B00385544 Third Year Writing Ben Rawlins April 2, 2013 The Tale of Two Kings Once upon a time,

in a land not so far away, there was a kingdom divided by change, but then reunited by the bravery of two kings: the King of Hearts who ruled with love and passion for his people, and the King of Diamonds who ruled with creativity and imagination. Both lived in different times, but they came together for the pursuit of progression and believed that their kingdom needed to release the ties of their old ways in order to thrive. And so, the two kings put themselves through being mocked and tormented so that one day the kingdom would understand that sometimes, change is a good thing. These stories represent the tales of two separate Kings who came together for one common purpose; to enhance the kingdom to new levels and push the boundaries of what was considered comfortable for what they knew would eventually work to the benefit of their people and their kingdom. The Kings in these stories represent two people who have changed the world for the better in regards to something that is considered universal: Music. From vinyl records to digital recordings, the music of some artists has stood the test of time and influenced the direction of musical performances and even musical genres in America. In the 1940s and before, music was very conservative. Performances consisted of standing and singing into a microphone and the clothing

was to wear a tie. The industry remained essentially the same for centuries with subtle variations as the years came and went, but in the early 1950s, the industry would be changed forever. Two musical icons that have made the most impact due to the ways they pushed the envelope and dared to do what no one in the industry had done before are Elvis Presley, the King of Hearts, and Michael Jackson, the King of Diamonds. By reliving the historical backgrounds of both of the Kings and the ways in which they single handedly altered the way Americans view music, it will be clear that change and progress is a good thing in American culture and has always been a base on which this country stands. Elvis Presley was known as an innovator and a rebel. The King of rock and roll started out as a country bumpkin and rose to the top of the charts at an incredible rate taking all of the teenage girls with him. He was born in Tupelo, Mississippi in 1935 to Vernon and Gladys Presley. Interestingly, he was born a twin, but unfortunately his brother died in childbirth (Clayton 2). Elvis had a rough childhood and he grew up living in poverty. In school, his classmates made fun of him for his love of music and his teachers told him he was an average student with limited potential (Clayton 3). Looking back on his childhood, it is almost impossible to believe that this is the man who would grow up to create some of the biggest controversies in music of all time. From his early years as a young, nave singer, to his performing years and the shift from gospel to rock and roll, and even after his death, Elvis Presley challenged the boundaries of music of his time and he gave people in other genres the courage to continue this pattern for years to follow.

In his early years of singing, Elvis was reserved and unsure of his talents. While working as a truck driver, he drove by Sun Records day after day wishing he had the courage to go inside. Eventually, the day came when he talked himself into dropping off a demo recording. He is noted as saying he did this as a gift to his mother for her birthday. The record company had been looking for something new and different, so Elviss demo was exactly what they wanted to hear. The record company thought Elvis had the type of soul in his voice that made him sound like the black recording artists of that time, even though he was white (Moore 23). In his early career, Elvis sang gospel music and his first #1 hit was Mystery Train (Clayton 7). After that song hit the charts, people went crazy for what was to follow. Songs such as Hound dog, Heartbreak Hotel, Love Me Tender and a song that came from his acting career, Jailhouse Rock, soon followed causing his music to be known around the world. It did not take long for Elvis to become known for his music and his acting in America, as well as internationally. By nature, Elvis was not outgoing and he felt uncomfortable on stage. In fact, he is quoted as saying, the first time that I appeared on stage, it scared me to death. I really didnt know what all the yelling was about. I didnt realize that my body was moving. Its a natural thing to me. So to the manager backstage I said, Whatd I do? Whatd I do? And he said, Whatever it is, go back and do it again, (Kennamer 132). Presley was taking live performances to the next level by not restricting the way that he moved because it was not tasteful and actually feeling the music with his whole body. The audiences were responding to his signature performances; some with love and admiration, but others with disgust and distaste.

For a while, Elvis was oblivious to his talent and what he was capable of accomplishing. He did not set out to become a sex icon or a super star, but doing the moves that came natural to him was proving to be working in his favor. Elvis was one of the first mega stars to rise to the top and be followed by women of all ages. Though Elvis grew up singing old gospel hymns and country style music, gradually he moved away from these genres and began to sing dance-style tunes with quicker beats. Those quicker beat tunes created a new genre of music called rock and roll, explaining why he has been referred as its King. He began performing music that he liked and he moved his body to the beat. The crowds responded to his artistry and they liked this new style of music. Despite his popularity, some still considered his music and his motions to be offensive and inappropriate for the public. Historical records say, A performance by Elvis Presley goes something like this. He strides on stage, takes a wide legged stance, grabs a guitar, gives it a couple of whings, opens his mouth, and starts gyrating. Elviss stage maneuvers are nothing short of phenomenal. Performed by a girl in the burlycue, they would be known as bumps and grinds. He shivers and shakes, he quivers and quakes. The faster E. Presley moves, the more agitated the crowd grows. (Melrose 3) Throughout his entire career, there were dye-hard fans and ruthless critics, similar to how the industry works today. Since Elvis was the first Mega-Star, he was the first to get mega complaints about the way he performed. When most people think of Elvis, they imagine screaming fans, crying girls, and glittered suits. During

