Cleveland: “Where rock began to roll”?

Focused on Cleveland, Ohio, this chapter asks how ‘music cities’ make their claims-to-fame. What underscores Cleveland’s assertion as the “birthplace” of rock ‘n’ roll, and since 1995, the site of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? Drawing from archival research, the chapter explores a micro-historical case study of the city’s popular music heritage. Cleveland claims several notable “firsts”, including the “first” rock ‘n’ roll concert—the Moondog Coronation Ball on 21 March 1952. The chapter also recounts the story of local record store, Record Rendezvous, where legend has it that the phrase “rock ‘n’ roll” was invented. Finally, the chapter recounts how these legacies were mobilized and mythologized, especially during the 1980s when Cleveland successfully positioned itself as a “city of origin” and a serious contender in the campaign to become the future site of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.