
The House That Rock Built
How It Took Time, Money, Music Moguls, Corporate Types, Politicians, Media, Artists, and Fans to Bring the Rock Hall to Cleveland
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
$0.99/mo for the first 3 months

Buy for $14.95
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Peter Lerman
About this listen
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.
Nite immediately joined the project’s Rules and Nominating Committee and spearheaded the campaign to bring the museum to Cleveland. 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.
The book is published by The Kent State University Press. The audiobook is published by University Press Audiobooks.
"Nite has remained the unsung hero of the Rock and Roll Hall of fame for the last quarter-century." (Rolling Stone)
"Norm N. Nite was there at the very, very beginning...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)
©2020 Norm N. Nite and Tom Feran (P)2023 Redwood AudiobooksListeners also enjoyed...
-
The Great Book of Rock Trivia: Amazing Trivia, Fun Facts & the History of Rock and Roll
- By: Bill O'Neill
- Narrated by: Scott Miller
- Length: 4 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Great Book of Rock Trivia contains hundreds of riveting facts about your favorite rock songs. Whether you’re interested in what your favorite musicians like to do in their spare time, where they get the ideas for their music, or which artist had an exorcism in his home, you’re in for a treat. This book will satisfy your curiosity and help you impress your friends with your rock and roll knowledge.
-
-
Bill O'Neill does it again
- By alias11 on 01-14-19
By: Bill O'Neill
-
The Ride of a Lifetime
- Lessons Learned from 15 Years as CEO of the Walt Disney Company
- By: Robert Iger
- Narrated by: Jim Frangione, Robert Iger
- Length: 8 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Robert Iger became CEO of The Walt Disney Company in 2005, during a difficult time. Competition was more intense than ever, and technology was changing faster than at any time in the company’s history. His vision came down to three clear ideas: Recommit to the concept that quality matters, embrace technology instead of fighting it, and think bigger - think global - and turn Disney into a stronger brand in international markets.
-
-
Joins “Shoe Dog” as required biographies.
- By Matt S. on 01-02-20
By: Robert Iger
-
Two Steps Forward, One Step Back
- My Life in the Music Business
- By: Miles A. Copeland III
- Narrated by: Miles A. Copeland III
- Length: 11 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
My real story starts with a disaster, an unmitigated, pull-the-rug-from-under-you, clean-out-the-bank-account disaster. But had it not happened, The Police would never have risen to become the biggest rock band in the world; Jools Holland would not have ended up on TV; The Bangles, The Go-Go’s, R.E.M., and many other music stars might never have made it either. It’s strange how a fluke, a disaster, an unlikely event can lead to incredible results. But that is in essence what happened to me....
-
-
If you like Punk and New Wave you will like this book
- By Rock Fan on 09-17-21
-
Trump: America First
- The President Succeeds Against All Odds
- By: Corey R. Lewandowski, David N. Bossie
- Narrated by: James Edward Thomas
- Length: 8 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
New York Times best-selling authors and close advisors to the president Corey R. Lewandowski and David N. Bossie write from the front lines of Trump's battle to keep America great. Trump: America First gives the listener a firsthand and inside account of the Trump administration's battle for the soul of America.
-
-
Good story but...
- By Anonymous on 11-30-20
By: Corey R. Lewandowski, and others
-
Talking to Canadians
- A Memoir
- By: Rick Mercer
- Narrated by: Rick Mercer
- Length: 10 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
What is Rick Mercer going to do now? That was the question on everyone's lips when the beloved comedian retired his hugely successful TV show after 15 seasons - and at the peak of its popularity. The answer came not long after, when he roared back in a new role as stand-up-comedian, playing to sold-out houses wherever he appeared. And then COVID-19 struck. And his legions of fans began asking again: What is Rick Mercer going to do now? Well, for one thing, he's been writing a comic masterpiece.
-
-
Mercer Killed and He Will Kill Again
- By Quinn M on 11-28-22
By: Rick Mercer
-
Made from Scratch
- The Legendary Success Story of Texas Roadhouse
- By: Kent Taylor
- Narrated by: George Newbern
- Length: 8 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Made from Scratch, the late business maverick Kent Taylor tells the legendary story of Texas Roadhouse and in the process reveals its recipe for success: embracing unorthodox business practices. Because isn’t it a little unusual for a company to do almost no advertising? Is it wild to give away free peanuts and rolls and keep prices low, even as costs rise, or to keep the menu basically the same since it opened? Does it fly in the face of reason to prohibit coats and ties at headquarters and to have a CEO who dressed like he was part of the landscaping crew?
