Elvis Presley – Rock And Roll With Soul
Music is a huge and intimate part of my writing process. I always have music on if I am writing, even if it is just in the background. I have tons of playlists and about half of those are writing specific, whether in general like my “Study” playlists, I generally usually have music on any time that I can even if I’m not writing, and even then if there’s a song that strikes me a certain way or gives me an idea I’ll add it to one or more of my playlists. Some of the things that I get from music are inspiration, ideas, feelings, great emotions, and it helps me set a mood by giving what I’m writing, or will be writing, kind of a ‘theme song’ of sorts.
Forty-one years ago, we lost one of the greatest talents to ever grace the earth; Elvis Aaron Presley. I have loved this man since I was a little girl, I have so many memories of watching his films and either wiggling my bum to the music or pointing out to my mom or grandma how ‘pretty’ I thought he was. I can’t remember a time where I didn’t know who he was. When I was old enough to understand the impact, he had on music and to feel his loss as a fan, I would often cry my eyes out to my mom; utterly devastated that I’d never get the chance to attend a concert or to physically meet and thank him for his contribution. For my seventieth birthday I was gifted with “Elvis Presley Anthology” and along with a record player and a record of Elvis’s Greatest Hits I will always treasure the memory of sneakily dancing in my room where nobody could watch; my heart felt like it would explode. Nine times out of ten, if I’m doing my makeup or I’m sat doing something that requires quite a bit of my time then I’m listening to Elvis.
If I’m upset or I’m happy, whatever my emotion; I’m listening to Elvis. He in a way was my first love and I know most Elvis fans feel the same. I’m eternally grateful to him for the dark times he’s got me through and is continuing to get me through, I don’t care what anyone says, music is a healer. If it’s not music I’m listening to then it’s footage I’m watching or photographs I’m browsing and saving; he left so much behind. I say it every year but it’s still such a shock to my system that this incredibly talented man is no longer physically here with us. A remarkable period in the History of Rock and Roll music, and even of music, simply, has been created by Elvis Presley. when we see so many untalented people live for decades with their heavy production, without one minute of grace. In soul music, the thing to absolutely avoid, and that most people do nowadays, is vocal jelly and exaggerations. Elvis never added any, never needed to. He was totally nuts but had everything musically, plus this so special face. Not just a voice more of a sense of music. “The basic mistake that people make about Elvis was that he came along and got lucky.
No, he didn’t get lucky. Elvis worked hard, he created the music with great musicians. He had a drive that motivated him, and it was there from Day One. – Ernst Jorgensen” “He was a light for all of us. We all owe him for going first into battle. He had no road map, and he forged a path of what to do — and what not to do. We shouldn’t make the mistake of writing off a great artist by all the clatter that came later. We should dwell on what he did that was so beautiful and everlasting, which was that great, great music. – Tom Petty”
