Post by DT on Aug 15, 2007 22:58:44 GMT -6
“Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was an American singer, musician and actor. He is a cultural icon, often known simply as Elvis; also "The King of Rock 'n' Roll", or simply "The King”
“It all started in July of 1954. A 1946 blues song by Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup. The song "That's Alright" was recorded by Elvis Presley. www.pcplanets.com/videos-427170-That-s-Alright-Mamma.shtml “Although some state that the sound of “That’s All Right” was entirely new, others are of the opinion that "It wasn't that they said 'I never heard anything like it before' It wasn't as if this started a revolution, it galvanized a revolution. Not because Elvis had expressed something new, but he expressed something they had all been trying to express. Nobody was sure what to call this music, so Elvis was described as “The Hillbilly Cat” and “King of Western Bop.”
“1956 was the breakthrough year for Elvis. He had a recording contract with RCA Victor. On January 27, Presley's first RCA single, "Heart Break Hotel", was released. By April it reached number one in the U.S. and would sell a million copies.”
www.pcplanets.com/videos-30054-Heartbreak-Hotel.shtml ”On March 23, RCA released the first Presley album: As with the Sun recordings, the majority of the tracks were songs by or from country artists. From April 23, he had a two-week booking at the Venus Room of the New Frontier Hotel, Las Vegas - billed this time as "the Atomic Powered Singer". His performances were badly received, by critics and guests (it was an older, more conservative audience). However, Presley saw Freddy Bell and the Bellboys live in Vegas, and liked their version of Leiber and Stroller’s "Hound Dog". By May 16, Presley had added the song to his own act.” www.pcplanets.com/videos-106273-Hound-Dog.shtml
“Presley's "gyrations" created a storm of controversy - even eclipsing the 'communist threat' head-lines prevalent at the time. The next day's press used such words as "vulgar" and "obscene" because of the strong sexual content perceived in his act. Presley was obliged to explain himself on the local New York City TV show Hy Gardner Calling: "Rock and roll music, if you like it, and you feel it, you can't help but move to it. That's what happens to me. I have to move around. I can't stand still. I've tried it, and I can't do it.” www.pcplanets.com/videos-182557-Shake-Rattle-Roll.shtml
”The Milton Berle Show www.pcplanets.com/videos-182477-Milton-Berle-Show-56.shtml appearances drew such huge ratings that Steve Allen, (NBC) not a fan of rock and roll, booked him for one appearance, in New York. Allen announced: "... We want to do a show the whole family can watch and enjoy. And that’s what we always do." After Allen introduced "the new Elvis" (in white bow tie and black tails), he remarked: "You are certainly being a good sport about the whole thing." Presley then sang "Hound Dog" to a top hat and bow tie-wearing basset hound sat on a pedestal (the performance lasted less than one minute). According to author Jake Austen, "the way Steve Allen treated Elvis Presley was his federal crime. Allen thought Presley was talent less and absurd... [he] set things up so that Presley would show his contrition..." The day after (July 2), Presley, Scotty, and Bill recorded the single "Hound Dog", making thirty takes before Elvis was satisfied. Scotty Moore later said they were "all angry about their treatment the previous night". (Presley often referred to the Allen show as the most ridiculous performance of his career.) A few days later, Presley made a "triumphant" outdoor appearance in Memphis at which he announced: "You know, those people in New York are not gone ch-ch-change me none. I'm goanna show you what the real Elvis is like tonight.”
