34th Anniversary of Elvis Death – Remembering The King

It was 34 years ago today that music lost one of it's most influential figures in Elvis Presley.  He shook and shocked the world with his songs and performance style, something that can still be felt in music to this day.

There are only a few people who die and touch so many.  Princess Diana, John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr, John Lennon, Kurt Cobain and Elvis Presley.  Fans of The King will remember him today, the 34th anniversary of his untimely death.  Not only will they celebrate him today, but in his final resting place of Memphis, TN they will remember him for the entire week.

It was in 1953 when Elvis Presley first stepped into Sun Records.  He only wanted a little bit of studio time, but it was enough for the President of the company, Sam Phillips to notice the young man.  Phillips always kept Elvis in the back of his mind and when the song "That's All Right" came around Phillips knew who he wanted on vocals.  That's when everything began for Elvis.

He would sign with RCA and release his debut album in 1956.  Not only did it produce a ton of hits but the cover itself is one of the most memorable and was even mimicked by The Clash on their 1979 album London Calling.  It was after that the Elvis would begin making all the rounds on television thanks to his manager Col. Parker.  He would appear 6 times on CBS' Stage Show and he would follow that up with his famous performance of "Hound Dog" on the Milton Berle show. He would also make his first appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show

After that Elvis really started to make headlines for his controversial dance styles on stage.  When he got back to the Ed Sullivan show for the third time he would only be filmed from the waist up.  This turned into one of musics most memorable and influential moments.  If anything it just made young fans want to see Elvis more.  He would go on to sell millions of records and produce hit after hit and then he took to the movies.

Throughout the 1960's Elvis was mostly a movie star and is music was replaced by the music of the British invasion.  He made a comeback in 1968 and continued the success of that up until his death in 1977.  He leaves behind a legacy that is still influencing artists today.  Musicians like Lady Gaga, Eminem and many others have the ability to perform without apology thanks to the path paved for them by Elvis Presley.

His daughter Lisa Marie Presley even got in the music biz for a bit and has 2 studio albums.  I have been a fan of Elvis since I was a kid, and I can blame my Mother for that.  It's the only thing she use to listen to, thus it is embedded in my DNA. We'll always remember The King for what he did for rock music.  Long live the King.