119-1056: Pressler (or Preßler ) ( German pronunciation: ['pʁɛslɐ] ) is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: Johann Valentin Pressler - German ancestor of Elvis Presley who changed his name to Presley during the American Civil War Kimberly Pressler (born 1977), American sports reporter and former Miss USA Larry Pressler (born 1942), American politician Menahem Pressler (1923–2023), German-born Israeli-American pianist Mike Pressler (born 1960), American lacrosse coach Mirjam Pressler (1940–2019), German novelist and translator Paul Pressler , American business executive Paul Pressler (politician) (born 1930), American politician and judge Sylvia Pressler (1934–2010), American judge References [ edit ] ^ "GermanOriginality.com : 1700s" . Archived from
238-538: 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,
357-772: 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
476-519: 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
595-499: 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
714-638: A Night ," "Frankfort Special," " Surrender ," " I Feel So Bad ," " Rock-A-Hula Baby ", " Kiss Me Quick ," " Good Luck Charm ," " She's Not You ", " (You're the) Devil in Disguise ", and " Bossa Nova Baby ." Moore remained as a guitarist for the majority of the songs recorded after Presley's work was dominated by Hollywood sessions. Moore mostly played rhythm guitar, however, with his last lead guitar work occurring by 1962 with "(You're the) Devil in Disguise". Moore also played on sessions for Roy Orbison (most notably on “ Crying ”) and others. In 1964, Moore released
833-487: 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,
952-453: 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
1071-678: 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
1190-531: A couple of floors away from them. They grew hurt and resentful at the separation, which they came to perceive as willfully organized. They did not accompany Presley on the soundtrack recordings for his first movie, Love Me Tender , because 20th Century Fox had refused to allow him to use his own band, with the excuse that the band could not play country. By December 1956, they were experiencing financial difficulties because there had been few performances since August. When there were performances, they received $ 200
1309-681: 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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#17327726820931428-475: A different tailpiece--Scotty opted for a Kluson trapeze model as utilized by Gibson on the ES-125. This is the guitar heard on all but the later Sun sessions with Elvis. In July 1955, Scotty traded this guitar for a blonde-finish 1954 Gibson L-5 CESN, with which he recorded the last Sun sessions (including "Mystery Train"), as well as several RCA cuts, and in 1957 he switched to a Gibson Super 400 . This Super 400
1547-429: A few pointers toward the metallic rock to come." According to Presley discographer Ernst Jorgensen, however, Hank Garland was the lead guitarist on the song, while Moore played acoustic guitar. Moore is given credit as a pioneer rock 'n' roll lead guitarist, though he characteristically downplayed his own innovative role in the development of the style. "It had been there for quite a while," recalled Moore. "Carl Perkins
1666-400: A few precedents of his own." Of the other Sun recordings, Marsh cited the "urgent Scotty Moore guitar lick" as a standout element of " Mystery Train ," while " Good Rockin' Tonight " displays his "stinging guitar." In Marsh's description, the teamwork of Moore and other musicians turned the 1957 single and movie title song "Jailhouse Rock" into an "enduring smash for at least three reasons:
1785-462: A friend of Moore's since the early 1990s. As a member of Lee Rocker 's Big Blue, Eldred also helped bring Moore (then semi-retired) aboard as a guest on that group's first album. Moore died on June 28, 2016, in Nashville, Tennessee, at the age of 84. Scotty Moore co-wrote the songs "My Kind of Carrying On" and "Now She Cares No More" which were released as Sun 202 on Sun Records in 1954 when he
1904-461: 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
2023-536: 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 ",
2142-403: 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
2261-637: A mystery. Earlier on, Scotty used a '52 Telecaster , which he traded at the Houck Piano Company in Memphis for the now-iconic gold-colored Gibson ES-295 (nicknamed "The Guitar That Changed the World"). He made some modifications to the guitar, mainly he was unhappy with the Les Paul style bridge, which he replaced with a Melita-Synchro Sonic model with adjustable saddles, which enabled fine-tuning of each string; but this bridge further required
2380-418: 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
2499-399: 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
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#17327726820932618-414: 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
2737-500: A per diem basis. In the meantime, the duo had played "a miserable two-week engagement at the Dallas State Fair." Moore declared there were no hard feelings, though Presley himself, according to biographer Guralnick, seems to have taken a more melancholic view. One day, Guralnick writes, Presley heard "Jailhouse Rock" on the radio "and declared, 'Elvis Presley and his one-man-band,' with a rueful shake of his head." Moore and
2856-459: 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
2975-516: 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
3094-794: 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,
3213-549: 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
3332-544: 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
3451-464: A singularly potent mix of influences across color lines during a transformative era in race relations , brought both great success and initial controversy . Presley 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