“Though Presley had been unhappy with the Steve Allen appearance, Allen's show had, for the first time, beaten The Ed Sullivan Show in the Sunday night ratings, prompting a previously critical Sullivan (CBS) to book Presley for three appearances for an unprecedented $50,000. Presley's first Ed Sullivan appearance (September 9, 1956) was seen by an estimated 55-60 million viewers. During the second, Presley only had to shake his legs to get screams from the audience, which a bemused Sullivan didn't notice him doing when stood next to the singer. On the third show, the family-minded Sullivan censored Presley's "gyrations": he was shown only above the waist. According to the show's director, Marlo Lewis, Sullivan told him that Presley was "hangin' some kind of device in the crotch of his pants" and that it was "waving back and forth" when the singer moved. Sullivan said: "We can't have that on a Sunday night. That's a church night". Although Lewis ordered camera two to film only Presley's chest and head, he never believed the "device" was there at all. Despite his misgivings, Sullivan still declared at the end of the show: "This is a real decent, fine boy. We've never had a pleasanter experience on our show with a big name than we've had with you... you're thoroughly all right.” www.pcplanets.com/videos-19040-Peace-In-The-Valley-Ed-Sullivan-Show.shtml
“Presley's record sales would become enormous throughout the late 1950s, with hits like "All Shook Up” www.pcplanets.com/videos-106261-All-Shook-Up.shtml “King Creole” www.pcplanets.com/videos-427142-King-Creole.shtml
During the 1960s, Elvis continued with hits with songs like “In the Ghetto” www.pcplanets.com/videos-30058-In-The-Ghetto.shtml “Return To Sender” www.pcplanets.com/videos-427154-Return-To-Sender-1962-.shtml “Suspicious Minds” www.pcplanets.com/videos-106289-Suspicious-Minds.shtml
“1969 saw Presley making record-breaking appearances in Las Vegas. He later toured across the U.S. and had a stream of sold-out shows, performing 1,145 concerts between 1969 to 1977, with many setting venue attendance records. He also had hits in the singles charts of many countries. However, Presley's song repertoire was criticized, showing he was still distant from any current trends within pop and rock music.” “Viva Las Vegas” www.pcplanets.com/videos-182493-Viva-Las-Vegas.shtml
“What most people don't know is that it had been Elvis' lifelong dream to become a gospel singer. In 1954, he auditioned with a gospel group called The Songfellows. But after his first recording with Sun Records, his solo career took off and the rest is rock history.” Presley won three Grammy awards, all for gospel performances.” “You Gave Me A Mountain” www.pcplanets.com/videos-182497-You-Gave-Me-A-Mountain.shtml “He had fourteen nominations during his career. He is the only performer to have been inducted into four music 'Halls of Fame': the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (1986), the Rockabilly Hall of Fame (1997), the Country Music Hall of Fame (1998), and the Gospel Music Hall of Fame (2001). As for the "other side" of Elvis, he finally got a posthumous Grammy in 1993 for best rock song for "Hound Dog/Don't Be Cruel." www.pcplanets.com/videos-182521-Teddy-Bear-Dont-Be-Cruel.shtml
“Presley's final performance was in Indianapolis at the Market Square Arena, (June 26). August 17, 1977, was to be the start of another tour. However, at "Graceland" the day before, Presley was found on the floor of his bathroom by fiancée, Ginger Alden. According to the medical investigator, Presley had "stumbled or crawled several feet before he died." He was officially pronounced dead at 3:30 p.m. at the Baptist Memorial Hospital.”
Thirty Years Gone but not forgotten.
“It all started in July of 1954. A 1946 blues song by Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup. The song "That's Alright" was recorded by Elvis Presley. www.pcplanets.com/videos-427170-That-s-Alright-Mamma.shtml “Although some state that the sound of “That’s All Right” was entirely new, others are of the opinion that "It wasn't that they said 'I never heard anything like it before' It wasn't as if this started a revolution, it galvanized a revolution. Not because Elvis had expressed something new, but he expressed something they had all been trying to express. Nobody was sure what to call this music, so Elvis was described as “The Hillbilly Cat” and “King of Western Bop.”
“1956 was the breakthrough year for Elvis. He had a recording contract with RCA Victor. On January 27, Presley's first RCA single, "Heart Break Hotel", was released. By April it reached number one in the U.S. and would sell a million copies.”
www.pcplanets.com/videos-30054-Heartbreak-Hotel.shtml ”On March 23, RCA released the first Presley album: As with the Sun recordings, the majority of the tracks were songs by or from country artists. From April 23, he had a two-week booking at the Venus Room of the New Frontier Hotel, Las Vegas - billed this time as "the Atomic Powered Singer". His performances were badly received, by critics and guests (it was an older, more conservative audience). However, Presley saw Freddy Bell and the Bellboys live in Vegas, and liked their version of Leiber and Stroller’s "Hound Dog". By May 16, Presley had added the song to his own act.” www.pcplanets.com/videos-106273-Hound-Dog.shtml
“Presley's "gyrations" created a storm of controversy - even eclipsing the 'communist threat' head-lines prevalent at the time. The next day's press used such words as "vulgar" and "obscene" because of the strong sexual content perceived in his act. Presley was obliged to explain himself on the local New York City TV show Hy Gardner Calling: "Rock and roll music, if you like it, and you feel it, you can't help but move to it. That's what happens to me. I have to move around. I can't stand still. I've tried it, and I can't do it.” www.pcplanets.com/videos-182557-Shake-Rattle-Roll.shtml
”The Milton Berle Show www.pcplanets.com/videos-182477-Milton-Berle-Show-56.shtml appearances drew such huge ratings that Steve Allen, (NBC) not a fan of rock and roll, booked him for one appearance, in New York. Allen announced: "... We want to do a show the whole family can watch and enjoy. And that’s what we always do." After Allen introduced "the new Elvis" (in white bow tie and black tails), he remarked: "You are certainly being a good sport about the whole thing." Presley then sang "Hound Dog" to a top hat and bow tie-wearing basset hound sat on a pedestal (the performance lasted less than one minute). According to author Jake Austen, "the way Steve Allen treated Elvis Presley was his federal crime. Allen thought Presley was talent less and absurd... [he] set things up so that Presley would show his contrition..." The day after (July 2), Presley, Scotty, and Bill recorded the single "Hound Dog", making thirty takes before Elvis was satisfied. Scotty Moore later said they were "all angry about their treatment the previous night". (Presley often referred to the Allen show as the most ridiculous performance of his career.) A few days later, Presley made a "triumphant" outdoor appearance in Memphis at which he announced: "You know, those people in New York are not gone ch-ch-change me none. I'm goanna show you what the real Elvis is like tonight.”
