Who doesn't love Elvis Presley songs? He is the King of Rock and Roll... and the king of gyration. It was his leg shaking, hip thrusting, and his irresistible smile that drew the women to this unforgettable performer.
It was 1956 when Elvis debuted his famous foot shuffling on the Milton Berle show to the sound of "Hound Dog." The viewers were in for the shock of their life. His slow-moving gyration around the microphone stand created a swirl of controversy.
The next day's national media used terms like "vulgar" and "obscene" because of the strong suggestive sexual content. Nearly six decades later, one wonders what kind of world those people lived in back then. Television critics slammed the performance as being "appalling" and lacking any "musical merit."
The New York Times said, "Mr. Presley has no discernible singing ability. His specialty is rhythm songs...with an undistinguished whine...with a beginners aria in the bathtub." They suggested his movements on the stage were more like those of a blonde bombshell on a burlesque runway.
Later he performed on the Ed Sullivan show. It was here that they only allowed a camera shot from the waist up. Sullivan thought Elvis was a decent and fine boy. He remembered him as one of the most pleasant people to be around at the time.
Cosmopolitan magazine wrote in December of 1956 that though he was kind to his parents, sent money to his family, and was unspoiled...he didn't have a free ticket to behave like a sex maniac in public.
Years later he moved on from such harsh remarks. And today he is certainly known to be the first King of Rock and Roll. He is a cultural icon of music around the world. It is estimated he has sold more than a billion singles and albums. And according to RIAA he had 149 top 100 singles in his music career. Not bad for a guy who sung with whine in a bathtub.
Elvis is the only recognized performer to be inducted into four music Halls of Fame. His name can be found in the "Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Gospel Music Hall of Fame, and the Rockabilly Hall of Fame." His home at Graceland, is a national historic landmark and his face has adorned a United States postage stamp.
Leonard Bernstein said that Elvis was the greatest cultural force in the twentieth century. He introduced the beat to everything from: music, language, and clothing...which created a social revolution from the 60's forward.
Today young people have no concept of the force of this iconic performer. He laid the ground work for so many contemporary performers. And though his picture adorns so many objects that may detract from the cultural influence he was...he still stands as one of the last centuries world wide cultural changers.
Even in his death Elvis Presley songs are a hot selling commodity... approaching nearly $50 million in earnings annually. Elvis and Elvis Presley songs continue to be a genuine cultural force.
It was 1956 when Elvis debuted his famous foot shuffling on the Milton Berle show to the sound of "Hound Dog." The viewers were in for the shock of their life. His slow-moving gyration around the microphone stand created a swirl of controversy.
The next day's national media used terms like "vulgar" and "obscene" because of the strong suggestive sexual content. Nearly six decades later, one wonders what kind of world those people lived in back then. Television critics slammed the performance as being "appalling" and lacking any "musical merit."
The New York Times said, "Mr. Presley has no discernible singing ability. His specialty is rhythm songs...with an undistinguished whine...with a beginners aria in the bathtub." They suggested his movements on the stage were more like those of a blonde bombshell on a burlesque runway.
Later he performed on the Ed Sullivan show. It was here that they only allowed a camera shot from the waist up. Sullivan thought Elvis was a decent and fine boy. He remembered him as one of the most pleasant people to be around at the time.
Cosmopolitan magazine wrote in December of 1956 that though he was kind to his parents, sent money to his family, and was unspoiled...he didn't have a free ticket to behave like a sex maniac in public.
Years later he moved on from such harsh remarks. And today he is certainly known to be the first King of Rock and Roll. He is a cultural icon of music around the world. It is estimated he has sold more than a billion singles and albums. And according to RIAA he had 149 top 100 singles in his music career. Not bad for a guy who sung with whine in a bathtub.
Elvis is the only recognized performer to be inducted into four music Halls of Fame. His name can be found in the "Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Gospel Music Hall of Fame, and the Rockabilly Hall of Fame." His home at Graceland, is a national historic landmark and his face has adorned a United States postage stamp.
Leonard Bernstein said that Elvis was the greatest cultural force in the twentieth century. He introduced the beat to everything from: music, language, and clothing...which created a social revolution from the 60's forward.
Today young people have no concept of the force of this iconic performer. He laid the ground work for so many contemporary performers. And though his picture adorns so many objects that may detract from the cultural influence he was...he still stands as one of the last centuries world wide cultural changers.
Even in his death Elvis Presley songs are a hot selling commodity... approaching nearly $50 million in earnings annually. Elvis and Elvis Presley songs continue to be a genuine cultural force.
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