3570-400: 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
3689-516: A solo album on Epic Records called The Guitar That Changed the World , played using his Gibson Super 400 . Phillips was initially unaware of the project, and once he got wind of it, Moore was fired. He reunited with Fontana and Presley for the NBC television special known as the '68 Comeback Special , again with his Gibson Super 400, which was also played by Presley. This special was the last time these musicians would play with Presley, and for Moore, it
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3808-435: 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. Sam, I think, had the door to the control booth open...he stuck his head out and said, "What are you doing?" And we said, "We don't know." "Well, back up," he said, "try to find a place to start and do it again." Phillips quickly began taping as this
3927-603: A week (US$ 2,241 in 2023 dollars ), but only $ 100 (US$ 1,121 in 2023 dollars ) when they were not performing. Moore and his wife were forced to move in with her three sisters and brother-in-law. In an interview with the Memphis Press-Scimitar that December, they spoke about their lack of performances and contact with Presley himself. The interview was the vehicle for their announcement that management had given them permission to record an instrumental album of their own, which RCA Victor would release, permission which
4046-541: A week since 1956, as had Elvis; however, once Hollywood had been introduced, Presley's salary experienced a dramatic rise, while Moore and Black continued at $ 100 a week. They only received one raise in two years and with the lack of personal appearances it was getting to be too financially difficult. Tension hit a breaking point right after the September 1957 sessions for Presley's first Christmas album. Moore and Black had been promised an opportunity to jam with Elvis after
4165-417: 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 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
4284-483: 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
4403-456: Is different from Wikidata All set index articles Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), known mononymously as Elvis , 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
4522-474: 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
4641-695: The United States Navy in China and Korea from 1948 through January 1952. Moore's early background was in jazz and country music . A fan of the guitarist Chet Atkins , Moore led a group called the Starlite Wranglers before Sam Phillips at Sun Records put him together with then-teenage Elvis Presley . The trio was completed with double bass player Bill Black , who brought a "rhythmic propulsion" that much pleased Phillips. In 1954, Moore and Black accompanied Elvis on what would become
4760-418: 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
4879-494: 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 ,
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4998-525: The 1950s, Presley rarely played his own lead while performing, instead providing rhythm guitar and leaving the lead duties to Moore. As a guitarist, Moore was a noticeable presence in Presley's performances despite his introverted demeanor. He became an inspiration to many subsequent popular guitarists, including George Harrison , Jeff Beck , and Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones . While Moore
5117-430: 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
5236-552: 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
5355-453: 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
5474-777: The Blue Moon Boys performed (and had additional small walk-on and speaking roles) with Presley in four of his movies ( Loving You , Jailhouse Rock , King Creole , and G.I. Blues ) filmed in 1957, 1958, and 1960. Early in 1958, when Presley was drafted, Moore began working at Fernwood Records and produced a hit record, " Tragedy ," for Thomas Wayne Perkins , the brother of Johnny Cash 's guitarist Luther Perkins . In 1960, Moore commenced recording sessions with Presley at RCA Victor and also served as production manager at Sam Phillips Recording Service , which involved supervising all aspects of studio operation. Moore played on such Presley songs as " Fame and Fortune ," " Such
5593-486: 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
5712-480: 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
5831-399: The ability of Presley's band, hoped the separation would be permanent. Back in Memphis, a journalist found out about the split and interviewed the duo. Presley responded to the article with a press statement wishing them good luck, saying things could have been worked out if they had come to him first instead of bringing it to the press. In an accompanying interview, Presley revealed that during
5950-680: 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
6069-451: 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,
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#17327726820936188-513: 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
6307-670: The band appeared on The Steve Allen Show in a comedy sketch performing " Hound Dog " to an actual hound dog. Presley was prohibited from doing the gyrations that elicited screams from the audience, which would produce good reviews, but those were nothing compared to the scandals Elvis and the band would face. Elvis never understood why the girls screamed out of control when he sang. It was Moore who told him why. "It's your leg, man. The way you shake your left leg." Moore played on many of Presley's most famous recordings, including " That's All Right ," " Good Rockin' Tonight ," " Milkcow Blues Boogie ," "Baby Let's Play House" (where Elvis introduced
6426-537: 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
6545-454: 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
