Elvis not the first true rocker...

[franny]

This was on EIN...

franny

Elvis not the first true rocker: EIN welcomes your views on the following item published in the East African Standard:

'Folks imagine that rock began when Elvis Presley stormed into the scene in 1956, but the first two true rockers were blacks - Chuck Berry and Little Richard. But in the segregated 1950s, many radio stations would not play their songs (just watch 'Dream-Gals' this weekend to catch the drift)

So that when white boy Elvis with his duck-a** hairdo and blue suede shoes rolled into the scene, the white World of Radio christened him the "first rock star" and handed over the airwaves to his guitar. That is sort of like Marshall Mathers (Eminem) being declared the "first rap star," with men like 2-Pac and the Notorious BIG's roles totally ignored. Travesty, if not outright tragedy.

So the next time you hear a heavy rocker like Marilyn Manson screeching with passion like a man whose mansion is on fire, and raging against "gods who don't exist," don't just say white folks are nuts.

Back to the sixties, the British Beatles ran with a new branch of rock called "pop rock" and mesmerized the planet. The Doors, led by singer Jim Morrison described in the Steven Davis biography as a "seer, an adept, a bard and a drunk" opened up the doors to rock as we know it today, although this millennium, rock has become a lot more sanitised (albeit with a few potty-heads like Amy Winehouse, although she isn't really a rocker).

In the 1960s, according to Guitar magazine, rock tours were "primitive and disorganised." The pretty groupies gave you herpes and the clap. The drugs and alcohol turned you into a crazy imbecile.

Not all Blacks had turned the R&B and soul route after Elvis stole the lyrics from their rock boat. In the 1960s, the greatest rock guitarist was Jimi Hendrix, an original rock and roll rebel with an afro and outrageous tricks like burning a guitar live on stage after humping the amplifier. Of course he died young. At 28! But his antics and genius inspired other rocker guitarists, from the great Eric Clapton to the priceless artiste we know as Prince.

In the early 1970s, rock was all about sex and excess, with groups like Led Zepellin taking the lead. From 1975 to 1980, the anarchists of the punk rebel movement ruled and wrecked the rock scene, with groups like Sex Pistols (whose Sid Vicious viciously stabbed his girl to death, then later killed himself in 1979) raging: "God save the Queen, and her Fascist Regime!" (Comment, Source: Tony Mochama And Robert Gicheru, East African Standard)

[Getlo]

Of course Elvis wasn't the first rock star!

I mean, say what you will about Bill Haley, but he was on the scene before Elvis. There were many others.

Elvis was, however, rock's first superstar. There's the difference.

People give Elvis credit for many things he did not do: starting rock'n'roll is but one of them.

And the article has at least one inaccuracy: Jimi Hendrix died at 27, not 28!

[poormansgold]

Of course Elvis wasn't the first rock star!

I mean, say what you will about Bill Haley, but he was on the scene before Elvis. There were many others.

Elvis was, however, rock's first superstar. There's the difference.

People give Elvis credit for many things he did not do: starting rock'n'roll is but one of them.

And the article has at least one inaccuracy: Jimi Hendrix died at 27, not 28!

You Right Getlo
Bill Haley and The Comets was frist to start Rock and Roll, Bill Haley know as Father Of Rock and Roll.
What Elvis did was move it up a nut or two.
You have to exuse my thinking, my mind goes overload at times, it mess my thinking up. Tom

[TLC67]

I see him as the bridge that connected the white and black music worlds.
White music was boring before Elvis.... just listen to it.
He didn't steal black music. Elvis loved the beat and the soul that was put into it.
He just sang what he liked and that happened to be rhythm and blues. Hard to get away from in Memphis!
He had no control over how people would react to his music.

[rocknroll]

I agree with a lot of what is in this piece. The skeleton was there, Elvis put the guts in it. Little Richard was basically a blues screamer and prolific songwriter before Elvis. Chuck Berry was a true rocker. Both are hugely important.

One thing about this piece that riles me a little is it's veiled attempt to again pose Elvis as someone who doesn't deserve credit, someone who came along, and, because he was white, stole the black man's music and laughed all the way to the bank. In reality, If it weren't for Elvis, blacks like Richard and Berry would have struggled to sustain any type of career and WOULD NOT be considered the giants of rock and roll they are today.

Elvis did more than just cover black music and croon like Pat Boone did. He transformed the music into a new form, and while doing so he sang it louder, rougher and rawer than the originators. Remember, a white man with the black man's feel for the music. Elvis did that and more.

In my opinion, blacks degrading Elvis' contribution also degrades the guys who came before (of which Chuck Berry and Little Richard did not, but blues belters such as Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf did).

[Rover]

Rock truly started with Bill Haley, Chuck Berry and Little Richard, but it was Elvis who conquered the mass public...
And I don't know what you call a "rocker": if it's someone who plays rock music, then Elvis is not the first "rocker", but if you refer to the attitude, then Elvis was the first, as far as I know :)
I agree with Rocknroll, Elvis didn't do just covers, he really brought a part of himself into the songs he did...

