Elvis on sabbatical
Hi all, I'm new here and I have a question:
when Elvis became 'fat' why did no one warn him
and tell him to take a sabbatical or something
He was warned by doctors in Baptist Memorial and also by others.Originally Posted by Outlaw
Hi all, I'm new here and I have a question:
when Elvis became 'fat' why did no one warn him
and tell him to take a sabbatical or something
Elvis chose not to listen to them.
The Sun Never Sets On A Legend...
Thanks, never knew that.
I always wondered why he kept on goin'
while he was obviously not lookin' too well.
"Fat" is such a pejorative term and you're right to put it in inverted commas as its the word used in the common caricature.Hi all, I'm new here and I have a question:
when Elvis became 'fat' why did no one warn him
and tell him to take a sabbatical or something
Elvis was certainly larger than before but by no stretch of the imagination could he be called "obese", he was also, naturally, older than he was before.
Not being as agile, the good home cooking he enjoyed wasn't as easily worked off.
The whole of the Western world is warned by doctors etc. these days its too "fat" but the pressures of modern living, and the ease with which we can get our food, makes "comfort eating" more possible.
As many speculate Elvis was not in good general condition, emotionally as well as medically and physically, in those later years and with the continuing gruelling schedule of tours and concerts I'm sure snacking, over-eating etc. were a temptation he had the means and opportunity to "give in" too.
A sabbatical would have been a good idea but by that stage the train had been running so constantly, so many people depended on him and, yes, he had a need fulfilled through it himself, he didn't slow it down until it fatally derailed.
I agree with Elvis_Priestly. He was warned, he knew. He also just did the quick fix - crash diets. He had struggled with his weight his entire adult life. But when he left a movie set or a concert tour, he went home to Rest & relaxation & eating. He was active, I know he did karate, racquetball, horseback riding & football so it wasn't as if he was some lazy so&so just laying around waiting for someone to flip him over. He also had real physical ailments that caused him to look worse than he actually was at times.
Elvis had the misfortune, I guess you could say, of being a pioneer. He was the first rock n' roll star, and by that same token he was the first rock star that got older. When I read about some of the hits Elvis took for being "forty and over the hill", "fat and forty" etc. it really bugs me. Today we have rockers that are still playing well into there 60's. Elvis took a lot of hits because he was the first one, and that was not fair.
The ideal thing would have been for Elvis to take a year or so off as his health declined, but by that point in his life I don't think it was possible. Elvis was just like any other person - he had to work to maintain his lifestyle. He and his family had become used to a certain lifestyle, and he also had child support, alimony, upkeep of Graceland and other homes, staff expenses, etc. It was a very unfortunate cycle that lead to his demise.
Also, we have no guarantee that a year off would have done Elvis any good. Who's to say that after a couple of months off, he wouldn't have gotten bored and started taking more drugs? We hear of him making comments like "I'm tired of being Elvis Presley", but it also seems like he thrived off the contact with his fans, and the pure love he received from them. Could he have given that up for that long a period of time? Would it have done him more harm than good.
These are questions that will never be answered?
"I can't see my reflection in the water. I can't speak the sounds that show no pain. I can't hear the echo of my footsteps. I can't remember the sound of my own name" - Tomorrow Is A Long Time
Sorry, but Bill Haley was a rock star before Elvis. And no, he was nowhere near as popular as Elvis became, but he was pre-Elvis nonetheless. And definitely a star in his own right.
And some would argue for Chuck Berry too.
I see your point. A case could be made that several people were the first "rock star". Haley and Berry were pioneers too, but it is a general consensus that Elvis was the first teen idol of the rock era. He was the face of early rock n' roll to the vast majority of people. As a result, he was the one who faced the scrutiny and attention of the media as he got older in ways that Berry, Haley, Little Richard or whoever never did.
"I can't see my reflection in the water. I can't speak the sounds that show no pain. I can't hear the echo of my footsteps. I can't remember the sound of my own name" - Tomorrow Is A Long Time
Rock and Roll was around before Elvis. Simply put, Elvis was an acceptable face for a deeply racist country.
Sam Phillips wanted a white boy who could sing like a black boy, that was Elvis.
Racism and bigotry were some of the reasons.
The Sun Never Sets On A Legend...
From the minute Elvis picked up a guitar, late 40s he began working toward the style that became his style (rock, blues, country, pop, gospel)Chuck Berry, and Little Richard also were developing along the same lines. Elvis found the sound he would be known for from 53 to 56. "Thats Alright Mama" came out in 54. Little Richards 1st hit ,"Tutti Frutti", came out in 55, Chuck Berrys 1st hit "Maybelline" came out in 55 and Bo Diddleys 1st hit "Bo Diddley"
also in 55. Elvis probably never heard of them until these hits in 55. He seemed to be like a sponge when it came to music-he absorbed it all. When he did a song a little of all he absorbed ended up in it. He was not "the one & only creator of Rock-n-roll" but he also did not steal it from any of these guys.
All the other great white Sun Records singers came after Elvis as explained here:
Then in 1954 Sam found Elvis Presley, an artist who could perform with the excitement, unpredictability and energy of a blues artist but could reach across regional, musical and racial barriers. Dubbed a Country charts on a national basis. He helped form the beginnings of the Sun Sound by infusing Country music with R&B. Elvis's bright star attracted even more ground-breaking talent to the Sun galaxy. Listed among his contemporaries and lab mates were Johnny Cash, the inimitable Jerry Lee Lewis, and the "Rockin' Guitar Man", Carl Perkins. These four soon became known as the Million Dollar Quartet. Right behind them came Roy Orbison, Charlie Rich, Bill Justis, Harold Jenkins (a.k. Conway Twitty) and other equally memorable musical talents. All eventually sold on Pop, R&B and Country charts and grew to international fame.
Well said KPM, and I agree completely.
"I can't see my reflection in the water. I can't speak the sounds that show no pain. I can't hear the echo of my footsteps. I can't remember the sound of my own name" - Tomorrow Is A Long Time
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