Whitney Houston came from a very talented musical family. Cissy Houston, Dionne Warwick, Dee Dee Warwick, and Leontyne Price are/were all extraordinary singers in their own rights. And all related to Whitney.
Presley came from a poor family, just across from the equally broke black community. It was hearing their gospel, blues and other music, that influenced the young Elvis.
To elaborate, Commerce Street and Mulberry Alley (which no longer exists) were two dingy commercial areas on the south fringe of Shake Rag. Elvis was about 11-12 at that time. They lived behind the businesses in what were little more than sheds. By the time they lived in Mulberry Alley, they were close to homeless as it was a hovel. An African American landowner who lived in the almost all-black Park Hill neighborhood on the better side of the tracks, literally, asked Vernon if he was looking to move. He could rent them half a house that was designated "white" on land that backed up to his own land. Vernon told Gladys and Elvis that they were leaving Shake Rag. The new place was like a paradise to the Presleys. Elvis played with a group of young boys his age, who were black and Vernon struggled to make the rent. Elvis had access to all the food Grandpa Bell was growing, Vernon built the children a tree house, and the house itself had indoor plumbing including a bathtub. School was not pleasant for Elvis; only one boy was allowed or even wanted to visit Elvis at his home, and Elvis was treated as an outcast in school. But when he got home, he was welcomed by the Bells and other black families living on The Hill. The folks who lived there were more likely to be teachers, ministers, nurses. The white people who lived there, though, were later described by a white Tupeloean as "poor, poor people." They spent about a year there, which was long for them. But they had to leave. Vernon was running white lightning to try to make the rent, and they had to get out of Mississippi. They put their belongings on top of a 1939 Plymouth that somehow got them to Memphis, where they all lived for the rest of their lives. In 1948 Memphis, no one expected Elvis Presley to amount to anything. He beat the odds.
@Jaime Alonzo as a white kid in white town introduced me to black America & i think that's what Steve Martin was trying to do. By being overtly racist, it made us rethink our biases. Like looking in the mirror & not liking what we saw, even while we laughed... lol
@Jaime Alonzo No comment. Well . . . oddly, uh, truth is stranger than fiction. This was no joke. Tupelo's black community gave sanctuary to the poorest white families. They were in limbo: they had nowhere to go.
levyrat AR Elvis was one of the best ever about his TCB band and all the singers on stage with him, he took the time to introduce all of them every show. He was the reason the audience was there, he could have easily not acknowledged the band and no one would have thought about it, but that wasn’t who he was. He’s still and always will be the King.
Whitney Houston's mom was one of them. I saw an interview with Whitney, when she described what it was like meeting Elvis when she was a little girl....something along the lines of you, wow, that's a really good looking man
Yep. Elvis also was an addict, which to me says he was a deeply sensitive and feeling person, something most people miss about or don’t realize about those who struggle with addiction.
Elvis' childhood was also very rough. He was teased for being different, mocked hard. I've read enough books about his life to know that when he sang this song, he FELT it.
He lived on a street that was about 1/3 black and the next street was about 2/3 black. He went to black churches and bought his clothes at black stores.
@Michaelle Mcgill: Sounds like typical Southern food to me. I’ve grown my own collard, mustard and turnip greens for years. I eat or have eaten damn near all that stuff you mentioned. Black eyed peas are common in the South and it’s considered good luck to eat them on New Year’s Day. Food is food, doesn’t mean it’s black folk food. It might be like that where you’re from but down here, it’s commonly eaten by everyone. I used to travel for work and when I was in Dover Delaware, I found a small cafe near where I was staying. I walked in and it smelled like home. I got to talking to the little old black lady behind the counter and found that she owned the place. After having been on the road for nearly 2 months, her food was a cure for my homesickness. I was her only white customer but I didn’t care.
@@MrT8T3R Southern food is like 50/50 black food, I would say even more. A lot of food we have in the south comes from black communities, they're good as cooks
Here's a comment for you. In the late 50's or early 60's when Elvis was touring all over the South, they went to a stadium to perform and the organisers said that his black back-up singers had to go in the back entrance and Elvis refused. He said if they can't go in where I get to go in, we won't perform. They relented.
I'm sure it happened on more than one occasion, but that's a famous story from when they played Houston in the 70s. They acted ugly towards the Sweets and EP said I'm out of here. Then they changed their tune. People who accuse EP of racism just have no idea what they are talking about.