his early performance years, the genre of rock and roll really allowed him to open up and let loose. His dance moves and gyrations quickly became popular to young teenage girls everywhere. But in reality, Elvis didnt just make a name for himself to the girls, but also to those teenage girls fathers who had to watch their daughters swoon over the ideas of sex. Without knowing it, Elvis Presley was slowly creating a large army of sex-crazed and rebellious girls, and so then made enemies with those conservative army dads. "They said we were corrupting America's youth," recalls George Klein, an old friend. "Elvis would say, 'What the hell are they talking about? I'm singing about a hound dog and a teddy bear' " (Adelman 36). Even though teddy bears seem harmless enough, there was something about the fact that what Elvis was doing was considered wrong that made him the sex icon for women everywhere. This allowed him to really fall into the mold that we think of today. His dancing and performing was a very controversial issue of the time. His reputation kept him out of performing venues, such as the Ryman Auditorium. After the first time he performed there, the owners asked him not to return, so he never set foot back in Nashville again. But Nashville was not the only place that had an issue with him. In 1957, the famously stiff Ed Sullivan, who'd once vowed never to have Elvis on his show, was so thrilled by his guest's effect on the show's ratings that he announced on camera, I wanted to say to Elvis and the country that this is a real decent, fine boy. Such sentiments did not keep the network brass from issuing an historic decree to the cameramen: Elvis was to be shot strictly from the waist up (Adleman 40).

His fan base grew to a dangerous level. Not just the number, but also the actions they were willing to take in order to see him, let alone touch a sleeve of his jacket. At the end of one early concert, when Elvis jokingly told the crowd he'd see them backstage, hundreds of fans stormed out of their seats in hopes to get a chance at that opportunity. By the time the police arrived, Presley was climbing the walls of the locker room and his pink Cadillac was covered with girls' names scrawled in lipstick (Kennamar 150). The life of fame does crazy things to good people, and the industry thrives on taking its beloveds down. Elvis was a prime example of this kind of tragedy. Presley suffered from depression, which ended up being a severe struggle and eventually ended his life (Clayton 168). Although his death was very sad and abrupt, (people still mourn it to this day) the legacy of Elvis will never die. He influenced some of the most successful musicians of all time. A few include Buddy Holly, Little Richard, Gene Vincent, Eddie Cochran, and Ricky Nelson. Later singers, such as Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, and Bono also acknowledged Presley impression on them (Reaves). If we look at what all of these artists have in common, its their drive to stand out, to be different, to stick it to the world and perform the songs they want to perform the way they want to perform them. Some even kept Elviss gyrating nature throughout their performances. His sexual drive through his movement changed the vision of Rock and Roll forever. It no longer had to be stand and sing type concerts. He gave the genre of rock and roll and the American people the idea of rebellion

and he taught people that it is more important to be true to ones self than it is to be liked. He loved his music and he loved performing. Elvis did not see why people fought him so hard when they were all striving for the same things: to get out of a rut and move forward. Elvis was a brilliant performer who introduced the idea of sex and scandal in music unintentionally. In the sense of his career, the controversies he created ended up being basis of his success. Every girl loves a bad boy. John Lennon from the British rock band, The Beatles, once stated, Before Elvis, there was nothing. But after Elvis, there was Michael Jackson. He was born in Gary, Indiana on August 29, 1958 to a lower class family who was very musically inclined (Sullivan 4). By the age of 5, Michael became the lead singer of his family band, The Jackson 5. He impressed many audiences with his vocal range and his ability to convey several different kinds of emotions at such a young age. Jackson really made a name for himself within this family group, which allowed him to easily transfer into the limelight as a solo artist. MJs career began to pick up speed in the early 1980s with his hit songs such as Beat It, Billy Jean, and the album Thriller which became the number 1 selling album of all time (Campbell 76). The title song gained a lot of recognition due to the production of the terrifying music video, which was named most successful music video of all time by the Guinness Book of World Records. This particular music video sent Michaels career soaring into a whole new level. The production began due to a decline of sales for the album in 1883 and MJs management team needed to figure out a way to keep the audiences attention for a

while longer. They were constantly throwing ideas back and forth until Michaels manager, Frank DiLeo, came to the decision that they needed to make a third music video for the album on the title song. The Thriller music video cost about $500,000 to create, which was record for the time (Henning 40). DiLeo constantly had to borrow money from Michaels sponsors, promising them that this video would be worth every penny invested due to the fact that this video would revolutionize music videos (Henning 43). It was not always easy for Michael to push the envelope as far as he wanted due to his religion as a Jehovah Witness. This almost cost the release of the music video Thriller. If it had not been for DiLeo putting a disclaimer in the very beginning of the video, the Thriller that has won several awards and recognition would never have been released (Taraborrelli). But because it was and it caught momentum, Michael Jacksons career would be changed forever. Michael Jackson was involved in every spectrum of entertainment. He was a singer-songwriter, a musician, an arranger, music producer, a businessman, and even a choreographer. He was excellent in all of these areas and it showed from his outlandish music videos, his spots in films, and even the way he performed on stage. When Michael began touring, he constantly required the newest technology and used it well in order to always give the audience a jaw dropping experience. He was the first artist to use lighting to his advantage with a pop set, meaning that he would have different cues that would accent certain parts of the piece and enhance the overall experience of a song. (Taraborrelli). Michael Jackson not only changed what musical performances meant to the

