Elvis: A great performer, a good man

[Vincent Vega]

I'm a very big Elvis fan as some of you know may know. I love all his stuff from the 50s all the way up to his last records. I think he was the best, he was awesome, even in the Jumpsuit era. That said, something I've come to realize is how great a person he was. Yes, we all know about his prescription drug issue, but he doesn't seem to have been abusive when high and an addiction isn't the sum total of a man.

This is a guy who even at the height of his fame, and even in his later years, remained a humble man who didn't let fame go to his head and make him think he was better than anyone else. He DETESTED being called "The King", saying the only King there is is God, that he was just an entertainer. He loved his parents and designed rooms in his Graceland mansion just for them--especially his mother. He was incredibly kind to friends, family and fans: He showered friends with gifts, money, cars, whatever they wanted, needed and asked for; He provided for all of his relatives expenses and living standards and even their medical bills--In fact he was partially in debt in the '70s due to paying for all of his relatives' medical expenses for them. He was great and accessible toward fans, and even giving. He'd let female fans who surrounded Graceland on a whim without security and didn't use them; He once bought a $10,000 Cadillac (in 1960s or 1970s money) for a fan who was admiring his own Cadillac. The list of wonderful things he did as a person, with his wealth, is endless.

I just thought that both Elvis the entertainer and Elvis the man should be equally appreciated. This was a man who was well ahead of his time, was not a racist, who was good to those around him and who, despite his own failings, tried to be a loving father to his daughter; A man who never kept fans waiting for hours on end, never viewed his fans as the enemy, never viewed himself as an infallible God; A man who even in declining health released at least one studio album every year and toured endlessly; A man who put passion and power into every performance up to the end; Who embraced and championed and tried out all sorts of music from Gospel to Country to R&B and Soul to Funk and Disco and Dance successfully; A guy who was cool and down to Earth to the end. A man who fully deserved the title of the "King of Rock N' Roll", even if he hated that moniker.

All hail Elvis =)

[Randy Lahey]

He had a good voice (although not one of my personal favorites), was good looking and had good fashion sense. The main thing he had going for him was his white skin though. Chuck Berry and Little Richard were far more talented, and if America wasn't so racist, one of those two would have been considered the "King of Rock N' Roll."

Edited October 29, 2012 by Randy Lahey

[Kill Devil Hill]

He had a good voice (although not one of my personal favorites), was good looking and had good fashion sense. The main thing he had going for him was his white skin though. Chuck Berry and Little Richard were far more talented, and if America wasn't so racist, one of those two would have been considered the "King of Rock N' Roll."

This + Bill Haley essentially created rock n' roll, but he was too old and ugly to be considered the King.

Though I must say I do love Elvis and think he's super talented and deserved his accolades. I just think others are unfairly shoved aside.

[Randy Lahey]

He's really not that great. Johnny B. Goode and Tootie Frutie were far better than any of the songs that helped make Elvis popular.

[Guest Len B'stard]

He had a good voice (although not one of my personal favorites), was good looking and had good fashion sense. The main thing he had going for him was his white skin though. Chuck Berry and Little Richard were far more talented, and if America wasn't so racist, one of those two would have been considered the "King of Rock N' Roll."

This + Bill Haley essentially created rock n' roll, but he was too old and ugly to be considered the King.

Though I must say I do love Elvis and think he's super talented and deserved his accolades. I just think others are unfairly shoved aside.

[Kill Devil Hill]

He had a good voice (although not one of my personal favorites), was good looking and had good fashion sense. The main thing he had going for him was his white skin though. Chuck Berry and Little Richard were far more talented, and if America wasn't so racist, one of those two would have been considered the "King of Rock N' Roll."

This + Bill Haley essentially created rock n' roll, but he was too old and ugly to be considered the King.

Though I must say I do love Elvis and think he's super talented and deserved his accolades. I just think others are unfairly shoved aside.

Yep, had Ike in mind, too.

This song is also widely considered the first rock n' roll song.

Edited October 29, 2012 by Kill Devil Hill

[Johnny Drama]

Yeah whenever anyone says first rock song I think Rocket 88. Shame he liked to hit bitches.

[DieselDaisy]

I'm a very big Elvis fan as some of you know may know. I love all his stuff from the 50s all the way up to his last records. I think he was the best, he was awesome, even in the Jumpsuit era. That said, something I've come to realize is how great a person he was. Yes, we all know about his prescription drug issue, but he doesn't seem to have been abusive when high and an addiction isn't the sum total of a man.

