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Rock ‘N’ Roll Architect’s Ashes Find A Home In Cleveland
The ashes of musical pioneer and promoter Alan Freed have found a permanent home in Cleveland where he organized what is considered the world’s first rock ‘n’ roll concert more than 60 years ago.
Freed’s life and musical legacy will be celebrated Saturday at Lake View Cemetery, where a monument honoring him will be unveiled. Stevie Van Zandt of the E Street Band and others will speak about Freed’s legacy as a musical pioneer.
Freed died at age 43 in 1965. An urn containing his ashes was on display for 12 years at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland until his family was asked by museum officials to take the urn back in 2014.