South Philly

Philadelphia sits approximately half way between the home of nation’s capitol, and what is arguably the city that is the world’s most over-rated, NYC (he spits as he says it)… Some say that because of this geographical juxtaposition, the city has an inferiority complex… This certainly wasn’t the case in early days of Rock ‘N Roll…

Indeed, 1955’s Rock Around the Clock, one of the most important records in Rock 'N Roll history, was the creation of Philly’s own Bill Haley and His Comets... Within a couple of years, a group of kids harmonizing on the street corners around 8th and Snyder, belting out Doo-Wop, were common fare, and South Philly, helped along by the emergence of native born artists like Chubby Checker, Frankie Avalon, Fabian, Jimmy Darren, and Bobby Rydell had made Philadelphia virtually synonymous with Rock ‘N Roll... And of course there was our old friend, American Bandstand, from 46^th and Market. Even tho' it is home to such iconic entities as a world class art museum and symphony orchestra, the Liberty Bell, and Constitution Hall, Philly was, at the time, best known around the world as the Mecca of Rock 'N Roll , and the birth place of The Twist and The Bristol Stomp.

Let’s head over to the Italian market… Maybe Danny and the Juniors or The Four J’s will be hangin’ out rehearsing…