Black musicians and the Road to Rock & Roll

A downtown event Thursday night aimed to give audiences a better understanding of the role Indianapolis had in the musical road that led to rock ‘n’ roll.

Noted author and music historian Preston Lauterbach spoke, focusing on the historical significance of Indiana Avenue in the development of American music.

Lauterbach is well-known for his extensive research into Black culture and music, as highlighted in his 2011 book, “The Chitlin Circuit and the Road to Rock ‘n’ Roll.” The book revealed that the famed touring strategy that many musicians used began in Indianapolis, not the south as many presume.

“It was invented by the owners of a club on Indiana Avenue, Denver Ferguson and his brother, C. Ferguson,” Wilkerson explained. “They became not just club owners, but promoters and agents, and provided safe passage (to) places were where black musicians could play.”

Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Fats Domino, and other famed musicians performed on Indiana Avenue, contributing to its role as, in Lauterbach’s view, a “true birthplace of rock ‘n’ roll.”

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