Georgia Tech Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts

"In the '40s, and I believe well into the '50s and the rock 'n' roll era, the idea of what it was to be a musician wasn't as pure and pristine as we seem to want to think of it now," says Philip Auslander, professor in the School of Literature, Media, and Communication. "The idea that to be a popular musician is not just to stand up there and show off your ability as a musician, but to entertain in other senses -- that was very much a staple of what popular music performance was about." Source: CNN - July 29, 2012