Elvis Presley changed the music world as they knew it back in the 50’s he came out with a wild new style unlike any other. Even to this day if you hear Elvis’ name you automatically think of his signature style or as the king of rock and roll. Hound Dog was controversial for it’s time and made extra controversial by Elvis’ moves and how the ladies would swoon and storm the stage to see him. Presley was so ahead of his time that most adults didn’t because of his so-called vulgar ways but the younger generation went crazy for Elvis and his new style of blues meets country hence creating rock and becoming the king. Elvis was born in 1935 in Mississippi, he was supposed to be a twin but his brother was stillborn. He grew up an only child. In 1948 the Presleys moved to Memphis, where in his high school days would hang around Beale Street where B.B. King was known to perform at, drawn into the music style of the blues. After graduating in 1953, he planned out his normal life of becoming a truck driver, and in his spare time recorded a couple songs at a recording service Sam Phillips started up that anyone could record a song for four dollars. Upon going back to the studio he met Sam Phillips who …show more content…
Over 40,000,000 viewers tuned in to hear his R&B meets rock and roll song with his hip thrusts and pelvis shakes and the people lost it. You were either with him or against him, the teenage girls went wild over his moves while the church and elders thought he was everything they feared of the future, sexual, wild and rebellious. In the world facing such bigger issues with the cold war going on and the rise of communism it was easy to listen to Presley’s happy-go-lucky rock music and find an escape from the harsh realities of the world. It goes along with the normalcy bias that society ignores bigger issues in light that they rather not accept the fact that it is happening and deal with
Stated by, (Rolling Stone 4), “Elvis Presley was an international sensation by 1956; at that time Elvis was known as “The King of Rock and Roll”. Presley was Rock and Rolls first real star. He was a hip-shacking symbol for American in the 1950s. Elvis sang everything from Blues laced with country and country laced with gospel. He brought music together from both sides of the color line and performed with a natural sexuality, which made him a teen idol and role model. Many parents said he was vulgar, incompetent, and was a bad influence on their
Elvis did more to break down the racial barriers separating the whites and blacks in this country than most people will ever realize. That is one reason there was so much resistance to his music in the 50's and 60's and why it remains so popular today. This is not an overstatement. Presley brought music that had previously been played and enjoyed by minorities to the forefront. When people discovered they had music in common, they could talk about that subject and enjoy it together. Then conversations were started on other interests and a
All-in-all Elvis’s career was long and productive. He has sold more records then anyone else ever has. He had many gold and multi-platinum records. Starred in many movies and made a lot of television appearances. Elvis has made his imprint on the American history in many ways. He will always be remembered as “The King”. Almost everyone in the Rock And Roll industry owe their careers to Elvis Aaron Pressley.
Presley grew up in an era where racism was strong; his music brought all races together. His music had Caucasians singing black R&B despite the racism. Teenage girls all over the world would go hysterical over Elvis and his crude moves. Elvis received one of his nicknames “Elvis the Pelvis” with his sexual moves that could not be recorded on television. 1955 and 1956 was when Presley exploded in his musical careers with his single “Heartbreak Hotel” which sold over one million copies. As I listened to this single that sold so many copies I can hear the different genres and the way his voice was so different compared to other artist in this era. The main instrument being played in this single is a guitar. There is actually a hotel named after Elvis’s first hit single. It is located in Memphis, Tennessee. Unfortunately, the hit song was inspired behind a suicide note that one of Pre...
Elvis was born to Gladys and Vernon Presley, a farming family in Mississippi, on January 8, 1935. Originally Elvis Aron Presley was a twin, however, his brother Jesse died after birth (Austin 1994). A close knit family, Elvis and his family attended the Assembly of God Church where his love of music started to blossom (EPE 2014). Growing up his family had many financial struggles. Despite this, at age eleven, Elvis received his first instrument, a guitar. Shortly after, Vernon Presley struggled to hold down a job in Mississippi. He made the decisive decision to uproot the family to Memphis, Tennessee (Hirshberg 1995).
Like Martin Luther King Jr. said, “We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.” In the 1950’s the South was heavily racially segregated. Elvis Presley unintentionally put himself in the position to become a valuable instrument in the battle against segregation. “Without casting himself as a fighter for racial equality, Elvis became a subversive standard bearer for cultural desegregation at a time when the codified racism of the South was under increasing pressure.” How did an uneducated white hillbilly from the south influence both black and white teenagers against segregation? It was quite simple, for Elvis Presley had a unique talent of combining traditional black music; such as the blues and jazz, with the traditional white music; like country and white gospel. This unique style of blending different types of music, gave Elvis the edge on the musical racial barriers America was facing; and open the path for both sides to enjoy the music together and therefore desegregated.
On January 8th, 1935 in Tupelo, Mississippi, the “King of Rock and Roll” was born. His name was Elvis Presley. He was the son of Vernon Presley who was a truck driver, and his mother was Gladys, a sewing machine operator. He had a twin brother named Jesse, but he was still born, leaving Elvis to grow up as an only child. His father was hardly around, and he was imprisoned for three years for forgery. Surrounding him as a child though, was the gospel music of the Pentecost church, where his love for music first took roots in his heart. In the fifth grade his teacher Oletta Grimes asked Elvis to participate in the talent contest on Children’s Day at the Mississippi – Alabama Fair and Dairy Show. At age ten, he donned his cowboy hat and slipped into a cowboy suit to sing in the talent show, but he was in need of a chair in order to reach the microphone. He sang his personal rendition of Red Foley’s “Old Shep”; it won him a second prize and a free ticket for all the numerous rides in the park. His following Birthday, he received his first guitar from the Tupelo Hardware Store and took lessons from his dad’s brother. In 1948 his family picked up their life and moved to Memphis, Tennessee. It was there that he was exposed to the rhythmic sound of the blues, as well as Jazz on Beale Street, where he grew up...
