Elvis Presley: 1956 - 2006.

[MauriceColgan]

"EDITORIAL: Big Elvis Anniversary
6/2/2006 10:46:38 AM
"Daily Journal" Newspaper Tupelo Mississippi.

Fifty years ago Tupelo reached new heights of recognition and international stature when it became known around the world as the birthplace of Elvis Presley.


Presley, the iconic and undisputed King of Rock n' Roll, kicked his young but already soaring career into even higher orbit in 1956 with a special hometown concert at the downtown fairgrounds arena - the site occupied by today's City Hall and the rapidly developing Fairpark District.

This weekend's annual Elvis Presley Festival - sponsored by the Downtown Tupelo Main Street Association - marks the milestone 50th anniversary of that performance, which helped change the face and the heart of American musical entertainment.

Presley - as compassionate and generous a musical star as has ever lived - was undeniably a radical and controversial entertainer. Time has dimmed some of the controversy and furor that his hip-thrusting, sensual performances generated, but his meteroic rise was accompanied by a wail of protest from many preachers, conservative church people, and music traditionalists.


But Presley touched the rhythmic heart of post-World War II America - and his style grabbed hold of both adolescents born just before World War II and the post-war Baby Boom generation.


The overflowing, screaming crowd at the fairgrounds concert of 1956 proved that nothing could stop Presley and his music from mass appeal and an eventually universal fan base. Many streams of uniquely Southern music coursed through his songs and stage presence. He easily, intentionally embraced the soulful music and persona of African-Americans, gospel music, blues, and what would become known as country and western.

It is virtually impossible to travel broadly and not encounter Presley's presence in posters, murals, fashion, and pop culture. His music endures, with original and early recordings soaring in collectible value, and new, digital versions etching his popularity always deeper.

Untimely death - partially induced by his personal excesses - came in 1977 at Graceland, the Memphis mansion that was his permanent residence in adulthood.


In Tupelo, nothing about Presley is acquired. This is the birthplace. The simple shotgun house is here. Multiple generations of surviving cousins live in significant numbers in Tupelo and Lee County.

The Elvis Presley Festival is the unique celebration of an enduring, occasionally uneven, but almost magical relationship between a town and a legend.


The 50th anniversary of the 1956 concert is in fact a celebration of an era in American music born in and indelibly identified with Tupelo, the birthplace of The King.

To join an online discussion of this topic, log on to www.djournal.com, or respond at opinion@djournal.com for publication as a letter to the editor."

Nice article for a historic year.

http://press.xtvworld.com/article11751.html

[Albert]

Hi Maurice, thanks for sharing. It's a nice article.

I stronly believe that 2006 as a 50-year Milestone of Rock 'n Roll is greatly underappreciated. What does Sony/BMG offer to the musicworld for this anniversary? What does the musicindustry do to celebrate this? Weird....

[MauriceColgan]

Hello Andrew, Thank You.

From all accounts the Elvis Festival in Tupelo has been a great success

Why the record companies fail to capitalise on all the Elvis publicity generated beats me!!!

Our shops are stocked out with Johnny Cash merchandise floor to ceiling.....for months!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

All we can do is keep the pressure up in the media until the penny drops

But as you can see by the response to this thread there is a lack of committment

http://press.xtvworld.com/article11751.html

[Wendy56]

Great, thanks for the article!