he sold a BILLION RECORDS and his last tour got ONE BILLION VIEWERS!!!.

i tried to do some research on him. but i can't find anything that might explain why he became the most successful. i am very grateful u guys helped me with the beatles, so please help me with elvis.

his music is good.
he opened up many opportunites for blacks.

but he has STAYING POWER AND CHANGED MUSIC.
he appeared in 30 movies and received 14 grammy nomiations.
HOW?
WHY?
WHAT ELSE?
HOW HAS HE CHANGED ARTISTICALLY?
WHAT WAS HIS ATTITUDE?
WHAT ELSE HAS HE INFLUENCED?

THANKS! AND PLEASE GIVE ME ANYTHING ELSE U KNOW.

Well, one thing about Elvis is that he was doing things that no one else dared to do, at that time. The gyrating of the hips, the seductive way in which he sang, etc.. People hadn't seen that before because it just wasn't done in those days. This gathered a huge following for him, right off the bat.

He did what Madonna, Prince and Michael did later on, I think. By not being mainstream it made people want to look and listen. The controversy alone made a huge difference in their fanbase.

Not to mention he was hot.

And he was a really nice guy, at that. From all that i've heard. You should catch some of the Elvis stuff on VH1 sometime, Suby.

BattierBeMyDaddy said:

Yeah...he was hot! Very, uh...very seductive and suggestive and, he looked damned good at all times, classy..yeah...very HOT!

AzureStar said:

Indeed. I do believe he's one of the hottest men to ever live...

But what do I know.

BattierBeMyDaddy said:

yeah, i saw some of the stuff from vh1! and i told my friends about in school the next day. wow, mj and madonna don't touch him.

BattierBeMyDaddy said:

he looked nice when he shaved off all the hair, ya know for the army. wow! does prince look better?

AzureStar said:

thanks.

so far, i learned that he became important due to him:
dancing like never before.( how about now? so many acts dance hot, ex: b2k. what can i do that will totally blow their minds off?)

what do u mean the seductive way he sang?
they way he looked when he sang it?
the way he touched the microphone? wot?


he has many impersonators to this day. he got a #1 in the uk, HOW? he still has a STRONG FAN BASE. how was he able to maintain that and still go strong?

did any of his music show diversity, experimentation?
i need more answers.

subyduby said:

Hmm, I find Prince to be a good looking guy, don't get me wrong. But I think in a battle of the looks, Elvis beats him by far. Until he became 70s Elvis. Fat Elvis and the like. But no one can touch the young Elvis.

And that Memphis, TN accent was hot, too.

subyduby said:

Yeah, he did look nice like that. Does Prince look better? Well, they're two entirely different men. Both reek of sexuality, both have eyes to melt hearts, both sing with such passion, both move so very, very well...nah, I don't think Prince looks better...they've both got it, but in different ways. Funny...the look in their eyes are quite similar though...hmmm...never thought about that before. Anyway...

BattierBeMyDaddy said:

*drool*

AzureStar said:

You ever been to Graceland, Azure? I went several years back. It's even nicer than the pictures I remember being all excited for *I* was waling in the same spots Elvis walked in years ago...

subyduby said:

Well, I don't know about what can be done in the dance department that hasn't been done through the years. What can you do? I dunno...something, anything that no one else is doing currently. Something that isn't mainstream. Something that you're good at and that isn't mainstream. That's key, I think.

The seductive way he sang: The look he gave when he sang, the correct movement of his body to go along with the words he was singing that was suggestive, the way he sang the lyrics period. He sang them with feeling and sang every word as if it were the last words he would sing and he meant them...that, to me, is very seductive. Prince does that as well, I think.

he still has a STRONG FAN BASE. how was he able to maintain that and still go strong?: Elvis is King. lol

BattierBeMyDaddy said:

No, I haven't. One of the many places I'd like to visit before my last days on earth. I think visiting would definitely give me goose bumps...silly, I'm sure. Empty homes that used to be so alive, from their owners, always have that effect on me. I know Graceland is alive now, with the many fans that visit...but by alive I mean when it was occupied by the one who lived there - their home. I hate driving downtown and seeing boarded up houses that used to be alive and full of emotion...now all they are, are empty shells.

Anyway...I bet it was amazing to be there.

Don't get it twisted. Elvis did what he did. It definitely was not creating more opportunities for blacks. Indeed he did just the opposite. He watched and learned everything he did from blacks and because of his "pure" white skin, he made millions, while black artists from the same era reaped nothing. I'm just stating facts here so don't trip. Know your countrys' history. With that said he did contribute immensly to the acceptance of rock-n-roll as being more than just "nigger" music. Imagine that, and today how many black rock bands are having success vs. white rappers? It's not because they don't exist. I know of plenty.

Elvis, also became a victim of his success. He had no one to tell him enough is enough. Only yes men. He became so bored with life. He had everything, but still felt he had nothing. So sad. Graceland would be an interesting place to visit!

sunlite said:

I don't want to argue with you...but I don't think that it was Elvis that was holding back black artists of that day. It was the people.

sunlite said:

I agree with you 100% on this. It also sounds a little familiar, too. Even if people did try, he wouldn't listen. Sometimes the ego won't allow that.




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[This message was edited Wed Jun 26 11:35:47 PDT 2002 by AzureStar]

AzureStar said:

Let us not forget that pouty lip thing he did. Drove the girls crazy.

sag10 said:

*sigh*

sunlite said:

i heard of that often. but what do u mean he became a victim of his own success? how? what did he do? how can one avoid that? please explain. thanks.

He opened up many oppurtunities for blacks? Sorry..it was the other way around..black performers opened oppurtunities for him. Many black performers were dancing, singing and performing like Elvis before Elvis burst onto the music scene. Elvis and many other white artists at the time adopted styles from black performers and made it very popular. If you dig deeper in music history you will most surely find this. Peace.

sunlite said:

although, that might be true. don't u think black ppl. also got it from him also? and besides he had staying power, he produced his work too. but u are correct that white rappers are more successful than black bands.

....
[This message was edited Thu Oct 10 8:45:36 PDT 2002 by katt]

Are ya kidding? That's like saying Eminem is influencing black rappers. Maybe you should read about Jackie Wilson. He was Elvis before Elvis. His Hair, voice and dance moves.
It's just that the times would'nt allow a black man into the homes of whites doing what they eventually accepted Elvis doing.

Elvis was a performer. I know that the majority, if not all of Elvis' popular songs were written by others. There are a handful of songs he wrote early in his career, that he recorded.

Amongst the white rock pioneer, Gene Vincent & Eddie Cochran are underrated imo, oh and buddy holiday too
"i tried to do some research on him." please suby leave your computer alone & read books.

Well, a victim of his success. You all may know that two of his ex body guards tried to "help" him by writing a book...

aw35077 said:

Pat Boone specialized in taking music from black artists, cleaning it up for the white audiences, and then releasing cover versions to radio.

White artists has been ripping off our culture and music for years. What else is new!!! Enemim is another sucker captializing on our culture.


"Elvis was a hero to most
But he never meant shit to me you see
Straight up racist that sucker was
Simple and plain
Mother fuck him and John Wayne
Cause I'm Black and I'm proud
I'm ready and hyped plus I'm amped
Most of my heroes don't appear on no stamps"

Chuck D. Public Enemy