HOME WEB NEWS IMAGES CLASSIFIEDS YELLOW PAGESPOLLS - SURVEYS WIKI COUNTRIES PHOTOS US UK INDIA
Cities Stocks Weather Movies Coupons Travel Blogs Health Horoscope Maps ASIA EUROPE Classifieds Yellow Pages
 2
|
"Elvis" redirects here. For other uses, see Elvis (disambiguation).
This article is about the singer. For other uses, see Elvis Presley (disambiguation).
| Elvis Presley | |
|---|---|
 Elvis in 1970 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Elvis Aaron Presley |
| Also known as | Elvis |
| Born | January 8 1935 Tupelo, Mississippi, USA |
| Origin | Memphis, Tennessee, USA |
| Died | August 16 1977 (aged 42) Memphis, Tennessee, USA |
| Genre(s) | Rockabilly, Rock and Roll, Gospel, Blues, Country |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, Actor |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals, Guitar, Piano |
| Years active | 1954–1977 |
| Label(s) | Sun, RCA Victor |
| Website | Elvis.com |
Elvis Aaron Presley(May 9 2002). "Elvis Presley - the Singer". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 2007-10-12."FAQ: Elvis\' middle name, is it Aron or Aaron?" Elvis.com. Retrieved 2007-10-22. (January 8, 1935–August 16, 1977), sometimes written Aron,a was an American singer, musician and actor. He is a cultural icon, often known as "The King of Rock \'n\' Roll", or simply "The King".
Presley began his career as one of the first performers of rockabilly, an uptempo fusion of country and rhythm and blues with a strong back beat. His novel versions of existing songs, mixing "black" and "white" sounds, made him popular—and controversial—as did his uninhibited stage and television performances. He recorded songs in the rock and roll genre, with tracks like "Hound Dog" and "Jailhouse Rock" later embodying the style. Presley had a versatile voice and had unusually wide success encompassing other genres, including gospel, blues, ballads and pop. To date, he is the only performer to have been inducted into four music halls of fame.
In the 1960s, Presley made the majority of his thirty-three movies—mainly poorly reviewed musicals. In 1968, he returned to live music in a television special and thereafter performed across the U.S., notably in Las Vegas. Throughout his career, he set records for concert attendance, television ratings and recordings sales. He is one of the best-selling and most influential artists in the history of popular music. Health problems plagued Presley in later life which, coupled with a punishing tour schedule and addiction to prescription medication, led to his premature death at age 42.
Elvis Presley was of German, Scottish, French, Jewish and Cherokee ancestry.[1] "According to Donald W. Presley and Edward C. Dunn, both distant relatives of the King, a direct link can be made from Elvis back to a certain Johann Valentin Pressler, a winegrower who emigrated to America in 1710. Pressler came from a village in southern Palatinate called Niederhochstadt. Niederhochstadt became Hochstadt sometime during the 250 years after Johann Pressler left it, but there are still many Presslers there..." "Elvis roots \'lead to Scotland\'"; a 23 March 2004 BBC story that cites Allan Morrison, the author of the then-unpublished book The Presley ProphecyElvis\'s great-great-great-grandmother, Morning White Dove (1800-1835), was a full-blooded Cherokee Indian"\'Elvis Presley\'s Scottish Ancestry\'"."Elvis Presley\'s Roots" Presley\'s father, Vernon (April 10, 1916–June 26, 1979), had several low-paying jobs, including sharecropper and truck driver. His mother, Gladys Love Smith (April 25, 1912–August 14, 1958) worked as a sewing machine operator. They met in Tupelo, Mississippi, and eloped to Pontotoc County where they married on June 17, 1933.Elvis Presley\'s Family Tree. ElvisPresleyNews.com. Retrieved August 15 2007.Presley\'s ancestry is discussed at the following sites:
Presley was born in a two room house, built by his father, in East Tupelo. He was the second of identical twins—his brother was stillborn and given the name Jesse Garon. He grew up as an only child and "was, everyone agreed, unusually close to his mother."Guralnick 1994, p.13 The family lived just above the poverty line and attended the Assembly of God church.Guralnick 1994, p.29b Vernon has been described as "a malingerer, always averse to work and responsibility."Goldman, p.16 In 1938, he was jailed for an eight dollar check forgery. During his absence, his wife, described as "voluble, lively, full of spunk",Guralnick 1994, p.12 lost the family home.Elvis Presley Home. Elvis-Presley-Biography.com. Retrieved July 15 2007. Priscilla Presley recalls her as "a surreptitious drinker and alcoholic."Presley, p.172
Presley was bullied at school; classmates threw "things at him—rotten fruit and stuff—because he was different... quiet and he stuttered and he was a mama\'s boy."Guralnick 1994, p.36
Referring to an account by singer Barbara Pittman in Humphries, Patrick (April 1, 2003). "Elvis The #1 Hits: The Secret History of the Classics" Andrews McMeel Publishing, p.117. ISBN 0740738038.
At age ten, he made his first public performance in a singing contest at the Mississippi-Alabama Fair and Dairy Show. Dressed as a cowboy, the young Presley had to stand on a chair to reach the microphone and sang Red Foley\'s "Old Shep." He won second prize.Elvis Australia (Jan 7, 2004). "Elvis Presley 1935-54." elvis.com.au. Retrieved 2007-10-14.
In 1946, Presley got his first guitar.(October 14 2001). "Elvis Presley\'s First Guitar". Tupelo Hardware. Retrieved 2007-10-14. In November 1948, the family moved to Memphis, Tennessee, allegedly because Vernon—in addition to needing work—had to escape the law for transporting bootleg liquor.Escott, p.420 In 1949, they lived at Lauderdale Courts, a public housing development in one of Memphis\' poorer sections. Presley practiced playing guitar in the laundry room and also played in a five-piece band with other tenants. Another resident, Johnny Burnette, recalled, "Wherever Elvis went he\'d have his guitar slung across his back... [H]e\'d go in to one of the cafes or bars... Then some folks would say: \'Let\'s hear you sing, boy.\'"Carr and Farren, p.10 Presley attended L. C. Humes High School, but fellow students apparently viewed the young singer\'s performing unfavorably: One recalled that he was "a sad, shy, not especially attractive boy" whose guitar playing was not likely to win any prizes. Many of the other children made fun of him as a \'trashy\' kind of boy playing \'trashy\' hillbilly music."Guralnick, Last Train to Memphis, chapter 1.
