Elvis Presley's Influence on American Culture

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Elvis Presley is one of the biggest names in rock and roll. Singer, musician and actor he was an American icon. He is best known as the King of Rock and Roll. His musical influence included the country and pop music of the time, the gospel music he sang in church and the black R&B music he listened to as a teenager (Comprehensive History of Elvis Presley’s Dynamic Life). Elvis has influenced American culture not only while he was living but also in today’s 21st century. It wasn’t easy for him to be accepted; in fact many adults and the older generations of his time were appalled by his performances and his music. In time though, people were able to accept him and he became well-known all over the world. Even after his death Americans are still influenced by his music. Presley had some of the most unforgettable and also unpredictable singles in of the 1950s and 60s (Comprehensive History of Elvis Presley’s Dynamic Life). According to the New York Times article “25 Years Later, Elvis Rolls On,” written by Jon Pareles (2002), Elvis didn’t invent rock and roll but he was the one who made the music larger than life. He set off rock n roll’s conquest of popular culture, enlarging his views of country and blues, pop and gospel with star presence and a jolt of sexuality (Pareles, 2002).

On January 8, 1935 Elvis Aron Presley was born in Tupelo, Mississippi to Vernon and Gladys Presley. He later changed the spelling of his middle name to Aaron using the biblical form (biography.com). According to the article Elvis Aron Presley found in Academic OneFile, his twin brother, Jesse Garon Presley, died shortly after birth, and Elvis grew up to be an only child. Presley grew up surrounded by gospel music of the Pentecostal church (Rock and Rol...

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...eth century popular culture (Comprehensive History of Elvis Presley’s Dynamic Life).

References

Elvis Presley. (2011). Biography.com. Retrieved from http://www.biography.com/people/elvis-presley-9446466

Elvis Presley biography: Elvis Australia. (2004, January 8). Comprehensive history of Elvis Presley’s dynamic life. Retrieved from http://biography.elvis.com.au/

Pareles, J. (2002, August 16). 25 years later, Elvis rolls on. New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com

Presley, Elvis Aaron. (1998). In Academic OneFile. Retrieved from Academic OneFile

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. (n.d.). Elvis Presley biography. Retrieved from http://rockhall.com/inductees/elvis-presley/bio/

Sewlall, H. (2010). Image, music, text: Elvis Presley as a postmodern, semiotic construct. Journal of Literary Studies. Retrieved from Academic OneFile

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