6664-478: 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
6783-551: 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
6902-495: 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
7021-618: The drummer D.J. Fontana . Beginning in July 1954, the Blue Moon Boys toured and recorded throughout the American South . Subsequently, Elvis's popularity rose amongst teenage girls, they began touring nationwide, appearing on distinguished programs such as The Ed Sullivan Show , which, at the time, was the hallmark for success for young artists. On April 3, 1956, they performed " Shake, Rattle and Roll ," " Heartbreak Hotel ," and " Blue Suede Shoes " on The Milton Berle Show . Elvis and
7140-719: 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
7259-479: The first Presley hit, the Sun Studios session cut of " That's All Right ", a recording regarded as a seminal event in rock and roll history. This session, held on the evening of July 5, 1954, proved entirely unfruitful until late in the night. As they were about to give up and go home, Presley took his guitar and launched into a 1946 blues number, Arthur Crudup 's "That's All Right". Moore recalled, All of
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#17327726820937378-456: 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
7497-623: 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
7616-504: The great walking bass, Scotty Moore's invention of power chording, and D.J. Fontana's drumming, which is halfway between strip joint rhumba and the perfect New Orleans shuffle." On the 1961, post-Army Presley single "Little Sister," "Scotty Moore comes up with his greatest post-Sun guitar lick and not only converts a comparatively humdrum Pomus-Shuman teen love triangle number into the best of Elvis's early sixties hits but (together with D.J. Fontana's heavy-footed thunderation) gives more than
7735-570: 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
7854-593: 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
7973-685: 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
8092-628: The one which had been adopted by Merle Travis's finger-picking style, now dubbed as "travis picking", which he deemed fine for pop or country but not for the simple, gutsy sound Phillips was aiming at. Simplify was the keyword. By his performance at the Louisiana Hayride in October 1954, Presley, Black and Moore were called the Blue Moon Boys . For a time, Moore served as Presley's personal manager. They were later joined by
8211-417: 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
8330-673: The original on 2011-10-26 . Retrieved 2011-10-28 . [REDACTED] Surname list This page lists people with the surname Pressler . If an internal link intending to refer to a specific person led you to this page, you may wish to change that link by adding the person's given name (s) to the link. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pressler&oldid=1241334803 " Categories : Surnames German-language surnames Surnames of Jewish origin Hidden categories: Pages with German IPA Articles with short description Short description
8449-796: 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
8568-447: 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
8687-591: 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
8806-529: The previous two years, people had tried to convince him to get rid of his band so from his point of view he had stayed loyal to them. Presley was scheduled to appear in Tupelo within the next two weeks and started to audition new musicians. He performed with Hank Garland on guitar and D.J. Fontana's friend, Chuck Wiginton, on bass, but despite their musical ability, it didn't feel the same to him. The week after his Tupelo engagement he hired back Moore and Black on
8925-493: 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 ",
9044-403: 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
9163-522: 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
9282-460: 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
9401-514: 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 the leading figure of the newly popular rock and roll ; though his performative style and promotion of
9520-542: The road. It is important to note, however, that this amplifier was not used until 1955--which means that the earlier Sun sessions (including That's All Right Mama ) were not recorded with this amplifier. Moore had to give up playing guitar a few years before his death because of arthritis. Quite likely his last appearance on a recording came as a guest on the 2011 album 61 & 49 by the Mike Eldred Trio. That group's leader, guitarist Mike Eldred , had been
9639-575: 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
9758-506: The session, on Presley's studio time. Yet when the session was over, they were told to pack up and leave. That same evening, the duo wrote a letter of resignation. They deduced (correctly) the Colonel was working against them. They had been denied virtually all access to Presley and felt as if "they were no longer even permitted to talk to him". Colonel Parker didn't interfere but RCA Victor executive Steve Sholes , who had little regard for
9877-517: 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
9996-447: The string band and strummed rhythm guitar [of] country." In "That's All Right," the Presley trio's first record, Moore's guitar solo, "a combination of Merle Travis –style country finger-picking, double-stop slides from acoustic boogie and blues-based bent-note, single-string work, is a microcosm of this fusion." Although some lead guitarists and vocalists, such as Chuck Berry and the blues legend B. B. King , had gained popularity by
10115-406: 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
10234-510: 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
10353-582: 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
10472-539: 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