@@Drimirin you have no real proof, all these cities where this oppression happens have been ran by democrats for decades.i dont know much but I know people not parties are what matters.
One of Elvis' quotes: "So help your brother along the way no matter where he starts, for the same God that made you, made him too, these men with broken hearts”
Before Elvis picked up this song and recorded it . No one would record the song it was to raw. An R.C.A. executive said we can't release it. Elvis Said, " Thats my next single, son" and walked away. Only Elvis could have got that record on the air-waves. Cheers, Chris Perry.
One more thing about that song, it was written by Mac Davis, who is a singer in his own right, just not near as famous as Elvis was/is. They were quite good friends and Davis wrote this song and after Elvis heard the comments about it being "too raw", he decided to do it and insisted on it. Mac Davis was quite a lucrative song writer back in those days.
@@DeadManPutting True but when will the middle realize that we all matter only if black and brown is included. Seems to have been a huge issue for centuries in this country.
Roy Mathis ...Please don’t fall for the bs we all have the same chances it’s not easy for some but we can be anything we want in this country Although I fear it’s changing there are laws against discrimination don’t believe it can’t happen it’s just not easy but all in you these years. I grew up on a dead end street and in the poorest house on the street. Now I didn’t become a millionaire or anything like that but I been around and drove cars that I could only look at for a long time. Went on vacations only dream of. Lived in places I only saw on tv but I worked and saved we all can do it. God bless and believe in yourself please believe in yourself
@@dontellgucci1117 I agree, at the end if the day it's up to that individual to overcome his or her obstacles and prosper. And we all can do it. Nobody should expect more out of you than yourself.
For him to be singing about that in 1969 just is amazing. He didn’t have to be bringing stuff like that into the spot light but he did. Much respect to the King!
@@subg8858 ever seen working class terrace houses in coal mining towns in England ? If you were born there, you weren't going anywhere except down a pit.
I understand the majority are the police forces r r f but I also want to comment that there are a lot of misunderstandings going on and honorable policeman 2 and there is the underlying racist attitude also but I want to comment on a group of policemen that I heard about and I think it took place in Canada they had a pilot program for helping the underdog a survey analysis where they were going to try instead of arrest drug addict they were going to try to really really help them I believe it was a three-month pilot program that was implemented to try to salvage lives instead of just arrest lifelong friends chefs emerged with the police it was a beautiful program more especially in the United States so I really commend and appreciate the Canadian Police Academy because there were testimonials on the police side and on the drug addict side when there were win-win situations after about six months and trial and neither side gave up on each other they work with each other the human Spirit can transcend things if they really want to I wish we had more programs like this and I wished I would have been able to catch on to the exact program
This happened I believe somewhere in the late 80s early 90s I believe it was the flash news on television I believe it was on 20/20 or 60 minutes but it was a beautiful program a battle with the police get it was somewhere in the late 80s early 90s but anybody can probably follow up in check by contacting the Canadian police he was a beautiful program sorry I didn't get the actual Source folks but I just wanted to speak on behalf of the police in this instant especially after hearing Elvis sing in the ghetto it inspired me to try to unite people this kind of activity doesn't continue if you're anyone reading my comment listen to Elvis Presley singing in the ghetto and people react to it for the first time the messages migrating across through the years an art form
MontcomHorror Actually they were kicked out of public housing in Memphis when Elvis was a teen. They said the income from both parents working exceeded public assistance, but their money was paying for Elvis’ fathers’ injured back. Vernon was a laborer and originally a sharecropper, and he built the shotgun shack Elvis was born in with his brother Vester. The Presley family moved from that shack to Memphis to find better work in the city. Elvis attended many black church gospel music services in Mississippi and in Memphis, starting at very early age.
BRIANSTORM Well, aren’t you Jolly-Know-All?!?! JK. Yeah, I’m not completely up on my Elvis history. I’m much more of a Beatles fan than Elvis though I do like/love some of Elvis’ music. Some 50’s Rock’ n roll can grate on my nerves. Also as you mentioned with Elvis and churches, I’m not into gospel and he recorded a decent amount of that too. I’d say I like his later stuff better than the earlier music. This song is a fantastic example of great Elvis, later music.
