The term 'rock and roll' was originally slang for sex and dancing, until a radio DJ sanitized it for the public in 1951. Cleveland DJ Alan Freed started playing upbeat rhythm and blues records for his mostly white audience, but he needed a more acceptable name for the music. He chose 'rock and roll' and the name stuck. This new sound didn't come from nowhere. It was a fusion of several American styles, blending Black rhythm and blues, gospel, and boogie-woogie with white country and folk music.