Issue link: https://cp.revolio.com/i/779745
15 From the beginning people knew there was something spe- cial about Elvis. As John Lennon famously re- marked, "Before Elvis there was nothing." It went beyond his mere musicianship, too. Chuck Berry played rock and roll, and some would say bet- ter, but Elvis had his magic—a degree of stage presence and showmanship that belied his musical experience and so eas- ily drove teenagers and their parents wild (for different rea- sons). Every generation has that artist or band who shatters everything that was done be- fore, creating something new in the process. And before Nir- vana and Madonna and even e Beatles, there is one name that stands apart from all the rest: Elvis, the King. According to Rolling Stone Magazine, "It was Elvis who made rock 'n' roll the interna- tional language of pop." But such lofty sentiments weren't always the case. In 1956 a crit- ic once lamented that popular music had "reached its lowest depths in the 'grunt and groin' antics" of the swaggering, gy- rating, lip-curling singer. Even Frank Sinatra once described his music as "deplorable, a ran- cid smelling aphrodisiac. It fos- ters almost totally negative and destructive reactions in young people." None of that seemed to matter to the 60 million viewers who tuned-in to see his debut performance on the Ed Sullivan show in September of 1956, however. ough his myth may have been born out of these con- troversies, in time Elvis be- came a wholesome American icon as synonymous with our culture as fireworks and apple pie. 1957 saw him drafted into military service at the young age of 23 and at the pinnacle of his success. After serving in West Germany and achieving the rank of Sergeant, Presley was discharged in 1960. us, Rebel-Rouser Elvis with his slicked-back hair gave way to GI Elvis, who himself gave way to Hollywood Elvis and a string of hit movies, and then again as Comeback Special El- vis—each phase with a distinct sound and style. It was this ability to not just survive but to transform and thrive amidst one of our coun- try's most torrid and changing times that earned him such continued appreciation and heartfelt adoration. To his fans Elvis was emblematic of every- thing that makes our country great: its ingenuity, creativity, fortitude and perhaps most important of all, a strong will to succeed no matter the odds. Hail to the King! "It was Elvis who made rock 'n' roll the international language of pop." S E E E LV I S L I V E S O N M A R C H 2 I N D E L L H A L L.