Yes and unlike some celebs most of his donations were made anonymously, millions per year at Christmas time (Graceland maintained the financial records.) I think that says a lot. He also got a thrill to see poor people of all races at a car lot, and surprise these strangers by buying them a car outright. There are many such stories reported in short Memphis newspaper articles, and became a telling part of his legend.
I think of the joke Johnny Cash said - he saw a guy walking down the street wearing only one shoe. So he called out "Hey buddy, you lost a shoe!" and the guy says "nah, I FOUND one!"
The southside of Chicago was a ghetto and he sung this in 1969 when poverty and pain was genuine. Elvis Presle "In The Ghetto is as relevant today as we watch the gangland killings going on in the southside of Chicago. He grew up in the projects of Memphis and attended a black church where gospel music 🎶 colored his professional career. He was a man of soul. Elvis had faith taught by his mother and who he dearly loved. He never judged people by the color of their skin. Loved the guy.
I have loved this song since it came out , I was 7 with a Mom who was an huge Elvis fan living in Las Vegas and when I was old enough to understand the meaning of it - it made me cry and I still cry because I'm almost 57 and people are still fighting over the color of someone's skin and trying to keep others in poverty, making them feel like less . It's really sad that after 50 years we still haven't learned to be kind and to help our neighbors. By the way I love Elvis and I'll watch any reaction with his music , and let's remember that he felt so strongly about the issue of poverty that he was willing to put his career on the line to make this song .Much love to all ...♡
I just finished watching an interview he did about writing the song. It has an amazing "back story". ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-WGSnTfRJlCY.html
He also wrote Memories, you should check out his version in the Elvis tribute video. The lyrics are more sorrowful in the original lyrics than when Elvis sang it
Jamel_AKA_Jamal I’m amazed at your humble spirit and positivity. Even though everyone in the world might not know you, you are absolutely an inspiration I’m sure in your community. That’s where it starts anyways. Your mama must be an absolute angel to raise someone like you with many many other siblings too. Wow I’m extremely impressed by your background and who you seem to be today ☺️
Elvis was a beautiful person inside out but he was also humble as he was also born very poor but he never forgot his roots. Elvis had heavenly looks and the voice of angels, he was a gift from God as he gave so much joy to the entire world and his songs will live on from generation to generation, He is THE KING FOREVER!
Vernon Presley said:-"We were poor, we weren't prejudiced". Neither was Elvis. "In The Ghetto" and "If I Can Dream" shows the true side of Elvis in the 60s. He was a class act.
After hearing your story, I'm even more impressed with you. So glad that your life has turned for the better. Thank you for being you! God bless you and I wish you all the luck in the world.
My Dad worked in New York where Elvis was in Concert one night. I think Radio City Music Hall my Dad said most other Performers were either rude or Stand-offish. Dad said when the ushers were gathering around to get the Luncheon Spread together for Elvis & his Crew , Elvis called all the Ushers over to the Food. He told them to get Chairs and Sit Down. No one knew what to do. So Elvis said C’mon get some chairs & sit so I can serve you Lunch. And that’s what Elvis did. Elvis served the Ushers Lunch that Day. My Dad was so Happy to tell that Story whenever possible. Elvis was a Kind Humble Human
Mac Davis always knows... If you don't know what that means, watch his film, THE BEST FOOTBALL MOVIE EVER RECORDED, NORTH DALLAS FORTY! I bought his jersey and he played AWESOME as the Dallas quarterback.
@@young321bookie Maybe the point of the song was to draw attention to the plight of those growing up in poverty. Perhaps you should give the song's writer Mac Davis, who grew up poor himself the benefit of doubt. As for as Elvis goes, he could afford to have lived anywhere he wish but he chose predominantly black Memphis.
Elvis never forgot about being dirt poor.he nought people houses.Cadillac.jewelry.bought a yacht and donated it yo st. Jude.gave hundred s of checks a yr.to charity.hes was so generous Theres a vidio.Elvis generous heart U should play it.
