Elvis Presley was the first American singer to be given near-mythical status.

He emerged as a leading
rock'n'roll star in the 1950s. Before Presley, the most renowned American stars had been Frank
Sinatra, Dean Martin and Bing Crosby. Their songs made pleasant listening but they were not
particularly original or thrilling. Sluggish America needed a shot of sincerity, dynamism and ardour.
Elvis Presley had never dreamt of becoming a singer. He came from a very religious and poor family
which moved from the small village of Tupelo in Mississippi to Memphis in search for employment.
Only after Elvis had graduated from secondary school, did he find a job as a lorry driver. In 1953, he
recorded two amateurish songs as a present for his mother's birthday. This event, however, did not
make him famous. In 1954, he performed a song of a black blues singer "That's All Right, Mama" in
the Sun Records Company. That was a real turning point in his life. The record made him popular
almost overnight. During the first day the song was broadcast several times on the radio. People went
crazy about its new and dynamic rhythm: What was it that made an unknown nineteen-year old boy
into a famous star? The answer lay not only in his expressive songs but also in his voice. Critics wrote
that it was throaty, vibrating, fev.erish and as thick as syrup. That voice was a real revelation. After
Presley had recorded his second song "Good Rockin' Tonight", he became well-known. Soon he began
to give concerts which were attended by crowds of screaming fans. On stage he was like a volcano and
had a peculiar power to drive the audience mad. Young people went into ecstasies over his voice, his
unique songs and his manners. For some time he was even called "Elvis - the Pelvis" for the
characteristic swinging of his hips. Many older people found Presley disgusting, perverse and vulgar.
The young, however, adored him. The singer was the embodiment of the gulf separating the pious,
rigid, self-complacent and materialistic old generation from the carefree but affectionate and sensitive
young generation. Presley involuntarily became a "rebel" who started a cultural and sexual revolution.
He gave American youths a sense of identity and encouraged them to be more active and liberated.
In 1958, Presley was called up. When he left the army, he recorded two longplays, "G.I. Blues" and
"Elvis is Back" which made him even more popular. Soon after he also recorded many beautiful and
moving ballads, religious songs and carols. His "Blue Christmas" won the hearts of all Americans.
Since that time they began to call him the "King".
For twenty years Presley was number one on the world list of singers. He sold the highest number of
records ever - over 500 million! However, the phenomenon of Elvis Presley lay not only in his music
but also in his personality. Although he was a superstar, he was very modest and good-hearted. He was
also a model husband and father. What is more, he was very generous. He made countless donations to
hospitals, charities and almshouses. He was very sensitive to poverty. He endowed thousands of
unknown people with valuable gifts, including even cars. All that changed, however, when his beloved
wife Priscilla left him. He was eating his heart out longing for her and his daughter – Liza Loneliness
ruined his life and dazzling career, and gradually killed him. He began to smoke, drink alcohol, take
drugs and overeat. He had no longer the power or inspiration to record new songs. In 1977 he died of a
heart attack in his house in Memphis. He was 42 years old. Presley's death was a great shock for all
Americans. Crowds of weeping people came to the funeral to mourn their "King". The cult of Elvis
Presley has lasted till today. As someone put it, old rockers never die; they live through their music.
Presley's mansion in Memphis is visited by half a million people every year. They pay tribute to the
memory of one of the greatest world-class stars.
SPEAKING
1. Is Elvis Presley's music still strong today? Do you know any of his songs?
2. How do you think Elvis Presley's music has influenced later music?
3. Why do you think Presley was given a near-mythical status?