Most People Don't Know That Alan Freed's Gravesite Is Found Right Here In Cleveland
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Nikki Rhoades
Author
At my day job, I work with people from all around the globe. Whenever they ask where I’m from, I always say, “The same place as rock and roll!” It’s a silly flex, but what else is Cleveland colloquially known for? Sure, I could mention wind turbines, frosted light bulbs, Superman, and even golf balls, but truly, the list of inventions that come from Cleveland would be endless. Instead, it’s easier to reference our city as the birthplace of rock ‘n’ roll… but we’re also the final resting place of its founder, too. Alan Freed’s grave awaits visitors in Lake View Cemetery, and it has a distinctive look that’s uniquely its own. This Cleveland landmark has a story that’s as quirky as the unique beginnings of our favorite musical genre!
Lake View Cemetery was founded in 1869, and it was quickly embraced as an eternal paradise by wealthy Clevelanders. There's much to see here, including monuments immortalizing famous Clevelanders like President James A. Garfield and Jeptha Wade, the industrialist and philanthropist for whom Wade Oval is named.
This is the final resting place of Albert James "Alan" Freed, a man who made music history right here in Cleveland. Freed was a fan of rhythm and blues and a DJ on Cleveland's WJW radio station. He used a rhythm and blues instrumental piece called "Moondog Symphony" by Louis T. Hardin as his theme song.
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Rock and roll wasn't an uncommon term... in the 1930s, the Boswell Sisters put out a song called "Rock and Roll." Alan Freed was one of the first people to associate the modern musical genre with this name, and he also popularized it with his mainstream program. In fact, before his show, music that would come to be known as early rock and roll wasn't marketed to a mass audience... it was mostly isolated on small, inner-city radio stations. Once he popularized the music among a mass audience, he became a legend for naming the genre, and the term would soon become synonymous with a cultural revolution.
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While Freed would eventually move on from Cleveland, he organized the Moondog Coronation Ball while he was here. Historians consider this the first rock show in history, but... well, it wasn't much of a show. On March 21, 1952, the rock show was unveiled at the Cleveland Arena, and thousands of people showed up... circa 20,000 showgoers.
The concert was a perfect storm of circumstance. A printing error resulted in extra tickets, and counterfeiting didn't help. Cleveland fire authorities were concerned about the safety of the crowd, so they quickly shut the show down. Nonetheless, it proved what Alan Freed already knew... young people craved rock and roll, and it was truly the future of music. This event marked the beginning of rock and roll's journey into the mainstream.
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While Alan Freed had been featured on television shows throughout the height of his career, things suddenly took a turn after he left. Legal troubles started to shadow him, as the original Moondog, Louis T. Hardin, filed a lawsuit against WINS for damages and infringement in 1956. Hardin won a $6,000 judgment and an agreement for Freed to cease using the name Moondog. The controversy didn't end there, though. Controversy continued to dog Freed, especially after an incident in Boston where he faced arrest and charges of inciting a riot. This incident, coupled with revelations of accepting payola (payments from record companies to play specific records), tarnished Freed's reputation.
Freed's career continued to decline as he struggled with alcoholism and faced difficulties securing stable employment. His last radio job at WQAM in Miami, Florida, lasted only two months. In 1965, at the age of 43, the young rock-and-roller passed away. His story didn't end when his ashes were interred at Ferncliff Cemetery in Hartsdale, New York, though. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame recognized his contributions to music history by accepting his ashes in 2002. When they were finally removed in 2014 (after the museum expressed discomfort at the thought of showing human remains), the Freed family interred his ashes at Cleveland's Lake View Cemetery. Finally, this cool Clevelander could rest easy.
An appropriately rockin' memorial ceremony ushered Alan Freed to his final resting place with a flair for the dramatic. The Alan Freed Memorial Fund now maintains the grave, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame stepped us as a sponsor. Nowadays, Freed is immortalized alongside the likes of John D. Rockefeller and Eliot Ness.
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This lovely monument stands as a reminder of one man's contributions to music... and one city's desire to catapult it into the mainstream. It's a reminder that the music industry once considered Cleveland a "breakout market," a little regional sampling that reflected the nation's musical preferences. I guess it's a bit like our enduring political reputation... as Ohio goes, so goes the nation.
If stones could take, these statues would be telling some wild stories. Freed's headstone would doubtlessly be filling the gorgeous outdoor space with music! While the Rock Hall stands as a testament to Cleveland's roots, the founder of rock and roll himself is waiting to meet you in a Victorian garden-style cemetery in Cleveland.
Alan Freed’s grave is a unique memorial to visit in Cleveland, the birthplace of rock and roll. It’s a gorgeous tribute to a man whose life was wrought with extreme highs and lows, including controversy, legal battles, and one enduring genre name.
Love Cleveland’s rockin’ roots? You’ll also love learning about I Put a Spell on You, a famous song written right here in Cleveland. If you’re a music lover in general, you should also add the Polka Hall of Fame to your local bucket list… we’re a pioneering city in that genre, too!
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Alan Freed Grave, 12316 Euclid Ave, Cleveland, OH 44112, USA