Presley occasionally worked evenings to boost the family income.Lichter, p.10 He began to grow his sideburns and dress in the wild, flashy clothes of Lansky Brothers on Beale Street.Lichter, p.9 He stood out, especially in the conservative Deep South of the 1950s, and was mocked and bullied for it.Guralnick 1994, p.50 Despite his unpopularity, he was a contestant in his school\'s 1952 "Annual Minstrel Show" and won by receiving the most applause and thus an encore (he sang "Cold Cold Icy Fingers" and "Till I Waltz Again With You").
After graduation, Presley was still rather shy, a "kid who had spent scarcely a night away from home".Guralnick 1994, p.149 His third job was driving a truck for the Crown Electric Company. He began wearing his hair longer with a "ducktail"—the style of truck drivers at that time.(1996). "Elvis Presley". history-of-rock.com. Retrieved 2007-10-14.
Initial influences came through his family\'s attendance at the Assembly of God, a Pentecostal Holiness church. Rolling Stone wrote: "Gospel pervaded Elvis\' character and was a defining and enduring influence all of his days."George-Warren, Holly; Patricia Romanowski, Jon Pareles (2001). The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock And Roll. Fireside. ISBN 0-7432-0120-5. Excerpt in "Elvis Presley biography". Rolling Stone. Retrieved on 2007-10-14. During breaks at recording sessions or after concerts, Presley often joined in private with others for informal gospel music sessions.Guralnick 1994, p.461
The young Presley frequently listened to local radio; his first musical hero was family friend Mississippi Slim, a hillbilly singer with a radio show on Tupelo’s WELO. Presley performed occasionally on Slim’s Saturday morning show, Singin’ and Pickin’ Hillbilly. "He was crazy about music... That’s all he talked about," recalls his sixth grade friend, James Ausborn, Slim’s younger brother.Guralnick 1994, p.21 Before he was a teenager, music was already Presley’s "consuming passion". J. R. Snow, son of 1940s country superstar Hank Snow, recalls that even as a young man Presley knew all of Hank Snow’s songs, "even the most obscure".Guralnick 1994, p.171
In Memphis, Presley went to record stores that had jukeboxes and listening booths, playing old records and new releases for hours. He was an audience member at the all-night black and white "gospel sings" downtown.(August 18, 1997). "Good Rockin\'". Newsweek, pp.54-5 Memphis Symphony Orchestra concerts at Overton Park were another Presley favorite, along with the Metropolitan Opera. His small record collection included Mario Lanza and Dean Martin. Presley later said, "I just loved music. Music period."
Memphis had a strong tradition of blues music and Presley went to blues as well as hillbilly venues. Many of his future recordings were inspired by local African American composers and recording artists, including Arthur Crudup, Rufus Thomas and B.B. King.Guralnick, Peter (August 11, 2007). "How Did Elvis Get Turned Into a Racist?" New York Times. Retrieved August 15 2007. King says that he "knew Elvis before he was popular. He used to come around and be around us a lot ... on Beale Street."Szatmary, p.35
Presley "was an untrained musician who played entirely by ear. \'I don\'t read music,\' he confessed, \'but I know what I like.\' ... Because he was not a songwriter, Presley rarely had material prepared for recording sessions..." When he, as a young singer, "ventured into the recording studio he was heavily influenced by the songs he had heard on the jukebox and radio."Bertrand, p.205
On July 18, 1953, Presley went to Sun Records\' Memphis Recording Service to record "My Happiness" with "That\'s When Your Heartaches Begin", supposedly a present for his mother."Elvis biography: 1935 - 1957". elvis.com. Retrieved on 2007-10-14. On January 4, 1954, he cut a second acetate. Sun Records boss Sam Phillips was on the lookout for someone who could deliver a blend of black blues and boogie-woogie music; he thought it would be very popular among white people.Miller, p.71 Assistant Marion Keisker called Presley on June 26, 1954. After an inauspicious session, Phillips invited local musicians Winfield "Scotty" Moore and Bill Black to audition Presley. Though not overly impressed, a studio session was planned."Sam Phillips Sun Records Two". history-of-rock.com. Retrieved on 2007-10-14.
During a recording break, Presley began "acting the fool" first with Arthur Crudup\'s "That\'s All Right (Mama)".Guralnick, Peter (1992). The Complete 50\'s Masters (CD booklet notes). Phillips got them all to restart and began taping. This was the sound he had been looking for.Jorgensen, p.13 The group recorded other songs, including Bill Monroe\'s "Blue Moon of Kentucky". "That\'s All Right" was aired on July 8, 1954, by DJ Dewey Phillips.Carr and Farren, p.6d After its release, both sides of "That\'s All Right"/"Blue Moon of Kentucky" began to chart across the South.EPE (July 21, 2004). "Elvis Presley Sun Recordings". elvis.co.au. Retrieved on August 17 2007.
Moore and Black began playing regularly with Presley. They gave a few performances in July 1954 to promote the Sun single at the Bon Air, a rowdy music club where the band was not well-received.EPE. "Elvis Presley\'s First Record & Early Gigs". ElvisPresley.com.au. Retrieved on 2007-10-14. On July 30 the trio, billed as The Blue Moon Boys, made their first appearance at the Overton Park Shell, with Slim Whitman headlining.Burnett, Brown (ed.) (August 2 2004). "Overton Park Shell 50th Anniversary, Elvis’ 1st live show". Memphis Mojo Newspaper. Reprinted in "The Buzzards". RedClock.com. Retrieved on 2007-10-14. A nervous Presley\'s legs were said to have shaken uncontrollably during this show: his wide-legged pants emphasized his leg movements, apparently causing females in the audience to go "crazy".Naylor and Halliday, p.43Clayton and Heard, p.61e Presley consciously incorporated similar movements into future shows.Elvis Presley Classic Albums (DVD). Eagle Eye Media, EE19007 NTSC.
DJ and promoter Bob Neal became the trio\'s manager (replacing Scotty Moore). Moore and Black left their band, the Starlite Wranglers and, from August through October 1954, appeared with Presley at The Eagle\'s Nest. Presley debuted at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville on October 2; Hank Snow introduced Presley on stage. He performed "Blue Moon of Kentucky" but received only a polite response. Afterwards, the singer was allegedly told: "Boy, you’d better keep driving that truck."Naylor and Halliday, pp.43-6fClayton and Heard, p.69gGuralnick 1994, p.11h
Country music promoter and manager Tillman Franks booked Presley for the Louisiana Hayride on October 16. Before Franks saw Presley, he referred to him as "that new black singer with the funny name".Naylor and Halliday, p.46 During Presley\'s first set, the reaction was muted; for the second, Franks advised Presley to "Let it all go!" As house drummer D.J. Fontana (who had worked in strip clubs) complemented Presley\'s movements with accented beats and Bill Black engaged in his usual stage antics, the crowd was more responsive.Naylor and Halliday, p.52Clayton and Heard, p.73i According to one source, "Audiences had never before heard [such] music... [or] seen anyone who performed like Presley either. The shy, polite, mumbling boy gained self-confidence with every appearance... People watching the show were astounded and shocked, both by the ferocity of his performance, and the crowd’s reaction to it... Roy Orbison saw Presley for the first time in Odessa, Texas: \'His energy was incredible, his instinct was just amazing... I just didn’t know what to make of it. There was just no reference point in the culture to compare it.\'"Cook, p.50 Sam Phillips said Presley "put every ounce of emotion ... into every song, almost as if he was incapable of holding back."Guralnick 1994
Presley\'s sound proved hard to categorize; he was billed or labeled in the media as "The King of Western Bop", "The Hillbilly Cat" and "The Memphis Flash".