world, but also the idea of dance. The way he danced was indescribable when compared to performers before him. He did not just stand at a microphone and do step-touches. He was really dancing. This element that he brought into his performances have inspired not only dancers, but also singers in the pop world. Dancing became an essential part of pop performances. Not only did Michael dance, he was one of the first artists to have actual background dancers with their sole purpose being to dance in the background. Unlike the dancers on the shows in the 60s, who would simply be dancing to their own beat while the artist walked around them, Michaels dancers were considered an extension of him, so he required people who were the best of the best. Jacksons dances were very high-energy and full of sex, and similar to one of his dance moves, he was constantly keeping the audience on their toes. He coined several moves whilst on stage and all around the world, people know them immediately as Michael Jackson moves. A lot of what he does is very jerky with thrusts, but unlike Elvis, every move was placed very sharply and very specifically. His moves matched how he felt and it also correlated with his arrangements of his songs that he wrote. One of the most well known moves that MJ has ever created is called the Moon Walk where the feet are sliding back, but it is done in the way that it gives the illusion of gliding across the floor. In an interview with Michaels manager, DiLeo stated During one show, [Michael] ran to the side of the stage where I was standing during an instrumental break, stopped, took a breath, and then began doing something with his feet that brought him back onto stage. I had never seen him do that or anything like it before, but the audience went

wild when they witnessed him gliding across the stage floor. As if he wasnt amazing enough (Campbell 103). Even though Jackson was thriving at the top of the charts in all aspects of the pop genre, some people were still skeptical of him and for what he stood. In his performances, Michael used sex in the form of dance, very similarly to Elvis Presley. The difference in their tactics is that Elviss gyrations were innocent. That is what made it sexy. He felt the music in his soul and his body did too. Michael thrust because he knew it would get him noticed. Forcing an audience out of their comfort zone could be extremely beneficial, or incredibly destructive. In both of these cases, these artists got lucky with their end results. Michaels music was a part of him; it flowed through him. His passion and hard work was apparent in the feature film This Is It created by footage of Michaels rehearsals for his return to the stage in 2009. The amount of work that Michael and his crew put into this production was hundreds of hours of work for a total of 50 dates on tour. Even now with how far along technology seems to be, it seemed as though what ever Michael imagined, his production team created for him. This tour would have began with a character called Light Man who was basically a metal costume that played videos and pictures and images all over the body. This character would then begin to open up from the arms, legs, chest, and head to reveal Michael standing inside of the suit (Sullivan 136). The King of Pop was expected to be perfect, especially after being off stage for over a decade. Because of these opinions, everyone involved with this tour gave their hearts and souls into putting on what would have been the most incredible and awe-inspiring show the world

had ever seen. When Michael Jackson passed away due to an accidental overdose, the world mourned for his passing. His funeral was on national television and the most famous performers at the time, including Usher, Mariah Carey, and Jennifer Hudson sang his songs in tribute. There were tens of thousands of people in attendance at the Staple Center for the event and over 30.1 million people watching from their own homes (Sullivan 226). From the attendance alone, It is apparent that whether people agreed with how he performed on stage or how he was as a person, Michael Jackson made a tremendous impact on the music, the industry, and the world. Change can be a scary thing, especially if one is comfortable lounging in the grooves of what used to be. But everyone knows that progression is necessary and inevitable in the cycle of life; to change is to grow. The people in this world fall into three categories when it comes to the idea of progression: the people who follow the leader, the people who are against straying from anything that is known, and the people who make the changes happen. America has always prided itself on how ahead-of-the-times we strive to be, and the American people will constantly be buying the newest iPhone or ShamWOW. So why, then, is it so hard to convince people that change can be a good thing? If everyone would take a moment and listen to the person with a different opinion or a new idea rather than criticizing it because it is different, who knows much further along our country would be. Elvis Presley and Michael Jackson were innovators. They performed fully with their hearts and their bodies and this inspired many other artists that followed. Because of the changes brought on by Michael Jackson and Elvis Presley, America

today has the opportunity to listen to a variety of genres and people, and everyday holds something new. Elvis and his sexuality opened up the door of Rock and Roll which then allowed for freedom of speech to come into music. Michael Jackson oozed pop, and thanks to him, there is a new genre of creativity. Music has, is, and always will revolve around the Kings. And so, the kingdom continued to thrive because of the bravery of its two kings. Because of what both were willing to do and sacrifice, their followers would always be grateful for the knowledge that change has to happen, so do not fear it or mock it, but rather embrace it for what it is. The kingdom knew then that the King of Hearts and the King of Diamonds had been the greatest that have ever ruled and their legacy continues on as the fathers that changed everything.