His plack on the boat was removed because he was involved in drugs.. such a shame the man could not do any wrong in my eyes such a generous soul. His road manager Joe Esposito, told him he could claim back the money every year that he gave to charity... Elvis reaction was if i do that then where is the charity. He was a one of we will never see the likes again ❤
After Elvis recorded this, the record producer told him that he couldn't release it on his new album because people would think it was to edgy.... Elvis smiled and said" Son, that will be my next #1 hit "! And it was. No one in the music industry could have recorded that song...except Elvis, and he knew the importance of it. Sad thing is he could have recorded it yesterday, nothing has changed 😪 Also ... God bless you for staying strong !!!
a Oh man, you must be real high up on some horse. Your comment is beyond stupid. I guarantee you’ve never been through any kind of real struggle in your life. Wow. I’m honestly speechless
@@KittyKittyBangBang249 I hope you're not talking to me. If you are yes I have been through a lot of heartache and Pain by the way. But thanks for telling me you know who I am. Typical woman thinking their opinion is important BS. No I don't you go screw off
He was poor and loved his Mama, he was also a twin (who was stillborn) I believe that man carried that loss and his Mama's pain his whole life... I hear it still when you played "in the Getto" thank you
I once worked with a black dude who tried to convince me that Elvis was racist, he just had to be because he was a white boy from Mississippi. I played this and If I Can Dream by Elvis and he admitted he was mistaken.
People confuse the man with the system. In the end the criminals who ran the system killed Elvis too. They reckoned he was worth more to them dead than alive.
My husband grew up in the 60’s in a rough part of Omaha; single mom working two jobs just to put food on the table and he ran the streets unsupervised. They lost count how many times they moved. His turnaround came when he met me. My family was low income but close. Said he didn’t know families could be this way. We married and raised three kids and he loved my parents and they loved him like a son. He was the sweetest, funniest and most humble man I’ve ever known besides my dad. Lost him 9 years ago and miss him every day of my life. You remind me of him as you have the same sweet spirit. Thanks for just being you and spreading a positive message.
My condolences. I lost my wife to cancer in 2014. Stay well and healthy during the pandemic (etc.) (I hope everyone who may read this does as well.) 🤟🤗
Thank you so much for reacting to one of my requests. (I'm sure, I was one of many.) As my screen name suggest, I'm from Elvis' hometown. He grew up dirt poor; his parents were sharecroppers. "In the Ghetto" was written by Mac Davis, but only Elvis could have performed it and gotten the radio play when it came out in the late 1960's, during the Civil Rights Movement. I'm glad you were able to move beyond your childhood and your videos certainly bring joy into my life with your gentle, humble spirit.
He was an amazing person! I was a kid when died. And my whole family was in mourning for a full week. I learned so much about him. I'm an Army brat so, when we were stationed in Germany I begged my parents to take me to see where he lives there. He was a special man! He wanted to be treated just like the other guys.
@@barbaravance6774 , There are still a significant number of the Presley family that live in Tupelo. Several of his cousins and their sons bear a striking resemblance to Elvis, which freaks out tourists! 😊
I don’t think a lot of people know this Elvis song but I love it… It shows such depth and understanding . It really makes me want to cry! He must of been thru something to really understand and be able to express such a deep song!!!!!
It doesnt gets better when the violent streets becomes their father figure.. and what's even more screwed up is.. when the supposed "leader activists" becomes their politician for decades with billions of dollars going thru their hands and yet their communities that they suppose to serve gets worser and worser. ..and still they vote for these corrupt politicians . smh.
toetz I hear you! Look at Elijah Cummings and the crime and rodent infested squalor people are living in. People need to vote for someone that doesn't look like them, necessarily. I lived between DC and Baltimore during the hight of the crack epidemic and have been back there recently and the atmosphere is REAL BAD! Kansas City, Missouri much like many other cities continue to elect thieves that siphon off millions from education programs, after school programs, learning centers etc. It's sad to see my fellow brothers and sisters keep blindly voting Democrat and black. Time to wake up and despite how one feels about the current administration historically, regardless of what BS the MSM and acadamia feeds you, The Republican party has always been the party of civil rights. I remember the 1968 riots, Vietnam and every other atrocities to this day. We are so divided in this country it breaks my heart. MLK is crying in his grave. SMH. We have to come together as PEOPLE and AMERICANS. The media is pitting one against the other. Don't let them succeed! I'm of mixed heritage including central African, Sicilian, Native American and French. What does that make me? American! I'm proud of it. I didn't support Trump but check out some independent news, center right or even conservative viewpoints. People are sick of the BS. Nothing will get done as long as there is the constant onslaught against Trump and America. If the left continues this insanity they're going to ensure his reelection. At least he's not a career politician, he has his own money and doesn't need to pander to lobbyists to line his pockets like EVERY president b4 him except Truman and a few others. People of ALL races, religions,and socioeconomic levels are jumping the Democratic ship. This is where if disagree with a single thing I say then I'm just another facist, homophobic, mysogenistic, white supremacist, nazi etc. Based solely on my skin color, my gender, age and being a free thinker. I've been around for awhile and I'm tired of seeing the Democratic plantation owners are still at it with empty promises for votes. Until the left denounces groups like antifa who not only block people from expressing their views but come to peaceful marches with helmets, body armor, clubs, hammers, pepper spray,bottles of urine and have beat the crap out of people who just want hear a different narrative other than what their Facebook news feed and MSM is dishing out. You know what offends me? Victim mentality, entitled and "oppressed" individuals that need to take a good look in the mirror. I HAD TO and I changed my life. It's a miracle I'm not dead or in jail. I thank the powers that be that I made it this far. I'm struggling but life is a struggle. It's one day a time. If God forbid this country continues on this path of devisivness it's going to get real bad and the body count high. As far as the alphabet soup group? 57 genders?? I don't care what you are or how you identify as long as you don't bother me. Peace, love and hope.
