126-643: The Parkes Elvis Festival is an annual event celebrating the music and the legend of Elvis Presley held in early January in the Australian New South Wales regional town of Parkes . The first festival in 1993 was simply a one night performance attracting 300 attendees. From then, it has grown to become a five-day-long festival of all things Elvis. The Festival now offers more than 200 events for fans to shake, rattle and roll their way around and continues to attract more than 25,000 people to Parkes. The first Parkes Elvis Festival, held in 1992,
252-538: A cover of Carl Perkins ' rockabilly anthem " Blue Suede Shoes ". In February, Presley's " I Forgot to Remember to Forget ", a Sun recording released the previous August, reached the top of the Billboard country chart . Neal's contract was terminated and Parker became Presley's manager. RCA Victor released Presley's self-titled debut album on March 23. Joined by five previously unreleased Sun recordings, its seven recently recorded tracks included two country songs,
378-772: A jury-rigged echo effect that Sam Phillips dubbed "slapback". A single was pressed with "That's All Right" on the A-side and "Blue Moon of Kentucky" on the reverse. The trio played publicly for the first time at the Bon Air club on July 17, 1954. Later that month, they appeared at the Overton Park Shell , with Slim Whitman headlining. Here Elvis pioneered " Rubber Legs ", his signature dance movement. A combination of his strong response to rhythm and nervousness led Presley to shake his legs as he performed: His wide-cut pants emphasized his movements, causing young women in
504-588: A "striking" resemblance to Elvis was displayed ahead of an intended auction. A spokesman for the auctioneers said that fans could "be forgiven for thinking that their idol may well have lived a previous life in Rome." Presley made a large enough impact on society that traditions are carried on to remember him to this day. A candle lighting is held in Memphis, Tennessee, at his Graceland Estate each year on August 15 in his honor. Also, singers that worked with Presley hold
630-519: A 1946 blues number, Arthur Crudup's " That's All Right ". Moore recalled, "All of a sudden, Elvis just started singing this song, jumping around and acting the fool, and then Bill picked up his bass, and he started acting the fool, too, and I started playing with them." Phillips quickly began taping; this was the sound he had been looking for. Three days later, popular Memphis disc jockey Dewey Phillips (no relation to Sam Phillips) played "That's All Right" on his Red, Hot, and Blue show. Listener interest
756-499: A C in music in eighth grade. When his music teacher said he had no aptitude for singing, he brought in his guitar and sang a recent hit, "Keep Them Cold Icy Fingers Off Me". He was usually too shy to perform openly and was occasionally bullied by classmates for being a " mama's boy ". In 1950, Presley began practicing guitar under the tutelage of Lee Denson , a neighbor. They and three other boys, including two future rockabilly pioneers, brothers Dorsey and Johnny Burnette —formed
882-487: A billion worldwide. He was commercially successful in many genres, including pop , country, rockabilly, rhythm and blues, adult contemporary , and gospel . He won three Grammy Awards , received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award at age 36, and has been inducted into multiple music halls of fame . He holds several records, including the most RIAA -certified gold and platinum albums,
1008-453: A bouncy pop tune, and what would centrally define the evolving sound of rock and roll : "Blue Suede Shoes"—"an improvement over Perkins' in almost every way", according to critic Robert Hilburn —and three R&B numbers that had been part of Presley's stage repertoire, covers of Little Richard , Ray Charles , and The Drifters . As described by Hilburn, these were the most revealing of all. Unlike many white artists ... who watered down
1134-475: A century later, historian Ian Brailsford ( University of Auckland , New Zealand ) commented, "The phenomenal success of Elvis Presley in 1956 convinced many doubters of the financial opportunities existing in the youth market." In spite of the facts that Nat King Cole had the #7 song in 1959, and the #1 song in 1961, and Chuck Berry had a major hit with " Maybellene " in 1955, in the United States in
1260-678: A champagne party", a Newsweek critic wrote. Amid his Vegas tenure, Presley, who had acting ambitions, signed a seven-year contract with Paramount Pictures . He began a tour of the Midwest in mid-May, covering fifteen cities in as many days. He had attended several shows by Freddie Bell and the Bellboys in Vegas and was struck by their cover of " Hound Dog ", a hit in 1953 for blues singer Big Mama Thornton by songwriters Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller . It became his new closing number. After
1386-626: A dance venue in Memphis. When Presley played, teenagers rushed from the pool to fill the club, then left again as the house western swing band resumed. Presley quickly grew more confident on stage. According to Moore, "His movement was a natural thing, but he was also very conscious of what got a reaction. He'd do something one time and then he would expand on it real quick." Amid these live performances, Presley returned to Sun studio for more recording sessions. Presley made what would be his only appearance on Nashville 's Grand Ole Opry on October 2; Opry manager Jim Denny told Phillips that his singer
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#17327879618471512-461: A local vocal quartet, the Songfellows, and another for the band of Eddie Bond . Phillips, meanwhile, was always on the lookout for someone who could bring to a broader audience the sound of the black musicians on whom Sun focused. In June, he acquired a demo recording by Jimmy Sweeney of a ballad, "Without You", that he thought might suit Presley. The teenaged singer came by the studio but
1638-536: A loose musical collective. During his junior year, Presley began to stand out among his classmates, largely because of his appearance: he grew his sideburns and styled his hair. He would head down to Beale Street , the heart of Memphis' thriving blues scene, and admire the wild, flashy clothes at Lansky Brothers . By his senior year, he was wearing those clothes. He competed in Humes' Annual "Minstrel" Show in 1953, singing and playing " Till I Waltz Again with You ",
1764-536: A lot of demand for his records from young people aged ten and up. Along with Presley's " ducktail " haircut, the demand for black slacks and loose, open-necked shirts resulted in new lines of clothing for teenage boys, whereas a girl might get a pink portable 45 rpm record player for her bedroom. Meanwhile, American teenagers began buying newly available portable transistor radios and listening to rock and roll on them, helping to propel that fledgling industry from an estimated 100,000 units sold in 1955 to 5,000,000 units by
