Indianapolis and the Road to Rock ‘n’ Roll
Category: Event Calendar
Date and Time for this Past Event
- Thursday, Aug 21, 2025 6:30pm - 8pm
Location
Indiana Historical Society
450 West Ohio Street
Details
Join the IHS for an evening exploring the story of how Black Indianapolis businesspeople and musicians in the 1930s and 1940s began a cultural movement that changed the world: rock ‘n’ roll. Author Preston Lauterbach, whose works have won book of the year recognitions from Wall Street Journal, NPR, and Rolling Stone, follows the journeys of Indiana Avenue businessman Denver D. Ferguson and musical renaissance man Sax Kari, tracing the many crucial evolutions that began on the Avenue and eventually became the world’s most popular music. Following the discussion, guests can have their own copies of Preston’s works, including his latest "Before Elvis: The African American Musicians Who Made the King," signed.