 2011
which part did he have permed? His head?..
al shookup wrote on July 15, 2011
Sorry Jerome but your sense of humour is lost on me! I can't speak for other members.
benny scott wrote on July 15, 2011
2 great pictures of Our Man and also 1 of The Big Bopper . Al shook up : you're much too kind with that so-called fan who think he's funny, and it's getting worse each day. There are some other words for that type of "poetry", but I'll stay polite and won't use 'em. Always El.