Elvis grew up dirt poor in rural Mississippi. When he was 13, his dad moved the family (Elvis, his mother, and himself) to Memphis where he lived in the projects. He had a twin brother that was still born. He lived poor until his first RCA hit "Heartbreak Hotel" in 1956. Elvis was 21. He died 21 years later.
Jamel, I knew you were a man of character. I have enjoyed your reactions from day one, both for the music and for your kindness of spirit and your humility. It Shines through in your effervescent personality. Look forward to your posts every day.
Jamel, I co-sign on Don Hall's eloquent sincere message to you 💯. Big props to you for overcoming & being a positive role model to your brothers growing up. Honestly, you make the world a better place. Thanks for this In the Ghetto reaction.
Count me in on that. Recently discovered your reaction channel after watching others. Some made it, some did not. You are now Subscribed. Thank you Mr. Jamal.
For the most part, that is where we are! There are evil forces trying to divide us all again, to make us fall, and then to conquer us. We need to stay vigilant and push back against haters and trouble makers in all levels of life.
Yes she was but only during the 1969 July to September shows. Cissy didnt return for the 1970s . Elvis really enjoyed the Sweet Inspirations. Beautiful voices and they were perfect for Elvis.
Elvis born in Mississippi and grew up in poverty...but never forgot where he came from and stayed humble his entire life. Was known for his generosity. For example bought his cook a house. . Kentucky Rain and if I can dream are other great songs by Elvis. My personal favorite of the above two is If I can dream and is so fitting for a time such as this.
I agree. "If I Can Dream" should be on repeat on every radio and steaming service until some of this madness of hatred settles down. Elvis, had he lived to be a senior citizen, would have been very disappointed with 2019.
@@RobinMarkowitzcoolmedia I agree and In the Ghetto, how timely is that? .Keep waiting for some songs from this generation that speeks of unity and love. Looks like I'm in for a long wait. The hatred is feed everyday 24/7 so it doesn't die. But one day it will change. Elvis would have been 84. Maybe you are of this generation, work on that Peter, Paul, Mary genre. lol
me It has always been known that Elvis grew up in poverty, but there are some newer, investigative videos on RU-vid that really reveal the depth, severity and extent of the Presley family poverty, and the incredible number of times that they had to pack up and move; practically on a yearly basis because of it.
@@russellgay9442 In all of the hoopla and fame and fortune , what gets forgotten about Elvis is that he is just like his father and any other man in this country that came from nothing. Elvis found a way out of the poverty and hopelessness. He worked his way to it. Along the way he paid a terrible price. The very thing that got him out of poverty, was what got him in the end. he paid a hefty personal price to see that people were cared for. He took care of is family, and the price for their life of ease, was an early grave for him. We all as men do the same thing. We work so our family can have it a little better than we did. No matter the cost. Some pay for it like Elvis, some it is a lifetime of bad backs, failing eyes, and a whole other host of ailments. In the end we pay for it one way or another.Elvis did too. I see Elvis as a good man who worked to make life better for those around him, and it took about 30 or so years off the end of his life. That is what good men do.
