To understand rock piano, you will need to go back to its blues roots. Five pianists stand out in rock-n-roll's early history: Ray Charles, Fats Domino, Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, and the lesser-known Johnnie Johnson. All five began as blues players. When reading about the pianists in this section, bear in mind the social climate in which this music was created. Analyzing artists from a historical perspective will help you to gain deeper access into the blues, R&B, jazz, country, and rock-n-roll.