This is a guy who even at the height of his fame, and even in his later years, remained a humble man who didn't let fame go to his head and make him think he was better than anyone else. He DETESTED being called "The King", saying the only King there is is God, that he was just an entertainer. He loved his parents and designed rooms in his Graceland mansion just for them--especially his mother. He was incredibly kind to friends, family and fans: He showered friends with gifts, money, cars, whatever they wanted, needed and asked for; He provided for all of his relatives expenses and living standards and even their medical bills--In fact he was partially in debt in the '70s due to paying for all of his relatives' medical expenses for them. He was great and accessible toward fans, and even giving. He'd let female fans who surrounded Graceland on a whim without security and didn't use them; He once bought a $10,000 Cadillac (in 1960s or 1970s money) for a fan who was admiring his own Cadillac. The list of wonderful things he did as a person, with his wealth, is endless.

I just thought that both Elvis the entertainer and Elvis the man should be equally appreciated. This was a man who was well ahead of his time, was not a racist, who was good to those around him and who, despite his own failings, tried to be a loving father to his daughter; A man who never kept fans waiting for hours on end, never viewed his fans as the enemy, never viewed himself as an infallible God; A man who even in declining health released at least one studio album every year and toured endlessly; A man who put passion and power into every performance up to the end; Who embraced and championed and tried out all sorts of music from Gospel to Country to R&B and Soul to Funk and Disco and Dance successfully; A guy who was cool and down to Earth to the end. A man who fully deserved the title of the "King of Rock N' Roll", even if he hated that moniker.

All hail Elvis =)

I agree with all of this. The stories of him buying Cadilacs for people, workmen doing a job at Graceland etc, are legendary. Elvis was aware that he owed everything to his fans - unlike a certain redhead. He went that extra mile for his fans. He does have a few flaws. He perhaps could have handled his marriage better. He delved into some rather hoary old right wing politics (the picture with Nixon) which resulted in him making a few ill-advised comments about The Beatles and other British bands. But overall, sum total, Elvis was a good man.

And what an artist. There is a thread on the GNR board, ''Is Axl your favourite singer''. Elvis is my own favourite singer - at least in regards to popular music. He had the voice, the hips, the look, the sound. Stick Elvis with Moore, Black and Fontana and you have one of the great - if not the greatest rock n roll band - ever. His recordings at Sun and RCA in the 50s are some of the greatest music ever recorded. And I also love his music after this, the Elvis is Back LP, his Memphis 69 sessions. Great artist.

[dalsh327]

Love his songs, but this might be my favorite.

[GivenToFly]

Chuck Berry and Little Richard were far more talented, and if America wasn't so racist, one of those two would have been considered the "King of Rock N' Roll."

They had signature sounds that they were very good at. Elvis' strength was that he could do different genres very well. Beyond that it's hard to compare. All three were great frontmen, Elvis and Richard were both great vocalists, Chuck was a great guitarist. All three were massively influential (you may say Elvis was not a writer, but he did have an extraordinary writing team behind team and it's difficult and unfair to take anything away from those guys).

[classicrawker]

I love 50's Young Elvis but not a huge fan of his 70's Vegas super hero costume persona although he could still sing right to the end

[Guest Len B'stard]

For the sake of counterpoint and in the interest of stimulating discussion (as the following is not necessarily my personal point of view) it's worth considering that, OK, we're making character judgements here, right? Bit of a silly thing to attempt to do with someone that you've never met but for the sake of argument, the bloke was a grass. He agreed to basically go around shopping in other artists that did what he did, what do you call someone like that? He was willing to sellout these people that were like, basically him 10 or so years on, accused of the same things he was, all of that and he agreed to basically be an informer.

Now as i say, i don't really give a fuck what kind of person he was, i'm interested in music primarily and also i don't think it's worth speculating on his character, bit of an empty exercise but for the sake of argument, to those singing up his "character", what do you make of that?

I mean, he was off his fuckin' tits on drugs himself and he was gonna go around grassing up other artists/performers and possibly result in them going to jail or being held otherwise accountable in a way that would be detrimental to their lives/livelihood, how do you reconcile that with the whole "good honest straight jawed American Man" thing?

[DieselDaisy]

I do not follow you? Which artists did Elvis grass up?

[Guest Len B'stard]

I do not follow you? Which artists did Elvis grass up?

I never said he grassed any artists up. I said he agreed to be a grass, requested it even, if i'm not mistaken. Wanna know the funny bit? Even they mugged him off He wanted to meet J Edgar Hoover but Hoover weren't up for it based on his wearing his hair down to his shoulders and indulging in exotic dress. Quite an indictment from the ol' Hoov huh, considering what he got up to on his holidays, the scamp.