1890-651: A lot to him. [He] was very surprised to hear him talk about the black performers down there and about how he tried to carry on their music." Later that year in Charlotte, North Carolina , Presley was quoted as saying: "The colored folks been singing it and playing it just like I'm doin' now, man, for more years than I know. They played it like that in their shanties and in their juke joints and nobody paid it no mind 'til I goosed it up. I got it from them. Down in Tupelo, Mississippi , I used to hear old Arthur Crudup bang his box
2016-403: A minute to a basset hound wearing a top hat and bowtie. As described by television historian Jake Austen, "Allen thought Presley was talentless and absurd ... [he] set things up so that Presley would show his contrition". Allen later wrote that he found Presley's "strange, gangly, country-boy charisma, his hard-to-define cuteness, and his charming eccentricity intriguing" and worked him into
2142-414: A musicologist—and I consider myself one—there was always a great deal of respect for Elvis, especially during his Sun sessions. As a black person, we all knew that. (In fact), Eminem is the new Elvis because, number one, he had the respect for black music that Elvis had." As one writer stated on the controversy, "Music is a universal language, like mathematics and money. It knows few borders. Jazz began in
2268-418: A national celebrity. Accompanying Presley's rise to fame, a cultural shift was taking place that he both helped inspire and came to symbolize. The historian Marty Jezer wrote that Presley began the "biggest pop craze" since Glenn Miller and Frank Sinatra and brought rock and roll to mainstream culture: As Presley set the artistic pace, other artists followed. ... Presley, more than anyone else, gave
2394-399: A pair of bestselling singles, the ballads " It's Now or Never " and " Are You Lonesome Tonight? ", along with the rest of Elvis Is Back! The album features several songs described by Greil Marcus as full of Chicago blues "menace, driven by Presley's own super-miked acoustic guitar, brilliant playing by Scotty Moore, and demonic sax work from Boots Randolph . Elvis' singing wasn't sexy, it
2520-414: A pastor at the family's church. Presley recalled, "I took the guitar, and I watched people, and I learned to play a little bit. But I would never sing in public. I was very shy about it." In September 1946, Presley entered a new school, Milam, for sixth grade. The following year, he began singing and playing his guitar at school. He was often teased as a "trashy" kid who played hillbilly music . Presley
2646-770: A performing style largely associated with African Americans had led to "bitter criticism by those who feel he stole a good thing", as Tan magazine surmised. No wonder that Elvis became "a symbol of all that was oppressive to the black experience in the Western Hemisphere". In his scholarly work Race, Rock, and Elvis , Tennessee State University professor Michael T. Bertrand examined the relationship between popular culture and social change in America and these allegations against Presley. Professor Bertrand postulated that Presley's rock and roll music brought an unprecedented access to African American culture that challenged
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#17327879618472772-459: A police guard because somebody'd always try to take a crack at him." The trio became a quartet when Hayride drummer Fontana joined as a full member. In mid-October, they played a few shows in support of Bill Haley , whose " Rock Around the Clock " track had been a number-one hit the previous year. Haley observed that Presley had a natural feel for rhythm, and advised him to sing fewer ballads. At
2898-516: A popular local television show. Pressed on whether he had learned anything from the criticism of him, Presley responded, "No, I haven't... I don't see how any type of music would have any bad influence on people when it's only music. ... how would rock 'n' roll music make anyone rebel against their parents?" The next day, Presley recorded "Hound Dog", " Any Way You Want Me " and " Don't Be Cruel ". The Jordanaires sang harmony, as they had on The Steve Allen Show ; they would work with Presley through
3024-794: A recent hit for Teresa Brewer . Presley recalled that the performance did much for his reputation: I wasn't popular in school ... I failed music—only thing I ever failed. And then they entered me in this talent show ... when I came onstage, I heard people kind of rumbling and whispering and so forth, 'cause nobody knew I even sang. It was amazing how popular I became in school after that. Presley, who could not read music , played by ear and frequented record stores that provided jukeboxes and listening booths. He knew all of Hank Snow 's songs, and he loved records by other country singers such as Roy Acuff , Ernest Tubb , Ted Daffan , Jimmie Rodgers , Jimmie Davis , and Bob Wills . The Southern gospel singer Jake Hess , one of his favorite performers,
3150-549: A recording session when an engine died and the plane almost went down over Arkansas . Twelve weeks after its original release, "Heartbreak Hotel" became Presley's first number-one pop hit. In late April, Presley began a two-week residency at the New Frontier Hotel and Casino on the Las Vegas Strip . The shows were poorly received by the conservative, middle-aged hotel guests, "like a jug of corn liquor at
3276-481: A show in La Crosse, Wisconsin , an urgent message on the letterhead of the local Catholic diocese's newspaper was sent to FBI director J. Edgar Hoover . It warned that Presley is a definite danger to the security of the United States. ... [His] actions and motions were such as to rouse the sexual passions of teenaged youth. ... After the show, more than 1,000 teenagers tried to gang into Presley's room at
3402-400: A slow, grinding version accentuated with exaggerated body movements. His gyrations created a storm of controversy. Jack Gould of The New York Times wrote, Mr. Presley has no discernible singing ability. ... His phrasing, if it can be called that, consists of the stereotyped variations that go with a beginner's aria in a bathtub. ... His one specialty is an accented movement of
3528-605: A whole new style of music: "It wasn't black, wasn't white, wasn't pop or wasn't country—it was different." As most singers in his time created music geared for adults, he gave teens music to grow up with. Presley sang hard-driving rock and roll, rockabilly dance songs, and ballads , laying a commercial foundation upon which other rock musicians would build their careers. African-American performers such as Big Joe Turner , Wynonie Harris and Fats Domino came to national prominence after Presley's acceptance among mass audiences of white American adults. Singers like Jerry Lee Lewis ,
3654-483: A year's worth of Saturday-night appearances. Trading in his old guitar for $ 8, he purchased a Martin instrument for $ 175 (equivalent to $ 2,000 in 2023) and his trio began playing in new locales, including Houston , Texas, and Texarkana , Arkansas. Presley made his first television appearance on the KSLA-TV broadcast of Louisiana Hayride . Soon after, he failed an audition for Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts on
3780-474: The CBS television network. By early 1955, Presley's regular Hayride appearances, constant touring, and well-received record releases had made him a regional star. In January, Neal signed a formal management contract with Presley and brought him to the attention of Colonel Tom Parker , whom he considered the best promoter in the music business. Having successfully managed the top country star Eddy Arnold , Parker
