On January 8th, 1935 one of the greatest influences to pop and country was born. Elvis Aaron Presley changed the way people heard and saw music through his songs and the way he performed them. Elvis’ music was stunning, he had eighteen American No. 1s and hundreds of gold records from around the world. He brought a way of performing that people had never experienced before, he was electrifying when he performed on stage. Elvis Presley was the first rock'n'roll star, he brought rebellion to the youth of that time and was able to grasp the listener and draw them into his songs which few artist have ever been able to accomplish.
On August 16, 1977, Elvis Presley died at the age of 42. The King of Rock 'n' Roll was at his Graceland mansion in Memphis, Tennessee, when his girlfriend found him lying face down on the floor of his bathroom. Presley was rushed to a hospital but was pronounced dead. It was originally thought Presley’s death was due to a heart attack but later toxicology reports identified high levels of several drugs in his system. It was later revealed that the King was addicted to painkillers his doctor had prescribed him and kept providing him with even after seeing that Presley was
Elvis inspired and influenced rock musicians like Bob Dylan, John Lennon, and Bruce Springsteen. Elvis’ early life was mostly in Memphis, Tennessee with his cousins. His middle life was full of music. Presley’s late life had a downfall, but, he kept on going forward. To truly understand Elvis Presley, one must understand his early, middle, and late life.
Willie Nelson was born in 1933, amidst the throes of the Great Depression, to his mother Myrle and his father Ira. Nelson’s birthplace was the miniscule farming town of Abbott, Texas, which today holds a population of roughly three-hundred people. His mother left when he was six months old, ostensibly to find work, but she never returned (Encyclopedia.com, Willie Nelson). Nelson was then raised by his grandparents,
Tupac Shakur was born in New York on June 16, 1971 to Afeni Shakur and Billy Garland. His mom was in jail for doing drugs and his father had nothing to do with him until he was an adult. Tupac went to the Baltimore School for the Arts. Tupac took ballet and dance classes.
Elvis Presley has had more impact on American society and culture than any other person in history for the three following reasons; his large contribution to the start of the generation gap in the 1950’s, his huge impact on rock ‘n’ roll music, and finally, his music opened a door for some integration between races.
Buddy Holly changed Rock and Roll in his own way. He accomplished many things in his life and learned to sway the crowd. Buddy had a huge impact on people for such a short life, created his own style on his guitar, and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, making him one of the most creative singer of the 20th century.
He was born on October 5th, 1942 in Monroe La. He was the youngest of two children. He had a rough relationship with his father. He was an alcoholic. “ in my life with my relationship with my dad, I had been rejected by him as being good enough for him, I was always looking for acceptance from him and I never felt
Born May 18, 1952 in a small Texas town called Poteet, George Strait began his life as a small town boy and worked up to be a Country Music Legend. Raised by a single father in the small Texas town, George was taught to ride horses and how to rope, like many country folk do, but late in life learned to play, write, and sing music. (Carlin)
Elvis faced many obstacles during his 24 years as the “King” he faced racial controversy, musical barriers, and bad press in order to help create Rock and Roll music. Long before Rock n Roll was created or even thought of, the musical world was divided over petty differences. One of the many reasons why music was divided was the heavy racism that plagued the United States since the end of slavery. Another reason why music was divided was the fact of a huge generation gap, or difference between parent and child. These are some of the challenges that Elvis faced.
“I want to reach the point where people hear my name and immediately think of real country music (“George Strait Quotes,” 2018).” George Strait made this happen too, with hard work and persistence. Being turned down by multiple record companies was very hard on Strait. He kept working though, and it paid off. George won many awards, was inducted in the Hall of Fame, and kept old country alive when the “urban country” era started, making him one of the most influential artists of the twentieth century.
had the unique skill to merge genre’s together and form something that was entirely different and new for the generation, and which led to other generations to merge other genres. Presley’s inspiration of genres was greatly impacted by the African American culture; however, brought his country-side to his music, which is what gave his music his own creative sound. He was the first artist to basically merge black and white music together, and widening his fan base.
Forrest’s momma always told him, “Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you 're gonna get.” A person should not be judged as stupid because of his IQ, but a person who does something stupid can be classified that way. In The Odyssey and Forest Gump, the protagonist had a purpose that led every decision they made; this shows that both were epic.
Elvis Presley is an important figure in U.S. history because he's “a hip-shaking symbol of liberation for the staid America of the 1950s.”
Although Michael Jackson was a controversial figure; he will ultimately be remembered for his fantastic singing ability and incredible dancing style. Michael Jackson was an incredible singer and a generous volunteer. Not only did he change the music world he also had an effect on society. He captivated the world with his dancing and fashion. He inspired many people in the singing industry right now. Those are only a few of the things he did.