25: ALOHA FROM HAWAII
ELVIS, BLACK AMERICA &
JAMES BROWN
1,500,000,000+... (Yes! That's 1.5+ Billion!!) ELVIS FANS CAN'T BE WRONG!!!!
From The 2014 "Guinness Book Of World Records"...
'The MOST Viewed Single Event In Television HISTORY Is'...
"ELVIS PRESLEY: ALOHA FROM HAWAII 1973"
It was a worldwide ratings smash and the blockbuster soundtrack album, "Elvis: Aloha From Hawaii" was awarded 5X Platinum by 'RIAA'. It was the First & Biggest selling LP in 'Quadrophonic' format history. In 2011, this double 'live' album was ranked by 'NME'(U.K.) as 1 of the '50 Greatest live albums' in history. It went to #1 on all 3 of the respected album charts of that era, 'Billboard', 'Cash Box' and 'Record World'. The later also gave the soundtrack single, "Steamroller Blues" / "Fool" another #1 for "The KING".
The American broadcast attracted 51% of the television viewing audience and was seen in more American households than man's first walk on the moon.
In all, it was initially seen in approximately 40 countries by More than 1.5 BILLION people.
This was simultaneously viewed/tuned by 1.67 Billion individual TV sets. In 1973, the Earth's total population was 3.93 billion compared with 2012 7.04 billion. The total number of TV sets worldwide was estimated then at 3.2 billion. Therefore, 52.2% of all TV sets worldwide were tuned to this one event. It is worth noting that these figures represent the broadcast event at simultaneous transmission. Many countries and provinces only picked up the broadcast several days later; most reliable figures available estimate this to be a further 793 Million sets, therefore totaling a yet unequaled 2.46 BILLION or 77% of all televisions on Earth! Assuming half of the TV sets had more than one person viewing them (taken as 2, this measurement method is an industry standard), allowing thus for family viewing, then best estimates put this at a global viewing (at broadcast) figure at an astonishing 2.51 BILLION people or 64% of the Earth's population viewing the same event at the same moment in time.
This mind-boggling record has stood for nearly 50 years and is likely to forever stand... ELVIS Was, Is & 4-Ever THE "KING"!
MAHALO From ELVIS!
LONG LIVE THE "KING"!
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Why 'BLACK' America Stopped Hating ELVIS Presley
(& What 'WHITE' America Knew From The Start)
Originally Posted On: August 18, 2012 - http://StereoWilliamsShow.com (unfortunately, the post has been removed.)
An August 25, 2013 re-post can be found at - https://www.elvis.com.au/presley/why-i-stopped-hating-elvis-presley.shtml
Banned In Belgium. And They Don't Ban ANYTHING In Belgium.
Posted In: black, elvis, presley, king, chuck berry, music, myth, racist, rock & roll, truth
Elvis Presley is probably the most polarizing figure in 20th century popular music. To the significant worldwide majority, he’s “The King”. THE definitive '20th Century Icon'... A hip-swiveling, supersonic-singing, Hollywood-handsome, ultra-cool kat. The Rockin' Rebel from rock & roll’s early years who represented 3 generations of young people ready to throw off the sexual and racial shackles of the previous era. To others, the uneducated, ignorant vast minority, he’s a hollow culture-thief, an overrated musical charlatan who profited off of music some feel he had no business recording in the first place.
A quick run of the man’s history and you could see indisputable validity to 1 side and reverse-racism to the other. But if you dig a little deeper, you begin to realize that both of these “Elvis'” are largely fabrications—variations on a musical superstar; created to help both sides come to terms with the duality of his legacy.
Growing up, I was conditioned to loathe Elvis Presley. The lightest criticism I heard of Elvis was that he ‘stole Black people’s music.’ The harshest criticism I heard was that he was a blatant racist who felt that all a Black man could do for him was ‘shine my shoes or buy my record.’ I heard this from several family members and casual acquaintances—a sentiment that was forever immortalized in Public Enemy’s classic single “Fight the Power.” Elvis was no hero. And he certainly never meant shit to me.