3906-418: The best-selling Christmas album ever in the United States , with eventual sales of over 20 million worldwide. After the session, Moore and Black—drawing only modest weekly salaries, sharing in none of Presley's massive financial success—resigned, though they were brought back on a per diem basis a few weeks later. On December 20, Presley received his draft notice, though he was granted a deferment to finish
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4032-494: The "comedy fabric" of his program. Just before the final rehearsal for the show, Presley told a reporter, "I don't want to do anything to make people dislike me. I think TV is important so I'm going to go along, but I won't be able to give the kind of show I do in a personal appearance." Presley would refer back to the Allen show as the most ridiculous performance of his career. Later that night, he appeared on Hy Gardner Calling ,
4158-471: The 'grunt and groin' antics of one Elvis Presley" and the Jesuits denounced him in their weekly magazine, America . Time magazine of June 11, 1956, mockingly referred to the singer as "dreamboat Groaner Elvis ('Presley')." 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." Presley
4284-560: The 1950s legal segregation and discrimination against African Americans was common, especially in the Deep South . Presley would nevertheless publicly cite his debt to African American music, pointing to artists such as B. B. King , Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup , Ivory Joe Hunter , and Fats Domino . The reporter who conducted Presley's first interview in New York City in 1956 noted that he named blues singers who "obviously meant
4410-775: The 1950s segregated generation to reassess ingrained segregationist stereotypes. The American Historical Review wrote that the author "convincingly argues that the black-and-white character of the sound, as well as Presley's own persona, helped to relax the rigid color line and thereby fed the fires of the civil rights movement ." The U.S. government report stated: "Presley has been accused of "stealing" black rhythm and blues, but such accusations indicate little knowledge of his many musical influences ... However much Elvis may have 'borrowed' from black blues performers (e.g., 'Big Boy' Crudup, 'Big Mama' Thornton), he borrowed no less from white country stars (e.g., Ernest Tubb , Bill Monroe ) and white pop singers, and most of his borrowings came from
4536-430: The 1960s to making Hollywood films and soundtrack albums, most of them critically derided. Some of Presley's most famous films included Jailhouse Rock (1957), Blue Hawaii (1961), and Viva Las Vegas (1964). In 1968, he returned to the stage in the acclaimed NBC television comeback special Elvis , which led to an extended Las Vegas concert residency and a string of highly profitable tours. In 1973, Presley gave
4662-552: The 1960s. A few days later, Presley made an outdoor concert 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." In August, a judge in Jacksonville , Florida, ordered Presley to tame his act. Throughout the following performance, he largely kept still, except for wiggling his little finger suggestively in mockery of
4788-612: The 2008 Festival attracted in excess of 8,000 people. The 2009 Festival became the biggest yet with a huge crowd of 9,500 enjoying the Elvis festivities. The King's Castle - a collection of genuine Elvis memorabilia, was introduced in 2009 adding a new dimension to the Festival. The collection is now open year-round. The Festival attracted record crowds again with 12,000 people enjoying over 140 events across 5 days. The 2011 Festival attracted 15,000 people. There were over 150 events across
4914-551: The 5 days. The Kings Castle - a collection of genuine Elvis Memorabilia in Parkes moved to a new and improved complex allowing more visitors to see the collection. The 2012 festival started on 11 January 2012. It features a guest appearance by Australian singer Kamahl . US Elvis Tribute Artist, Donny Edwards, was the headliner for the year 2016 and he was told it was the 1st time in the festival's history that all 4 shows were sold out. The 2017 Festival ran from 11 to 15 January. It
5040-453: The Allen and Berle shows, Sullivan had opined that Presley "got some kind of device hanging down below the crotch of his pants—so when he moves his legs back and forth you can see the outline of his cock. ... I think it's a Coke bottle. ... We just can't have this on a Sunday night. This is a family show!" Sullivan publicly told TV Guide , "As for his gyrations, the whole thing can be controlled with camera shots." In fact, Presley
5166-535: The Associated Press in connection with the 25th Anniversary of Presley's death, explained how his feelings for Elvis's legacy were no longer those as originally suggested by the lyrics in "Fight The Power", a song which he had written 12 years earlier. When broadcast as a part of the NBC-produced documentary "Elvis Lives", Chuck D had the following to say about Presley: "Elvis was a brilliant artist. As
Parkes Elvis Festival - Misplaced Pages Continue
5292-455: The Beatles." During the post- WWII economic boom of the 1950s, many parents were able to give their teenage children much higher weekly allowances, signaling a shift in the buying power and purchasing habits of American teens. During the 1940s, bobby soxers had idolized Frank Sinatra , but the buyers of his records were mostly between the ages of eighteen and twenty-two. Presley triggered
5418-486: The Country Disc Jockey Convention in early November, Presley was voted the year's most promising male artist. After three major labels made offers of up to $ 25,000, Parker and Phillips struck a deal with RCA Victor on November 21 to acquire Presley's Sun contract for an unprecedented $ 40,000. Presley, aged 20, was legally still a minor, so his father signed the contract. Parker arranged with
5544-553: The Everly Brothers , Chuck Berry , Bo Diddley , Little Richard , Buddy Holly , Johnny Cash , Roy Orbison , and others immediately followed in his wake. John Lennon commented the day after the Beatles visited the singer at his home: "The only person that we wanted to meet in the United States of America was Elvis Presley. You can't imagine what a thrill that was last night. Nothing really affected me until I heard Elvis. If there hadn't been an Elvis, there wouldn't have been
5670-487: The Negro disc-jockeys didn't want anything to do with a record made by a white man. " Hillbilly singer Mississippi Slim , one of Presley's heroes, was one of the singer's fiercest critics. Phillips felt Dewey Phillips—a white DJ who did play 'black' music—would promote the new material, but many of the hundreds of listeners who contacted the station when "That's All Right" was played were sure Presley must be black. The singer
5796-418: The Parkes economy. The 2007 festival had over 60 events and was held over five days. More than 6,000 visitors were estimated to have attended. A new world record was set for the most Elvis impersonators in one location. SBS Independent commissioned a half-hour documentary on the festival, Elvis Lives in Parkes , which was first aired on Australian television on 10 January 2007. Featuring over 80 events,
