“Rock ‘n’ roll in the 1950s began as _____

What will be an ideal response?

• White covers of black rhythm and blues." That is, other versions of original songs, created in this case by white performers who were copying songs originally performed by black artists. Rhythm and blues (R & B) was a label for black American popular music of the 1940s to the 1960s. R & B had a strong dance beat and added a saxophone and/or some other horn(s) to the usual guitar-dominated urban blues band.