On August 15, 1955, "Colonel" Tom Parker became Presley\'s manager. By August 1955, Sun Studios had released ten sides credited to "Elvis Presley, Scotty and Bill", all typical of the developing Presley style. Several major record labels had shown interest in signing Presley. On November 21, 1955, Parker and Phillips negotiated a deal with RCA Victor Records to acquire Presley\'s Sun contract for an unprecedented $35,000.Carr and Farren, p.21Escott, p.421
To increase the singer\'s exposure, Parker finally brought Presley to television (In March 1955, Presley had failed an audition for Arthur Godfrey\'s Talent Scouts). He booked six Dorsey Brothers\' Stage Show appearances (CBS), beginning January 28, 1956, when Presley was introduced by Cleveland DJ Bill Randle. Parker also obtained a lucrative two-show deal with Milton Berle (NBC).
On January 27, Presley\'s first RCA Victor single, "Heartbreak Hotel," was released. By April it hit number one in the U.S., and sold one million copies. On March 23, RCA Victor released Elvis Presley, his first album. Like the Sun recordings, the majority of the tracks were country songs.Hilburn, Robert (2005-02-11). "Review: Elvis Presley CD". elvis.com.au. Retrieved on 2007-10-14.
From April 23, he had two weeks at the New Frontier Hotel and Casino on the Las Vegas Strip—billed this time as "the Atomic Powered Singer". His shows were badly received, by critics and the conservative guests. Presley saw Freddie Bell and the Bellboys live in Vegas, and liked their version of Leiber and Stoller\'s "Hound Dog". By May 16, he had added the song to his own act.Butler, Peter. "Blackie". RockabillyHall.com. Retrieved on 2007-10-14.
A few days after an April 3 appearance for The Milton Berle Show in San Diego, a near-fatal flight taking Presley\'s band to Nashville for a recording session left all three badly shaken.Jorgensen, p.45 After more hectic touring, Presley returned to The Milton Berle Show on June 5 and performed "Hound Dog" (without his guitar). Singing it uptempo, he then began a slower version. His exaggerated, straight-legged shuffle around the microphone stand stirred the audience—as did his vigorous leg shaking and hip thrusts in time to the beat. Presley\'s "gyrations" created a storm of controversy—even eclipsing the \'communist threat\' headlines prevalent at the time.Jorgensen, p.49 The press described his performance as "vulgar" and "obscene".An example of press criticism can be found at Gould, Jack (June 6 1956). "TV: New Phenomenon" (PDF). The New York Times. Retrieved on 2007-10-14. Presley was obliged to explain himself on the local New York City TV show Hy Gardner Calling: "Rock and roll music, if you like it, and you feel it, you can\'t help but move to it. That\'s what happens to me. I have to move around. I can\'t stand still. I\'ve tried it, and I can\'t do it."
The Berle shows drew such huge ratings that Steve Allen (NBC), not a fan of rock and roll, booked him for one appearance in New York. Allen wanted "to do a show the whole family can watch" and introduced a "new Elvis" in white bow tie and black tails. Presley sang "Hound Dog" for less than a minute to a Basset Hound in a top hat. According to one author, "Allen thought Presley was talentless and absurd... [he] set things up so that Presley would show his contrition..."Austen, p.13Beebe, Fulbrook and Saunders, p.97 The day after (July 2), the single "Hound Dog" was recorded and Scotty Moore said they were "all angry about their treatment the previous night". (Presley often referred to the Allen show as the most ridiculous performance of his career.Raymond, Susan (Director) (1987, Re-released 2000). Elvis \'56 - In the Beginning (DVD). Warner Vision.) A few days later, Presley made a "triumphant" outdoor appearance in Memphis at which he announced: "You know, those people in New York are not gonna change me none. I\'m gonna show you what the real Elvis is like tonight."Jorgensen, p.51
Country vocalists The Jordanaires accompanied Presley on The Steve Allen Show and their first recording session together produced "Any Way You Want Me", "Don\'t Be Cruel" and "Hound Dog". The Jordanaires would work with the singer through the 1960s.
Though Presley had been unhappy, Allen\'s show had, for the first time, beaten The Ed Sullivan Show in the ratings, causing a critical Sullivan (CBS) to book Presley for three appearances for an unprecedented $50,000.For more on the TV host rivalries of the period, see "The Steve Allen Show (And Various Related Programs)". The Museum of Broadcast Communications. Retrieved on 2007-10-14.
Presley\'s first Ed Sullivan appearance (September 9, 1956) was seen by some 55–60 million viewers. "Compared to moments on the Dorsey shows and on the Berle show, it was ice cream."Marcus, Greil, "Elvis Presley: The Ed Sullivan Shows." "Official Press Release". elvis.com.au. Retrieved on 2007-10-22. On the third Sullivan show, Presley sang only slow paced ballads and a gospel song.Paul Mavis (Director). Elvis Presley - Ed Sullivan Shows [DVD]. Image Entertainment. The fact that Presley was only shown from the waist up and "stepped out in the outlandish costume of a pasha, if not a harem girl" during this last broadcast has led to claims that Sullivan had "censored" or even "buried" the singer,Marcus, "Elvis Presley: The Ed Sullivan Shows." or that Colonel Parker had orchestrated the episode to generate publicity.Clayton and Heard, pp.117-8Gibson, Christine (December 6 2005). "Elvis on Ed Sullivan: The Real Story". American Heritage Magazine. Retrieved on 2007-10-22. In spite of any misgivings about the controversial nature of his performing style, Sullivan declared at the end of the third appearance that Presley was "a real decent, fine boy" and that they had never had "a pleasanter experience" on the show.