[elvislady]

Thanks for posting franny.
elvislady:D

[Diane]

Thanks for posting the article Franny. I agree that Elvis wasn't the first rocker, but yes he was the first superstar.

Diane

[SleepyJack]

Think I have to agree with Rover.....I`v always considered Elvis the first real "Rocker"...the attitude,the absolute "Cool" that surrounded him...he wasn`t the first man to Rock`n`Roll....but he was the best. Nothing against Bill Haley but I never saw him as a "Rocker",at least not in my interpretation of the word.

[Latte]

I see him as the bridge that connected the white and black music worlds.
White music was boring before Elvis.... just listen to it.
He didn't steal black music. Elvis loved the beat and the soul that was put into it.
He just sang what he liked and that happened to be rhythm and blues. Hard to get away from in Memphis!
He had no control over how people would react to his music.

Yup, and there is no such thing as stealing music in my opinion. Soul is something thats in you. Music is music...put it this way, nobody says Tiger Woods stoled golf.

[Diane]

No, I don't think he stole any music from anyone...he just did it better.:)

Diane

[poormansgold]

No, I don't think he stole any music from anyone...he just did it better.:)

Diane

You Right Diane he didn't stole any thing, he did much better, Little Richard and jerry lee lewis think he did, both them had their chance at it, they are jealous of Elvis, I know Lewis Was every book I read his name pop up that he hate Elvis so much. same as Little Rihard, he didn't hate much as lewis did, he think that Elvis stole his fame time, that's two I know real have little hate for Elvis Fame and Fortune.
Tom

[Unchained Melody]

He's the King Of Rock N Roll. That should say all imo;).

[T_J]

[quote=Rover;152401]Rock truly started with Bill Haley, Chuck Berry and Little Richard, but it was Elvis who conquered the mass public.../quote]

Why does this myth about Chuck Berry coming first persist??? Elvis released his first single a year before Chuck. Elvis was already a rocker before he could have even heard Chuck. I get so sick of that being repeated.

[Rover]

Why does this myth about Chuck Berry coming first persist??? Elvis released his first single a year before Chuck. Elvis was already a rocker before he could have even heard Chuck. I get so sick of that being repeated.
TJ, I said that because of the public appearances before the first single rehearsal. Plus, I don't consider the first songs that Elvis recorded to be rock n roll...it's more blues :)
And something else: Elvis did only covers...he never was the first one to performe a song (except later when some people would wrote a song especially for him), so when he recorded his first rock song, it had already been done before by someone else :)
I am not saying he stole Chuck Berry's music, I don't even think he was inspired by Chuck...I am just saying that it's a bit sad that other early rock performers are forgotten because Elvis got all the media coverage (but I'm not saying he didn't deserve it!)

[Albert]

of course not..

Elvis wasn't the first Rock'n Roll artist
the Beach Boys weren't the first Surf band
the Beatles weren't the first band with the Mersey beat sound
Jimi Hendrix wasn't the first who experimented with guitars

and the list continues...

All these names weren't the first, but they became the icons of a genre, wave or period. Their music may not even be the best in that genre.

[rocknroll]

of course not..

Elvis wasn't the first Rock'n Roll artist
the Beach Boys weren't the first Surf band
the Beatles weren't the first band with the Mersey beat sound
Jimi Hendrix wasn't the first who experimented with guitars

and the list continues...

All these names weren't the first, but they became the icons of a genre, wave or period. Their music may not even be the best in that genre.

Well said and good analogy.

[EnigmaticSun]

I'm ashamed and less-worthy to be white, but white music was not at all boring. Pop music was "domesticated" so to say, but there were exceptions in up-beat blue-grass, country and people like Bing Crosby could get you to move your feet as well.

I've seen a documentary with some older guys, this was included on a DVD of "Loving You". One comparison was about some angry guy with a mustache (he was wild like a rockstar, wasn't he?) and the effect on youth; the other essential thing was that Elvis was equally loved by boys and girls. Before that, boys used to like Patti Page and the girls Perry Como (just taking them as examples) - Elvis was ground-breaking in that respect too.

[hounddog]

Elvis would be the first to admit he wasn't the first rocker. This story keeps on getting rehashed every now and then. Besides they only look at Elvis from 1956 he was rockin' in 1954. As Elvis said "rock and roll is mostly gospel and rhythm and blues etc"

And Elvis certainly didn't steal music, he just sang what he heard growing up. One thing for sure he didn't steal lyrics because except for two songs he didn't write his songs. It kind of annoys me that now that Elvis is dead they keep bringing this up because all through his career he said what his musical roots were, who his influences and where he got his style from.

[rocknroll]

I'm ashamed and less-worthy to be white.

What?????????