Some thoughts on The King

If Elvis were alive, he would be 70 today. It is hard to imagine what he might make of today's music, since his personal gestalt was such a mixture of high sex and conservative morality. I regret that I never saw him perform live, though God knows I tried. When I was a little girl, he used to appear at The Louisiana Hayride, which was in my city. The Hayride was only one step down from the Grand Ol' Opry, so it was a very big deal. My father, however, would not take me to the shows.

My parents had a radio in their bedroom, and on Saturday night, they would lie in bed and listen to the broadcast of The Louisiana Hayride. Once, when Elvis came on, I heard my mother say "That boy is going to be so famous some day," and my father snorted and told her she was crazy.

The girls across the street, who were older than I and who picked on me a lot, invited me to their house one day to listen to Elvis records. They taught me how to jitterbug, and when King Creole was released, they took me along to see it. I was thrilled to see Elvis on the big screen, singing "Crawfish" and the title song.

My favorite Elvis movie is Viva Las Vegas, because it is the only one in which the female co-star is as talented as Elvis. The great Ann-Margret dances with The King, and it is heart-stopping stuff. Apparently, Elvis thought so, too, because he had a love affair with her, and there is reason to believe it may have been the only healthy relationship he ever had with a woman.

Peter Guralnick's two-part biography of Elvis is wonderful. Last Train To Memphis: The Rise of Elvis Presley, and Carelss Love: The Unmaking of Elvis Presley are two of the best biographies I've ever read. Guralnick did voluminous research for these books, and his interpretations and analyses are thoughtful and layered. The story of Elvis is very sad.

I own some Elvis music: the legendary Sun Sessions, Elvis's Greatest Jukebox Hits, and an unusual 3-CD collection called Elvis: Collectors Gold. It contains Live In Las Vegas, Nashville, and Hollywood. The Hollywood CD contains Elvis movie songs that are seldom heard, and the Nashville collection also features songs you wouldn't expect--"Like A Baby," "I Want You With Me," and "Witchcraft."

Elvis changed popular music forever. His gospel renderings are beautiful, also; for many years, Cissy Houston was one of his backup singers. I have many favorite Elvis songs: "Mystery Train," "That's All Right," "All Shook Up," "Suspicious Minds," and--of course--"Viva Las Vegas."