When "That\'s All Right" was played, many listeners were sure Presley must be black, and most white disc-jockeys wouldn\'t play his Sun singles. However, black disc-jockeys didn\'t want anything to do with a record made by a white man.Carr and Farren, pp.11, 16 To some, Presley had undoubtedly "stolen" or at least "derived his style from the Negro rhythm-and-blues performers of the late 1940s."Bayles, p.22 Some black entertainers, notably Jackie Wilson, countered, "A lot of people have accused Elvis of stealing the black man’s music, when in fact, almost every black solo entertainer copied his stage mannerisms from Elvis."Blank, Christopher (July 15 2006). "Elvis & Racism - Elvis Presley Legacy is cloudy through lens of race". elvis.com.au. Retrieved on 2007-10-14.j
By the spring of 1956, Presley was becoming popular nationwide and teenagers flocked to his concerts. Scotty Moore recalled: "He’d start out, \'You ain’t nothin’ but a Hound Dog,\' and they’d just go to pieces. They’d always react the same way. There’d be a riot every time."Moore and Dickerson, p.175 Bob Neal wrote: "It was almost frightening, the reaction... from teenage boys. So many of them, through some sort of jealousy, would practically hate him." In Lubbock, Texas, a teenage gang fire-bombed Presley\'s car.Carr and Farren, p.12 Some performers became resentful (or resigned to the fact) that Presley going on stage before them would "kill" their own act; he thus rose quickly to top billing.Carr and Farren, p.12 At the two concerts he performed at the 1956 Mississippi-Alabama Fair and Dairy Show, one hundred National Guardsmen were on hand to prevent crowd trouble."Elvis Rock \'n\' Roll History". showbuzz.CBSnews.com. Retrieved 2007-10-14.
To many adults, the singer was "the first rock symbol of teenage rebellion. ... they did not like him, and condemned him as depraved. Anti-Negro prejudice doubtless figured in adult antagonism. Regardless of whether parents were aware of the Negro sexual origins of the phrase \'rock \'n\' roll\', Presley impressed them as the visual and aural embodiment of sex."Billboard writer Arnold Shaw, cited in Denisoff, p.22. In 1956, a critic for the New York Daily News wrote that popular music "has reached its lowest depths in the \'grunt and groin\' antics of one Elvis Presley" and the Jesuits denounced him in its weekly magazine, America. "Elvis Presley - 1956". PBS. Retrieved on 2007-10-14. Even Frank Sinatra opined: "His kind of music is deplorable, a rancid smelling aphrodisiac. It fosters almost totally negative and destructive reactions in young people."Khurana, Simran. "Quotes About Elvis Presley". about.com. Retrieved on 2007-10-14.
Presley was even seen as a "definite danger to the security of the United States." His actions and motions were called "a strip-tease with clothes on" or "sexual self-gratification on stage." They were compared with "masturbation or riding a microphone." Some saw the singer as a sexual pervert, and psychologists feared that teenaged girls and boys could easily be "aroused to sexual indulgence and perversion by certain types of motions and hysteria—the type that was exhibited at the Presley show."See Fensch, Thomas. The FBI Files on Elvis Presley, pp.15-17. In August 1956, a Florida judge called Presley a "savage" and threatened to arrest him if he shook his body while performing in Jacksonville. The judge declared that Presley\'s music was undermining the youth of America. Throughout the performance (which was filmed by police), he kept still as ordered, except for wiggling a finger in mockery at the ruling.Marino, Rick. "Elvis and Jacksonville, Florida". LadyLuckMusic.com. Retrieved on 2007-10-14.k (Presley recalls this incident during the \'68 Comeback Special.)
Presley in a promotional photo for Jailhouse Rock released by MGM on November 8, 1957
In 1957, Presley was alleged to have said: "The only thing Negro people can do for me is to buy my records and shine my shoes." The singer always denied saying, or ever wanting to say, such a racist remark. Jet magazine, run by and for African Americans, subsequently investigated the story and found no basis to the claim. However, the Jet journalist did find plenty of testimony that Presley judged people "regardless of race, color or creed".Davis, Natalie (August 17 2003). "The \'King\' Has Left the Building". GratefulDread.net.Retrieved on 2007-10-14.
His parents moved home in Memphis, but the singer lived there briefly. With increased concerns over privacy and security, Graceland was bought in 1957, a mansion with several acres of land. This was Presley\'s primary residence until his death.
Presley\'s record sales grew quickly throughout the late 1950s, with hits like "All Shook Up", "(Let me Be Your) Teddy Bear" and "Too Much".
On December 20, 1957, Presley received his draft notice. Hal Wallis and Paramount Pictures had already spent $350,000 on the film King Creole, and did not want to suspend or cancel the project. The Memphis Draft Board granted Presley a deferment to finish it. On March 24, 1958, he was inducted as US Army private #53310761 and completed basic training at Fort Hood, Texas, before being posted to Friedberg, Germany with the 3rd Armored Division.Elder, Daniel K. "Remarkable Sergeants: Ten Vignettes of Noteworthy NCOs". ncohistory.com. Retrieved on 2007-11-13.
Presley had chosen not to join \'Special Services\', which would have allowed him to avoid certain duties and maintain his public profile.Lichter, p.51 He continued to receive massive media coverage, with much speculation echoing Presley\'s own concerns about his enforced absence damaging his career. However, early in 1958, RCA Victor producer Steve Sholes and Hill and Range "song searcher" Freddy Bienstock had both pushed for recording sessions and strong song material, the aim being to release regular hit singles during Presley\'s two-year hiatus.Jorgensen, p.107 The hit singles—and six albums—duly followed during that period.
In Germany, "[a] sergeant had introduced [Presley] to amphetamines when they were on maneuvers at Grafenwöhr... it seemed like half the guys in the company were taking them." Friends around Presley also began taking them, "if only to keep up with Elvis, who was practically evangelical about their benefits."Guralnick 1994, p.21
The army also introduced Presley to karate—something which he studied seriously, even including it in his later live performances.Guralnick 1994, p.71l
As Presley\'s fame grew, his mother continued to drink excessively and began to gain weight. She had wanted her son to succeed, "but... [the] hysteria of the crowd frightened her."Rodriguez, p.87 In early August 1958, doctors had diagnosed hepatitis and her condition worsened. Presley was granted emergency leave to visit her, arriving in Memphis on August 12. Two days later, Gladys Presley died of heart failure, aged forty-six. Presley was distraught, "grieving almost constantly" for days.Guralnick 1999, p.480
Presley returned to the U.S. on March 2, 1960, and was honorably discharged with the rank of sergeant on March 5."What is the history of Elvis Presley\'s military career?". Army.mil. Retrieved on 2007-10-19. Recording sessions in March and April yielded some of his best-selling songs—including "It\'s Now or Never". Although some tracks were uptempo, none could be described as "rock and roll". Most found their way on to an album—Elvis is Back!—described by one critic as "a triumph on every level... It was as if Elvis had... broken down the barriers of genre and prejudice to express everything he heard in all the kinds of music he loved".Jorgensen, p.128 The album was also notable because of Homer Boots Randolph\'s acclaimed saxophone solo during the blues standard "Reconsider Baby".