Elvis Aron Presley was born into a poor farming family in Mississippi on January 8, 1935. Originally a twin, Elvis’ brother Jesse died right after birth (Austin, 1994). Growing up, Elvis had a close relationship with his family; they regularly attended church where his love of music started to blossom (EPE, 2014). Despite his family’s financial struggles, at age eleven, Elvis received his first instrument, a guitar. Shortly after, Vernon Presley, Elvis’ father, struggled to hold down a job in Mississippi. He made the decisive decision to uproot the family to Memphis, Tennessee (Hirshberg, 1995).
The rhythm and blues that Presley listened to throughout his years, whether in church or on the streets of Memphis, became a part of the way he sang and played. Taking the fundamentals of rhythm-and-blues, giving it a sense of speed, and with a voice full of passion, he popularized this genre of music. With his style of music and stirring performances in concerts, he was a role model for many who would eventually become musicians themselves. With his music that included both white and black-created influences, and his movement when singing, he gathered a multitude of fans and spread rock and roll across America. Elvis Presley changed the way music is today. He gave musicians a more sped up rhythm and exciting motion that intrigued an entirely different generation of fans. Without him, the music that millions listen to today could be vastly or slightly different, but it still would not be exactly what it is
Elvis was the only solo person to be inducted into rock and roll, country, and gospel hall of fames another is he featured in 31 films. He was obviously very influential in this hard time for America, bringing blacks and whites closer also showing that not only can anyone serve in the army, but even stars go and serve too, also that it is nice to give back what you get and he for sure did that by all his donations to his charities. Not only was he influential, he was also very successful, he lived the American dream serving his country not only in the army but also emotionally and spiritually through his very uplifting music. Elvis Presley was unarguably one of the top 100 most influential people in America with these points and many others can just be the proof of that. Elvis Presley not only was influential to the people during that time but now he also changed the music culture and made it the amazing music we have in the modern
In the 1950’s, segregation was a popular lifestyle within the United States. Segregation was the separation between the blacks and whites. Most black people were discriminated against just by the color of their skin, but with the help of Elvis Presley’s music he helped break those barriers between the white and black communities. Presley exposed the new generation of white Americans to the culture of African Americans. Demonstrating in which the ways they were treated and especially the difference in the style of music they listen to. African American music was how they communicated which each other because only the blacks could understand the meaning behind each melody sung. With this, Elvis Presley made an entirely new generation with his music and pelvic thrusting dance moves. Presley was considered one of the most significant figures of Rock and roll changing the entertainment industry completely, making Elvis Presley the American Dream.
Through Elvis Presley, rock ‘n’ roll changed the face of American music, and influenced a whole generation’s political philosophy. Composer Leonard Berstein once said, “He introduced the beat to everything and changed everything-music, language, clothes; it’s a whole new social revolution-the 60s come from it” (Wattenberg 6B). To his credit, Elvis embraced rhythm and blues not as a from to be imitated, but as a form to honored and interprete... ...
The history of the twentieth century would not be complete without mentioning the impeccable influence of one of the best and biggest singers of all time. But before he started making his indelible mark in the sands of time, he started out from very humble beginnings, under the care of his loving, working class parents. Elvis Aaron Presley was born January 8, 1935, in Tupelo, Mississippi to Gladys and Vernon Presley. Although, Presley was supposed to be a twin, his supposed twin brother, Jesse Garon, sometimes spelled Jessie was stillborn. Elvis Aaron Presley was an incredible American Singer, Musician and Actor with inspirational quotes such as this “Fingerprints are like values; you leave them all over everything you do.”
Elvis Presley was a well-known man and loved by many people. Based on http://www.brainpickings.org/2013/04/11/elvis-presley-teens-consumer-culture/Elvis Just like Muddy Waters, Presley timing was perfect as well. He came into and era (1950s) where the devastations of the great depression and world wars were over. People were now starting to have some freedom and enjoy the thing they loved which was listening to music and living life to the fullest. The social change that the 50s brought reflected music significantly, and Elvis Presley arose.. Kids were now starting to rebel against their parents and they had a lot of extra money to spend on records because of prosperity. During the Wars, money was limited and kids and adults had to work extra hard and save for survival purposes, but once the war-ended money could be used for pleasure reasons rather than just for survival. In addition, in the 50s our country had it’s own war, and I’m not talking about the World Wars, but yet human inequality. The civil rights movement was one of the biggest social changes in history and was a time where a lot of great artist prevailed and made songs on the issue. Elvis Presley showed just how social changes could influence or reflect the history of rock “n” roll. Presley started a culture, his hairstyle, the way he dressed all became part of the youth around the country. As I said our country was fighting its own war with segregation, Elvis music help bring people together. His music not on appealed white crowds, but black crowds listened to him as well. He brought people together through music, and proved to the world that he could be successful. He was one of the artist that mastered crossover, bringing every color to liking his music. Based on Larson fourth edition pg 38, it says that his record sales boomed, and then rock “n”
Elvis on the other hand was born into a poor family. His father was a tobacco picker, who was once imprisoned for cashing a fake check. His mother made sure that he was well exposed to gospel music and religion. He performed the ballad “Old Shep” in which he won the singing contest when he was only 10 years old, and on his 11th birthday, they bought him a guitar as his present. With the guitar, he was able to play two songs as a gift to his mother. With his hard work, he was able to come up with “Love Me Tender”, which was his first movie and from there, his fame begun (Clayton 23). Elvis rose from nothing, from a poor family to being a successful star and the king of rock and roll, which lead to his downfall.