Bill Haley was a small-time disc jockey and unsuccessful country and western singer when he took up a six-nights-a-week gig at the Twin Bar in this gritty industrial city.

Soon, he started messing around with rhythm and blues and the sound he created there in 1951 and 1952 made him one of the first stars of rock 'n' roll.

But do his appearances here qualify as the birth of the genre?

Officials in Gloucester City and Camden County think so. They also think claiming ownership of such historic trivia could help the city's redevelopment efforts and even attract a few tourists.

Wildwood, N.J.; Cleveland; Hattiesburg, Miss.; Galveston, Texas; and Memphis, Tenn. also claim the title as the birthplace. Until now, though, Gloucester City had not been part of the conversation.

Steve Martorano, who has lived all his 78 years in Gloucester City and remembers going to the Twin Bar at 16 or 17, doesn't remember a lot about the Haley or the other performers.

"I used to listen to the music sometimes," he said, "and we used to get into rowdy fights sometimes."

Now, that's rock 'n' roll.