The Boy from Tupelo otherwise known as, The King of Rock and Roll passed away 42 years ago today. When Elvis first came onto the scene, he made such a huge impact on the music and entertainment industries. He basically turned everything upside down and hit the reset button. I personally can’t think of another artist that had such an impact on American culture and I would find it hard to believe if another artist will have that much of an impact in the future.

Most people point out the year 1956 with Elvis getting his big break, but it all began in 1953. He stopped by Sun Records in August of that year, because he paid for airtime to record two songs. The two songs that he recorded were, “My Happiness” and “That’s When Your Heartaches Begin”. His discovery wasn’t immediate, but in the meantime, he worked at Crown Electric in Memphis driving a truck. It was about a year after Elvis first stepped into Sun Records, that Sam Phillips, the owner of Sun Records, was looking for a local talent that sounded different. Phillips brought Elvis into the studio again, but after a few unsuccessful recording sessions, he was ready to call everything off, but just as they were ready to leave something clicked. Elvis was messing around with his guitar and started into “That’s All Right”, and Phillips knew he struck gold. This was the sound that Phillips was looking for and it put Sun Records on the map. Elvis was inspired by Gospel, Country, and Blues, so that unique combination became the new sound for music for the next decade.

Fast Forward to 1956, Elvis teamed up with Colonel Parker and signed with RCA. Here’s where Elvis shifted from stardom to superstardom. “Heartbreak Hotel” became his first national hit and he ended up having 5 Billboard Number ones that year. He also had 12 number ones to round out the 1950’s. He was becoming America’s biggest star in a hurry and he was even starting to make an impact as an actor.

In 1958, it was announced that Presley was drafted into the US Army. At the time, he was recording some films, but after those were finished, he went right into the Army. I think that it was so cool that the biggest star in the world served in the military and it was especially cool that he came back an even bigger star. Presley rattled off 5 more number one hits from 1960-62. He wasn’t just the boy wonder anymore, he became an American hero. Throughout the rest of the 1960’s, he was almost exclusively in Hollywood and The Beatles Invasion was in full swing. He was becoming less credible as a musical artist, but in 1968, that changed as well.

The ’68 Comeback Special is perhaps the most iconic of his career. This signified his shift from movie star back to musical performer. He captivated a live audience for the first time in nearly a decade and was ready to go back to performing full-time. He would be a mainstay at The International in Las Vegas for the next 7 years and would perform all over the country for the rest of his life.

An American Trilogy is one of my favorite Elvis songs, because you can tell how much he enjoyed performing it. The lyrics are also loosely ironic to his life. This was from the Aloha From Hawaii live broadcast

I said earlier that 1956 was his shift from stardom to superstardom and when he came back from the Army that he became an American Hero, well in 1973 he became an American Legend. January 14, 1973 was his famed “Aloha From Hawaii” concert that broadcast all over the world from a satellite. It was estimated that 1.5 billion people worldwide tuned in to see the concert, which at the time was 1 in 2.6 people that existed on the planet. That is beyond words when you think of it. I mean, the Moon landing attracted a third of the viewers. One-Third!!

This is another story for another time.Ollie Atkins/Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum — This is another story for another time.
Ollie Atkins/Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum

His unique style and personality captivated audiences around the country for the rest of his life, which ended on August 16, 1977. He died at his home at Graceland and this was an infamous day in American history. Although he wasn’t quite at the level of stardom that he used to be, he was still the most recognizable artist at the time. Many people didn’t think this was real, because it was like a part of them died as well. He influenced the lives of many and gave them hope and inspiration to be what they wanted to be. The Boy from Tupelo who was born in a one-room house and lived in low-income housing projects throughout his childhood became The King of Rock and Roll and his story told anyone in America that they could do the same if they wanted to. He inspired many people when he was alive and he is still inspiring people today. Heck, I’m writing an article about him right now as we speak. America would not be the same without Elvis Presley and John Lennon was famously quoted saying, “Before Elvis, there was nothing.” He clearly is speaking in terms of music, but it is honestly the truth. Without Elvis, there would be no Beatles, or Bob Dylan, or Rolling Stones, and I could go on forever with a chain of artists. He had a domino effect on the music industry and without his influence, the music world simply wouldn’t be the same.

42 years ago, the World lost a Legend.

Yacs

42 Years Ago, We Lost an American Legend