Max Charles Freedman (né Friedman; January 8, 1893 – October 8, 1962)^[1] was an American songwriter and lyricist, best remembered for co-writing the song "Rock Around the Clock" .

Background

Freedman was born in Philadelphia, and became a radio announcer, writer and entertainer, before joining the staff of a music publishing company. Recordings of songs he wrote and co-wrote date back as early as 1919.^[2] He joined ASCAP in 1942. One of his first successes as a writer, credited as Ray Freedman, was "Sioux City Sue", a hit record for the song's co-writer Dick Thomas in 1945, and later recorded by many others including Gene Autry, Bing Crosby, Bob Wills and Willie Nelson.^[3] His other successful songs, several of which were written with Morty Berk and Frank Capano, included "Dreamy Old New England Moon", "Heartbreaker" (1947), and "Tea Leaves" (1948).^[4][5]

Freedman is credited as co-writer of the landmark song "Rock Around the Clock" with "Jimmy DeKnight", a pseudonym used by music publisher and promoter James E. Myers.^[6] The song was copyrighted on March 31, 1953, although there is evidence that it was written in 1952. There are also claims that Freedman wrote the song in its entirety.^[7] Myers himself confirmed this during a legal deposition in the late 1950s.

Although Bill Haley & His Comets were supposed to be the first to record it, a dispute between Myers and Dave Miller, the owner of Essex Records, prevented Haley from doing so. The first recording of the song was made by an Italian-American novelty group, Sonny Dae & His Knights, on March 20, 1954 only a few weeks before Haley finally recorded it on April 12, 1954 for Decca Records and in 1955, the song became a no. 1 record, one of the first of the rock and roll era.^[7]

Freedman died in 1962 at the age of 69.^[7]