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University Daily Kansan, November 18, 1983
Soft love songs, rock mark music of 1950s
By CHRISTY FISHER Staff Reporter
The music of the 1950s was that of two eras — the soft love songs of the early years and the loud, raucous sounds of rock 'n' roll.
Some of the popular singers in the early 90s were Doris Day, Dinah Shore, Debbie Reynolds, Patti Page, Jennifer Aniston, Drew Barrymore, Eddie Fisher and Franklin Laine.
And some of the more popular songs, according to Variety Cavalcade of Music, were: "Love is a Many Splendored Thing," "Que Sera, Sera," "Crying in the chapel," "Ive Been You Were Changing 'I've Been a Cook'" "Your Cheatin' Heart" and "That Dogy in the Window."
BROADWAY MUSICALS,
especially those by Rogers and Hammerstein, also were popular at the time "Showboat," "The King and I," "The Music Man," "South Pacific" and "The Sound of Music" produced some of the classic tunes from that era.
Dick Wright, KU associate professor of music, said that the music of the early 1950s was prom-like, dreamy and musky.
Tom Yoe, then director of the KU News Bureau, said, "Dance bands were still bands. They had full instrumentation and they didn't shrink down to trios and duos with amplified drums and electric guitars. They played a variety of dance music."
Because of a city ordinance prohibiting students from dancing and drinking beer at the same establishment, Yoe said, the Dine-A-Mite, a student hangout at 23rd and Louisiana streets, became even more popular because it was just outside the city limits.
STUDENTS ALSO danced to live bands at University-sponsored dances in the ballroom of the Kansas State University and at traternity and sorority parties.
Users wanting to just listen to the jukebox, drink a beer and grab a meal, could go to the Jayhawk Cafe, Bricks or the Rock Chalk Cafe, said Yoe, who is now publications and andor consultant for University Relations.
Jeanot Seymour, who attended KU from 1951 to 1953 and is now assistant director of communications for University Relations. He has been instrumental in the Gene Kelly movies and broadway show tunes. As 45-rpm records became popular, she listened to Tommy Dorsey and Frank Sinatra. She said she even waited for $2\frac{1}{2}$ hours to see a Frank Sinatra concert
BUT IN 1953, music began to
change. Popular music became heavily influenced by the rhythm and blues songs of many black artists. Bill Haley and His Comets that year released "Rock Around the Clock," which not only provided a name for this new style of music but also gave America a rock 'n' roll authet
Wright said that KU students seemed to frown upon rock 'n' roll in its early days.
"They looked on rock n' roll as kind of slimy with its ducktail haircuts and guys with cigarette packs rolled up in their shirt sleeves," he said. "We didn't think it was popular music. We looked down our noses and smiled, just to be cool to the motorcycle gang, not to educated people. We thought they were the ones doing damage and writing graffiti on the wall."
BUT BESPITE ITS image, rock 'n' roll caught on pretty fast on campus — especially when Elis Presley burst on the scene. Yoe said.
In 1955, Presley created a nearriot on "The Ed Sullivan Show" with his spry hips and his loyal following of screaming women. Although Presley was censored on television from the waist down, Ed Sullivan liked Presley enough to let America know that he "was a real fine boy."
By 1956 Presley had 10 songs in the Top 20 such as "Hound Dog," "Love Me Tender," "Blue Suede Shoes" and "Jailhouse Rock."
Yoe said that rock 'n' roll drove out the big dance bands and replaced them with the jukebox. He said that by the end of the '50s rock had completely taken over the music scene.
ALTHOUGH PRESLEY was king, other artists who played an important role in the birth of rock 'n' roll were Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis, the Platters, Fats Domino, Pat Boone, Buddy Holly and the Crickets, Ricky Nelson, Brenda Lee. Frank Avalon and Fabian.
Other songs that made the era famous were "Be-Bop-La-Lulu," "Blueberry Hill," "Johnny B Goode," "Rock and Roll Music," Great Balls of Fire, "That'll Be The Dog," the "Dippin' Song," "The Purple People Eater," "Splash, Splash" and "Put Your Head on My Shoulder."
BY 1958 it seemed rock had matured enough for Danny & the Juniors to declare "Rock and Roll is Here to Stay."
Abel Green, editor of Variety Cavalcade of Music, wrote, "When rock and roll swept over the nation in the mid-1960s, there was a general conviction in the music industry that the 'fad' had, a seasonal sensation. But after 15 years the 'fad' has refused to pass."