I viewed White folks’ obsession with him as evidence of their inherently racist preference for Black music without a Black face. Even as I became a fan of 1960s British Invasion bands, part of my praise of the Beatles, Tom Jones, Stones and Who was that they openly acknowledged the Black influence in their music–”unlike Elvis Presley.”
But, it wasn't until years later that I had to Really Learn about ELVIS—beyond what I’d been told. I was working on a piece about his supposed racism and racist legacy and started doing research for ‘proof.’
Unless you're ANY thing other than 'Black', You can’t imagine my surprise at what I eventually discovered...
... I learned that the infamous “shine my shoes” quote was never verified; and was told second-hand to what basically was a 1950s tabloid rag out of Boston called Sepia. During the same time that Elvis supposedly gave this ‘quote,’ he did an interview with 'Jet' (yes, the Black-owned 'Jet' magazine) where he spoke openly about the controversy and the origins of rock & roll as Black music. “I never said anything like that, and people who know me know that I wouldn’t have said it,” he told Jet. “A lot of people seem to think I started this business. But rock n roll was here a long time before I came along. Nobody can sing that kind of music like colored people. Let’s face it: I can’t sing like Fats Domino can. I know that."
I found quotes from notable Black musicians and celebrities, detailing their experiences with Elvis, which ranged from respectful to affectionate. James Brown said “I wasn’t just a fan, I was his Brother.” B.B. King was also close to Presley throughout his life and Ike Turner reportedly let Elvis carry his band’s gear early on and claimed he was the first man to put Elvis on a stage. Muhammad Ali, who let Elvis live with him while he trained for a bout against Joe Frazier, said, “Elvis was my close personal friend. I don’t admire nobody, but Elvis Presley was the sweetest, most humble and nicest man you’d want to know.”
Additionally, though artists like Fats Domino, Big Joe Turner and Jackie Brenston had been recording rock & roll long before Elvis, the painting of Elvis as no more than a White culture thief of Black music, while not being completely erroneous, was at the very least overstated. I’d always been led to believe that rock & roll was a sea of Black faces until this one, gyrating White guy came along. But Elvis wasn’t the first White man to sing rock & roll; Bill Haley was charting two years before anybody heard of Elvis. I also believed icons like Chuck Berry, Little Richard & Bo Diddley had made their mark prior to Elvis ‘stealing’ all of the credit—Elvis first single “That’s Alright,” was a year before Chuck’s first “Maybelline”, Diddley’s first “Bo Diddley”, or Richard’s breakthrough “Tutti Frutti.” Of course, it would be naïve and wrongheaded to pretend that Elvis’ race did not make the path to super-stardom much easier for him in 1950s America; but it wasn’t just his race that made him popular. Elvis was a good-looking, multi-talented kid. Chuck Berry was thirty singing to teenage girls, Little Richard’s ‘flamboyance’ made him unlikely to be a teen idol to anyone in 1956; and even the White Bill Haley looked more like a math teacher than a rock & roller. Elvis had Looks, Talent and Charisma—in addition to being a young White guy. So, is it blasphemy to call him “The King” of a genre he didn’t invent? Or, did he?? That's another article for another day. In any case, I don’t believe Michael Jackson invented pop music; and I don’t believe James Brown, or Aretha Franklin invented soul. So are they also not allowed to lay claim to their royal titles? Their influences, contributions & respective bodies-of-work speaks for itself. The resounding answer is YES!
Elvis having a much bigger hit with “Hound Dog” as compared to its original singer, Big Mama Thornton, is also often cited as evidence of his benefiting solely from being a White face. But in the 1950s, hit songs would be recorded by several artists; and while there were many blatant examples of “White washing” Black hits for White audiences (see: Pat Boone), it wasn’t automatic that the White artist would have the bigger hit or the definitive version. “Blueberry Hill” is considered by many to be Fats Domino’s signature song, but it had been written by Vincent Rose and recorded by several artists prior to his much more well-known 1956 version. There is more nuance in the discussion of who-recorded-what-first-and-why than many like to consider. Maybe *if* people Listened to the music, they would have heard and realized Elvis' & Big Mama's versions were Nothing alike! Other than 3-words, "Hound", "Dog" & "Rabbit", the 2 versions were as different as night n day..or possibly, more appropriately, black n white.
