What was your introduction to Elvis Presley's Music?

When I was a little kid in the early or mid 60s, I knew that there was this singer named "Elvis" out there(thanks to the Bozo cartoons that had a dog named Elvis), and I was curious. Then I saw an Elvis movie trailer, and I thought "So THAT'S his name! Elvis PARSLEY!". Kinda wanted to be like him after that, but didn't follow his music. When he died, I didn't think he'd been a big deal creatively, thinking he'd only done what people like Bill Haley had been doing already, only becoming more famous because he wiggled his hips. Then I saw the "Jailhouse Rock" number(Shown the night he'd died) and I really appreciated him. A few years later, I saw the '68 special, and I thought "Wow! Elvis DID do something good after he got out of the Army!" But it took me a while to appreciate the 70s concerts, where Elvis gave super human conviction to even some not-so-great later appearances.

 

That is fantastic! I love it!

 

In the mid-sixties , i had a friend who was a couple of years older than myself (1965: I was 8, he was about 10). He loved the American "people" and had a distaste for all the British stuff. he made it uncool for me to like The Beatles if you can believe that. Whenever I'd go over he'd play albums either by The Four Seasons, Jay and The Americans or Elvis..not even GOOD Elvis...the movie stuff. To me, this was a huge turnoff, Elvis-wise and made me really look at him as a lame nothing.

When I moved away from my buddy, I met up with a whole new group of friends (this was late '67) who loved The Beatles; this marked my true beginning of buying Beatle albums and the other bands Beatle music took me to . By the very late 60's, early 70's I'd become an album obsessive of Beatles, CCR, Stones, Who, etc.

No Elvis.

Then, a commercial started to come on TV from RCA for a double LP Elvis album of some of his greatest hits. For some particular reason I took notice. My sister noticed that i took notice and bought me the album for Christmas. Finally, I began to fall in love with him totally of my own accord devoid of anyone's influence or lack thereof. As the 70's progressed, along with my love for the Brit-Rock that had taken over my album buying, i had an interest in Elvis "on the side".

I began digging into his 50's stuff including the Sun years...started reading some books on him and even developed an appreciation for some of his movie songs as well as his late 60's-early 70's material. As i watched the "Comeback" special on TV airings or video tape, i fell in love with the charisma of this man.

Today, I have the greatest of respect for what Elvis gave us. While I still don't own any movie albums, I have the complete 50's sessions box set as well as various latter day compilations. The man is a treasure and in a class totally all his own.

 

I was an American child of the '60s. Elvis was everywhere.

 

I was born in 1984, so it was probably 1995 or so before I ever owned any Elvis music. I bought an abridged version of Elvis A Legendary Performer on cassette at Target for either $3.99 or $4.99.

 

I had heard his songs now and again on the radio growing up, but I really got into him after my mom bought The Top Ten Hits.

 

I heard "Hound Dog" on the radio in 1956.

 

In the 1980's oldies stations still played oldies, so you'd hear Heartbreak Hotel and Jailhouse Rock all the time. My mom got a VHS called "Elvis and Me" or something like that, about Elvis and Priscilla and it had some concert footage from the late 70's.

The first Elvis CD I bought was Golden Records Vol 5 from BMG record club. I listened over and over again to Kentucky Rain, "Seven lonely days and a dozen town's ago I reached out one night and you were gone," is one of my favorite opening verses to any song.

 

I am not a fan of Elvis. But I did go to see the movie "The Way It Is" back in 1970. I moved him onto my occasional play list, and bought the live album from the film, and some of his singles. I like Burning Love, In The Ghetto, Suspicious Minds, and some of the covers he did in concert.

 

As a very young kid I went with some of my family to Graceland. It got me interested and I borrowed some of my mothers tapes and I would talk to my grandmother, a huge Elvis fan, about him. It was the first music I was ever interested in.

 

You've captured some of Elvis there. Thank you for posting!

 

Hound Dog 1956, My parents bought it for me. I was 8 years old. IMO, the best 2 sided single. The 1st record I ever owned. Thank You, Elvis.

 

I was born in 1970 but knew him from TV before he died and I like his songs particularly Hound Dog and Heartbreak Hotel so yes I was a fan before he died ...just not long before he died and not the most sophisticated fan

 

As a wee young lad, the 1973-74 TV ads for the Elvis mail-order compilation - a hoot to hear snippets of his 1956-62 hits with pics from his 1973 Aloha From Hawaii Via Satellite concert during the course thereof. Heard his records on the radio (mostly WCBS-FM) not long afterwards.

 

Hound Dog I think

 

Hound Dog b/w Don't Be Cruel

 

My friends mum used to play Elvis albums a lot (and loudly too), this was in the 70s probably not long before he died. Whether this was the first time I'd heard of him I really can't remember.

 

My introduction to Elvis was through a kid in my 4th grade class (way back then) who called himself Elvis Pretzels, and who sang Hound Dog. That got me into Elvis Presley. The kid's real name was Buzzy Clark. I always wanted to thank him.

 

What kind of sadistic parents name their kid "Buzzy"?!

 

Most names, when I was a kid, were what the kid decided it would be. He (or she) signed school papers that way, so it became official as far as the kid's world existed. Many times, it stuck for life.

 

Wow, really? At my school you signed things with your name. Sure, you had nicknames, but people still called you by your real name.

 

Of course, if your name was Paul, that would be the case. But who ever called a kid William or Theodore? Once nicknames became acceptable, there were many possibilities. And families often used nicknames.

 

Like how everyone called Theodore Cleaver "Beaver"?

 

....not the best, but it did the job.
At least until my dad accidentally broke record 2. He felt so bad about it, he had to search high 'n' low for a replacement copy.


1. Hound Dog
2. I Want You, I Need You, I Love You
3. All Shook Up
4. Don't
5. I Beg Of You
6. A Big Hunk O' Love
7. Love Me
8. Stuck On You
9. Good Luck Charm
10. Return To Sender
11. Don't Be Cruel
12. Loving You
13. Jailhouse Rock
14. Can't Help Falling In Love
15. I Got Stung
16. (Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear
17. Love Me Tender
18. Hard Headed Woman
19. It's Now Or Never
20. Surrender

 

Hey at least he replaced it! That's more than a lot of fathers would do!