5922-503: The South called Elvis 'nigger music' and were terribly afraid that Elvis, white as he was, being ambiguously raced just by being working-class, was going to corrupt the youth of America." Robert Kaiser says Elvis was the first who gave the people "a music that hit them where they lived, deep in their emotions, yes, even below their belts. Other singers had been doing this for generations, but they were black." Therefore, his performance style
6048-480: The Valley ". At the end of the show, Sullivan declared Presley "a real decent, fine boy". Two days later, the Memphis draft board announced that Presley would be classified 1-A and would probably be drafted sometime that year. Each of the three Presley singles released in the first half of 1957 went to number one: " Too Much ", " All Shook Up ", and " (Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear ". Already an international star, he
6174-680: The album's cover image, "of Elvis having the time of his life on stage with a guitar in his hands played a crucial role in positioning the guitar ... as the instrument that best captured the style and spirit of this new music." On April 3, Presley made the first of two appearances on NBC 's The Milton Berle Show . His performance, on the deck of the USS Hancock in San Diego , California, prompted cheers and screams from an audience of sailors and their dates. A few days later, Presley and his band were flying to Nashville, Tennessee for
6300-451: The audience to start screaming. Moore recalled, "During the instrumental parts, he would back off from the mic and be playing and shaking, and the crowd would just go wild." Soon after, Moore and Black left their old band to play with Presley regularly, and disc jockey/promoter Bob Neal became the trio's manager. From August through October, they played frequently at the Eagle's Nest club,
6426-513: The auditorium. ... Indications of the harm Presley did just in La Crosse were the two high school girls ... whose abdomen and thigh had Presley's autograph. Presley's second Milton Berle Show appearance came on June 5 at NBC 's Hollywood studio, amid another hectic tour. Milton Berle persuaded Presley to leave his guitar backstage. During the performance, Presley abruptly halted an up-tempo rendition of "Hound Dog" and launched into
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#17327879618476552-537: The base, and bought an extra set of fatigues for everyone in his outfit. Presley was promoted to sergeant on February 11, 1960. While in Bad Nauheim , Presley, aged 24, met 14-year-old Priscilla Beaulieu . They would marry after a seven-and-a-half-year courtship. In her autobiography, Priscilla said that Presley was concerned that his 24 months in the military would ruin his career. In Special Services , he would have been able to perform and remain in touch with
6678-410: The beginning of his career, American singer Elvis Presley has had an extensive cultural impact. According to the monthly magazine, Rolling Stone , "It was Elvis who made rock 'n' roll the international language of pop ." The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll describes Presley as "an American music giant of the 20th century who single-handedly changed the course of music and culture in
6804-454: The bestselling " Hard Headed Woman ", and " One Night " in 1958, and " (Now and Then There's) A Fool Such as I " and the number-one " A Big Hunk o' Love " in 1959. RCA Victor also generated four albums compiling previously issued material during this period, most successfully Elvis' Golden Records (1958), which hit number three on the LP chart. Presley returned to the U.S. on March 2, 1960, and
6930-478: The bland clothes he had worn on the first two shows, he stepped out in the outlandish costume of a pasha , if not a harem girl. From the make-up over his eyes, the hair falling in his face, the overwhelmingly sexual cast of his mouth, he was playing Rudolph Valentino in The Sheik , with all stops out." To close, displaying his range and defying Sullivan's wishes, Presley sang a gentle black spiritual, " Peace in
7056-551: The body ... primarily identified with the repertoire of the blond bombshells of the burlesque runway. Ben Gross of the New York Daily News opined that popular music "has reached its lowest depths in the 'grunt and groin' antics of one Elvis Presley. ... Elvis, who rotates his pelvis ... gave an exhibition that was suggestive and vulgar, tinged with the kind of animalism that should be confined to dives and bordellos ". Ed Sullivan , whose variety show
7182-477: The church; its gospel music was his primary musical influence and foundation." Whether or not it was justified, the fact remains that distrust of Presley was common amongst the general African-American population after the accusations of racism were made public. Presley's singles had consistently charted on Billboard's R&B Singles Chart during the 1950s, but during the early 1960s, this became less common; his final chart appearance on Billboard's R&B chart
7308-495: The country field", "but there was a curious blending of the two different musics in both". This blend of styles made it difficult for Presley's music to find radio airplay. According to Neal, many country-music disc jockeys would not play it because Presley sounded too much like a black artist and none of the R&;B stations would touch him because "he sounded too much like a hillbilly ." The blend came to be known as "rockabilly". At
7434-407: The criticism. On another of the many occasions he was challenged to justify the furor surrounding him, he said, "I don't see how they think [my act] can contribute to juvenile delinquency. If there's anything I've tried to do, I've tried to live a straight, clean life and not set any kind of a bad example. You cannot please everyone." Elvis's musical capital never expanded enough for him to transcend
7560-474: The end of 1958. Teens were asserting more independence and Presley became a national symbol of their parents' consternation. Presley's impact on the American youth consumer market was noted on the front page of The Wall Street Journal for December 31, 1956, when business journalist Louis M. Kohlmeier wrote, "Elvis Presley today is a business", and reported on the singer's record and merchandise sales. Half
7686-599: The festival went on hiatus until April 2022. The Parkes Elvis Festival entered its 29th year and attracted close to 25,000 to the town some 222 miles west of Sydney. Parkes Elvis Festival sponsors include Destination NSW , ARTC , Parkes Shire Council itself and Northparkes Mines , along with many more contributing partners and supporters. 33°08′23.20″S 148°10′29.00″E / 33.1397778°S 148.1747222°E / -33.1397778; 148.1747222 Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), known mononymously as Elvis ,
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#17327879618477812-719: The final occasion on which Black was to perform with Presley. On March 24, 1958, Presley was drafted into the United States Army at Fort Chaffee in Arkansas. His arrival was a major media event. Hundreds of people descended on Presley as he stepped from the bus; photographers accompanied him into the installation. Presley announced that he was looking forward to his military service, saying that he did not want to be treated any differently from anyone else. Between March 28 and September 17, 1958, Presley completed basic and advanced training at Fort Hood , Texas, where he