In 1956, Presley launched his career as a film actor, beginning with the musical western, Love Me Tender. It was panned by the critics but did well at the box office.Harbinson, p.62 The original title—The Reno Brothers—was changed because of the advanced sales of the song "Love Me Tender". The majority of Presley\'s films were musical comedies made to "sell records and produce high revenues."Falk and Falk, p.52 He also appeared in more dramatic films, like Jailhouse Rock and King Creole. To maintain box office success, he even "shifted into beefcake formula comedy mode for a few years.""Elvis goes Hollywood: Fun in the sun, and not much else". CNN.com. Retrieved on 2007-10-19. He also made one non-musical western, Charro!.
In the Army, Presley said on many occasions that "more than anything, he wanted to be taken seriously as a dramatic actor."Guralnick 1999, p.50 His manager, with an eye on long-term earnings, negotiated a multi-picture seven-year contract with Hal Wallis.Guralnick 1999, p.27
The singer withdrew from performing, except for The Frank Sinatra Timex Show: Welcome Home Elvis (1960) and three charity concerts (two in Memphis and one in Pearl Harbor, 1961).Guralnick 1999, pp.89-91 Although Presley was praised by directors, like Michael Curtiz, as polite and hardworking (and as having an exceptional memory), "he was definitely not the most talented actor around."Verswijver, p.129 The Presley vehicles and the AIP beach movies (mainly made for an early sixties teenage audience) were generally criticized as a "pantheon of bad taste."Caine, p.21 The scripts of his movies "were all the same, the songs progressively worse."Kirchberg and Hendricks, p.67 Sight and Sound wrote that in his movies "Elvis Presley, aggressively bisexual in appeal, knowingly erotic, [was] acting like a crucified houri and singing with a kind of machine-made surrealism."Sight and Sound, The British Film Institute, British Institute of Adult Education (1992), p.30. Others noted that the songs seemed to be "written on order by men who never really understood Elvis or rock and roll."Hopkins, p.32 For Blue Hawaii, "fourteen songs were cut in just three days."Hopkins, p.31 Julie Parrish, who appeared in Paradise, Hawaiian Style, says that Presley hated such songs and that he "couldn\'t stop laughing while he was recording" one of them.Lisanti 2000, pp.19, 136 Critics would later claim that "No major star suffered through more bad movies than Elvis Presley."Lyon, p.511
Presley movies were nevertheless popular, and he "became a film genre of his own."Lisanti 2000, p.18 Elvis on celluloid was the only chance to see him in the absence of live appearances, especially outside of the U.S. (the only time he toured outside of the U.S. was in Canada in 1957). His Blue Hawaii even "boosted the new state\'s tourism. Some of his most enduring and popular songs came from those [kind of] movies," like "Can\'t Help Falling in Love," "Return to Sender" and "Viva Las Vegas."Hopkins, vii His 1960s films and soundtracks grossed some $280 million.Alagna, Elvis Presley
In 1964, Richard Burton and Peter O\'Toole had starred in Hal Wallis\' Becket. Wallis admitted to the press that the financing of such quality productions was only possible by making a series of profitable B-movies starring Presley. He branded Wallis "a double-dealing sonofabitch" (and he thought little better of Tom Parker), realizing there had never been any intention to let him develop into a serious actor.Guralnick 1999, p.171
Presley was one of the highest paid actors during the 1960s, but times were changing. "[The] Elvis Presley film was becoming passé. Young people were tuning in, dropping out and doing acid. Musical acts like Jefferson Airplane, Grateful Dead, The Doors, Janis Joplin and many others were dominating the airwaves. Elvis Presley was not considered cool as he once was."Lisanti 2000, p.9 Priscilla Presley recalls: "He blamed his fading popularity on his humdrum movies" and "... loathed their stock plots and short shooting schedules." She also notes: "He could have demanded better, more substantial scripts, but he didn\'t."Presley, p.188
Presley\'s final movie role was in Change of Habit (1969). His last two films were concert documentaries in the early 1970s, though Presley was keen to consider dramatic movie roles.George-Warren, Romanowski and Pareles, The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock And Roll. Excerpt in "Elvis Presley biography". Rolling Stone. Retrieved on 2007-10-14.m
As well as the formulaic movie songs of the 1960s, Presley did make noteworthy studio recordings, including "Suspicion," "(You\'re the) Devil in Disguise" and "It Hurts Me." In 1966 he recorded a cover of Bob Dylan\'s "Tomorrow is a Long Time" (which RCA Victor relegated to a bonus track on the soundtrack album for Spinout). He also produced two gospel albums: His Hand in Mine (1960) and How Great Thou Art (1966). In 1967, he recorded some well-received singles in collaboration with songwriter/guitar player Jerry Reed, including Reed\'s "Guitar Man." However, "during the Beatles era (1963-70), only six Elvis singles reached number ten or better. \'Suspicious Minds\' was the lone number one."Kirchberg, Connie and Marc Hendricks 1999, p.66.
Presley\'s sexual attraction and photogenic looks have been acknowledged: Steve Binder recalled from the \'68 Comeback Special: "I\'m straight as an arrow and I got to tell you, you stop, whether you\'re male or female, to look at him. He was that good looking. And if you never knew he was a superstar, it wouldn\'t make any difference; if he\'d walked in the room, you\'d know somebody special was in your presence."
