The Presley Revolution
Just like Bob Dylan a decade later, Elvis Presley had started a revolution of his own in the 1950s. Often referred to as “The King” or “The Kind of Rock and Roll,” Presley is one of the major cultural icons of the 20th century. He began his musical career in 1954 at Sun Records. Accompanied by guitarist Scotty Moore and bassist Bill Black, he helped popularize the blossoming rockabilly genre, an energetic mix of country music and rhythm and blues.
Photo of Elvis PRESLEY; posed, on phone (Photo by GAB Archive/Redferns)
In 1956, his contract was purchased by RCA Victor, and he landed his first Number 1 with the single “Heartbreak Hotel.” He then embarked on television appearances and released a string hit singles such as “I Want You, I Need You, I Love You” (1956), “Love Me Tender” (1956), “All Shook Up” (1957), “A Fool Such as I”/”I Need Your Love Tonight” (1959), “Are You Lonesome Tonight?” (1960) and “Return to Sender” (1962).
Presley’s singing talent and gestures were deemed provocative and indecent by the Puritan section of America, and they made him a figurehead of rock ‘n’ roll as well as a subject of controversy. The singer died suddenly in 1977 at his Graceland estate in Memphis, Tennessee, at the age of 42.