7938-456: The first concert by a solo artist to be broadcast around the world, Aloha from Hawaii . However, years of prescription drug abuse and unhealthy eating severely compromised his health, and Presley died unexpectedly in August 1977 at his Graceland estate at the age of 42. Presley is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, with sale estimates ranging from 500 million records to over
8064-623: The forthcoming film King Creole . A couple of weeks into the new year, " Don't ", another Leiber and Stoller tune, became Presley's tenth number-one seller. Recording sessions for the King Creole soundtrack were held in Hollywood in mid-January 1958. Leiber and Stoller provided three songs, but it would be the last time Presley and the duo worked closely together. As Stoller later recalled, Presley's manager and entourage sought to wall him off. A brief soundtrack session on February 11 marked
8190-570: The gritty edges of the original R&B versions of songs in the '50s, Presley reshaped them. He not only injected the tunes with his own vocal character but also made guitar, not piano, the lead instrument in all three cases. It became the first rock and roll album to top the Billboard chart, a position it held for ten weeks. While Presley was not an innovative guitarist like Moore or contemporary African American rockers Bo Diddley and Chuck Berry , cultural historian Gilbert B. Rodman argued that
8316-582: The industry underwent a dramatic change. In the spring of 1957, Presley invited African American performer Ivory Joe Hunter to visit Graceland and the two spent the day together, singing "I Almost Lost My Mind" and other songs. Of Presley, Hunter commented, "He showed me every courtesy, and I think he's one of the greatest." " Racists attacked rock and roll because of the mingling of black and white people it implied and achieved, and because of what they saw as black music's power to corrupt through vulgar and animalistic rhythms. ... The popularity of Elvis Presley
8442-419: The judge by wiggling a finger. Similar attempts to stop his "sinful gyrations" continued for more than a year and included his often-noted January 6, 1957, appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show (during which he performed the spiritual number "Peace in the Valley"), when he was filmed only from the waist up. In an interview with PBS television, social historian Eric Lott said, "all the citizens' councils in
8568-614: The leading figure of the newly popular rock and roll ; though his performative style and promotion of the then-marginalized sound of African Americans led to him being widely considered a threat to the moral well-being of white American youth. In November 1956, Presley made his film debut in Love Me Tender . Drafted into military service in 1958 , he relaunched his recording career two years later with some of his most commercially successful work. Presley held few concerts, however, and guided by Parker, proceeded to devote much of
8694-553: The lineup of Presley's classic quartet and RCA Victor acquired his contract in a deal arranged by Colonel Tom Parker , who managed him for the rest of his career. Presley's first RCA Victor single, " Heartbreak Hotel ", was released in January 1956 and became a number-one hit in the US. Within a year, RCA Victor would sell ten million Presley singles. With a series of successful television appearances and chart-topping records, Presley became
8820-593: The man. He has a right to say what he wants to say. He is a great success and a fine actor, but I think he shouldn't have said it. ... This is a trend, just the same as he faced when he started years ago. Leiber and Stoller were again in the studio for the recording of Elvis' Christmas Album . Toward the end of the session, they wrote a song on the spot at Presley's request: " Santa Claus Is Back in Town ", an innuendo -laden blues. The holiday release stretched Presley's string of number-one albums to four and would become
8946-458: The mid-1950s". His recordings, dance moves, attitude, and clothing came to be seen as embodiments of rock and roll. His music was heavily influenced by African-American blues , Christian gospel , and Southern country . In a list of the greatest English language singers, as compiled by Q magazine, Presley was ranked first, and second in the list of greatest singers of the 20th century by BBC Radio . Some people claim that Presley created
9072-685: The most albums charted on the Billboard 200 , the most number-one albums by a solo artist on the UK Albums Chart , and the most number-one singles by any act on the UK Singles Chart . In 2018, Presley was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom . Elvis Aaron Presley was born on January 8, 1935, in Tupelo, Mississippi , to Gladys Love ( née Smith ) and Vernon Presley. Elvis' twin Jesse Garon
9198-417: The order. The single pairing "Don't Be Cruel" with "Hound Dog" ruled the top of the charts for eleven weeks—a mark that would not be surpassed for thirty-six years. Recording sessions for Presley's second album took place in Hollywood in early September. Leiber and Stoller, the writers of "Hound Dog", contributed " Love Me ". Allen's show with Presley had, for the first time, beaten The Ed Sullivan Show in
9324-853: The owners of Hill & Range Publishing, Jean and Julian Aberbach , to create two entities, Elvis Presley Music and Gladys Music, to handle all the new material recorded by Presley. Songwriters were obliged to forgo one-third of their customary royalties in exchange for having Presley perform their compositions. By December, RCA had begun to heavily promote its new singer, and before month's end had reissued many of his Sun recordings. On January 10, 1956, Presley made his first recordings for RCA Victor in Nashville. Extending his by-now customary backup of Moore, Black, Fontana, and Hayride pianist Floyd Cramer —who had been performing at live club dates with Presley—RCA Victor enlisted guitarist Chet Atkins and three background singers, including Gordon Stoker of
9450-447: The performance, crowds in Nashville and St. Louis burned him in effigy . His first motion picture, Love Me Tender , was released on November 21. Though he was not top-billed, the film's original title— The Reno Brothers —was changed to capitalize on his latest number-one record: "Love Me Tender" had hit the top of the charts earlier that month. To further take advantage of Presley's popularity, four musical numbers were added to what
9576-591: The popular Jordanaires quartet. The session produced the moody " Heartbreak Hotel ", released as a single on January 27. Parker brought Presley to national television, booking him on CBS's Stage Show for six appearances over two months. The program, produced in New York City, was hosted on alternate weeks by big band leaders and brothers Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey . After his first appearance on January 28, Presley stayed in town to record at RCA Victor's New York studio. The sessions yielded eight songs, including
