HOLMDEL — “Fifty Years of Rock and Roll,” a traveling exhibit from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio, is currently on display through June 4 at the Vietnam Era Museum and Educational Center, 1 Memorial Lane, Holmdel.
Twenty poster reproductions from the collection tell the 50-year history of rock ‘n’ roll from Chuck Berry and Ray Charles to the Grateful Dead and R.E.M. Ephemera from artists such as Chuck Berry, Elvis, Ray Charles, Grateful Dead, The Clash and R.E.M. exemplify the diversity of the music that has evolved since Alan Freed’s Moondog Coronation Ball in 1952, cited by many as the first rock ‘n’ roll concert.
Music had a profound impact during the Vietnam War era, and the conflict in Vietnam permeated music in the 60s and 70s. The War is sometimes described as the first rock ‘n’ roll war, with popular songs about the conflict providing a connection to home for troops. Artists like Creedence Clearwater Revival, Jimi Hendrix, John Lennon and Bob Dylan described the struggles of soldiers in the music they created.
The Vietnam Era Museum and Educational Center is open from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and by special appointment. The museum provides political, cultural and historical context for the New Jersey Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial, which is located on the same grounds as the Educational Center. For more information, visit www.njvvmf.org.