Southern Values: Elvis Presley As A Role Model

Role models come from various sources. After Reconstruction, the South suffered numerous changes. The role of the South changed for its many citizens. Mississippi, along with the rest of the South suffered several stigmas. For years, the image of the South rested on the presence of civil rights injustices. Several strides towards progress faded in the light of racial discrimination. Downtrodden southerners needed new inspiration to overcome the storm of traditional values, moreover, a star emerged from rural Mississippi upbringings. He marveled the world with his intuition and his deep rooted Southern values. Elvis Presley showcased talents with Southern values and took the world by storm, cementing a new era for Southern culture. Born

His voice moved people from an early age. In reality, the flamboyant man American came to love didn’t rise to stardom overnight. He was a shy young man with the drive to make it in the music business. He was a kid, and he was scared, you know. In fact, I always thought he was a little bit nervous. Anyway, the attention frightened him and excited him at the same time.” The awkward shyness paid off for Elvis. Moguls in the music industry saw raw talent; he was destined for success once he grew into his own style. Rock ‘n’ Roll sung by a white musician was unheard during this time. Rockabilly emerged in Memphis from Sun Studios, but did not take the world by storm. “Elvis felt the term was a put-down, like poor white trash, or white

The limelight showed Elvis the world in a different light, far beyond his rural childhood. He became the man on top of the world, doing as he pleased. His success showed him opportunities common men in the South can only dream about. The money rolled in and the piles of it grew higher as Elvis made one public appearance after another. Southern men have strong traits of showmanship. Elvis showed this showmanship with his increasing popularity. Popularity breeds criticism, and Elvis’s critics grew with his success. I guess the more popular you are, the more criticism you get. If I was still back at Music Jamboree in Memphis, nobody would care what I did when I