9702-493: The public, but Parker had convinced him that to gain popular respect, he should serve as a regular soldier. Media reports echoed Presley's concerns about his career, but RCA Victor producer Steve Sholes and Freddy Bienstock of Hill and Range had carefully prepared: armed with a substantial amount of unreleased material, they kept up a regular stream of successful releases. Between his induction and discharge, Presley had ten top-40 hits, including " Wear My Ring Around Your Neck ",
9828-403: The ratings. Sullivan booked Presley for three appearances for an unprecedented $ 50,000. The first, on September 9, 1956, was seen by approximately 60 million viewers—a record 82.6 percent of the television audience. Actor Charles Laughton hosted the show, filling in while Sullivan was recovering from a car accident. According to legend, Presley was shot only from the waist up. Watching clips of
9954-522: The record as a birthday gift for his mother, or that he was merely interested in what he "sounded like". Biographer Peter Guralnick argued that Presley chose Sun in the hope of being discovered. In January 1954, Presley cut a second acetate at Sun—"I'll Never Stand in Your Way" and "It Wouldn't Be the Same Without You"—but again nothing came of it. Not long after, he failed an audition for
10080-460: The record industry's largest company, Presley had accounted for over fifty percent of the label's singles sales. Presley made his third and final Ed Sullivan Show appearance on January 6, 1957—on this occasion indeed shot only down to the waist. Some commentators have claimed that Parker orchestrated an appearance of censorship to generate publicity. In any event, as critic Greil Marcus describes, Presley "did not tie himself down. Leaving behind
10206-501: The return of black bands from graveyard interments in New Orleans. But the bands played white hymns out to the above-ground graves." By the spring of 1956, Presley was fast becoming a national phenomenon and teenagers came to his concerts in unprecedented numbers. There were many riots at his early 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
10332-435: The same way. There'd be a riot every time." 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. 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. At
10458-575: The session was captured on tape. The results, none officially released for twenty-five years, became known as the " Million Dollar Quartet " recordings. The year ended with a front-page story in The Wall Street Journal reporting that Presley merchandise had brought in $ 22 million on top of his record sales, and Billboard ' s declaration that he had placed more songs in the top 100 than any other artist since records were first charted. In his first full year at RCA Victor, then
10584-507: The singer really was something else and was someone whose music was growing all the time right up to his death. Up to the mid-1950s, black artists had sold minuscule amounts of their recorded music relative to the national market potential. Black songwriters had mostly limited horizons and could only eke out a living. But after Presley purchased the music of Otis Blackwell , an African-American singer-songwriter, and had his "Gladys Music" company hire talented black songwriter Claude Demetrius ,
10710-452: 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." In 1956, a critic for the New York Daily News wrote that popular music "has reached its lowest depths in
10836-517: The somewhat stumbling rhythm" showed "the unmistakable emotion and the equally unmistakable valuing of emotion over technique." Assessing the musical and cultural impact of Presley's recordings from "That's All Right" through Elvis , rock critic Dave Marsh wrote that "these records, more than any others, contain the seeds of what rock & roll was, has been and most likely what it may foreseeably become." Presley returned to The Ed Sullivan Show , hosted this time by its namesake, on October 28. After
10962-422: The stigma of his background as a truck driver from the rural South. "No matter how successful Elvis became... he remained fundamentally disreputable in the minds of many Americans... He was the sharecropper's son in the big house, and it always showed." Presley remains an immediately recognizable face even amongst groups not normally recognized as his fans. In 2008, a 1,800-year-old Roman bust described as bearing
11088-481: 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". Certain elements in American society have dismissed Presley as no more than a racist Southerner who stole black music. The "Elvis stole black music" theme is an enduring one with arguments for and against published in books. A southern background combined with
11214-406: The swooning and screaming of teenage girls in the 1940s, decried rock and roll as "brutal, ugly, degenerate, vicious. ... It fosters almost totally negative and destructive reactions in young people. It smells phoney and false. It is sung, played and written, for the most part, by cretinous goons. ... This rancid-smelling aphrodisiac I deplore." Asked for a response, Presley said: I admire
11340-582: The time, Presley was billed as "The King of Western Bop", "The Hillbilly Cat", and "The Memphis Flash". Presley renewed Neal's management contract in August 1955, simultaneously appointing Parker as his special adviser. The group maintained an extensive touring schedule. Neal recalled, "It was almost frightening, the reaction that came to Elvis from the teenaged boys. So many of them, through some sort of jealousy, would practically hate him. There were occasions in some towns in Texas when we'd have to be sure to have
11466-443: 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. Presley was considered by some to be a threat to the moral well-being of young women, because "Elvis Presley didn't just represent a new type of music; he represented sexual liberation." Presley generated an "anti-parent outlook" and was the "personification of evil". To many adults,
11592-651: The two concerts he performed in September at the Mississippi–Alabama Fair and Dairy Show, fifty National Guardsmen were added to the police detail to prevent a ruckus. Elvis , Presley's second RCA Victor album, was released in October and quickly rose to number one. The album includes "Old Shep", which he sang at the talent show in 1945, and which now marked the first time he played piano on an RCA Victor session. According to Guralnick, "the halting chords and
11718-415: The way I do now and I said if I ever got to a place I could feel all old Arthur felt, I'd be a music man like nobody ever saw." Little Richard said of Presley: "He was an integrator. Elvis was a blessing. They wouldn't let black music through. He opened the door for black music." B. B. King said he began to respect Presley after he did Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup material and that after he met him, he thought
11844-399: The young a belief in themselves as a distinct and somehow unified generation—the first in America ever to feel the power of an integrated youth culture. The audience response at Presley's live shows became increasingly fevered. 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." At
