Elvis Presley

Do people ever wonder where the idea and origin of "Rock and Roll" came from? The answer to the question of where it originated from is the " The King of Rock and Roll " (" Elvis Presley" ). His real name was Elvis Aaron Presley ( Gentry, Tony 26 ). Elvis was known for many things during his reign of fame and glory. He was mainly known for his nick name of "The King of Rock and Roll", his numerous movie performances, and his style of performing and the style of his music ( BMG Music 1 ).

Elvis Presley's career as a singer started out slow, but by his determination and stamina he accomplished his life long dream of being a star. His first breakthrough was at Sun Records in Memphis where he recorded " That's All Right (Mama) " that began the up beat music that Sam Phillips, Sun Records owner, was looking for and was surprised to find. He was surprised to find it from Elvis because before he didn't find anything special about him, but that one song changed it all ( Gentry 56 ). The sound that was found was a combination of country and western, blues, and gospel styles ( "Elvis Presley" ).
From that point on Elvis Presley set the stage for the start of rock and roll. Fallowing the first recording were many recordings and then his first live performance was July 30, 1954. after the success of that performance, he then performed at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee ( Gentry 59 ). After that performance Elvis Presley's reputation sky rocketed with the young teenagers of that time ( Gentry 67 ).
The year of 1956 was the year that rock and roll announced their king Elvis Presley and that was the year when the time of " Rock and Roll " erupted. Then in March Elvis's first album was released which was called Elvis Presley ( BMG Music 3 ). This was the beginning of the long road in front of the " King of Rock and Roll ".


While Elvis's singing career sky rocketed, his acting career was not far behind. He appeared in many musical films that generally did not get great reviews but brought in large amounts of money ( Elvis Presley ). One of the films that he appeared in was Loving You, which was based on Elvis's rise to fame and in the movie were some scenes of him and his provocative dancing moves ( Gentry 75 ). His dancing moves were seen as provocative by the parents of the young teenagers that were going crazy over " The King" ( " Elvis Presley " ).
Some other films that he appeared in were The Rainmaker, Jailhouse Rock, King Creole, Charro , and many others ( Elvis Presley ). He would make his big screen appearance in the film Love Me Tender and from there on he performed in many other big screen pictures such as Viva Las Vegas, and Blue Hawaii. Elvis Presley's final movie role was in Change of Habit ( 1969 ) ("Elvis Presley " ).
The style of the way Elvis Presley performed on stage in many ways was extremely hated by the parents of the young teenagers who idolized him and was very often questioned by the parents and many news reporters ( Gentry 74 ). One quote by a parent about the teenagers was, " does the music madden them? Does it appeal to some latent jungle strain? Is it an outlet for the frustrations and insecurities that seem to afflict teen agers, " one parent said ( Gentry 75 ).
Another view of Elvis Presley by the parents to their teenagers was, " that he is the first rock symbol of teenage rebellion, " this also shows how disliked Elvis was by the parents of young teenagers of that time ( " Elvis Presley " ) . During that time it even went as far as that the FBI thought that Elvis was , " a definite danger to the security of the United States, " ( " Elvis Presley " ). Another thing that happened because many of the older people of that time saw that Elvis Presley's dancing style was inappropriate was that when he was shown on National TV, the TV station people would not show from the waist down on him because they said that his dancing style was not appropriate for National Television ( " Elvis Presley " ).
What people of that time failed to realize was that the style and the way Elvis Presley danced was the definition and was part of the kind of music that he was trying to make ( Gentry 107 ). The way he did his hair was his character. Those were parts of what made him unique and why the young generation loved and glorified him ( " Elvis Presley " ).
Elvis Presley's attitude and the way he carried himself just drove the young girls crazy over him. Also, another part that had something to do with it was his charming and gorgeous good looks ( " Elvis Presley " ). That part just added icing to the already delicious cake. Although all the girls adored him, most but not all of the young boy teenage population were mostly jealous of him and the attention that he received from young girls ( " Elvis Presley " ).
The end of the long and tiring road of the " World's Greatest Performer " was when he passed away on August 16, 1977 ( " Elvis Presley " ). His last performance was on June 26, 1977, in Market Square Arena, Indianapolis ( Gentry 118 ). His last performance was the greatest that he had ever performed after he came back from the service in the army.
When Elvis's death occurred, the United States of America was afflicted with so much pain because the country felt as if it literally lost a part of its self ( " Elvis Presley " ). After Elvis's death, president Jimmy Carter made a statement, "His music and his personality, fusing the styles of the white country and black rhythm and blues, permanently changed the face of American popular culture. His following was immense, and was a symbol the world over of the vitality, rebelliousness, and good humor of his country," ( " Elvis Presley " ). Even though the King of Rock and Roll has passed, his music and his style is still loved and remembered today.