![]() ![]() In the early 1950s, he recorded for Sun Records, the same label that signed Elvis in 1954. “I knew Elvis before he became Elvis,” said Turner, a longtime San Diego County resident who died in 2007. Ike Turner, a largely unsung rock pioneer, recalled in a 1997 Union-Tribune interview how Presley would come to see him perform in Memphis. ![]() Elvis heard this same music played live at the black nightclubs he frequented as a teenager and young adult. King and Rufus Thomas, both of whom also sang live during their broadcasts. While Elvis was a fan of country music, he was even more inspired by blues, gospel and rhythm-and-blues, including the Memphis radio shows hosted by such local disc jockeys as B.B. But Elvis could reach an enormous national audience, and did.Īfrican-American artists like Blackwell were relegated to so-called “race music” record labels and radio stations, at a time when much of the U.S. Three of Elvis’ landmark early recordings - “All Shook Up,” “Don’t Be Cruel” and “Return to Sender” - were written by Otis Blackwell, who also wrote the Jerry Lee Lewis classics “Great Balls of Fire” and “Breathless.”Įlvis’ versions were almost identical to how Blackwell sang them on his demonstration recordings. ![]() But, 40 years after his death, it’s still a relevant one in the case of this Mississippi-truck-driver-turned-global-superstar, whose career ignited in the mid-1950s. Of course, asking if he was a thief is a provocative question. The full remarks of Thomas, Tyler and Scaggs appear below in this article, along with comments about Elvis from other musicians evaluating his legacy. “He didn’t realize he wasn’t supposed to steal.” “I think he was an innocent thief,” Thomas said. ![]()
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