How Did Elvis Presley Impact On Society

Influencing arguably some of the most popular and influential artists and composers of the 20th century, Elvis Presley is among the few composers in the music industry who continues to have their name said and idolized decades after their death. However, behind all the fame and humble beginnings, hides an unhappy sinister world of drugs and greed that trapped talented innocent artists like Elvis from the start to the end of his short career. Tom Parker, Elvis’ manager, used Elvis from the beginning to gain money and fame, he placed immense pressure on Elvis and the objectification of elvis caused him to develop a drug addiction ultimately affecting his stage performance and his quality of life.

Influencing the Beatles, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen,

He was not the sole inventor of rock, he credits Chuck Berry and Fats Domino for influencing him and the fame that came at the time because of racial barriers1. Coming from a little town in Memphis where at the time, segregation was at an all-time high, he broke through racial barriers and became famous not only for his voice and style of music but for his outrageous outfits, good looks and striking stage presence. Tom Parker, manager, gambler, abuser, and criminal, was somehow given the honorary title of Colonel in the state of Louisiana giving him the name of Colonel Parker by governor Jimmie Davis for helping with his political campaign(2). Before Elvis, he had illegally entered the United States and changed his identity to avoid being sent back to the Netherlands where he was born. He completely cut ties with his family and never knew any of his family members had died until receiving the news 3-4 years after their deaths demonstrating his avariciousness. Some speculate that he was attached to a murder of a young woman on the same night he left his hometown and changed his name with nothing in hand (5). He has never been charged with the murder because it is circumstantial evidence however, it would not be out of character of

His charm and charisma attracted people from all around the world. Although never leaving North America, he was as popular in Japan and the UK as he was in America. However, the back-to-back shows he endured made it hard to keep up with his character. There is no human way possible to be able to perform 2 shows a day, 7 days a week with barely any breaks (7) with the energy that he had. His energetic and provocative performances with wide vocal range made teens and young adults of that era crazy for him. However, for the older audiences and the church, they found it to be scandalous and rebellious. Perhaps that’s what attracted teens and young adults, the fact that it was so different and outgoing than other performers. One of the most scandalous shows that he performed was in 1956 when he performed Hound Dog on the Milton Berle Show.(8) The disgusted press and the teens who fell head over heels for his performance where he set his guitar aside and let his hips loose, attracted the attention of the church and many other television stations. Some saying that he would never be able to perform on their show, others inviting him but restricting what was shows on TV. “His sexy moves and black-influenced sound was condemned by certain factions of the “morally concerned” establishment and the religious community, but his seemingly unstoppable popularity continued to grow to new heights.” (8)