The House That Rock Built - by Norm N Nite & Tom Feran (Paperback)

About the Book

"For twenty-five years, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has defined Cleveland's image as the "Rock and Roll Capital of the World." But while the Rock Hall has become an iconic landmark for the city of Cleveland and for fans of rock and roll around the world, it was just one missed phone call away from never being built in Cleveland. If the prominent singer and actress Lesley Gore hadn't contacted radio personality Norm N. Nite in August 1983, the Hall of Fame would not be in Cleveland-period. Earlier that summer, Gore had learned that the newly formed Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation was looking for a city to house their planned museum honoring the history of rock. Gore knew that a year earlier, Nite had pitched an idea for a similar museum, so she reached out to let him know that other figures in the music industry were working to turn his dream into a reality. Nite immediately joined the project's Rules and Nominating Committee and spearheaded the campaign to bring the museum to Cleveland. At the time, the search committee was considering several other cities, including Memphis, Detroit, and New York, but Nite argued that the city's deep historical connection to rock music through Alan Freed and the Moondog Coronation Ball made Cleveland the best location. He began lobbying local and state politicians, fundraising with music moguls and civic leaders, and promoting the museum to the broader Cleveland public. As fans got involved, especially with their overwhelming response to a USA Today phone poll, Nite's campaign to bring the Hall to Cleveland was ultimately successful. This book, told from Nite's perspective, draws on both first-person accounts and exclusive interviews with influential business leaders, government officials, and giants of the music industry. A detailed record of the Rock Hall's inception and creation, The House That Rock Built becomes a tribute to the people who made it happen-through Herculean efforts-and to the music it celebrates"--

From the Back Cover

The behind-the-scenes battle for the Rock Hall

For 25 years, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has defined Cleveland's image as the "Rock and Roll Capital of the World." But while the Rock Hall has become an iconic landmark for the city of Cleveland and for fans of rock and roll around the world, it was just one missed phone call away from never being built in Cleveland. If the prominent singer and actress Lesley Gore hadn't contacted radio personality Norm N. Nite in August 1983, the Hall of Fame would not be in Cleveland--period.

Earlier that summer, Gore had learned that the newly formed Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation was looking for a city to house their planned museum honoring the history of rock. Gore knew that a year earlier, Nite had pitched an idea for a similar museum, so she reached out to let him know that other figures in the music industry were working to turn his dream into a reality.

Nite immediately joined the project's Rules and Nominating Committee and spearheaded the campaign to bring the museum to Cleveland. At the time, the search committee was considering several other cities, including Memphis, Detroit, and New York, but Nite argued that the city's deep historical connection to rock music through Alan Freed and the Moondog Coronation Ball made Cleveland the perfect location. He began lobbying local and state politicians, fundraising with music moguls and civic leaders, and promoting the museum to the broader Cleveland public. As fans got involved, especially with their overwhelming response to a USA Today phone poll, Nite's campaign to bring the Hall to Cleveland was ultimately successful.

This book, told from Nite's insider perspective, draws on both first-person accounts and exclusive interviews with influential business leaders, government officials, and giants of the music industry. A detailed record of the Rock Hall's inception and creation, The House That Rock Built becomes a true tribute to the people who made it happen--through Herculean efforts--and to the music it celebrates.

Review Quotes

"Nite has remained the unsung hero of the Rock and Roll Hall of fame for the last quarter-century, but his new book The House That Rock Built (which he wrote with Plain Dealer journalist Tom Feran) should change that. For the first time, it tells the complete story of how a fading Rust Belt city managed to outmaneuver heavyweight towns like Chicago, Nashville, and Los Angeles to land the Hall of Fame, which has been the top tourist attraction in the state ever since it opened. The House That Rock Built traces the saga through every twist and turn, packed with details that have never appeared anywhere else." --Rolling Stone

"Norm N. Nite was there at the very, very beginning of the Hall of Fame's courtship with Cleveland and the long saga of turning the dream into a reality. We are lucky to have his very special history of this unique institution." --Jann Wenner, Editor and Founder, Rolling Stone

"This informative and entertaining read will likely become the definitive volume on this important cultural center's formation."--Library Journal

"When histories are written, seldom are we fortunate enough to have them done by someone who was there for the duration. Not only was Norm N. Nite present, he was the catalyst who recognized the need for a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum long before it was birthed. He led the charge and was a one-man band for both the Museum and Cleveland. Few would disagree that there would be no Rock Hall in Cleveland without him. No one is more qualified for this task than the pop music authority/writer/DJ/artist known to us all as Mr. Music, Norm N. Nite." --Terry Stewart, former CEO (1999-2012), Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum

"The history of rock and roll is a wild 'n' woolly tale--and no less action-packed is this deep-dive story of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's materialization from a dream to a reality in Cleveland. Colorful characters and backroom deals abound, and rock-and-roll authority, DJ, and author Norm N. Nite's firsthand account is filled with detail and personality."--Holly George-Warren, author of Janis: Her Life and Music

About the Author

Norm N. Nite is a legendary broadcaster, disc jockey, and impresario known by many as "Mr. Music" for his extensive knowledge of music history and popular culture. Nite hosted over half a dozen radio shows in New York and Cleveland during his six-decade-long career, including a SiriusXM radio show broadcast live from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He has also chronicled the history of rock and roll music in his Rock On encyclopedias.

Tom Feran is an award-winning journalist who worked as a writer and editor for the Cleveland Plain Dealer for 37 years. Beginning in 1982, Feran worked as the paper's features editor, TV critic, Sunday magazine editor, columnist, PolitiFact writer, assistant metro editor, and metro reporter. He was named Best Columnist in Ohio by the Society of Professional Journalists in 2007.

Stevie Van Zandt is an American singer, songwriter, musician, producer, actor, and activist, best known as a member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band.