Displaying items by tag: Alan Freed

The man who is credited with coining the term "rock n' roll" will now have his ashes laid to rest in Cleveland.

On Saturday the ashes of Alan Freed were scattered at Lakeview Cemetery in Cleveland.

A monument -shaped like a juke box- was unveiled at the ceremony honoring his life and rock legacy.

Steven Van Zandt, the guitarist in Bruce Springsteen's E. Street band, spoke at the ceremony and called Freed revolutionary.

"He played black records for white kids and changed the world for the better and our country crucifed him for his accomplishments," Zandt said. "But sure he got the last laugh. There's some evidence right down the street called the The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame "

Freed made a name for him self as a DJ here on WAKR in 1945.

He died in 1965 at the age of 43.