Performer Alan Freed coined the term rock 'n' roll at an event he promoted as the Rock 'N' Roll Jubilee in 1954. Rock 'n' roll is characterized by a great variety of musicians and performers, each of whom focus on different, often contradictory aspects of music, but who nonetheless are classified within this versatile category.

The people who epitomize rock 'n' roll range from crooners of the country and folk traditions along the lines of Elvis Presley and Buddy Holly, innovators like Chuck Berry and Smokey Robinson, lyrical poets such as Bob Dylan and Roger Waters, to guitar legends like Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, and Robert Plant.

The phenomenon, though it is difficult to define precisely, has been attributed to the enormous impact of jazz and blues on the growth of sound and the perception of music by the population of the United States. African American blues musicians pioneered the movement toward sound amplified by electronics and its integration into acoustic music.

Though those times may seem remote, there was a time when rock 'n' roll was not only deemed controversial, but downright obscene in certain circles and situations for that very reason. Revolutionary strides have been made in music before and since the birth of rock 'n' roll, but as Danny Rapp definitively chants with the Juniors, rock 'n' roll is here to stay.

Been a long time since you've revisited the Golden Age of Rock 'n' Roll? Pop into a record shop and browse the selections from the classic rock category in honor of this special day.

Set the dial to your local classic rock radio station and stay tuned today and every day to celebrate this broad and prolific musical genre, and the thousands of artists and performers who have contributed to its evolution and growth. Perhaps you used to dream of being a rock star?

Return to those ambitious and wild times by picking up a guitar, drum sticks, microphone or what have you and show off your talents for your friends and loved ones. To make this even more fun, dress up according to what you would have deemed appropriate when being a rock star was most important.

If you were part of a struggling band that called it quits, today could be the day to get together again, play some music, and dream about scheduling a reunion tour. Rock 'n' Roll day is the perfect occasion to let your hair down and groove to some of your all-time favorite tunes.

Interesting facts in the history of music relevant to the birth of rock 'n' roll:

In 1709, Bartolommeo Cristofori invented the piano, which is a system of hammers set to strike chords to produce sound as opposed to being plucked by hand.

Thomas Edison developed the phonograph in 1877. This is the first instrument to be invented that played back recorded sounds: the original amplifier.

When in 1929, Les Paul discovers that by placing the stylus (needle from a record player) underneath the strings of an acoustic guitar created a sound that can be amplified by transmitting it through a phonograph, the last element of rock 'n' roll, the electric guitar, fell into place.

Millions of free e-cards are sent out annually. Free e-cards are quick and easy to use, and most importantly are free.