Elvis Presley (1935-1977)

Elvis Presley (1935-1977) is a person.

• Example(s):
  • Elvis Presley, 1954.
  • Elvis Presley, 1960.
  • Elvis Presley, 1965.
  • Elvis Presley, 1970.
  • Elvis Presley, 1977.
• Counter-Example(s):
  • B.B. King, Buddy Holly, Johny Cash.
  • MLK, Jr. (1929-1968).
• See: Elvis Song, Tupelo, Mississippi, Memphis, Tennessee, Racial Barrier.

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References

2023

• chat
  • Q: Write an essay on Elvis Presley, with a focus on his historical significance. Provided details of his impact on race relations.
  • A: Elvis Presley, also known as "The King of Rock and Roll," was one of the most influential figures in the music industry in the 20th century. He rose to fame in the 1950s with his unique blend of country, gospel, and R&B music, and went on to become one of the best-selling artists of all time.

    One of the most significant aspects of Presley's impact was his role in breaking down racial barriers in music. In the 1950s, American society was highly segregated, and the music industry was no exception. African American artists were primarily confined to the R&B and gospel charts, while white artists dominated the country and pop charts. Presley, however, drew heavily from African American music, particularly R&B and gospel, and brought it to a white audience. This helped to introduce a wider audience to the music and culture of African Americans, and paved the way for future integration in the music industry.

    Presley's music was also significant in that it challenged the status quo and reflected the cultural changes of the time. His rebellious image and sexually charged performances were seen as a threat to traditional values, and he was frequently criticized by the media and conservative groups. However, his music and persona resonated with the youth of the time, who were eager for something new and different.

    Presley's influence was also felt beyond the United States. His music was popular all over the world and he had a huge following in Europe and Asia. His success helped to establish the United States as a major player in the global music scene and paved the way for future American musicians to find success abroad.

    In addition to his musical impact, Presley also had a significant influence on fashion and popular culture. He popularized the "rockabilly" style, which blended elements of country and R&B, and his distinctive fashion sense, including his iconic hairstyle and flashy stage outfits, had a major impact on the fashion of the time.

2023

• (Wikipedia, 2023) ⇒ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elvis_Presley Retrieved:2023-1-17.
  • Elvis Aaron Presley(January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), often referred to mononymously as Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the “King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. His energized interpretations of songs and sexually provocative performance style, combined with a singularly potent mix of influences across color lines during a transformative era in race relations, led him to both great success and initial controversy.

    Presley was born in Tupelo, Mississippi, and relocated to Memphis, Tennessee, with his family when he was 13 years old. His music career began there in 1954, recording at Sun Records with producer Sam Phillips, who wanted to bring the sound of African-American music to a wider audience. Presley, on rhythm acoustic guitar, and accompanied by lead guitarist Scotty Moore and bassist Bill Black, was a pioneer of rockabilly, an uptempo, backbeat-driven fusion of country music and rhythm and blues. In 1955, drummer D. J. Fontana joined to complete the lineup of Presley's classic quartet and RCA Victor acquired his contract in a deal arranged by Colonel Tom Parker, who would manage him for more than two decades. Presley's first RCA Victor single, “Heartbreak Hotel", was released in January 1956 and became a number-one hit in the United States. Within a year, RCA would sell ten million Presley singles. With a series of successful network television appearances and chart-topping records, Presley became the leading figure of the newly popular sound of rock and roll; though his performative style and promotion of the then-marginalized sound of African Americans led to him being widely considered a threat to the moral well-being of the White American youth.In November 1956, Presley made his film debut in Love Me Tender. Drafted into military service in 1958, Presley relaunched his recording career two years later with some of his most commercially successful work. He held few concerts, however, and guided by Parker, proceeded to devote much of the 1960s to making Hollywood films and soundtrack albums, most of them critically derided. Some of his most famous films included Jailhouse Rock (1957), Blue Hawaii (1961), and Viva Las Vegas (1964). In 1968, following a seven-year break from live performances, he returned to the stage in the acclaimed television comeback special Elvis, which led to an extended Las Vegas concert residency and a string of highly profitable tours. In 1973, Presley gave the first concert by a solo artist to be broadcast around the world, Aloha from Hawaii. Years of prescription drug abuse and unhealthy eating habits severely compromised his health, and he died suddenly in 1977 at his Graceland estate at the age of 42.

    Having sold over 400 million records worldwide, Presley is recognized as the best-selling solo music artist of all time by Guinness World Records. He was commercially successful in many genres, including pop, country, rhythm & blues, adult contemporary, and gospel. Presley won three Grammy Awards, received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award at age 36, and has been inducted into multiple music halls of fame. He holds several records, including the most RIAA-certified gold and platinum albums, the most albums charted on the Billboard 200, the most number-one albums by a solo artist on the UK Albums Chart, and the most number-one singles by any act on the UK Singles Chart. In 2018, Presley was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

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