11970-454: Was honorably discharged three days later. The train that carried him from New Jersey to Tennessee was mobbed all the way, and Presley was called upon to appear at scheduled stops to please his fans. On the night of March 20, he entered RCA's Nashville studio to cut tracks for a new album along with a single, " Stuck on You ", which was rushed into release and swiftly became a number-one hit. Another Nashville session two weeks later yielded
12096-503: Was "not bad" but did not suit the program. In November 1954, Presley performed on Louisiana Hayride —the Opry ' s chief, and more adventurous, rival. The show was broadcast to 198 radio stations in 28 states. His nervous first set drew a muted reaction. A more composed and energetic second set inspired an enthusiastic response. Soon after the show, the Hayride engaged Presley for
12222-602: Was 'a bad influence for teenage girls. He arouses things in them that shouldn't be aroused.'" However, the economic power of Presley's fans became evident when they tuned in to alternative radio stations playing his records. In an era when radio stations were shifting to an all-music format, in reaction to competition from television , profit-conscious radio station owners learned quickly when sponsors bought more advertising time on new "rock and roll" stations, some of which reached enormous markets at night with clear channel signals from AM broadcasts. Presley seemed bemused by all
12348-465: Was a devotee of Mississippi Slim 's radio show. He was described as "crazy about music" by Slim's younger brother, one of Presley's classmates. Slim showed Presley chord techniques. When his protégé was 12, Slim scheduled him for two on-air performances. Presley was overcome by stage fright the first time but performed the following week. In November 1948, the family moved to Memphis, Tennessee . Enrolled at L. C. Humes High School , Presley received
12474-431: Was a one night event attracting 200 people. It was held at Graceland Restaurant to commemorate Elvis' birthday. Over the next few years more events were added and the festival was extended to two days with a few hundred people attending. By January 2005, the attendance had increased to 3,500 people. In January 2006, there was a 40 per cent increase with 5,000 seeing the festival and it injected an estimated $ 8 million into
12600-743: Was a significant influence on his ballad -singing style. Presley was a regular audience member at the monthly All-Night Singings downtown, where many of the white gospel groups that performed reflected the influence of African American spirituals . Presley listened to regional radio stations, such as WDIA , that played what were then called "race records": spirituals, blues, and the modern, backbeat -heavy rhythm and blues . Like some of his peers, he may have attended blues venues only on nights designated for exclusively white audiences . Many of his future recordings were inspired by local African-American musicians such as Arthur Crudup and Rufus Thomas . B.B. King recalled that he had known Presley before he
12726-448: Was an American singer and actor. Known as the " King of Rock and Roll ", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century . Presley's energized performances and interpretations of songs, and sexually provocative dance moves , combined with a singularly potent mix of influences across color lines during a transformative era in race relations , brought both great success and initial controversy . Presley
12852-555: Was attracting fans even where his music was not officially released: The New York Times reported that pressings of his music on discarded X-ray plates were commanding high prices in Leningrad . Presley purchased his 18-room mansion, Graceland , on March 19, 1957. Before the purchase, Elvis recorded Loving You —the soundtrack to his second film , which was released in July. It was his third straight number-one album. The title track
12978-517: Was born in Tupelo, Mississippi ; his family relocated to Memphis, Tennessee , when he was 13. His music career began there in 1954, at Sun Records with producer Sam Phillips , who wanted to bring the sound of African-American music to a wider audience. Presley, on guitar and accompanied by lead guitarist Scotty Moore and bassist Bill Black , was a pioneer of rockabilly , an uptempo, backbeat -driven fusion of country music and rhythm and blues . In 1955, drummer D. J. Fontana joined to complete
13104-411: Was delivered 35 minutes before, stillborn . Presley became close to both parents, especially his mother. The family attended an Assembly of God church, where he found his initial musical inspiration. Vernon moved from one odd job to the next, and the family often relied on neighbors and government food assistance. In 1938, they lost their home after Vernon was found guilty of altering a check and
13230-416: Was devastated and never the same; their relationship had remained extremely close—even into his adulthood, they would use baby talk with each other and Presley would address her with pet names. On October 1, 1958, Presley was assigned to the 1st Medium Tank Battalion, 32d Armor , 3d Armored Division , at Ray Barracks , West Germany, where he served as an armor intelligence specialist. On November 27, he
13356-462: 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 teenage girls and boys could easily be "aroused to sexual indulgence and perversion by certain types of motions and hysteria —the type that
13482-457: Was exhibited at the Presley show." In August 1956 in Jacksonville, Florida , a local juvenile court judge called Presley a " savage " and threatened to arrest him if he shook his body while performing at Jacksonville's Florida Theatre, justifying the restrictions by saying his music was undermining the youth of America. Throughout the performance, Presley stood still as ordered but poked fun at
13608-427: Was frequently criticized. Social guardians blasted anyone responsible for exposing impressionable teenagers to his "gyrating figure and suggestive gestures". The Louisville chief of police, for instance, called for a no-wiggle rule, so as to halt "any lewd, lascivious contortions that would excite the crowd". Even Priscilla Presley confirms that "his performances were labeled obscene. My mother stated emphatically that he
13734-596: Was in 1963. According to George Plasketes, several songs by other performers came out after the singer's death, which are part of a "demystification process as they portray Elvis as a racist." In his book, Colored White: Transcending the Racial Past , David Roediger considers contemporary "wiggers" in light of the tensions in racial impersonation embodied by Elvis Presley. Chuck D and others have at one point or another publicly condemned Presley for "stealing" black music. However, in 2002, Chuck D , in an interview with
13860-533: Was interviewed several times on air by the DJ and was pointedly asked which school he had attended, to convince listeners that he was white. In 1957, Presley had to defend himself from claims of being a racist; he 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