Dear Gloria- With all kindness I have to draw attention to the overused term "Latina". I know it's become very popular but, while it may seem a contemporary and equitable label, it is actually divisive and exclusionary. Meanwhile us Latin European ethnic "whites" (I'm Italian) have been standing silent.....well no longer. I am compelled to do what I can to raise awareness as to the diversity of "Latin-ness". The Latin tribe, customs and language (indeed Latin is an Italic language) are rooted in Italy. I've actually been doing this for years. And largely I get support, but frequently am ignored as well. Yet, I will continue to- simply raise awareness. Thank you for listening.💙
Elvis's father was arrested and served jail time for stealing a pig in order to feed his family. The house where he was born in Tupelo is a little shotgun house.
I knew he grew up poor in the south, so he probably could relate to poverty. There can be ruffians in the country as well as the city. You never hear him speak well of his father, just his mother. Maybe that's why the song is sung that way.
@@JoeBrown Michael did not have that rich amazing voice, sorry. He copied James Brown who was a great live performer. Michael also pretty much sang one genre. Elvis covered rock,pop,country,gospel, blues,rockabilly. Over one billion records sold.
@@clydeb7713 Thriller sold 33 million copies alone. Forget record sells Michael held down countries! Elvis could never hit a high note or even come close to dancing like Mike.
@@JoeBrown Dude, did you go to school? Elvis sold 1 BILLION Records! That is 1000 million! Nobody would say Michael Jackson had a better voice than Elvis, PLEAZZZZZ! Micheal couldn't hit a low note so? Michael had way more media internet promotion to help him be popular. I'll grant he could dance better .
I never said this to anyone other than my wife and kids. I wasn't from the ghetto but came from a working class family who had no time for me and I got in a bunch of trouble with the law when I was young. My mom put me in the Army and I left for basic training 5 days after my 17th birthday. My mom cried like a baby at the airport when I was leaving and after listening to this song at 51 I could have been dead or in jail like many of the friends I had when I was roaming the streets and she would have been crying worse. I thank my mom every time I can for getting me out of that life.
It is a great thing when we a look back and see what should or what could have happened to us but didn't! I am 50 too and I thank God for his grace and mercy for getting me thru when I was young and dumb!
And I believe you will always be the proudest part of her life! I'll bet she raised a heck of a good man. Respect and Blessings to your Mom! Respect and abundant Blessings to you for understanding what she did and why. You're a good MAN and a good Son Steve Z
Me 4! Powerful song to this day! 58 now and brings back so many memories of my childhood or lack of a childhood in the ghetto. Single mom 6 kids, evictions, drugs, alcohol, violence, death, you name it.
Elvis was one of a kind. He grew up dirt poor in a one room house in Tupelo, MS. I've been to see it, it's so tiny. When he was a teenager his family moved to Memphis. He saved his money to record a record. The rest is music history. He was known for his acts of kindness. He threw out scarves at his concerts. One time, a young girl caught it. An adult snatched it away. Elvis saw that. He had them bring the child to him and gave her a beautiful sapphire cross necklace. He was amazing.
About the 14 yr old girls, it was a different time then and men made honest women of 14 yr old girls. Just watch the movie about Loretta Lynn, "Coal Miner's Daughter. Sissy Spacek and Tommy Lee Jones knock it out of the park, and Lynn married at 14. Her parents weren't thrilled about it, but it was done back then.
If people new how much Elvis cared for black people they would be amazed, he had several black freinds from he was a kid to the day he died, among the more famous black people who were proud to call Elvis their freind were James Brown, Muhammed Ali, Jackie Wilson and Sammy Davis Jr. . And Elvis is on record calling Fats Domino the real King of Rock and he admired Roy Hammilton. He also gave SO many money and things to black (and all) people, the first electric wheelchair in Memphis to a black woman, and another time he gave a brand new Caddilac to a black woman he saw looking at a car she would never be able to afford.And there are many more stories like this.
He grew up eating chitlins with black people. Took me 5 minutes to find out, he grew up poor in predominantly black areas. Why do you bring these things up, without researching first.
Tim Denison I know bruh! Everything is Trumps fault. Take a good look in the mirror! Quit being the tired ass oppressed victim. Try thinking for yourself once in your life not thinking of yourself! I believe there's hope for you yet. I bought into the Democratic plantation owners that have made empty promises for votes. I'm sick and tired of seeing my fellow brothers and sisters buying into the same old BS and watching the suffering as the "activists" turned politician rob the people blind i.e. Elijah Cummings and many others. I didn't support Trump but I'll tell this much. ...he's not a career politician, he has his own money and doesn't have to pander to lobbyists to line his pockets like EVERY president b4 him except Truman and a few others. Quit drinking out of the toxic Kool Ade and think FOR YOURSELF bruh. Peace, love and hope.
