Dewey Phillips

In the pantheon of great, original rock & roll disc jockeys -- men who put their careers on the line to play the real thing -- two names always immediately come to mind: Alan Freed and Dewey Phillips. Freed's life story, and his struggle to keep the music alive in a society controlled by mean old White guys, was vividly told in the movie American Hot Wax. Freed's on-air persona was equal parts enthusiastic party host and a warm, unseen friend who understood his audience and played records that spoke to their hearts as well as their feet. Dewey Phillips was totally in tune with...