Before the payola scandal brought down his empire, Alan Freed was rock roll's first superstar DJ, hosting his own TV show, starring in numerous quickie film musicals, and wielding enormous influence within the RB and rock communities. Moreover, he's often credited with coining the phrase "rock roll." Freed's name appears on many various-artists collections from the genre's early years, and he even cut a few tracks under his own name for Brunswick as the nominal leader of a rocking big band comprised of New York session aces. ~ Bill Dahl, Rovi