First rock 'n' roll concert

The ill-fated Moondog Coronation Ball at the Cleveland Arena, Ohio, USA, on 21 March 1952 is regarded as the world’s first rock 'n' roll concert. Described as the “Big Bang of rock ‘n’ roll”, the concert was organized by DJ Alan Freed (1921–65) and music store owner Leo Mintz (1911–76) and was headlined by saxophonist Paul Williams (1915–2002) and his Hucklebuckers (all USA). The event was credited with “bringing black and white kids together to dance in post-war America” but was abandoned after approximately 30 minutes due to overcrowding and rioting after more than 20,000 revellers stormed the 9,950-seat venue. Counterfeiting and a printing error on tickets for a follow-up ball resulted in more than 20,000 people (some estimates put the number in attendance at 40,000) turning up at the Cleveland Arena on 21 March, causing a “full-blown riot” that resulted in one man being stabbed as police “waded into the mob”.

The Moondog Coronation Ball was billed as “the most terrible ball of them all!”. Tickets were $1.50 in advance or $1.75 on the door.

The event was named after the Moondog Show, a popular programme hosted by Freed on Cleveland AM radio station WJW. It was on this show that Freed - nicknamed “Moondog” - is believed to have coined the term “rock ‘n’ roll”.

Also on the bill were Tiny Grimes and his Rockin’ Highlanders, The Dominoes, Varetta Dillard and Danny Cobb, who all starred on Freed’s radio show. It has been reported that only a handful of songs were performed before police and fire authorities pulled the plug on the event due to overcrowding.

On his Moondog Show the following evening, Freed offered an apology for the chaos at the Cleveland Arena. He said: "If anyone, even in their wildest imagination, had told us that some 20 or 25,000 people would try to get into a dance, I suppose you would have been just like me. You probably would have laughed and said they were crazy."

The Cleveland Arena was demolished in 1977. The site is now the Cleveland HQ of the American Red Cross.