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Cultural, Social, Political And Cultural Influence Of Elvis Presley

Decent Essays

The artist that I have chosen to discuss as part of my Cultural Perspectives essay is Elvis Presley. The reason I have chosen this particular artist is not only because he is recognised as one of the most eminent Rock n Roll artists of all time but because his music has had important influence in the areas of social, political and cultural context. Presley’s career and music has evolved greatly within the timeline of 1900 to 1970 and continues to be an intrinsic influence on popular music and society today. Even though music within this timeline represents and has evolved from diverse changes within culture such as gender, youth, technology, religion and media I am focusing on why Elvis Presley’s Sun records are so culturally important. Elvis …show more content…

From a very early age Elvis was influenced by the musical genres such as pop and country music of that time. He also frequently attended church where he became familiar with gospel music. As a teenager he became absorbed in black R&B. In the summer of 1954 he dropped by The Memphis Recording Service, home of the Sun label and made demo of “My Happiness” and “That’s When Your Heartaches Begin” During this time he was intrigued about his vocal sound and had aspirations of becoming a professional singer. In the same year he signed a deal with the legendary Sun Records label in Memphis and released works that had important influences on politics, social and cultural transitions. Throughout his career he earned great acclaim through his many live concert performances on tour and in Las Vegas shows. Even though he gained privileges with his celebrity status, he honourably served his country in the U.S. army. By 1956, his career was reaching international heights. His talent, distinct facial features and on stage expressions along with his sensuality, charisma, and good humour appealed to various types of audiences. Elvis and his music are seen as the most important contributors to changes within America and of twentieth century popular culture. Elvis died on August 16, 1977, in his Memphis home. Throughout his life and musical career Elvis portrayed a unique sound and style. These elements combined with his diverse musical influences interlinked and challenged the social and racial barriers of the time; he welcomed a whole new era of American music and popular culture. During his first encounter with Sun records Elvis worked with two other singers, Scotty and Bill and performed a sped-up version of Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup’s “That’s All Right.” The first songs out of five singles Elvis released on the Sun label were “That’s All Right’ along with ‘Blue

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