Elvis Presley

:"Elvis" redirects here. For other persons and things named Elvis, see Elvis (disambiguation).

Lasting legacy

By 1957 Elvis Presley was the most famous entertainer in the world. After pioneer band leader Bill Haley spawned interest in rock and roll in western Europe, Presley triggered a wide shift in tastes with effects lasting many decades. Singers in dozens of countries made Presley-influenced records in many languages and his own records were sold around the globe, even behind the former Iron Curtain. By 1958 Cliff Richard was rising to prominence in the UK and in France Johnny Hallyday became a rock and roll idol singing in French, soon to be followed by others like Claude François. Airplay and sales of Presley recordings across Europe were followed by those of other American rockers who began touring there. Teenagers around the world copied his "Ducktail" hair style.

Related Topics:
Bill Haley - Europe - Iron Curtain - Cliff Richard - UK - France - Johnny Hallyday - Claude François - Teenager - Ducktail

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Following Presley's untimely death in 1977 US President Jimmy Carter said:

Related Topics:
President - Jimmy Carter

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Elvis Presley's death deprives our country of a part of itself. He was unique and irreplaceable. His music and his personality, fusing the styles of white country and black rhythm and blues, permanently changed the face of American popular culture. His following was immense and he was a symbol to people the world over, of the vitality, rebelliousness, and good humor of his country.

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Or as James Brown once put it, "He taught white America to get down."

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Wink Martindale, who was a close friend of Elvis, aired a nationwide tribute in his memory following the news of his death. Martindale was a up-and-coming radio DJ in Memphis at the time Presley's career began to take off in high gear.

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Richard Dawson also paid tribute to Elvis on an episode of Family Feud.

Related Topics:
Richard Dawson - Family Feud

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After his death a kitsch industry grew up around his memory, chronicling his dietary and chemical predilections along with the trappings of his wide celebrity. Critics said this tended to obscure the vibrant and vital music he made as a young man, the vocally-influential recordings of his later career and his lasting mark on popular culture.

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Among his many accomplishments, Elvis Presley is only one of two singers (Roy Orbison being the other) to ever have two Top 5 albums on the charts simultaneously. He has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (1986), the Country Music Hall of Fame (1998), and the Gospel Music Hall of Fame (2001). In 1984 Presley was given the W.C. Handy Award from the Blues Foundation in Memphis for "keeping the blues alive in his music - rock and roll." In 1993, Presley's image appeared on a United States postage stamp.

Related Topics:
Roy Orbison - Rock and Roll Hall of Fame - Country Music Hall of Fame - Gospel Music Hall of Fame - W.C. Handy Award - Blues Foundation - 1993 - United States postage stamp

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