Why Elvis Presley Wouldn’t Accept Being Called The King Of Rock

Throughout his two-decade career in music, Elvis Presley received a series of nicknames and nicknames. The most well-known name, however, became “King of Rock”. Who has never heard the star, who died in 1977, be defined in this way?

The origins of this title are uncertain, but one of the first people to define elvis that way was the journalist Bea Ramirez. In an article published in the newspaper Waco News-Tribune on April 19, 1956, the reporter defined the singer as “the nation’s king of rock ‘n’ roll”. At the time, the artist was only 21 years old. The following month, it was the turn of the newspaper Memphis Press-Scimitar refer to presley as “the upstart king of rock ‘n’ roll”.

But what Elvis Presley thought of that name? Although he succumbed to the charms of fame several times, the singer was notorious for having a down-to-earth personality typical of someone who was born in upstate Mississippi and came from humble beginnings. A nickname like that didn’t seem to suit him, did it?

Elvis Presley and the “King of Rock”

In 1969, Elvis Presley could feel the effects of his “return”. After spending years dedicated to an acting career that yielded many films of questionable quality, the singer filmed a TV special for NBC that marked his return — not for nothing, the recording is usually cited by the subtitle “’68 Comeback Special”.

Willing to retake his space as a relevant artist, elvis announced in 1969 its first season of performances at the Las Vegas International Hotel. During a press conference (via the National Post) held at that time to address career news, presley he was referred to as “the king”.

In an act of humility, elvis pointed to fats dominolegendary singer and pianist recognized as one of the pioneers of rock and roll and present at the occasion, to declare afterwards: “no, this is the true king of rock ‘n’ roll”.

Born in February 1928 — almost a decade before Elvis — fats domino (whose real name was Antoine Dominique Domino) made what is considered one of the first songs of the style: “The Fat Man”. Released as a single, the track sold 1 million copies in the United States.

He built a successful career throughout the 1950s, being quoted frequently by presley as one of his biggest influences in music. “Blueberry Hill”, “Ain’t That a Shame” It is “Walking to New Orleans” are other hits by the artist, who left us on October 24, 2017, aged 89.

insistence on nickname

It is public knowledge that Elvis Presley he was not the inventor or pioneer of rock music. In addition to fats dominothere were a number of artists who were already producing in the style when the singer appeared, such as Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Little Richard, Jimmie Rodgers It is Chuck Berry.

The title of “king of rock” is attributed to elvis more commonly for other issues. The first is associated with its incomparable fame. Racist components aside (it is known that white artists were preferred by record companies), he was the first to gain enormous popularity within the genre, surpassing his predecessors in this regard. It is estimated that he has sold 500 million copies, between singles and albums, across the planet, in addition to having promoted a cultural revolution with reflections in the pop universe until today.

Another point is in the visual issue. Elvis was extravagant not only in his dance moves, but also in his costumes. Although he denied the title of “king of rock”, the singer dressed like legitimate royalty – which reinforced such a conception in the popular imagination.

The fact is that even decades after his death, Elvis Presley remains relevant in the world of music as a whole. The singer’s story was revisited in the film elvis, released in 2022, generating over $280 million at the box office. King or not, his work remains undisputed.