I’d even been led to believe that Otis Blackwell, the man who wrote many of Elvis’ early hits, died penniless largely because he was screwed financially by the nefarious Presley. But Blackwell received royalties for his songs for years, and was at one point substantially well-off due to those royalties. He died in 2002 having lived under tremendous financial straits in his latter life, but that was mostly due to tax issues and years of alcoholism—neither of which had anything to do with Elvis.
The idea of Elvis as an iconic rebel leading the charge into a bold, new age is also somewhat patently false. Elvis craved acceptance from the establishment and the 'older' generation. His rebellion was mostly in the hearts and minds of his audience; not in the intent of Presley himself. He wanted to make music, and reacted with an ‘aw-shucks’ chagrin whenever discussing the disdain that older, mostly White people had for his image and the fact that he sang sexually-charged ‘race’ music. When he was dismissed by the elder statesmen of the recording industry, like Frank Sinatra, it crushed him. That need for acceptance is what led Elvis away from his early R&B/RnR sound and towards middle-of-the-road pop/rock heading into the 60s. Heading into the 70's, a re-charged, re-vitalized, re-invented Elvis would 'Comeback' in 1968 with a vengeance.
He also came to resent rock’s second generation; a generation that existed largely because of him. He scoffed condescendingly during his 1968 comeback special while discussing ‘new groups’ and their ‘long hair.’ He also famously penned a letter to Richard Nixon asking to be given the title of “Federal Agent At-Large” in the fight against drugs; as he bemoaned the influence he felt acts like The Beatles had had on the younger generation. 1969-1977, Elvis would arrange, produce & make most of his Best music that he, or anyone has ever made and at the same time, gain the acceptance, admiration & R-e-s-p-e-c-t of One and All.. including Mr. Sinatra, Tom Jones, The Beatles, James Brown and a endless list of others that came before, during and after him.. Black, White & Human! Thus, forever sealing his legacy as "The King". Not just of 'Rock & Roll' as he was in the 50's, or of 'Hollywood' as he was in the 60's, but of 'Entertainment'. To the Billions of ELVIS fans worldwide, as well as many music lovers in general, "ELVIS" is simply a 5-letter synonym for "MUSIC".
There will never be a time when Elvis doesn’t spark discussion and debate. He should. His musical legacy is a defining moment in our history; that moment when Black music, vernacular and culture became the driving force in how all American youth began to see themselves. The trickle that had begun with jazz as far back as the 20s, was, by the late 1950s, a flood that couldn’t be denied. Which is why the White establishment fought so hard against it. But it's important to ignore the hearsay and conjecture surrounding this “King”, and look at the reality of who he was as a man and a musical figure. Before we rush to tear him down or build him up.
When all is said & done... Black, or White.. Like him, or Hate him.. Intelligent, or Ignorant.. Agree, or Disagree...
ELVIS ARON PRESLEY Was-Is-& Will Forever Be "THE KING"!
Quite an astonishing legacy for a dirt po' White boy, born 'In The Ghetto' of Tupelo, MS!
For More On 'King' E.P., 'Godfather' J.B. & ELVIS In 'Black' Music, ERR Strongly Encourages You To Click On The Following Links For Some Amazing Testimonials, Quotes, Pix and FACTual History...
The HARDEST Working MEN In Showbiz
They Had NO Equals, Much Less, Superiors!
"WHITE" ELVIS & "BLACK" AMERICA
"I wasn’t just a fan, I was his Brother. Last time I saw Elvis alive was at Graceland. We sang ‘Old Blind Barnabus’ together, a gospel song. I love him and hope to see him in heaven. There’ll never be another like that soul brother." – James Brown.
"Elvis was an integrator. Elvis was a blessing. They wouldn’t let Black music through. He opened the door for Black music." – Little Richard.
"On a scale of one to ten, I would rate Elvis eleven!" – Sammy Davis Jr.
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This Site Is Dedicated To... Alyce "LadyBug" † Jack "The Ripper" † Gary "GatorTail" † "Aunty" Fay † "Uncle" Mike.
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