Accounts of Presley\'s numerous sexual conquests may be exaggeratedKirchberg and Hendricks, p.62Curtin, Curtin and Ginter, p.119 Cybill Shepherd reveals that Presley kissed her all over her naked body - but refused to have oral sex with her.See "Hollywood Actress Reveals Her Elvis Sex Secrets". WENN, April 25, 2000.. Byron Raphael and Alanna Nash have stated that the star "would never put himself inside one of these girls..."Raphael, Byron; Alanna Nash (November 2005). "In Bed with Elvis". Playboy, 52 (11): pp.64-8, 76, 140.p Girlfriends Judy Spreckels and June Juanico had no sexual relationships with Presley. Cassandra Peterson ("Elvira") says she knew Presley for only one night, but all they did was talk.Stein, Ruthe August 3, 1997. San Francisco Chronicle. Peggy Lipton claims that he was "virtually impotent" with her (She attributed this to his boyishness and drug misuse).Lipton, Dalton and Dalton, p.172q Guralnick concurs with others, "he wasn\'t really interested", preferring to lie in bed, watch television and talk.Guralnick 1994, p.415
Ann-Margret (Presley\'s co-star in Viva Las Vegas) refers to Presley as her "soulmate" but has revealed little else.Margret, Ann-Margret: My Story A publicity campaign about Presley and Margret\'s romance was launched during the filming of Viva Las Vegas,Presley, p.175 which helped to increase Margret\'s popularity.Gamson, p.46sHarrington and Bielby, p.273 Indeed, Presley dated many female co-stars for publicity purposes.Stein, Ruthe (August 3, 1997). "Girls! Girls! Girls! From small-town women to movie stars". San Francisco Chronicle. Lori Williams dated him for a while in 1964. She says their "courtship was not some bizarre story. It was very sweet and Elvis was the perfect gentleman."Lisanti 2003, p.207
Priscilla Beaulieu Presley had stayed with Presley during the 1960s (they had first met in Germany, when she was only fourteen). They married on May 1, 1967, in Las Vegas. A daughter, Lisa Marie, was born nine months later. Even Priscilla has claimed that the singer was not overly active sexually during their five-year marriage.Presley, Elvis and Me.
By 1967, Colonel Tom Parker had negotiated a contract that gave him 50% of Presley\'s earnings. Much has been written about the suspect nature of Parker\'s business practices. His dubious origins and gambling addictions in particular—and the subsequent need to keep Presley \'commercial\'—may well have adversely affected the course of Presley\'s career.t It has been claimed that Presley\'s original band was fired because Parker wanted to isolate the singer from anyone who might offer him a better management deal.Dickerson, Colonel Tom Parker: The Curious Life of Elvis Presley\'s Eccentric Manager
Marty Lacker, one of a coterie of Presley\'s trusted friends known as the "Memphis Mafia", regarded Colonel Parker as a "hustler and scam artist" who abused Presley\'s trust, but Lacker acknowledged that Parker was a master promoter.Nash, Lacker, Fike and Smith, Elvis Aron Presley: Revelations from the Memphis Mafia Priscilla Presley noted that "Elvis detested the business side of his career. He would sign a contract without even reading it."Presley, Elvis and Me Interestingly, Presley personally didn\'t like several songs he had to sing. Jerry Schilling, another Memphis Mafia member, relates that one way to arouse the wrath of the singer was to play one of his own recordings at his parties. "Get that crap off," was his reaction on one occasion when someone played "All Shook Up" on a jukebox. "There was no doubt he was really angry." Schilling thinks that Presley "lived with his music outside of the house—he didn\'t need to hear it while he was trying to relax in his own basement."Schilling, Jerry (2006-07-10). "Why I Wrote Me And A Guy Named Elvis". elvis.com.au. Retrieved on 2007-10-23.
Presley\'s father distrusted the members of the "Memphis Mafia"; he thought they collectively exercised an unhealthy influence over his son.Humphries, p.79 "[I]t was no wonder" that as the singer "slid into addiction and torpor, no one raised the alarm: to them, Elvis was the bank, and it had to remain open."Harris, John (March 27, 2006). "Talking about Graceland". The Guardian. Musician Tony Brown noted the urgent need to reverse Presley\'s declining health as the singer toured in the mid-1970s. "But we all knew it was hopeless because Elvis was surrounded by that little circle of people... all those so-called friends and... bodyguards."Clayton and Heard, p.339
Larry Geller became Presley\'s hairdresser in 1964. Unlike Presley\'s generally down-to-earth buddies, Geller was interested in \'spiritual studies\'.Guralnick 1999, p.173 From their first conversation, Geller recalls how Presley revealed his secret thoughts and anxieties, how "there\'s got to be a reason... why I was chosen to be Elvis Presley.\'" He then poured out his heart in "an almost painful rush of words and emotions," telling Geller about his mother and the hollowness of his Hollywood life, things he could not share with anyone around him. Thereafter, Presley voraciously read books Geller supplied, on religion and mysticism. Perhaps most tellingly, he revealed to Geller: "I swear to God, no one knows how lonely I get and how empty I really feel."Guralnick 1999, p.174 and in passim Presley would be preoccupied by such matters for much of his life, taking trunkloads of books with him on tour.
In 1969, record producer Chips Moman of American Studios, Memphis, was particularly critical of the song choices and staff of Hill and Range, Presley\'s main music publisher. Moman could only get the best out of Presley when he got the "aggravating" publishing personnel out of the studio.Clayton and Heard, p.265 RCA Victor executive Joan Deary was later full of praise for the superior results of Moman\'s work but despite this, no producer was to override Hill and Range\'s control again.Clayton and Heard, p.267
By mid-1968, Presley\'s recording career was floundering; he had become deeply unhappy with his career.Guralnick 1999, p.171 In the summer, he made a Christmas telecast on NBC. Later dubbed the \'68 Comeback Special, and airing on December 3, 1968, the show featured lavishly staged productions, but also saw Elvis clad in black leather, performing live in an uninhibited style reminiscent of his rock and roll days. Rolling Stone called it "a performance of emotional grandeur and historical resonance." Its success was helped by director and co-producer, Steve Binder, who worked hard to reassure the nervous singerBinder, Steve (2005-07-08). "Interview with Steve Binder, director of Elvis\' 68 Comeback Special". elvis.com.au. Retrieved on 2007-10-19.n and to produce a show that was not just an hour of Christmas songs, as Col. Parker had originally planned.Guralnick 1999, p.293Binder, Steve (Aired: August 14, 2007). "Comeback Special". BBC Radio Two.w
Buoyed by the experience, Presley engaged in the prolific series of recording sessions at American Studios, which lead to the acclaimed From Elvis in Memphis (Chips Moman was its uncredited producer).Jorgensen, p.281 It was followed by From Memphis To Vegas/From Vegas To Memphis, a double-album.
The same sessions lead to the hit singles "In the Ghetto", "Suspicious Minds", "Kentucky Rain" and "Don\'t Cry Daddy".
In 1969, Presley made record-breaking appearances in Las Vegas.Cook, p.39x He then toured across the U.S. up to his death, with many of the 1,145 concerts setting venue attendance records. He also had hit singles in many countries. Presley\'s song repertoire was criticized, indicating he was still distant from trends within contemporary music.(Aired: August 7, 2002). "How Big Was The King? Elvis Presley\'s Legacy, 25 Years After His Death." CBS News.