10591-452: The vocal stutter to the music pundits), " Heartbreak Hotel ," " Mystery Train ," " Blue Suede Shoes ," " Hound Dog ," "Too Much," "Jailhouse Rock ," and " Hard Headed Woman ." He called his solo on "Hound Dog" "ancient psychedelia." During the filming and recording of Loving You in Hollywood in early 1957, Moore and Black drove boredom away by jamming with Presley between takes but they usually saw little of Presley, although he stayed only
10710-402: The world was to be able to play and sound like the way Scotty Moore did. Everyone wanted to be Elvis, I wanted to be Scotty. Winfield Scott Moore III was born near Gadsden, Tennessee, to Mattie (nee Hefley) and Winfield Scott Moore II, as the youngest of four boys by 14 years. He learned to play the guitar from family and friends at age eight. Although underage when he enlisted, Moore served in
10829-454: 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
10948-454: 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
11067-503: 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
11186-465: 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
11305-743: 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
11424-430: Was an American guitarist who formed The Blue Moon Boys in 1954, Elvis Presley 's backing band. He was studio and touring guitarist for Presley between 1954 and 1968. Rock critic Dave Marsh credits Moore with inventing power chords , on the 1957 Elvis hit " Jailhouse Rock ", the intro of which Moore and drummer D.J. Fontana , according to the latter, "copped from a '40s swing version of 'The Anvil Chorus "." Moore
11543-504: 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
11662-411: 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
11781-416: 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
11900-413: Was doing basically the same sort of thing up around Jackson and I know for a fact Jerry Lee Lewis had been playing that kind of music ever since he was ten years old." Paul Friedlander describes the defining elements of rockabilly, which he similarly characterizes as "essentially... an Elvis Presley construction:" "the raw, emotive, and slurred vocal style and emphasis on rhythmic feeling [of] the blues with
12019-457: 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
12138-533: Was needed in order for them to appear as a group without Presley. During Presley's 1957 tour of Canada, the concert promoter Oscar Davis offered to represent them as their manager. Moore and Black, who had seen Presley become a millionaire while they were still earning $ 200 or $ 100 a week themselves, were willing to work with Davis but the backing vocalists, the Jordanaires, were not amenable, because they did not trust Davis. They had usually been living off $ 100
12257-436: 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
12376-506: 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
12495-489: 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. Scotty Moore Winfield Scott Moore III (December 27, 1931 – June 28, 2016)
12614-581: 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
12733-682: Was ranked 29th in Rolling Stone magazine's list of 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time in 2011. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000, the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum in 2007, and the Memphis Music Hall of Fame in 2015. The Rolling Stones ' guitarist Keith Richards said of Moore: When I heard " Heartbreak Hotel ", I knew what I wanted to do in life. It was as plain as day. All I wanted to do in
12852-416: 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
12971-400: 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
13090-450: 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
13209-622: 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
13328-584: Was the guitar heard on the Jailhouse Rock and King Creole soundtracks, as well as the earlier post-army sessions. One of the key pieces of equipment in Moore's sound on many of the recordings with Presley, besides his guitars, was the Ray Butts EchoSonic , first used by Chet Atkins, a guitar amplifier with a tape echo built in, which allowed him to take his trademark slapback echo on
13447-699: Was the last time he ever saw him. Moore's playing on his Gibson with his unique finger-picking style using a thumbpick, as on the Sun and early RCA Victor recordings, represented a move of the Chet Atkins style into a more rockabilly mode. Of Presley's first single " That's All Right ," the critic Dave Marsh wrote that "Moore's guitar—especially the solo—toughens the song up and forces it to rock." Though Marsh credits Presley with introducing "the vocal stutter" on " Baby Let's Play House ," Marsh states, "Other than that, it's guitarist Scotty Moore's show and he sets
13566-516: 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
13685-490: Was the sound he had been looking for. During the next few days, the trio recorded a bluegrass number, Bill Monroe 's " Blue Moon of Kentucky ", again in a distinctive style and employing an echo effect that Sam Phillips called " slapback ". A single was pressed with "That's All Right" on the A side and "Blue Moon of Kentucky" as the B-side. Phillips' rhythm-centered vision led him to steer Moore away from Chet Atkins' style,
13804-444: 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
13923-412: Was working on his memoir with co-author James L. Dickerson, Richards told Dickerson, "Everyone else wanted to be Elvis—I wanted to be Scotty." Richards has stated many times (in Rolling Stone magazine and in his autobiography, Life ) that he could never figure out how to play the "stop time" break and figure that Moore played on "I'm Left, You're Right, She's Gone" (Sun) and that he hopes it will remain
14042-427: 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
14161-529: 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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