“Though Presley had been unhappy with the Steve Allen appearance, Allen's show had, for the first time, beaten The Ed Sullivan Show in the Sunday night ratings, prompting a previously critical Sullivan (CBS) to book Presley for three appearances for an unprecedented $50,000. Presley's first Ed Sullivan appearance (September 9, 1956) was seen by an estimated 55-60 million viewers. During the second, Presley only had to shake his legs to get screams from the audience, which a bemused Sullivan didn't notice him doing when stood next to the singer. On the third show, the family-minded Sullivan censored Presley's "gyrations": he was shown only above the waist. According to the show's director, Marlo Lewis, Sullivan told him that Presley was "hangin' some kind of device in the crotch of his pants" and that it was "waving back and forth" when the singer moved. Sullivan said: "We can't have that on a Sunday night. That's a church night". Although Lewis ordered camera two to film only Presley's chest and head, he never believed the "device" was there at all. Despite his misgivings, Sullivan still declared at the end of the show: "This is a real decent, fine boy. We've never had a pleasanter experience on our show with a big name than we've had with you... you're thoroughly all right.” www.pcplanets.com/videos-19040-Peace-In-The-Valley-Ed-Sullivan-Show.shtml
“Presley's record sales would become enormous throughout the late 1950s, with hits like "All Shook Up” www.pcplanets.com/videos-106261-All-Shook-Up.shtml “King Creole” www.pcplanets.com/videos-427142-King-Creole.shtml
During the 1960s, Elvis continued with hits with songs like “In the Ghetto” www.pcplanets.com/videos-30058-In-The-Ghetto.shtml “Return To Sender” www.pcplanets.com/videos-427154-Return-To-Sender-1962-.shtml “Suspicious Minds” www.pcplanets.com/videos-106289-Suspicious-Minds.shtml
“1969 saw Presley making record-breaking appearances in Las Vegas. He later toured across the U.S. and had a stream of sold-out shows, performing 1,145 concerts between 1969 to 1977, with many setting venue attendance records. He also had hits in the singles charts of many countries. However, Presley's song repertoire was criticized, showing he was still distant from any current trends within pop and rock music.” “Viva Las Vegas” www.pcplanets.com/videos-182493-Viva-Las-Vegas.shtml
“What most people don't know is that it had been Elvis' lifelong dream to become a gospel singer. In 1954, he auditioned with a gospel group called The Songfellows. But after his first recording with Sun Records, his solo career took off and the rest is rock history.” Presley won three Grammy awards, all for gospel performances.” “You Gave Me A Mountain” www.pcplanets.com/videos-182497-You-Gave-Me-A-Mountain.shtml “He had fourteen nominations during his career. He is the only performer to have been inducted into four music 'Halls of Fame': the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (1986), the Rockabilly Hall of Fame (1997), the Country Music Hall of Fame (1998), and the Gospel Music Hall of Fame (2001). As for the "other side" of Elvis, he finally got a posthumous Grammy in 1993 for best rock song for "Hound Dog/Don't Be Cruel." www.pcplanets.com/videos-182521-Teddy-Bear-Dont-Be-Cruel.shtml
“Presley's final performance was in Indianapolis at the Market Square Arena, (June 26). August 17, 1977, was to be the start of another tour. However, at "Graceland" the day before, Presley was found on the floor of his bathroom by fiancée, Ginger Alden. According to the medical investigator, Presley had "stumbled or crawled several feet before he died." He was officially pronounced dead at 3:30 p.m. at the Baptist Memorial Hospital.”
Thirty Years Gone but not forgotten.
