The Michigan Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in conjunction with the Historical Museum of Bay County is producing a unique series of videos that document the early history of rock and roll music in the state.
The production of The Birth of Michigan Rock and Roll video series is the result of a creative partnership with my son Brennan Johnson. The videos are recorded and edited in Brennan’s home studio, located in the basement of his home in Roselle, New Jersey. It is a total family affair in that I write the scripts and provide the narration, and Brennan does the sound engineering and edits each chapter. In addition, Lynn Johnson, my wife and Brennan’s mother, designs the posters that accompany each chapter. 
The series, which is projected to eventually comprise between 15 and 20 chapters, focuses on the Michigan’s first two decades of rock and roll history. One of the main goals of the series is to emphasize the important role that Michigan played, and continues to play, in the music’s history,
Our approach differs from the manner that rock history is usually presented. There are no talking heads telling the stories and important songs are played in there entirety rather than the 15 or 20 second segments found in most other videos. Because our productions are different from the norm, we refer to them as audio, visual, and musical experiences.
We use a wide variety of visual images to accompany the songs that are important to the stories. Because there is a shortage of performance footage for many of the early artists, we utilize clips from Hollywood films, including silent movies, along with still photographs, segments from commercials, and anything else we can find that goes along with the theme of the recordings. Our objective is to make them fun to watch.
Another of the distinctive elements in the series is the fact that all of the chapters are self-contained. Even though they are somewhat chronological, each is a separate story and the chapters do not have to viewed in any particular order. 
The four videos that we have completed thus far are: We’re Gonna Rock, Michigan Hillbillies, Rocking Around The Clock and Motor City Fever. A fifth video chapter, Rockabilly Cats, is currently in the planning stages and should be ready to view early in 2025.
A very important theme running through these early video chapters is the importance of Michigan’s auto industry and its well-paying jobs in drawing people to the state. As workers came to Michigan from all around the country, they brought with them their love of their region's music. This influx of workers to the Motor City also attracted musicians from around the country that saw opportunities for work in the many taverns and clubs that catered to this new labor force and also to record for the growing number of small, independent labels in the state. Together, these factors eventually helped to create the distinctive brand of rock and roll that flourished here.
The creation of the series was inspired by the Historical Museum of Bay County’s intimate Robert and Anne Hachtel Theater. This one-of-a-kind theater seats just 15 patrons, but it provides a viewing experience similar to an actual movie theater. Adding to its allure, its interior is composed from materials that were part of Bay City’s Historic State Theater before its restoration. These include original theater seats and carpeting along with several art deco wall sconces for lighting. 
Robert and Anne Hachtel Theater
The Robert and Anne Hachtel Theater is very special. It is the only theater of its kind among Michigan’s many museums. Besides providing a very enjoyable atmosphere for viewing, the theater also played a role in determining the length of our video chapters. After viewing several long productions on Michigan's history, I began to believe that patrons visiting to the theater might prefer shorter programs. As a result, we used 26 minutes as the general time frame for putting our rock and roll videos together.
The theater is a wonderful vehicle to compliment the history that is the foundation of the Michigan Rock and Roll Legends Hall of Fame exhibit, and it is also the best place to view our videos. They are shown free of charge to all Bay County residents during museum hours. It is hoped that they might be an incentive for people to both visit the beautiful little theater and become members of the Bay County Historical Society as well. Memberships help support the museum, and they also provide some nice perks that include video access from the comfort of your own home for all of the chapters of The Birth of Michigan Rock and Roll video series.