-
-
rock on
- By Eric Bourgeois on 09-16-21
By: Kent Taylor
-
The Great Book of Rock Trivia: Amazing Trivia, Fun Facts & the History of Rock and Roll
- By: Bill O'Neill
- Narrated by: Scott Miller
- Length: 4 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Great Book of Rock Trivia contains hundreds of riveting facts about your favorite rock songs. Whether you’re interested in what your favorite musicians like to do in their spare time, where they get the ideas for their music, or which artist had an exorcism in his home, you’re in for a treat. This book will satisfy your curiosity and help you impress your friends with your rock and roll knowledge.
-
-
Bill O'Neill does it again
- By alias11 on 01-14-19
By: Bill O'Neill
-
The Ride of a Lifetime
- Lessons Learned from 15 Years as CEO of the Walt Disney Company
- By: Robert Iger
- Narrated by: Jim Frangione, Robert Iger
- Length: 8 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Robert Iger became CEO of The Walt Disney Company in 2005, during a difficult time. Competition was more intense than ever, and technology was changing faster than at any time in the company’s history. His vision came down to three clear ideas: Recommit to the concept that quality matters, embrace technology instead of fighting it, and think bigger - think global - and turn Disney into a stronger brand in international markets.
-
-
Joins “Shoe Dog” as required biographies.
- By Matt S. on 01-02-20
By: Robert Iger
-
Two Steps Forward, One Step Back
- My Life in the Music Business
- By: Miles A. Copeland III
- Narrated by: Miles A. Copeland III
- Length: 11 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
My real story starts with a disaster, an unmitigated, pull-the-rug-from-under-you, clean-out-the-bank-account disaster. But had it not happened, The Police would never have risen to become the biggest rock band in the world; Jools Holland would not have ended up on TV; The Bangles, The Go-Go’s, R.E.M., and many other music stars might never have made it either. It’s strange how a fluke, a disaster, an unlikely event can lead to incredible results. But that is in essence what happened to me....
-
-
If you like Punk and New Wave you will like this book
- By Rock Fan on 09-17-21
-
Trump: America First
- The President Succeeds Against All Odds
- By: Corey R. Lewandowski, David N. Bossie
- Narrated by: James Edward Thomas
- Length: 8 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
New York Times best-selling authors and close advisors to the president Corey R. Lewandowski and David N. Bossie write from the front lines of Trump's battle to keep America great. Trump: America First gives the listener a firsthand and inside account of the Trump administration's battle for the soul of America.
-
-
Good story but...
- By Anonymous on 11-30-20
By: Corey R. Lewandowski, and others
-
Talking to Canadians
- A Memoir
- By: Rick Mercer
- Narrated by: Rick Mercer
- Length: 10 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
What is Rick Mercer going to do now? That was the question on everyone's lips when the beloved comedian retired his hugely successful TV show after 15 seasons - and at the peak of its popularity. The answer came not long after, when he roared back in a new role as stand-up-comedian, playing to sold-out houses wherever he appeared. And then COVID-19 struck. And his legions of fans began asking again: What is Rick Mercer going to do now? Well, for one thing, he's been writing a comic masterpiece.
-
-
Mercer Killed and He Will Kill Again
- By Quinn M on 11-28-22
By: Rick Mercer
-
Made from Scratch
- The Legendary Success Story of Texas Roadhouse
- By: Kent Taylor
- Narrated by: George Newbern
- Length: 8 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Made from Scratch, the late business maverick Kent Taylor tells the legendary story of Texas Roadhouse and in the process reveals its recipe for success: embracing unorthodox business practices. Because isn’t it a little unusual for a company to do almost no advertising? Is it wild to give away free peanuts and rolls and keep prices low, even as costs rise, or to keep the menu basically the same since it opened? Does it fly in the face of reason to prohibit coats and ties at headquarters and to have a CEO who dressed like he was part of the landscaping crew?