On December 21, 1970, Presley met with President Richard Nixon at the White House (Presley arrived with a gift—a handgun. It was accepted but not presented for security reasons). Presley was somewhat bizarrely wanting to express his patriotism, his contempt for the hippie drug culture and his wish to be appointed a "Federal Agent at Large". He also wished to obtain a Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs badge to add to similar items he had begun collecting. He offered to "infiltrate hippie groups" and claimed that The Beatles had "made their money, then gone back to England where they fomented anti-American feeling."Guralnick 1999, p.420 Nixon was uncertain and bemused by their encounter, and twice expressed concern that Presley needed to "retain his credibility".Guralnick 1999, in passim
MGM filmed him in Las Vegas for a 1970 documentary: Elvis: That’s The Way It Is. As he toured, more gold record awards followed. MGM filmed other shows for Elvis On Tour, which won a Golden Globe for Best Documentary, 1972. A fourteen-date tour started with an unprecedented four consecutive sold-out shows at Madison Square Garden, New York. After the tour, Presley released the 1972 single "Burning Love"—his last top ten hit in the U.S. charts.
In 1973, Presley had two January shows in Hawaii. The second was broadcast live, globally. The "Aloha from Hawaii" concert was the first satellite broadcast, reaching at least a billion viewers. The show\'s album went to number one and spent a year in the charts.
Off stage, Presley had continuing problems. In spite of his own infidelity, Presley was furious that Priscilla was having an affair with a mutual acquaintance—Mike Stone, a karate instructor. He raged obsessively: "There\'s too much pain in me... Stone [must] die."Guralnick 1999, p.489 A bodyguard, Red West, felt compelled to get a price for a contract killing and was relieved when Presley decided: "Aw hell... Maybe it\'s a bit heavy..."Guralnick 1999, p.490 The Presleys separated on February 23, 1972, agreeing to share custody of their daughter.
Elvis meets U.S. President Richard Nixon in the White House Oval Office, December 21, 1970
After his divorce in 1973, Presley became increasingly isolated and overweight, with prescription drugs affecting his health, mood and his stage act.(August 11 2002). "Elvis Special: Doctor Feelgood". The Observer. Reprinted in Guardian Unlimited. Retrieved on 2007-10-12.v Despite this, his "thundering" live version of "How Great Thou Art" won him a Grammy award in 1974Jorgensen, p.381 and he continued to play to sell-out crowds. A 1975 tour ended with a concert in Michigan, attended by over 62,000 fans.
By now Presley had "no motivation to lose his extra poundage... he became self-conscious... his self-confidence before the audience declined. Now Elvis was overweight. Headlines such as \'Elvis Battles Middle Age\' and \'Time Makes Listless Machine of Elvis\' were not uncommon."Roy, p.70 According to Marjorie Garber, when Presley made his later appearances in Las Vegas, he appeared "heavier, in pancake makeup... with an elaborate jeweled belt and cape, crooning pop songs to a microphone ... [He] had become Liberace. Even his fans were now middle-aged matrons and blue-haired grandmothers, who praised him as a good son who loved his mother; Mother\'s Day became a special holiday for Elvis\' fans."Garber, Vested Interests: Cross-Dressing & Cultural Anxiety (1992), p.380
Almost throughout the 1970s, RCA Victor had been increasingly concerned about making money from Presley material: they often had to rely on live recordings because of problems getting him to attend studio sessions. RCA Victor\'s mobile studio was occasionally sent to Graceland in the hope of capturing an inspired vocal performance. Once in a studio, he could lack interest or be easily distracted; often this was linked to his health and drug problems.
Presley\'s decline continued. A journalist recalled: "Elvis Presley had become a grotesque caricature of his sleek, energetic former self... he was barely able to pull himself through his abbreviated concerts."Scherman, T. (August 16 2006). "Elvis Dies". American Heritage. In Alexandria, Louisiana, the singer was on stage for less than an hour and "was impossible to understand."Guralnick 1999, p.628 In Baton Rouge, Presley failed to appear. He was unable to get out of his hotel bed, and the rest of the tour was cancelled.
According to Guralnick, fans "were becoming increasingly voluble about their disappointment, but it all seemed to go right past Elvis, whose world was now confined almost entirely to his room and his [spiritualism] books."Guralnick 1999, p.634 In Knoxville, Tennessee on May 20, "there was no longer any pretense of keeping up appearances... The idea was simply to get Elvis out on stage and keep him upright for the hour he was scheduled to perform."Guralnick 1999, p.634 Thereafter, Presley struggled through every show. Despite his obvious problems, shows in Omaha, Nebraska and Rapid City, South Dakota were recorded for an album and a CBS-TV special: Elvis In Concert.Guralnick 1999, pp.637-8
In Rapid City, "he was so nervous on stage that he could hardly talk... He was undoubtedly painfully aware of how he looked, and he knew that in his condition, he could not perform any significant movement A cousin, Billy Smith, recalled how Presley would sit in his room and chat, recounting things like his favourite Monty Python sketches and past japes, but "mostly there was a grim obsessiveness... a paranoia about people, germs... future events", that reminded Smith of Howard Hughes.Guralnick 1999, p.642
Elvis Presley\'s final resting place at Graceland
A book was published—the first exposé to detail Presley\'s years of drug misuse.West, West and Hebler, Elvis: What Happened Written with input from three of Presley\'s "Memphis Mafia", the book was the authors\' revenge for them being sacked and a plea to get Presley to face up to reality.Review of Medical Report. ElvisPresleyNews.com. Retrieved 2007-10-12. The singer "was devastated by the book. Here were his close friends who had written serious stuff that would affect his life. He felt betrayed."Patterson, Nigel (2003-01-30). David Stanley interview. Elvis Information Network (EIN). Retrieved on 2007-10-12.
Presley\'s final performance was in Indianapolis at the Market Square Arena, on June 26, 1977.
Another tour was scheduled to begin August 17, 1977, but at Graceland the day before, Presley was found on the floor of his bathroom by fiancée, Ginger Alden. According to the medical investigator, Presley had "stumbled or crawled several feet before he died."Guralnick 1999, p.651y He was officially pronounced dead at 3:30 pm at the Baptist Memorial Hospital.
At his funeral, hundreds of thousands of fans, the press and celebrities line the streets and many hoped to see the open casket in Graceland. Among the mourners were Ann-Margret (who had remained close to Presley) and his ex-wife.Clayton and Heard, p.394.z U.S. President Jimmy Carter issued a statement.Woolley, John T.; Gerhard Peters. "Jimmy Carter: Death of Elvis Presley Statement by the President". The American Presidency Project. Santa Barbara, CA:University of California (Hosted). Retrieved on 2007-10-12.
Presley was buried at Forest Hill Cemetery, Memphis, next to his mother. After an attempt to steal the body, his—and his mother\'s—remains were reburied at Graceland in the Meditation Gardens.
