July 2022 Nonconformist of the Month – Elvis Presley

With the recent release of the biopic and the upcoming 45th anniversary of his death, I decided to declare Elvis Presley as July’s nonconformist of the month.  Being a young child in the 1970s, I heard the name Elvis Presley a lot, both on the radio and on television, but I was not able to fully appreciate his talent at that young age.   As a nine-year-old girl I was not able to register the impact that his death had on the world in August 1977.  However, it piqued my curiosity and I started to pay closer attention to his music, especially since it was being played constantly at that time.  I learned that I liked several of his early upbeat songs.

As a teen I read some books about his life and bought a few of his records, but as time went on, my interest in him became overshadowed by the current artists I liked at the time.  In spite of that I never stopped liking Elvis and I have revisited his music at times over the years.  With the availability of videos online, I also discovered some live performances I had never seen and was reminded of how great he was.  Now with the new biopic, I am reminded again of his stellar career and tragic death that led to his nickname the “King of rock and Roll.”

Elvis was born on January 8, 1935, in Tupelo, Mississippi.  Many people don’t realize that Elvis had an identical twin that died at birth.  How this may have impacted him is unclear, but knowing the bond twins have, it must have been significant.  His family was very poor and for a time his father was in jail for writing a bad check, so he and his mother had to take housing in a very poor black neighborhood.  Despite the poverty, this had a positive impact of Elvis because he was exposed to the black music that would influence the music he would create as an adult.  He also had the opportunity to rise above the racial misconceptions of the time by having black friends.  He learned to sing and play guitar at the church he attended.  As a teen, his family moved to Memphis where he attended high school and was further exposed to a variety of music – gospel, rhythm and blues, and jazz were all prevalent in Memphis. 

In 1954, at age 19, Elvis released his first record which blended his black musical roots with a fresh updated flavor.  His music became highly requested and was played frequently and many were surprised to learn he was not a black artist.  During his early performances, his natural tendency to shimmy and shake on stage led to quite a stir because the females in the audience reacted by screaming and swooning.  This made Elvis controversial due to the repressed social and sexual norms of that time period.  Elvis was also controversial because his music was so highly influenced by black music that some government officials at that time accused him of violating segregation laws.  There were threats to have him arrested for this and an attempt to change his performance style.  Elvis was true to himself and would not be thwarted.

Elvis put his music career on hold from 1958 to 1960 when he served in the army.  This not only changed the trajectory of his career, but it resulted in his meeting his future wife Priscilla.  Another major event impacted him at this time – his mother died.  He was very close to her, and his life was forever changed by her loss.  Ironically, she was buried on August 16, 1958, exactly nineteen years before his untimely death on August 16, 1977.

After his return from military duty, he starred in many movies and although he was highly paid, his movies did not earn him a lot of respect.  He made the decision to return to music and performing live and in 1968 he recorded a television special where he performed onstage in a black leather outfit both singing and dancing as well as sitting down with his band.  For the show finale he wore a white suit and sang a song written in response to the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King.  The show was the most watched television show of the season.  It became known as the “Comeback Special” and his career was back on top.

Starting in 1969, Elvis started playing shows in residency at the Las Vegas International Hotel and did so for seven years.  He also toured North America, but surprisingly never toured overseas.  In 1973, in order to reach his overseas fans, he played a concert in Hawaii that was broadcast via satellite around the world.  This was the first time this had been done and this concert reached more than 1.5 billion viewers, which equaled about one-third of the world’s population at that time. 

In the year prior to the Hawaii concert, he separated from his wife Priscilla and they divorced.  How this impacted him, we can only speculate but after this period of time, this health started to visibly decline.  He became heavier, was less active onstage, and started to forget words to songs.  There has been much written about the alleged abuse of prescription drugs and other things written about his health concerns at this time.  From what has been made publicly known since his death, it seems as if he had a number of health issues, including an enlarged heart, that were exacerbated by the drugs he was taking.  Of course, with Elvis there is always controversy.  He had gotten death threats during his later years and some believed he remained living and went into hiding.  His funeral was viewed around the world and thousands lined the streets of Memphis that day.  His death brought him even more fame and notoriety and he remains the top-selling solo music artist of all time.  It is speculated that he was sold over a billion records. 

Having come from poverty and being given the great gift of music, Elvis Presley shared that gift with the world and changed the face of music.  His influence is so broad that without him, there would be on rock and roll music today.  I, for one, am thankful for this gift he gave us.  He was also a trailblazer who didn’t shy away from controversy.  He embraced black music and black culture and had black friends.  He did this at a time when there were strict segregation laws in place.  He brought awareness to the public and received both good and bad publicity for it.  This is another gift he gave us.  I believe that had it not been for Elvis Presley, society would not have progressed in the manner it did and we as a country might have remained segregated and separated.  His music and his message helped to raise awareness and to unite our country.

Elvis is truly the “King of Rock and Roll” and I am honoring him here for the great gift of nonconformity that he gave us.  Thank you, Elvis, for being you.  R.I.P.