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A Look At Cleveland's Music History, From Screamin' Jay Hawkins To Obnox

It’s been a big week for Cleveland with the Republican National Convention, but the city is used to royalty — rock royalty. The phrase “rock ‘n’ roll” is said to have originated here, from local DJ Alan Freed.

Here & Now‘s Robin Young went to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and spoke with visitors and Meredith Rutledge-Borger, the museum’s associate curator, about Cleveland’s music history.

Rutledge-Borger said the music here has roots in the city’s African-American population that came here on the Underground Railroad and during the Great Migration.

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Music From The Segment

Screamin’ Jay Hawkins, “I Put a Spell on You”

[Youtube]

Valentinos, “It’s All Over Now”

[Youtube]

Pere Ubu, “Final Solution”

[Youtube]

Pretenders, “Precious”

[Youtube]

Nine Inch Nails, “Hurt”

Array

The Black Keys, “Your Touch”

[Youtube]

Obnox, “Slaughter Culture”

Array

More Of Meredith’s Cleveland Music Picks

Guest

Meredith Rutledge-Borger, associate curator at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Meredith Rutledge-Borger, associate curator at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, at the museum in Cleveland. (Jill Ryan/Here & Now)
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Meredith Rutledge-Borger, associate curator at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, at the museum in Cleveland. (Jill Ryan/Here & Now)

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SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

Federal funding is gone.

Congress has eliminated all funding for public media.

That means $2.1 million per year that Connecticut Public relied on to deliver you news, information, and entertainment programs you enjoyed is gone.

The future of public media is in your hands.

All donations are appreciated, but we ask in this moment you consider starting a monthly gift as a Sustainer to help replace what’s been lost.