Elvis Presley

Patriotic Assembly Song of the Week:
The Marine Corp Hymn

Featured Musician of the Week:
ELVIS PRESLEY
U.S.A. 1935 - 1977

MONDAY

Listening Example: "My Happiness"

Shortly before dawn, on January 8, 1935, Gladys Presley gave birth to twin sons. The first, Jessie Garon, was stillborn. The Second, Elvis Arron, was born healthy and would be Gladys and Vernon’s only child. Elvis was named after his father, Vernon Elvis Presley.

Elvis grew up in a close-knit, working class family, consisting of his parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins, who all lived close by in Tupelo. Although there was little money, Vernon and Gladys did their best to provide for their son. They attended the Assembly of God Church while in Tupelo where Elvis loved singing gospel. He also grew up listening to the bluesmen in the neighborhood and country music on the radio.

In 1946, Elvis’ parents bought him a guitar at the Tupelo Hardware Store for his 11th birthday, and that is where it all began.

In 1948, Elvis and his family packed up all their belongings and moved from Tupelo, Mississippi to Memphis, Tennessee. Elvis fell in love with Beale Street and the music that came from there. In 1953, Elvis stopped by Sun Record Studios and recorded “My Happiness” on acetate. Acetates are records made from a different material than regular vinyl records. Usually, they are used to make just one or a few copies only, while vinyl records are pressed and usually in larger quantities. Elvis only wanted one copy since he was only recording this for fun. Today’s listening example is “My Happiness” Notice the original acetate copy on the record player in the video.

TUESDAY

Listening Example: "That's Alright"

Elvis Aaron Presley was, and still is, regarded as one of the most significant cultural icons of the 20th century. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King".
After recording that song “My Happiness” in 1953, Elvis received a call from local guitarist Scotty Moore and bass player Bill Black. Elvis agreed to meet them at Memphis Recording Service for a rehearsal session with Sun Records producer Sam Phillips.

Sam wasn’t exactly happy with the music they were all making, so he told them all to “take 5” (or take a break). During the break, Elvis was just playing around and started singing a sped-up version of Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup’s “That’s All Right.” Scotty and Bill quickly joined in and Sam Phillips finally heard what he had been looking for. He recorded their version of “That’s All Right” as Elvis’ first single.

Today’s Listening Example is Elvis’ first “official” single, “That’s Alright”. Today’s video is a clip of him performing on one of the variety shows that were very popular during the 60’s and 70’s. You will see a little bit of him telling about his first record. Notice how charismatic he is, and how well he handles himself while speaking to a group of people.

WEDNESDAY

Listening Example: "Hound Dog"

Elvis was known for the way he moved his hips, curled his lips and flashed those beautiful blue eyes. But, not everyone appreciated these star qualities in him.
In 1956, Elvis performed on a show called The Milton Berle Show. This was his second appearance on the show. This time, however, he changed up his moves, and the way he sang his song.

He sang “Hound Dog” and added some moves that were called “sensuous” (GASP) or even “sexy” (NO!). He shook his hips and added some soul to his voice as he sang. This performance was just too much for the conservative adults of the 1950’s. It caused outrage in the media. Elvis was seen as breaking the rules, crossing musical, racial and social dividing lines of the times.

Of course, what did this cause? The KIDS went WILD for Elvis!!!! They loved him even more now that their parents disapproved. They screamed, they cried, they stormed the stage! They snuck out to see his concerts and braved huge crowds just to catch a glimpse of their new King!

Today’s Listening Example is, of course, “Hound Dog”. This video shows the skit Elvis did with Milton Berle before his performance. After his performance, you will see clips of the outraged adults talking about how they felt about his performance. Notice how different the attitudes are today than they were in the 50’s. It’s amazing that music can cause such emotion and such a stir. (Watch entire video)

THURSDAY

Listening Example: "Wooden Heart"

We’ve learned about patriotism and citizenship. Elvis had both of these character traits, and took them very seriously. He wanted to serve his country and knew it was the right thing to do at the time.

In March of 1958, Elvis and his parents went to the office of the Memphis draft board to formally enlist him in the Army. You could almost hear the hearts breaking around the world, as Elvis chose his country over his music. Many parents, religious leaders, and teachers groups saw his draft, removing him from public view, as a positive thing. Despite being offered the chance to enlist in Special Services to entertain the troops and live in priority housing, Presley decided to serve as a regular soldier. This earned him the respect of many of his fellow soldiers and people back home who had previously viewed him in a negative light.

Elvis was quickly put in charge of a group of men and they were put on a bus to Fort Chaffee, Arkansas. At Fort Chaffee, Elvis received his famous GI haircut. But he was still quite handsome.

Elvis was stationed in Germany during the last year of his time in the Army. Movie producers were already chomping at the bits for him to get back to the states and entertain the masses. As soon as his deployment was over, Elvis began working on his movie, “G. I. Blues” about a young military man with a singing career and a dream of owning a night club. Today’s Listening Example is the song “Wooden Heart” from the movie “G.I. Blues.”

FRIDAY

Listening Example: "Suspicious Minds"

Presley is one of the most celebrated and influential musicians of the 20th century. Commercially successful in many genres, including pop, blues and gospel, he is one of the best-selling artists in the history of recorded music, with estimated record sales of around 600 million units worldwide.

In 1959, while serving overseas in Germany, Elvis (then 24 years old) met his future wife, 14 year-old Priscilla Beaulieu. They were married 8 years later.

Elvis and Priscilla had one daughter, Lisa Marie. She was the light of Elvis’ life. When she turned 25, in 1993, Lisa Marie inherited the Graceland estate. She has since had a voice in any major decisions made for her childhood home, including the expansion of the mansion and the hotel that was built near it.

Today’s Listening Example is "Suspicious Minds". The song was handed to Elvis Presley by his producer. It quickly became a number one song in 1969, and one of the most notable hits of Presley's career. "Suspicious Minds" was widely regarded as the single that returned Presley's career success, following his '68 Comeback Special. It was his eighteenth and last number-one single in the United States. Rolling Stone ranked it No. 91 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.