13986-457: Was jailed for eight months. In September 1941, Presley entered first grade at East Tupelo Consolidated, where his teachers regarded him as "average". His first public performance was a singing contest at the Mississippi–Alabama Fair and Dairy Show on October 3, 1945, when he was 10; he sang "Old Shep" and recalled placing fifth. A few months later, Presley received his first guitar for his birthday; he received guitar lessons from two uncles and
14112-436: Was originally a straight acting role. The film was panned by critics but did very well at the box office. Presley would receive top billing on every subsequent film he made. On December 4, Presley dropped into Sun Records, where Carl Perkins and Jerry Lee Lewis were recording, and had an impromptu jam session along with Johnny Cash . Though Phillips no longer had the right to release any Presley material, he made sure that
14238-506: Was popular when they both used to frequent Beale Street. By the time he graduated high school in June 1953, Presley had singled out music as his future. In August 1953, Presley checked into Memphis Recording Service , the company run by Sam Phillips before he started Sun Records . He aimed to pay for studio time to record a two-sided acetate disc : " My Happiness " and " That's When Your Heartaches Begin ". He later claimed that he intended
14364-453: Was pornographic." The record "conjured up the vision of a performer who could be all things", according to music historian John Robertson: "a flirtatious teenage idol with a heart of gold; a tempestuous, dangerous lover; a gutbucket blues singer; a sophisticated nightclub entertainer; [a] raucous rocker". Released only days after recording was complete, it reached number two on the album chart. Cultural impact of Elvis Presley Since
14490-581: Was promoted to private first class and on June 1, 1959, to specialist fourth class . While on maneuvers, Presley was introduced to amphetamines and became "practically evangelical about their benefits", not only for energy but for "strength" and weight loss. Karate became a lifelong interest: he studied with Jürgen Seydel , and later included it in his live performances. Fellow soldiers have attested to Presley's wish to be seen as an able, ordinary soldier despite his fame, and to his generosity. He donated his Army pay to charity, purchased television sets for
14616-613: Was reported by Free Malaysia Today as well as the Parkes Champion Post that some AU$ 13 million (US$ 9.3 million) had impacted on the economy of Parkes, as more than 27,000 people visited it to attend some 200 Elvis themed events, with the New South Wales state government projecting an injection of AU$ 43 million ̈(US̩30.6 million) into the wider region surrounding Parkes in 2019 due to the festival huge success. With 2021's cancellation on grounds of COVID-19 pandemic ,
14742-416: Was shown head-to-toe. Though the camerawork was relatively discreet during his debut, with leg-concealing closeups when he danced, the studio audience reacted with screams. Presley's performance of his forthcoming single, the ballad " Love Me Tender ", prompted a record-shattering million advance orders. More than any other single event, it was this first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show that made Presley
14868-522: Was similarly founded on his transgressive position with respect to racial and sexual boundaries. ... White cover versions of hits by black musicians ... often outsold the originals; it seems that many Americans wanted black music without the black people in it," and Elvis had undoubtedly "derived his style from the Negro rhythm-and-blues performers of the late 1940s." Sam Phillips had anticipated problems promoting Presley's Sun singles. He recalled, "The white disc-jockeys wouldn't touch... Negroes' music and
14994-400: Was such that Phillips played the record repeatedly during the remaining two hours of his show. Interviewing Presley on-air, Phillips asked him what high school he attended to clarify his color for the many callers who had assumed that he was black. During the next few days, the trio recorded a bluegrass song, Bill Monroe 's " Blue Moon of Kentucky ", again in a distinctive style and employing
15120-450: Was temporarily assigned to Company A, 2d Medium Tank Battalion, 37th Armor . During the two weeks' leave between his basic and advanced training in early June, he recorded five songs in Nashville. In early August, Presley's mother was diagnosed with hepatitis , and her condition rapidly worsened. Presley was granted emergency leave to visit her and arrived in Memphis on August 12. Two days later, she died of heart failure at age 46. Presley
15246-622: Was the Jailhouse Rock EP . Presley undertook three brief tours during the year, continuing to generate a crazed audience response. A Detroit newspaper suggested that "the trouble with going to see Elvis Presley is that you're liable to get killed". Villanova students pelted the singer with eggs in Philadelphia , and in Vancouver the crowd rioted after the show ended, destroying the stage. Frank Sinatra, who had inspired
15372-505: Was the 25th festival. The theme was Viva Las Vegas. The Elvis tribute artists for the four feature concerts held at the Parkes Leagues Club was Pete Storm and Jake Rowley. The 2018 Festival ran from 10 to 14 January. It was the 26th Festival celebrating 50 years since the " '68 Comeback " theme. More than 26,500 people enjoyed an array of events including International Elvis tribute artist Ben Thompson. On 23 January 2019 it
15498-516: Was the nation's most popular, declared Presley "unfit for family viewing". To Presley's displeasure, he soon found himself being referred to as "Elvis the Pelvis", which he called "childish". The Berle shows drew such high ratings that Presley was booked for a July 1 appearance on NBC's The Steve Allen Show in New York. Allen , no fan of rock and roll, introduced a "new Elvis" in a white bowtie and black tails. Presley sang "Hound Dog" for less than
15624-444: Was unable to do it justice. Despite this, Phillips asked Presley to sing other numbers and was sufficiently affected by what he heard to invite two local musicians, guitarist Winfield "Scotty" Moore and upright bass player Bill Black , to work with Presley for a recording session. The session, held the evening of July 5, proved entirely unfruitful until late in the night. As they were about to abort and go home, Presley launched into
15750-427: Was working with the new number-one country singer, Hank Snow . Parker booked Presley on Snow's February tour. By August, Sun had released ten sides credited to "Elvis Presley, Scotty and Bill"; the latest recordings included a drummer. Some of the songs, like "That's All Right", were in what one Memphis journalist described as the "R&B idiom of negro field jazz"; others, like "Blue Moon of Kentucky", were "more in
15876-529: Was written by Leiber and Stoller, who were then retained to write four of the six songs recorded at the sessions for Jailhouse Rock , Presley's next film. The songwriting team effectively produced the Jailhouse sessions and developed a close working relationship with Presley, who came to regard them as his "good-luck charm". "He was fast," said Leiber. "Any demo you gave him he knew by heart in ten minutes." The title track became another number-one hit , as
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