Elvis

Chuck D later said he he liked Elvis' music and that he was a "stone cold, bad ass white boy." Which he absolutely was. What Chuck D said he was attacking was Elvis title as the King of Rock N' Roll. "How can white people say that when cats like Little Richard" were around?" Absolutely Chuck. I understand completely. But Elvis wasn't disliked by black audiences in his own time. He was understood.... probably better than white audiences.

Elvis bombed in places like Nashville and Vegas when he started. To them he was just ghetto trash, but to black people? They liked that he wore "ducktails" and put to much pomade in his hair.... and he played their music. Chuck Berry and Jackie Wilson both commented that Elvis was an inspiring performer. Black audiences on Beale Street were listening to Dewey Phillip's radio station. They understood where Elvis' sound was coming from. The same Southern hierarchy that venerates Elvis now all but spat on him when he started. But he broke through to all races and created a rock n'' roll audience with judges about every young family household (esp. the ones with white teenage girls.) In fact that's a market that John Lennon and Mick Jagger took note of when they followed they followed in his shoes.

Unfortunately, there had to be an Elvis before their was a Hendrix and a Prince. That's reflects poorly on the the past and we take it out on Elvis. But he didn't look down on the people who gave him the music he played. He spent his life in awe of black music and the gospel sound. He once said he had every gospel record in existence. I believe him. Elvis was just trying to make a living he wasn't trying to become a martyr in desegregating the the rock n' roll marketplace. He did that naturally and we are all still arguing over the legacy.
 
Last edited:
citizenyank76 said:
Chuck D later said he he liked Elvis' music and that he was a "stone cold, bad ass white boy." Which he absolutely was. What Chuck D said he was attacking was Elvis title as the King of Rock N' Roll. "How can white people say that when cats like Little Richard" were around?" Absolutely Chuck. I understand completely. But Elvis wasn't disliked by black audiences at the time. He was understood.... probably better than white audiences.

Elvis bombed in places like Nashville and Vegas when he started. To them he was just ghetto trash, but to black people? They liked that he wore "ducktails" and put to much pomade in his hair.... and he played their music. Chuck Berry and Jackie Wilson both commented that Elvis was an inspiring performer. Black audiences on Beale Street were listening to Dewey Phillip's radio station. They understood where Elvis' sound was coming from. The same Southern hierarchy that venerates Elvis now all but spat on him when he started. But he broke through to all races and created a rock n'' roll audience with judges about every young family household (esp. the ones with white teenage girls.) In fact that's a market that John Lennon and Mick Jagger took note of when they followed they followed in his shoes.

Unfortunately, there had to be an Elvis before their was a Hendrix and a Prince. That's reflects poorly on the the past and we take it out on Elvis. But he didn't look down on the people who gave him the music he played. He spent his life in awe of black music and the gospel sound. He once said he had every gospel record in existence. I believe him. Elvis was just trying to make a living he wasn't trying to become a martyr in desegregating the the rock n' roll marketplace. He did that naturally and we are all still arguing over the legacy.
Click to expand...

I'm an Elvis fan to an extent.

Your Chuck D quote sort of supports my point "stone cold bad ass white boy." Chuck made it about race when he didn't have to. Change "white boy" to singer or guy/fella, etc.

Is it racist if one says, "well spoken spoken literate black boy/guy/fella"? It at least has overtones as does what Chuck D. said.
 
better dead than red said:
I'm an Elvis fan to an extent.

Your Chuck D quote sort of supports my point "stone cold bad ass white boy." Chuck made it about race when he didn't have to. Change "white boy" to singer or guy/fella, etc.

Is it racist if one says, "well spoken spoken literate black boy/guy/fella"? It at least has overtones as does what Chuck D. said.
Click to expand...

You're probably right. It probably does has overtones... But I can only say that we are trying to talk about historical issues like this with more constructive methods in US, with sensitivity to the race isssue. But for Chuck D's generation, and probably mine as well, that shit is too close to the bone. We aren't going to be able to separate the discussion of music and race. And the kids nowadays are being taught be the neoliberal educators and critics as to what has worth in art and culture and who is irrelevant bcause this artist did "blah, blah and blah" and didn't represent the modern equivalent of our societal expectations. Even for critics like Robert Christgau, who's opinion on musical and political culture is as spot on as you get, said regarding Prince's death... basically, he's not smart enough to address the impact of his music along racial lines, but he's also not dumb enough to as well.

And that's my take on subjects like this one. I'm smart enough not to get too close to the fire. It will probably be a couple of generations before enough time has past before society can objectively look at each artist without some sort of bias of some kind. I am sure that historically, there were people who talked about Beethoven and thought of his feelings on Napoleon and couldn't refer to him without calling him a racial epithet for Germans. But right now in the US, Chuck D's opinion on Elvis is standard in a lot of circles. "It is what it is," as the cliched saying goes. And I don't see it changing for a while.
 
Last edited:
I've been to his childhood home in Tupelo, Mississippi. It was tiny, very tiny, if I remember correctly 2 or 3 rooms. I've also been to Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee. It was gaudy, fancy and dare I say "redneck fancy" for the times.

Elvis was the epitome of a dirt poor Southern boy striking it rich and buying "fancy" things. The Country Music Hall of Fame has one of his Cadillacs from the 60's. It has a television in it.

I feel like his wealth, aside from the fact he earned it as opposed to having it given to him was similar to a very poor person winning an immense sum of money in the lottery.

Two American radio presenters, Don & Mike, used to do a show entirely dedidcated to Elvis on his birthday and the day of his death. From these programmes I learned Elvis LOVED hot dog buns. He'd dress as a cowboy and ride a horse around Graceland with bags of hot dog buns tied around the saddle horn (Western saddles, unlike English saddles have a horn at the front). He'd spend hours riding and eating hot dog buns.

He also loved television. He had oneounted on the ceiling of his bedroom and would drink or take pills and lie in bed eating and watching television. His hangers on would have to monitor him because he'd fall asleep from the booze or pills and start to choke on food.

And I learned he was particular about how women smelled. He passed up an opportunity for "relations" with Natalie Wood because he thought she smelled offensive.

Here is the story of Hamburger James and a good bit of other stories written by Elvis's step-brother. It's all very entertaining but quite sad and touching as well.

http://www.thedigression.com/2011/08/elvis-week-true-story-of-hamburger.html?m=1
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Unread Posts

Don't have an account? Register now and see fewer ads!

SIGN UP
Back
Top
✖
  AdBlock Detected
Bluemoon relies on advertising to pay our hosting fees. Please support the site by disabling your ad blocking software to help keep the forum sustainable. Thanks.