-
-
rock on
- By Eric Bourgeois on 09-16-21
By: Kent Taylor
-
Nitro
- The Incredible Rise and Inevitable Collapse of Ted Turner's WCW
- By: Guy Evans
- Narrated by: Guy Evans
- Length: 17 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Nitro is a story about much more than WCW and the Monday Night Wars. It is a story of an era, a time in which the media and cultural landscape precipitated - and later supported - pro wrestling's mainstream popularity. It is a story of how a company made in the image of an intuitively brilliant risk-taker betrayed its original promise. It is a story of how a handful of men, each struggling with their own limitations, facilitated a public obsession that changed television forever.
-
-
way better than the death of wcw
- By DMCizzle on 01-05-21
By: Guy Evans
-
The Last Lone Inventor
- A Tale of Genius, Deceit, and the Birth of Television
- By: Evan I. Schwartz
- Narrated by: Eric Jason Martin
- Length: 10 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In a story that is both of its time and timeless, Evan I. Schwartz tells a tale of genius versus greed, innocence versus deceit, and independent brilliance versus corporate arrogance. Many men have laid claim to the title "father of television," but Philo T. Farnsworth is the true genius behind what may be the most influential invention of our time. Driven by his obsession to demonstrate his idea, by the age of 20 Farnsworth was operating his own laboratory above a garage in San Francisco and filing for patents. The resulting publicity caught the attention of RCA tycoon David Sarnoff, who became determined to control television in the same way he monopolized radio.
-
-
Thank you, Philo.
- By JPALJ on 03-29-20
By: Evan I. Schwartz
-
At the Sands
- The Casino That Shaped Classic Las Vegas, Brought the Rat Pack Together, and Went Out with a Bang
- By: David G. Schwartz
- Narrated by: Eric Jason Martin
- Length: 9 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The lights are coming down. Frank, Dean, and Sammy are about to take the stage. This is the moment we remember, when Las Vegas became classic. And it was at the Sands. Built in 1952 over the ashes of Hollywood Reporter publisher Billy Wilkerson’s last chance in Las Vegas, the Sands was a collective effort. Underworld figures like Meyer Lansky, Doc Stacher, and Frank Costello provided the cash.
-
-
At the Sands
- By Deedra on 10-14-21
-
The Late Shift
- Letterman, Leno, & the Network Battle for the Night
- By: Bill Carter
- Narrated by: Michael Butler Murray
- Length: 13 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When beloved host Johnny Carson announced his retirement after 30 years on The Tonight Show, millions of Americans mourned. But inside the television industry, the news ignited a battle between two amazing talents - Jay Leno and David Letterman - who both yearned to occupy the departing legend's chair. For NBC, it would be a decision with millions of dollars at stake. Soon these two comedians with strikingly different styles, who had once shared a friendship as they worked the clubs together, would be engaged in a fierce competition for the prize.
-
-
Very detailed, spectacular, and riveting!
- By John Collins on 02-09-21
By: Bill Carter
-
Black Founder
- The Hidden Power of Being an Outsider
- By: Stacy Spikes
- Narrated by: Stacy Spikes
- Length: 8 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From the award-winning entrepreneur USA Today named one of the twenty-one most influential Blacks in technology comes an empowering, bracingly honest, entertaining blueprint for success in life and work—including the true story of what really happened to MoviePass—straight from the cofounder and former CEO himself.
-
-
The Real Deal Memoir for Entrepreneurs
- By Anonymous User on 01-19-25
By: Stacy Spikes
-
Like a Rolling Stone
- A Memoir
- By: Jann S. Wenner
- Narrated by: Dennis Boutsikaris, Jann S. Wenner
- Length: 17 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Rolling Stone founder, co-editor, and publisher Jann Wenner's deeply personal memoir vividly describes and brings you inside the music, the politics, and the lifestyle of a generation, an epoch of cultural change that swept America and beyond. The age of rock and roll in an era of consequence, what will be considered one of the great watersheds in modern history. Wenner writes with the clarity of a journalist and an essayist. He takes us into the life and work of Bob Dylan, John Lennon, Mick Jagger, Bono, and Bruce Springsteen, to name a few.
-
-
Name-dropping on steroids
- By Tim on 09-19-22
By: Jann S. Wenner
-
Einstein, Michael Jackson & Me
- A Search for Soul in the Power Pits of Rock and Roll
- By: Howard Bloom
- Narrated by: Jim Meskimen
- Length: 17 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Howard Bloom - called “the greatest press agent that rock and roll has ever known” by Derek Sutton, the former manager of Styx, Ten Years After, and Jethro Tull - is a science nerd who knew nothing about popular music. But he founded the biggest PR firm in the music industry and helped build or sustain the careers of our biggest rock legends, including Michael Jackson, Prince, Bob Marley, Bette Midler, Billy Joel, Billy Idol, Chaka Khan, and 100 more. What was he after? He was on a hunt for the gods inside of you and me.
