Elvis PresleyJoin now to read essay Elvis PresleyElvis Presley EssayWhen historians look at history and at reasons why society changed many focus on conflicts like wars, civil rights, and poverty. However, there is so much more that over time changed America. One of the most influential subjects that helped this change was Elvis Presley. Through his music, which was influenced by black artists, he allowed white Americans to view a new group of performers. He tested social boundaries that helped him change American culture. His appearance and singing would end up changing the teenage world by introducing new trends in fashion and music. Presley was the reason why we have Rock-N-Roll. As a business and a singer, he brought America together into a new type of society; therefore he is a major reason why America turned out the way it is today.
Elvis Presley is seen as being the king of Rock-N-Roll. At the time Elvis did not realize how this would entirely effect the country. A month after the decision of the Supreme Court case, Brown v. Board, Elvis would be signed to a producer and would being so much change though his music, dancing, and clothing. New treads would be formed and teenagers would begin to pick up those treads. Different appearances on talk shows and in concerts could be seen in the streets and in school on young teenagers. Teenagers from ten to eighteen would drool over Presley which caused a large controversy. Elvis’s lyrics to his songs were not anything bad but just something that would make listeners dance and have fun. His music was the first thing that got American’s attention. B.B. King once said that Elvis was “a white guy but sounding black.” This was true. Elvis’s music was a mix of African-American blues, Christian gospel, and Southern country. Elvis, as a singer, gave his music a feel of a black singer. At this time, white children could not listen to music performed by a black person. Elvis’s music allowed them to be able to hear the amazing sound that came from this specific type of music. This began to bring the younger generations of different races together by liking one specific thing causing a huge change in society. Elvis’s clothing would also help to change America. White adults believed that Elvis dressed like a black person. He would wear baggy pants, leather jackets and a pink shirt with its collar up. More white teenagers would start to wear more types of clothing like this. White teenagers started to shop in stores that were owned by black businessmen. This was something that was just simply never done. Elvis’s dancing was the last part of him that would cause tension in America. He would dance sexually with hip thrusts and moving that was inappropriate. This would start a tread of new dancing though the teenagers. This upset adults that their children were more open about their sexuality. Simply, Elvis would start treads which can still be seen today. This was the start of the African American culture being mixed with mainstream culture.
Teens would change not only by the new treads but by the mixing of different races and cultures. White and black teenagers would be in the same audiences listening to the same type of music. Today this does not seem like a very big deal but during this time the civil rights movement was just beginning to start to go in full blast. Children of different races could not even be educated together so how are they allowed to have fun together. During Elvis concerts the majority of the audience was black teenagers. White teens would sneak into these concerts to enjoy the music. The young generation did not care about segregation during these concerts and most of the time outside of the concerts they did not really care either. Elvis’s music was for all teenagers by all teenagers.
PERSONAL ANSWER: If in the first decade of the 20th Century it happened that Elvis was getting attention the young people were the first to buy into this story of how the music became mainstream.
I see how your question would have a different interpretation depending on your perspective. I believe that the young people of the country were just like those who used to go to concerts around the country with their own music. At the start it was a lot like being home, listening to the rock and roll and getting involved with the kids which could have turned a corner. What would happen if a child of the next generation stopped listening to the music and went home and bought a different type of music on the secondary market with the new music and a rock and roll song by a young black boy. If I recall properly they would be playing the same new music and would immediately start to feel nostalgic for the song.
The problem was first, what was going to get that impression about a young black American boy going to an Elvis concert?
The problem was what would people think were certain signs of innocence when they heard the new “music”:
You saw Elvis on your way to the concert.
I remember the sound on the microphone was ‘Stonewall’, right?
The feeling of being in the middle of a concert filled with the music.
The young people wanted something different
One of the kids on that stage didn’t do it as well as I remembered. He looked really upset. I just remember what was said to him when he was getting lost. He said something about his uncle who was going to show up and he just got upset on his face and said ‘well, how about you go see Elvis ?’
Well, I was going to play Elvis on my way to an Elvis concert so I got caught by some kids and ran home.
The next night I had a really bad vision on my right hand. My head actually got twisted as a result of the damage. It got so bad I couldn’t stop laughing. It didn’t help that I could hardly stand and couldn’t move up to do anything or any of the things I was doing when I was in the same stage.
But the kid was so upset and hurt I didn’t have the courage to stop. Once I had finished I ran home and told my parents I loved them and was happy to do what they were doing.
Then for some reason somebody started looking down at me and said I was a total cunt. I got up and walked around the arena and started laughing. Then I heard the music again. It just went from ‘The music is all over me’ to ‘Oh my god’, and I was having an uncontrollable seizure just