Presley had developed many health problems, some of them chronic. Baden and Hennessee, p.35 "Elvis had an enlarged heart for a long time. That, together with his drug habit, caused his death. But he was difficult to diagnose; it was a judgment call." Presley first took drugs in the army, taking amphetamines to stay awake, though there are claims that pills of some form were first given to him by Memphis DJ Dewey Phillips.Goldman, Albert, Elvis: The Last 24 Hours, p. 9 In Elvis and Me, Priscilla Presley writes that by 1962, he was taking placidyls to combat severe insomnia in ever-increasing doses and later took Dexedrine to counter the sleeping pills\' after-effects. She later saw "problems in Elvis\' life, all magnified by taking prescribed drugs." Presley\'s physician, Dr. George C. Nichopoulos, has said: "[Elvis] felt that by getting [pills] from a doctor, he wasn\'t the common everyday junkie getting something off the street. He... thought that as far as medications and drugs went, there was something for everything."
According to Guralnick: "[D]rug use was heavily implicated... no one ruled out the possibility of anaphylactic shock brought on by the codeine pills...to which he was known to have had a mild allergy." In two lab reports filed two months later, each indicated "a strong belief that the primary cause of death was polypharmacy," with one report "indicating the detection of fourteen drugs in Elvis\' system, ten in significant quantity."Guralnick, p.652
The medical profession has been seriously questioned. Medical Examiner Dr. Jerry Francisco had offered a cause of death while the autopsy was still being performed and before toxicology results were known. Dr. Francisco dubiously stated that cardiac arrhythmia was the cause of death, a condition that can only be determined in a living person—not post mortem."Coverup for a King". Court TV Crime Library. Retrieved 2007-10-12. Many doctors had been flattered to be associated with Presley (or had been bribed with gifts) and supplied him with pills which simply fed his addictions.Clayton and Heard, p.336 The singer allegedly spent at least $1 million per year on drugs and doctors\' fees or inducements.Goldman, Albert, Elvis: The Last 24 Hours, p. 56 Although Dr. Nichopoulos was exonerated with regard to Presley\'s death, "In the first eight months of 1977 alone, he had [prescribed] more than 10,000 doses of sedatives, amphetamines, and narcotics: all in Elvis\' name. On January 20 1980, the board found [against] him... but decided that he was not unethical [because he claimed he\'d been trying to wean the singer off the drugs]." His license was suspended. In July 1995, it was permanently revoked after it was found he had improperly dispensed drugs to several patients.
In 1994, the autopsy into Presley\'s death was re-opened. Coroner Dr. Joseph Davis declared: "There is nothing in any of the data that supports a death from drugs [i.e. drug overdose]. In fact, everything points to a sudden, violent heart attack." However, there is little doubt that long-term drug misuse caused his premature death.
Elvis Presley\'s death deprives our country of a part of itself. He was unique and irreplaceable. More than 20 years ago, he burst upon the scene with an impact that was unprecedented and will probably never be equaled. His music and his personality, fusing the styles of white country and black rhythm and blues, permanently changed the face of American popular culture. His following was immense, and he was a symbol to people the world over of the vitality, rebelliousness, and good humor of his country.– President Jimmy Carter, 1977-08-17
Author Samuel Roy has written: "Elvis\' death did occur at a time when it could only help his reputation. Just before his death, Elvis had been forgotten by society."Roy, p.173
Biographer Ernst Jorgensen has observed that when Presley died, it was as if all perspective on his musical career had been lost.Jorgensen, p.4 His latter-day song choices had been seen as poor; many who disliked Presley had long been dismissive because he did not write his own songs. Others complained—incorrectly—that he could not play musical instruments. Such criticism of Presley continues.Sinclair, Tom (August 9 2002). "Elvis Presley is overrated". CNN.com. Retrieved 2007-10-12.Cook, p.20aa The tabloids had ridiculed his obesity and his kitschy, jump-suited performances. His film career was mocked. (In 1980, John Lennon said: "[Elvis] died when he went into the army. That\'s when they killed him, that\'s when they castrated him.") Acknowledgment of his vocal style had been reduced to mocking the hiccuping, vocalese tricks that he had used on some early recordings—and the way he said "Thankyouverymuch" after songs during live shows.Associated Press (2002-08-07). How big was the king? CBS News. Retrieved 2007-10-18. This was only countered by the uncritical adulation of die-hard fans, who had even denied that he looked "fat" before he died.Wall, David S. (2003). "Policing Elvis: legal action and the shaping of post-mortem celebrity culture as contested space" (PDF). Entertainment Law, 2 (3): pp.35-69. doi:10.1080/1473098042000275774. Retrieved on 2007-10-18.ab Any wish to understand Elvis Presley—his genuine abilities and his real influence—"seemed almost totally obscured."Jorgensen, p.4
However, in the late 1960s, composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein had remarked: "Elvis is the greatest cultural force in the twentieth century. He introduced the beat to everything, music, language, clothes, it\'s a whole new social revolution... the 60\'s comes from it."Khurana, Simran. "Quotes about Elvis". About.com. Retrieved on 2007-10-18.
It has been claimed that his early music and live performances helped to lay a commercial foundation which allowed other established performers of the 1950s to be recognised. African American acts, like Fats Domino, Chuck Berry and Little Richard, came to national prominence after Presley\'s acceptance among White American teenagers.Associated Press (2002-08-07). How big was the king? CBS News. Retrieved 2007-10-18.ac Little Richard commented: "He was an integrator, Elvis was a blessing. They wouldn\'t let black music through. He opened the door for black music." It has also been claimed that Presley\'s sound and persona helped to relax the rigid color line and thereby fed the fires of the civil rights movement.Bertrand, Race, Rock, and Elvis
Presley\'s recorded voice is seen by many as his enduring legacy. Henry Pleasants writes: "Elvis Presley has been described variously as a baritone and a tenor. An extraordinary compass... and a very wide range of vocal color have something to do with this divergence of opinion. The voice covers two octaves and a third... Moreover, he has not been confined to one type of vocal production. In ballads and country songs he belts out full-voiced high G\'s and A\'s that an opera baritone might envy. He is a naturally assimilative stylist with a multiplicity of voices—in fact, Elvis\' is an extraordinary voice, or many voices."WikiQuote: Elvis Presleyad
Gospel tenor Shawn Nielsen, who sang backing vocals for Presley, said: "He could sing anything. I\'ve never seen such versatility... He had such great soul. He had the ability to make everyone in the audience think that he was singing directly to them. He just had a way with communication that was totally unique."ae
Other celebrated pop and rock musicians have acknowledged that the young Presley inspired them. The Beatles were all big Presley fans."Elvis
