Elvis and His Cultural Revolution

Following on the heels of an earlier piece written about Memphis' impact on a worldwide scale, here is the part about Memphis music. Some of the earliest stories of large import about Memphis music have to do with William Christopher Handy, Father of the Blues. He actually did not invent it, but gave it some prominence, recording "Memphis Blues" in 1912. But its popularity was mainly limited to what is now called an African American audience. It was played in their music halls and sold in their music stores, and not much elsewhere. Nonetheless, it survived because famous singers were playing it, recording it, and newer voices were listening to it, and playing it. It got mixed in with some country music singers, and became a different sound. Mississippi and Arkansas musicians were using blues licks and riffs in their music. Some of these guys, Roy Orbison, Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley joined in with a Jackson TN native named Carl Perkins to make a new kind of music, called Rockabilly, and then, later Rock and Roll. Can't leave Jerry Lee Lewis from Louisiana out of the mix, here.

Blues never disappeared here, it just got mixed into the mash, and was as much a part of the origins of Elvis's and the others music. Elvis was the most famous of the bunch, but was just part of it. This new style of music, mixing in black ideas with white, was a major threat to the southern status quo, and many a small town would not let Elvis perform in their halls. But the kids with their allowances went and spent their money where Elvis was playing. It was these kids and their spending money that made southern culture, and broadcasting with it, pay attention. Those record stores and stations that had nothing to do with Elvis and his music were ones left out of the spending and listening. The stations that played Elvis and other rock and rollers was the station charging advertisers enough to make the broadcaster some money. The ones that ignored him, didn't keep ignoring him, they couldn't! Elvis was revolution, Elvis was hip, and Elvis was Captain Marvel with a guitar. Most obvious to those who were hurting for cash in the middle and late 50's, Elvis was MONEY! Stage fright made those body parts move like they did, but they made rock culture, too. His look, and sound were copied by anbody trying to get by in their business. The reason he made it so big was he was one Memphian who was the figurehead of a culture. Conventional culture America was indeed threatened by this guy, because he gave voice to all the people who rejected racism, and small town life. He had the girls screaming long before the name "Beatles" was invented.

How did he do it? He mixed up the music he grew up on, and liked, and invented a whole new style, along with his buddies, Carl, Jerry Lee, Johnny and Roy, and not the least Sam. It was Sam Phillips, owner of the Memphis Recording Service on Union Ave., who first heard the voices and knew he had something to market. He had to convince a few of the singers that they had something, but once he did, they took off in their own careers.

Racist America was the most threatened by this new revolution. Elvis liked his black friends, and played music, football and whatever else there was to do with them as people, same as he was. He virtually created a new status quo for black musicians in the mainstream, forcing club owners and other venue managers to accept them and their music because their music was part of his. Economic power is a formidable force, and it made people who felt threatened by Rock and Roll do whatever they could to limit it. But the rock and roll revolution was not to be stopped.

I was but a small kid, hearing my brothers play songs like "All shook up" and other songs on their record players and in their car radios. I distinctly remember my two cousins from New Orleans asking to be taken to see Elvis's house on Audubon Drive. It was about this time that Elvis's neighbor across the street sat Elvis down on his sofa and told him "we're really glad for your fame and fortune, but your fans are tearing up the neighborhood." Elvis replied back, saying "Mr. Busby you are reading my mind. I just bought a mansion in Whitehaven".

This has gotten away from blues, but blues was one of many musical styles that pre-dated and had beginning influence on the music revolution that gave voice to the larger revolution of life brought on by rock and roll. You can call it a rock revolution if you like, but rock was simply the voice of the change that swept the city, the country and the world. It was a revolution of tolerance, anger and an expression of pent-up energy in a world of young people of that time- and this.

So, in a realm of sounds heard and, by some, enjoyed, Memphis cranked out a revolution of music and culture that still has its impact on a worldwide scale.