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As a convertible circled the track at Memorial Stadium more than a decade ago, KU's homecoming queen of 1969 waved goodbye to a University tradi-
Staff Reporter
Chancellor Franklin D. Murphy is flanked at the 1958 homecoming football game by 1938 Homecoming Queen Penny Amerine, left, and 1958 Homecoming Queen Susie Kastner. Kastner's attendants included Marcie Hall and Carol Puncan, both at right.
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The royal tradition, which started 50 years ago when Lucy Trees was crowned the first homecoming queen, captured the hearts of loyal students, faculty and alumni. KU even had a homecoming queen in 1942, when the administration canceled most homecoming events II and because gasoline rationing kept many alumni from returning to campus.
The crowning ceremony, Rundquist said, was the biggest problem.
Digitarians chose the Jayhawkman Queen from pictures of candidates chosen by the yearbook staff. Prince Monroe II of Monaco chose the queen in 1957.
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THE 1590S, HOWEVER, were the glory years of royalty at KU. Queens nominated from many organizations divided the campus kingdom.
Dellwig said, "I went down to Weaver's year that I had them donate the cloth for the robe. Lawrence agreed to clean it every year."
Rundquist said that faculty as well as students used to plan homecoming months in advance, and the queen made sure all guests had access to the selection process to the crowning.
THE ROYAL ROBE was draped over the shoulders of several homecoming queens in the years following 1857 as she joined a ball in a glass case at the Kansas Union.
JAY BOWL FALL HILL CHAMPIONSHIP BOWLING TOURNAMENT
The University Daily Kansan reported in 1957 that as many as 250 different women could be nominated to become one of the queens at KU. Indeed, 12 women claimed scepters that year.
The regal dozen included the Calendar Queen, the Carnival Queen, the Engineering Queen, the KU Relays Queen and the Greek Week Queen. Military organizations on campus crowned three queens. The Kansas University Resident had her court for the law students.
LOUIS DELLWIG, professor of geology, and Richard Rundquist, professor of counseling, were the facultyusers to the queen committee in1957
By ROSEMARY HOPE
JAY BOWL FALL HILL
"It was so very important to get the halftime ceremony down to a science so
ELIGIBILITY: Only those participating in Jay Bowl Leagues
SINGLES
Collectively, the '60s did change the way KU students celebrated homecoming, but it wasn't until 1970 that homecoming queen was dethroned
Queen tradition provides fond memories
WHEN: Tues., Nov. 29, 7 p.m.
DEADLINE: 5 p.m. Tues., Nov. 29
COST: $5
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FORMAT: Full Handicaps established in league play
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IN 1969 THE Black Student Union asked the Homecoming Committee to be allowed to crown their candidate with the traditional queen at balfour of time. The black queen denied the request. The black queen was crowned before the game.
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Kerwin and Dellwog both said it was too bad that KU no longer crowned a woman with the title.
"They tried to change everything in the 60s," he said
"It was right in the middle of exams. I was in a musical. At night I had to be in a performance, and in the morning I was on to TV for an interview." she said.
Susie (Kastner) Kerwin was KU's homecoming queen of 1958. Kerwin said last week that she was disappointed KU no longer crowned homecoming queens,
SUSIE (KANTER) KERWIN, Shawne Mission, who was homecoming queen in 1938, said that homecoming occurred of the times in the late 50s.
"It was kind of like 'Happy Days.'" she said.
A statement by the 1970 homecoming committee said. "It seems inappropriate in a multicultural environment such as a university to select one or a group of young women to represent that community. The 1970 homecoming committee deems it more appropriate to recognize those who embody the academic spirit for which this community was established."
Judy (Gorton) Parkinson, McLean, Va., took her title in stride when she was crowned homecoming queen in 1959. Parkinson, a music major and professional violinist, was queen during a busy time in her life.
Alan Forker, her husband, remembers the scene more vividly. "Hell, it was the first time I ever saw her," he said.
"It wasn't reality I remember
thinking, 'Gosh, do I do that?' she
said.
The crowning, for Sharon Stue (Sout)
Forker, Lincoln, Neb., who was home-
coming queen in 1956, was like a
fantasy, she said
it itd not run overtime. As I recall, it ran
right down to the last minute" he said.
HOMECOMING 1983!
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