Rock'n'roll is a blend of various musical genres (folk, country music, jazz, gospel, blues...) and has developed from social and musical interactions between both white and black communities in the early 20th century, when after the civil war, the americans were subject to hot topics like immigration, slavery and racism.
In the map below, the regions in dark red are part of the "Deep South" or referred as the "Cotton States" where African-descended peoples comprised the majority of the population, in the mid-20th century.
During this period, the black americans had a fervour for gospel music that was sang in churches and for blues music that they sang while working in various corn fields and cotton plantations. Music like gospel and blues were a spiritual and creative outlet, a remedy to ease their pain against labour, injustice, inequality and was often despised by the white community.
On the other hand, you had the white american folk & country music.
Rock'n'roll has been shaped up by these various musical styles. Sister Rosetta Tharpe is one of the precursor's of rock'n'roll:
The term "rock'n'roll" has both religious and sexual connotations. While "rock" refers to disturb, being shaken in a spiritual way, "roll" refers to having sex. Remember Elvis sexy dance move in "Jailhouse Rock" or Jerry Lee Lewis, known as "The Killer", stamping his feet and shaking is blond locks above the piano. Jerry Lee Lewis was one of the early pioneer of rock'n'roll music:
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