How Gospel Music Influenced Elvis — And What The Biopic Missed
Elvis Presley. Creative Commons photo.
(REVIEW) Even 45 years after his death, Elvis Presley’s legacy as the “King of Rock ’n’ Roll” lives on. “Elvis,” directed by Baz Luhrmann and released in June of this year, explains the life and career of the famous rock star (Austin Butler) through the eyes of his manager, Colonel Tom Parker (Tom Hanks). The movie highlights the influence of Black culture in Elvis’ career and the social injustices prevalent during the 1950s.
From a young age, Elvis was exposed to R&B and jazz music because his family lived in Tupelo, Tennessee, a small, predominantly Black town. The film depicts young Elvis overcome by the vibrant sounds of the juke-joint blues and the sight of a couple, their bodies moving to the sensual tunes of the rhythm guitar. He is then drawn to the Pentecostal fervor of a gospel tent, taken over by the spirit of the revival. Elvis grew up surrounded by both the sensual and spiritual, which influenced his expression of music.
Gospel music was birthed from African American spirituals and work songs from slavery. Its trademarks are emotional melodies, stirring rhythm and the incredible vocal range of its singers. Gospel had a large influence on American music in the 1940s and 50s.
Chuck Berry, also known as the “Father of Rock ’n’ Roll,” is an example of an artist influenced by the sound of gospel music. The combination of Berry’s voice, guitar and personality made him the great entertainer he was. Berry’s music used sounds based on the chord progression of gospel songs that resemble the blues. Tunes such as “Johnny B. Goode” and “Memphis” gained popularity and united both the Black and White worlds.
Similar to Elvis, Janis Joplin, a White woman from Texas, derived her unique sound from blues, soul and gospel music. Labeled the “Rock Mama,” Joplin performed with her entire being, often shocking her audience and shattering female artist stereotypes.
Elvis first performed at the Overton Park Shell in 1954 as a supporting act. However, this performance was key to his future success. Young women could not hold back their emotions while watching him wiggle across the stage. Not only did the ladies fall in love with Elvis’ moves, but the colonel did as well.
Luhrmann’s “Elvis” focuses on the manipulative relationship between Elvis and the colonel. That means that the personal ties to spirituality and religion Elvis maintained throughout his real life are shortchanged in the movie.
Despite his widespread popularity, Elvis was rarely nominated for awards either for his work in music or on the screen. He was never nominated for an Emmy, even after starring in two successful TV specials: “Singer Presents … Elvis” and, as seen in the film, “Elvis: Aloha From Hawaii Via Satellite.” He starred in 31 films and was never nominated for an Oscar. Neither of Elvis’ songs from feature films — “Can’t Help Falling in Love” and “Viva Las Vegas” — were nominated for Best Song.
After the Grammys began in 1958, Elvis managed to win three. He first won a Grammy in 1967 for Best Sacred Performance with his version of “How Great Thou Art” from his gospel album of the same name. Five years later, he won a Grammy for Best Inspirational Performance for “He Touched Me” from another gospel album. His final Grammy was in the same category for his live version of “How Great Thou Art” from the 1974 album, “Elvis Recorded Live on Stage in Memphis.” Elvis collected 14 Grammy nominations in total, and the three he won came from his gospel music.
Without gospel, Elvis would have ended his career awardless. In the ’60s, members of the Recording Academy struggled to keep up with the musical trends and favored jazz along with traditional pop. Rock ‘n’ roll and R&B, Presley’s well-known genres, were not on their radar.
Elvis’ mainstream sound was unappreciated not only by the Academy but also, as the film highlights, by the White men who attempted to change the way he moved and the sound of his music to make him “family friendly.” Elvis might have been a global sensation, but not all people enjoyed his renditions of Black music.
The movie chronicles the setbacks Elvis faced from a greedy manager and a prejudiced public. It also shows the relative ease Elvis had popularizing Black music compared to his Black counterparts, who were largely confined to segregated clubs. “Elvis” did well to show how the singer felt about the Black artists who inspired him. Yet it showed much less how some Black artists were unhappy with Elvis’ success achieved by singing their songs.
The film accurately depicts the friendship between Elvis and B.B. King (Kelvin Harrison Jr.), who was attributed with “defining the blues for a worldwide audience” in the ’50s.
“He was okay,” King said of Elvis in a 1996 interview with Charlie Rose. Over time, he “started to turn heads, including mine. He had everything — the looks, the talent.” In his autobiography, “Blues All Around Me,” King wrote that “Elvis didn’t steal any music from anyone. He just had his own interpretation of the music he’d grown up on, the same is true for everyone. I think Elvis had integrity.”
Elvis believed that gospel music was pure. The music he surrounded himself with as a kid helped him become the legend he is today. Even when he became the King of Rock ’n’ Roll, he didn’t appreciate the title, saying “there’s only one king, and that’s Jesus Christ.”
Overall, Luhrmann’s “Elvis” presents the unique charisma of the entertainer who captures the hearts of many to this day. Underneath the black eyeliner and sparkly jumpsuits, no one can deny that Elvis’ love for gospel music never faded throughout his career.
Myrian Garcia is a student at The King’s College majoring in Journalism, Culture and Society. She is participating in the New York City Semester in Journalism Program, where she previously interned at the daily amNY.