elvis presley

« Today, 35 years after the death of Elvis, he remains an icon of the twentieth century.

Countless artists of the second half of the century were inspired and influenced by Presley’s music and style, including his dance moves, attitude and clothing.

For example john Lennon who said " Before Elvis there was nothing" and that nothing really affected him until he heard Elvis and that if there hadn't been an Elvis, there wouldn't have been the Beatles.

Or Elton John who said : "It was Elvis that got me interested in music.

I've been an Elvis fan since I was a kid.

Ask anyone.

If it hadn't been for Elvis, I don't know where popular music would be.

He was the one that started it all off, and he was definitely the start of it for me." Elvis wasn’t the first to sing in a rock ’n’ roll style, but he was definitely a true innovator making this music popular to a wide audience, especially teenagers.

Why teenagers ? Because during the 1950s, teenagers had begun to think of themselves as being different from their parents’ generation.

Because of the economic prosperity of the period, teens enjoyed a disposable income that they could spend on themselves instead of contributing toward family survival.

So Presley’s music and way of life contribute to create a kind of rebellion among teenagers. Even after his death, his popularity remains strong among a wide variety of people.

So what happened since 1977 that makes him still popular? In 1982, 5 years after his death, GRACELAND (which used to be elvis’s home in Memphis) was opened to the public.

It is attracting over half a million visitors each year: it’s the second most- visited home in the United States, after the White House.

It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 2006. What’s more, Presley has been inducted into four music halls of fame : the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (1986), the Country Music Hall of Fame (1998), the Gospel Music Hall of Fame (2001), and the Rockabilly Hall of Fame (2007). In 1997, there was the first virtual concert called Elvis: the Concert.

The show consists of a big screen on which is projected extracts of previous concerts of Elvis, with his musicians of the 70s together on stage. Furthermore, Elvis is still used in advertising.

For example, a remix of the music " A Little Less Conversation " was used in a Nike advertising campaign during the 2002 FIFA World Cup .

It was Number 1 in over 20 countries, and was included in a compilation of Presley's number one hits, ELV1S , that was also an international success. In 2005, another three reissued singles, "Jailhouse Rock", "One Night"/"I Got Stung", and "It's Now or Never", went to number one in the United Kingdom.

A total of 17 Presley singles were reissued during the year.

So, Forbes named Presley the top-earning deceased celebrity, with a gross income of $45 million.. »