The King!
The first superstar the modern world has ever seen, Elvis Presley’s fame has only been matched by The Beatles, Bob Dylan, and Michael Jackson. One of the biggest differences between him and them is that Elvis was first.
Born in 1935, Elvis met Sam Phillips of Sun Records as a 19-year-old. Sam had the vision to bring black music to white radio.
Together they would record That’s Alright, and a handful of other recordings that caught the interest of manager Tom Parker.
Tom would do a deal with RCA and add one more member to the band. Armed with drummer DJ Fontana, guitarist Scotty Moore, and bass player Bill Black, Elvis released his first #1 hit single Heartbreak Hotel in 1956.
Within a year, Elvis had popularised Rock N Roll, selling 10 million singles in the process, The King was born.
Before the 50s was over, Elvis had released 8 further classics, Don’t Be Cruel, Hound Dog, Blue Suede Shoes, Love Me Tender, All Shook Up, Fever, Jailhouse Rock, (Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear, and One Night.
The 60s weren’t bad either, now the tunes that saw fans buy millions of singles included It’s Now Or Never, Are You Lonesome Tonight, Can’t Help Falling In Love, Return To Sender, A Little Less Conversation, In The Ghetto, and Suspicious Minds (written by one of Elvis’s main songwriters, Mark James).
The 70s were in many ways Elvis’s decline. He got addicted to drugs and food, and the insanity of fame had gotten to him by now.
On the 16th of August 1977, Elvis died, and the world mourned the most successful artist of all time with 500 million records sold.
Bob Dylan, The Beatles, and Michael Jackson are perhaps the only other artists/bands that can compare themselves with Elvis in terms of sales, fame, and influence on the musical landscape.
What sets Elvis apart is that he didn’t just change music, Elvis changed the world, and the world ate him up.
Elvis Presley | Related pages
Blue Suede Shoes
| N.C (E G) | A5 N.C (E G) | A5 N.C | N.C |
Well, it’s a one for the money, two for the show, three to get ready now go, cat, go.
| D | D | A | A |
But don’t you step on my blue suede shoes.
Fever
| Am (C6) | Am (C6) | Am (C6) | Am (C6) |
Never know how much I love you, never know how much I care.
| Am (C6) | Am (C6) |
When you put your arms around me.
Jailhouse Rock
| E | E Eb |
The warden threw a party in the county jail.
| E | E Eb |
The prison band was there and they began to wail.
Elvis Presley on the web