Edited October 29, 2012 by sugaraylen

[Vincent Vega]

I do not follow you? Which artists did Elvis grass up?

I never said he grassed any artists up. I said he agreed to be a grass, requested it even, if i'm not mistaken. Wanna know the funny bit? Even they mugged him off He wanted to meet J Edgar Hoover but Hoover weren't up for it based on his wearing his hair down to his shoulders and indulging in exotic dress. Quite an indictment from the ol' Hoov huh, considering what he got up to on his holidays, the scamp.

You realize the stories of Hoover wearing dresses stem from a 1993 book from some nutjob woman, who was discredited. No evidence of him crossdressing nor of him being gay. Asexual at best.

[Guest Len B'stard]

I do not follow you? Which artists did Elvis grass up?

I never said he grassed any artists up. I said he agreed to be a grass, requested it even, if i'm not mistaken. Wanna know the funny bit? Even they mugged him off He wanted to meet J Edgar Hoover but Hoover weren't up for it based on his wearing his hair down to his shoulders and indulging in exotic dress. Quite an indictment from the ol' Hoov huh, considering what he got up to on his holidays, the scamp.

You realize the stories of Hoover wearing dresses stem from a 1993 book from some nutjob woman, who was discredited. No evidence of him crossdressing nor of him being gay. Asexual at best.

I couldn't give a fuck to be honest, it was just a quip based on the age old urban myth I must say, the man was a cunt though although not for allegedly trying on the Matrons uniform when she weren't looking.

[Mao5]

Yeah whenever anyone says first rock song I think Rocket 88. Shame he liked to hit bitches.

r'n'r started before than ike turner:

http://www.amazon.fr/Rock-N-Roll-1927-1938-Compilation/dp/B00000B48N/ref=sr_1_2?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1351539998&sr=1-2

[MB.]

I love Elvis! I just love his voice! I love all his music!

But I am alo a huge Ike Turner fan, his early years and of course Ike & Tina. They were just awesome together!

It's a pitty he had such a nasty personality, which has overshadowed his career.

[dalsh327]

I love Elvis! I just love his voice! I love all his music!

But I am alo a huge Ike Turner fan, his early years and of course Ike & Tina. They were just awesome together!

It's a pitty he had such a nasty personality, which has overshadowed his career.

All we have to go on is one side to the story. I'm def. not defending him, but Tina told her side with a lot of money behind it and no one really heard his.

Artists can be bastards. You can love someone's work and still think they're pricks.

[MB.]

I love Elvis! I just love his voice! I love all his music!

But I am alo a huge Ike Turner fan, his early years and of course Ike and Tina. They were just awesome together!

It's a pitty he had such a nasty personality, which has overshadowed his career.

All we have to go on is one side to the story. I'm def. not defending him, but Tina told her side with a lot of money behind it and no one really heard his.

Artists can be bastards. You can love someone's work and still think they're pricks.

That's true and to be clear, I am not saying I let that influence me, cause I don't. I am after all also a GNR fan . But I do think it has overshadowed his career. He is not seen as a great artist but as the man who used to beat up Tina and that's a shame.

Edited October 30, 2012 by MBRose

[Mao5]

Legend would surely have it that Rock n' Roll was born in Memphis in 1954 when a young truck-driver by the name of Elvis Presley opted to sing "black blues" his way. A legend that drastically over-simplifies reality, however, for the roots of Rock n' Roll are already to be found in the early recordings of blues, jazz and country music of the mid-1920s.

This 2-CD boxed set offers a musical excursion to the very sources of Rock n' Roll, taking us back to the time when music was intended principally for dancing.

[Johnny Drama]

I love Elvis! I just love his voice! I love all his music!

But I am alo a huge Ike Turner fan, his early years and of course Ike & Tina. They were just awesome together!

It's a pitty he had such a nasty personality, which has overshadowed his career.

All we have to go on is one side to the story. I'm def. not defending him, but Tina told her side with a lot of money behind it and no one really heard his.

Artists can be bastards. You can love someone's work and still think they're pricks.

We all love Axl and a million other various cunts don't we?

[Guest Len B'stard]

i'd go so far as to say that the best ones are often cunts.

Yeah whenever anyone says first rock song I think Rocket 88. Shame he liked to hit bitches.

r'n'r started before than ike turner:

http://www.amazon.fr...51539998&sr=1-2

No it didn't, thats a roots of rock n roll album.