-
-
It could have been
- By Robert Urbanek on 12-02-22
By: Howard Bloom
-
The Real Deal
- My Decade Fighting Battles and Winning Wars with Trump
- By: George A. Sorial, Damian Bates
- Narrated by: Charles Constant
- Length: 5 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
George Sorial, a top Trump Organization executive, shares behind-the-scenes stories of Trump’s leadership, problem solving, and success.
-
-
Great book to understand Trump
- By Truth & Freedom on 06-13-19
By: George A. Sorial, and others
-
Heavy Tales
- The Metal. The Music. The Madness. As Lived by Jon Zazula
- By: Jon Zazula
- Narrated by: Jon Zazula
- Length: 7 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Heavy Tales is the detailed, never-before-told story as lived by Jonny Zazula of how he founded Megaforce Records out of a flea market in New Jersey with his wife, Marsha, and built a dynasty unmatched by others, forever changing the scope of heavy metal. The bands they worked with would go on to release some of the most prolific and important albums in heavy metal history, giving it its Golden Era.
-
-
Garbage
- By Dave Archer-Kiefer on 10-20-20
By: Jon Zazula
-
Tom Petty and Me
- My Rock and Roll Adventures with Tom Petty
- By: Jon Scott
- Narrated by: Jon Scott
- Length: 4 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
An inside look of a former deejay turned promotion man, Tom Petty and Me chronicles the career-changing moments in the life of Jon Scott. Through many serendipitous moments, Jon appeared at the right time to help get Tom's first album played on the radio, and that changed the professional lives of both men.
-
-
Well done!
- By david whitman on 02-01-21
By: Jon Scott
-
There Was a Time
- James Brown, the Chitlin' Circuit, and Me
- By: Alan Leeds, Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson - foreword
- Narrated by: Peter Berkrot
- Length: 8 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this riveting book - part memoir, part history - Leeds weaves a wholly new and remarkable portrait of Brown as an idiosyncratic iconoclast, determined artist, and forceful businessman. It is a rare look into a world little known to White America immediately following the Civil Rights Movement. Leeds discovers that Brown is a fascinatingly complex man, and their experiences, both business and personal, range from emotional to humorous. All the while, they navigate the complicated world of popular Black music in America, told by someone who actually lived it.
-
-
Great book!
- By Matthew Westmoreland on 03-15-20
By: Alan Leeds, and others
-
Mr. & Mrs. Hollywood
- Edie and Lew Wasserman and Their Entertainment Empire
- By: Kathleen Sharp
- Narrated by: Tavia Gilbert
- Length: 18 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Ever wonder why so many B actors wind up as A-grade politicians? Or how the casting couch worked? Acclaimed author Kathleen Sharp traces the influence of show business through the lives of its first power couple. Edie and Lew Wasserman built the world’s largest talent agency, MCA, created the multibillion-dollar Universal Studios, and helped shape Washington, DC.
-
-
Best Book I Have Heard In A Long Time!!!
- By James M. Patton on 09-25-16
By: Kathleen Sharp
What listeners say about The House That Rock Built
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- OpenTheBooks&Listen
- 01-26-23
A terrific listen for a Boomer rock and roller!
The backstage story. it's fun! narrator was great. The insiders tell the real story from the very beginning.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Steven Gerweck
- 07-09-23
How the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame came to be
If you ever wondered why the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is in Cleveland, Ohio, this is the book for you. "The House That Rock Built" traces the roots of the musical genre to Cleveland, where Rock and Roll was coined, and the first Rock concert was staged. As noted in the book, other cities were in contention to host the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame including Memphis, Nashville, New York City, San Francisco, New Orleans, Washington, DC, and Philadelphia, among others. Sun Records founder. and the man that history says discovered "The King of Rock 'n' Roll" Elvis Presley, campaigned for Memphis, but in the end, gave his blessings to Cleveland. While New York City may have been an early target, Cleveland made the persuasive argument that it would be a big deal in their city. There was a feeling that the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame would be seen as a just another museum in New York City. "The House That Rock Built" details the funding, the ground breaking, memorabilia collection, and construction of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Music Museum.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!