April 20: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

On this date in History .... 1983:

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame was created, but remained a homeless organization, at least temporarily.  

Several cities were considered and Cleveland lobbied hard with signed petitions and $65 million pledged toward the building. Part of their argument for putting it in Cleveland is that Cleveland DJ Alan Freed is credited with the birth of rock and roll and with organizing the first rock and roll concert, the “Moondog Coronation Ball”, March 21, 1952, which was held in Cleveland.  (“Moondog” was Freed’s nickname.) 

Groundbreaking was held June 7, 1993 with Pete Townshend and Chuck Berry “doing the honors”.  The building is a 7-level pyramid design and includes costumes from famous artists plus a theater to show musical films. The inductee ceremony located is rotated among various cities, but every third year it is held in Cleveland. 

January 19: Scrabble

On this date in History .. 1955:

Scrabble debuts on the game board market in Australia and the UK by the JW Spears Co. (now a subsidiary of Mattel).

Invented by Alfred Mosher Butts in 1938, the game was turned down by every major game mfg’r so Butts made them by hand, stamping each block of wood with a letter.

The 1^st four years were a struggle until fate intervened and Jack Strauss, the president of Macy’s, saw the game while on vacation & ordered some for his store. Within a year, the game was so popular that the game had to be rationed to stores.

Between 1-2 million are sold each year in the U.S. The game was inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame in 2004.

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January 3: Aretha Franklin

On this date in History .... 1987:

Aretha Franklin 1987 Album

Aretha Franklin becomes the 1^st woman admitted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Of the current 159 inductions in the Performer’s Category, only 10 are solo women performers and 13 are groups containing women.

Part of the reason is the criteria used to be inducted: The person/group must have released their 1^st album 25 years earlier.  In 1987, the board had to look in the early 60s when women were not prominent in the Rock-n-Roll genre.

Franklin moved to Detroit when she was two and as a teenager traveled with her minister father's traveling gospel shows.  She has won more Grammy Awards than any other female artist.