(CBS/AP) Rock music played lead in giving Hungarian baby boomers the resolve to bring down their communist state, says one of those reformers who today is a government official.

Andras Simonyi, Hungary's ambassador to the United States, spent an hour Saturday night discussing the impact of Western songs on Eastern European politics before an invitation-only audience of 250 at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

"Let me ask you, how many of you have ever played an air guitar?" he asked as he began his talk.

Quite a few hands went up in the invitation-only crowd of 250 Saturday night, indicating shared experiences with an imaginary instrument.

Simonyi, 51, was a devoted fan of the Beatles, Cream, Traffic and Jimi Hendrix when their releases weren't officially permitted in Hungary. Records and tapes sometimes were smuggled in or recorded from foreign radio broadcasts.

Hungary became a democracy in 1990 — after more than 40 years of communism. The nation of 10 million joined NATO in 1999 and will formally join the European Union on May 1, 2004.

"By keeping in touch with the music scene in the West, it kind of kept me sane and with the feeling I was part of the free world," said Simonyi, an economist by training.

The ambassador was introduced by defense and anti-terrorism consultant Jeff Baxter, who once played guitar with The Doobie Brothers and Steely Dan.

Baxter and Simonyi said they would like to establish an institute to study rock music's global influences.

"There is a commonality to the music and freedom," Baxter said. "To Andras, Western music was an open window of fresh air in a very repressive society."

"It was like a window to the free world," agreed Simonyi, in an interview with the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

"Most Hungarians didn't understand what these guys were singing about," Simonyi said. "The real power was in the music.

Simonyi impressed an audience member from Hungary.

"He represents quite well his generation," said Judit Gerencser, a 27-year-old student at Cleveland State University. "I have heard about this from my parents, but I never really heard about just how much this music was influential."

Simonyi formerly played guitar for Hungarian rock bands Locomotive GT and the Heavy Levy Marklin Blues Band. He said the bands would sometimes have their lyrics changed by authorities if it was determined that the songs were too negative about Hungarian life.