U.S. Census Bureau Daily Feature for April 15

U.S. Census Bureau Daily Feature for April 15

WASHINGTON, April 15 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Following is the daily "Profile America" feature from the U.S. Census Bureau:

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090226/CENSUSLOGO)

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15: ROCK 'N' ROLL BEGINS

Profile America - Wednesday, April 15th. A group of young musicians gathered in a makeshift recording studio in New York City this week in 1954 to make a record destined to change musical history. The song was "Rock Around the Clock," by Bill Haley and His Comets. Haley was a country music guitarist and yodeler but wanted to blend country and pop music. The song was a modest hit - but took off the next year when it was used as the theme for the movie "Blackboard Jungle" and ultimately sold 25 million copies. At the time the Comets waxed their recording, Americans spent a little less than $3 billion annually on records, radios and television sets. Now, we spend more than $10 billion a year on recordings alone - with one-out-of-three dollars going for rock music. Profile America is completing its 12th year as a public service of the U.S. Census Bureau.

Sources: 440 International Calendar of Events
Historical Statistics of the United States: Colonial Times to 1970, p. 317
Statistical Abstract 2009, t. 1102, 1103

Profile America is produced by the Public Information Office of the U.S. Census Bureau. These daily features are available as produced segments, ready to air, on a monthly CD or on the Internet at http://www.census.gov/ (look under the "Newsroom" button).

Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090226/CENSUSLOGO
PRN Photo Desk photodesk@prnewswire.com
Source: U.S. Census Bureau

CONTACT: Rick Reed of the U.S. Census Bureau, +1-301-763-2812, fax:
+1-301-763-3762, Richard.Thomas.Reed-at-census.gov

Web Site: http://www.census.gov/

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