Elvis was over rated

[Kingmaker2]

I don't agree with his being crap - but unquestionably, he got where he got because of other people's work; the work of the untold number of black musicians who'd been doing exactly the same stuff for years, but were completely ignored because they were black. Then all of a sudden, a white guy does it and gets credited for "inventing" it all.

 

In that case then there should be a number of black Elvis that you should be able to name before Elvis became famous.

 

Can you name any?

[HeadingNorth]

In that case then there should be a number of black Elvis that you should be able to name before Elvis became famous.

 

Can you name any?

 

You want me to provide a list of all the people who are forgotten because they were black?

[Kingmaker2]

You want me to provide a list of all the people who are forgotten because they were black?

 

I want you to back up your claim :

 

"untold number of black musicians who'd been doing exactly the same stuff for years"

 

If that is so the case then come up with some names, they may not have been the big star Elvis was, but even so I would imagine they had names all the same.

 

To make it easier for you just name a couple.

Edited November 14, 2009 by Kingmaker2

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This.

 

Elvis never stole anything. Poor songwriters were begging Elvis to record their songs because they were guaranteed good money in royalties.

 

I know my Elvis stuff and it always amuses me when somebody with a tiny snippet of knowledge says something to me like, "Elvis stole 'Hound Dog' from Big Mama Thornton!"

 

They soon shut their traps when I inform them that "Hound Dog" was written by two rich white jews from New York.

 

It's said that everybody's entitled to an opinion. Some people don't know enough about it to have one.

 

Leiber and Stoller wrote many well known songs. They wrote Jailhouse Rock for Elvis but several years earlier they wrote Hound Dog for Big Mama Thornton. It was a song written for a woman. Elvis' performing it didn't really make sense which is why he performed a re-written version of it.

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Ike Turner

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Fats Domino

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You do know that the music Elvis performed was African-American, yes? ..

 

 

 

Wynonie Harris

[Kingmaker2]

Fats Domino

 

Ike Turner

 

You do know that the music Elvis performed was African-American, yes? ..

 

 

 

Wynonie Harris

 

 

 

So do Fats Domino or Ike Turner even remotely sound like Elvis?

 

The point is that Elvis added his own take and charisma to the music, and that's what made him such a star, irrespective of where the music came from.

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So do Fats Domino or Ike Turner even remotely sound like Elvis?

 

The point is that Elvis added his own take and charisma to the music, and that's what made him such a star, irrespective of where the music came from.

 

Fats Domino sounds nothing like Ike Turner who sounds nothing like Wynonie Harris who sounds nothing like Smiley Lewis who sounds nothing like Ruth Brown who sounds nothing like Amos Milburn who sounds nothing like LaVern Baker who sounds nothing like Dave Bartholomew ad infinitum.

 

They all added their own take and charisma to rhythm and blues. Elvis is the most well known because he was a marketable white kid, performing controversial black music, in a racially segregated 1950's USA.

[Kingmaker2]

Fats Domino sounds nothing like Ike Turner who sounds nothing like Wynonie Harris who sounds nothing like Smiley Lewis who sounds nothing like Ruth Brown who sounds nothing like Amos Milburn who sounds nothing like LaVern Baker who sounds nothing like Dave Bartholomew ad infinitum.

 

They all added their own take and charisma to rhythm and blues. Elvis is the most well known because he was a marketable white kid, performing controversial black music, in a racially segregated 1950's USA.

 

And should that detract from the fact that he sold millions of records worldwide?

 

People can market certain acts all they want, but that doesn't make them universally successful through out his career unless the man could walk the walk, and Elvis proved that he could walk the walk.

Edited November 15, 2009 by Kingmaker2