Frank Sinatra:
Revered for his traditional pop and swing stylings‘, Frank Sinatra is most famous today for classics that he created in the 50’s like “In the Wee Small Hours,” Songs for Swingin’ Lovers,” “Come Fly with Me,” “Only the Lonely” and “Nice ‘n’ Easy”.

Tony Bennett:
Is the only one of two on this list who is alive and well, even dropping a record in 2011. His famous hits from the 50’s still heard today include “Because of you,” “Strangers in Paradise,” and “In the Middle of an Island”.

Elvis Presley:
No introduction is needed for the king of Rock n’ Roll who left us such illustrious classics like “Blue Suede Shoes,” “Heartbreak Hotel,” and “All Shook Up” are still among the most downloaded songs in America.

Ray Charles:
Ray was all the rage in the R&B scene in the 50’s and some songs like A Fool For You” (No. 1), “This Little Girl of Mine,” “Lonely Avenue,” “Mary Ann,” “Drown in My Own Tears,” and “The Night Time (Is the Right Time)” are still heard all throughout the country.

Johnny Cash:
Though only early into his career, Johnny Cash provided the world with songs like “Cry, Cry, Cry,” “I Walk the Line,” and “Folsom Prison Blues,” that are still playing on the radio today.

Bill Haley:
The real layer of the foundation of Rock n’ Roll, Bill Haley’s, career peaked in the 50’s and in this time he created timeless tunes like “Rock Around the Clock,” and “Knock the Rock”

The genesis of rock and roll was somewhat from the blues. When the rhythm of the blues was combined with a strong accent of the offbeat and some lyrics that especially appealed to the younger set, rock and roll was born. Add some loud electric guitars and a whole generation of music lovers was caught. If you were looking for the lyrics to say something profound, you were probably wasting your time. The words were simple and the phrasing was simple, but the music really caught on.

It’s hard to keep a list of who’s who in rock and roll down to a manageable size, so we won’t even try. But we just can’t leave the topic of early rock and roll music without mentioning Elvis Presley, Fats Domino, Chuck Berry, Little Richard and the Everly Brothers. Who would you add? See, the list goes on and on.

Louis Armstrong

Armstrong’s performing and recording career spanned from the 1920s to the 1970s, and he was one of the first jazz musicians to interpret mainstream music in a jazz format.

Mable Mercer

Remembered primarily by connoisseurs of American popular song, Mable Mercer specialized in songs written by great American composers such as Gershwin and Cole Porter. Singers such as Ella Fitzgerald and Frank Sinatra flocked to see her, and Sinatra credited her with teaching him how to phrase a song lyric.

Hank Williams

Every country music singer today acknowledges a debt to Hank Williams, who, in his brief life as a singer/songwriter, encapsulated the earthy sound we associate with classic country music.

Buddy Holly

In his too-brief life, Buddy Holley helped reinvent the sound, as well as the public perception, of rock and roll with his energized, rhythm-driven songs.

Frank Sinatra

As Frank Sinatra’s singing style changed during the 1950s, it became more introspective and highly personalized, influencing a new generation of stage performers.