At the time, it seemed like there was an avalanche of Elvis stuff, and it was like, "Who opened the door? Who let these people out?" Because, in England, they seemed to come from nowhere. At the time, I was just a total outsider, lying back and going, "Come on, give me some good stuff." And these were the guys that provided it. You probably never get over your first turn-ons, especially the greats like Presley. - Keith Richards (1992)
Elvis Aaron Presley was born to Vernon and Gladys Presley in Tupelo, Mississippi on January 8, 1935. As a boy, Elvis was exposed to diverse musical influences, everything from gospel to blues to country. All of these influences combined to make Elvis one of the most unique performers of the 20th Century. Most people wouldn't classify Elvis as a blues singer, but it's obvious that blues was a big influence.
In the beginning of his career Elvis was billed as a country-western singer. In reality, his early recordings are covers of blues songs. His first five singles on the Sun Records label were: Arthur Crudup's "That's All Right," Roy Brown's 'Good Rockin' Tonight," Kokomo Arnold's "Milkcow Blues Boogie," Arthur Gunter's "Baby, Let's Play House" and Junior Parker's "Mystery Train."
The music Elvis played was a combination of blues, R&B and hillbilly. He never tried to imitate black singers, he sang black music with his own, unique voice. He played and sang as he felt without pretending to be something he wasn't. Two great blues performances can be found on his 1968 comeback special. On that show, Elvis gets down and dirty with Jimmy Reed's "Baby, What You Want Me To Do" and Rufus Thomas' "Tiger Man (King Of The Jungle)."
Recommended listening:
The Sun Sessions The earliest track recorded by the King Of Rock and Roll. The energy and the youth of his voice will knock you out.
Recommended reading:
Last Train To Memphis by Peter Guralnick. Elvis' early days without the
gossip. The first book of a series, carefully researched and well written.
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