Elvis grew up dirt poor. He never forgot his roots. It is amazing how this song is so relevant still. I love seeing young African Americans react to this song. I feel it in my soul. Thanks Jamel. So happy you made it out. Keep on keepin on.
As a hispanic child raised by a single mom in an era where there was even stronger racism, Elvis was a big influence on me. His songs were therapy for me as a kid sitting next to a console record player sitting in an empty house. Elvis is the man.
I came across this vid and thought “why the hell do I wanna see some random dudes reaction to a song”... so I watched it....bro, you’re real. Love the vid, and your take on things...keep it up, you got another subscriber today.
Thank God you made it through. The world needs more people like you. And you are making a difference in life, by being a great example of how anyone can overcome adversity. Stay true to your roots, your passion, and life. May you find the peace, blessings, and success in life......even in the little things. There are only so many sunsets........try to see them all.....
That's one of the best reactions I've seen to that song, Elvis did a great job doing it live, but I think the single version that he did is fantastic. Glad you managed to get out of your ghetto. Thanks for the upload
As stated below, Elvis was born in to poverty some would say was only found in the deep south. He was a major philanthropic power in the inner cities of America back in his day. Like Frank Sinatra, anyone caught being racist in Presley's presence was immediately dealt with in the harshest manner. Being raised in the south he was extremely religious and started his singing career in church choirs. On another note: a word out to Brother Jamal . . . . . . I feel the presence of a sense of humor born from life's tough challenges, a thriving faith, humility, determination, gratitude and you've got the vibe of a hero. Keep your present path my younger brother, God watches from above and He loves it when His children are authentic models for others to watch and learn from. Thumbs up and a 'scribe ! ! !
From the time Elvis was 14 until he made it big he lived in the projects. It was called Lauderdale Courts. From what I seen his long time childhood friend George Klein would say, sometimes they didn’t have enough to eat. So George’s mother would invite Elvis to eat with them. Elvis sang If I can dream because Martin Luther King died the way he did and Elvis was beside himself. If I can dream was performed that one and only time in tribute to Dr. King. In the Ghetto he sang it with feeling because he knew what it was like, after all he lived it.
I used to sit in my room, at a group home and listen to this and cry for the people he was singing about and then it made me think of my mommy who I was afraid was going to die cause she was out there getting beat up by my mean step dad. She almost died several times. And that was why I was in foster care and group homes. Alcohol was the stable. But I know people thought I was gonna be a statistic. But I didn’t want to be that so I pushed myself to stay out of trouble and not get on alcohol or drugs. And yeah I get what u r saying. I had to leave home at 7 or 8 they took me from her.
As a former Social Worker (I know there are some bad ones and a lot more good ones, all hopelessly overloaded with too many cases to spend the time and attention they want on every needing family), my heat goes out to you! I hope you had some good workers and regardless I'm glad you made it out! ❤️✌🏻✌🏻❤️
My brother, I feel you. Life is strange isn't it? Childhood. That's 10 volumes right there. I heard that song first around 1972 and it's been one of my favorite songs ever since. I've always known what is has meant. Sad thing, nothing's changed, especially in that f***** up city, Chicago. What it taught me, and what Elvis modeled is that there is a lot to dislike about people, and a lot to like about people, but the color of their skin is not among those things. Love is about character, personality, humor, commonality, trust, shared goals, providing a hand up, sometimes a handout, it's treating a man at the bottom the same way you treat a man at the top-with dignity and respect and compassion. Merry Christmas! My best to you and yours! If that song doesn't get a man's mind thinking, heart pumping, and eyes swelling he may not have use of any of the three. God bless.
RCA executives tried to make Elvis change his mind about recording this particular song. We must remember that Elvis' movements today may look a little silly, but he did that in the 50's. The story about the cameras on Ed Sullivan filming Elvis face and not his "Pelvis" is true. Elvis grew up in Tupello, Mississipi, in a house with one bedroom and one kitchen. He was really poor. Presley's earliest musical influence came from gospel. His mother recalled that from the age of two, at the Assembly of God church in Tupelo attended by the family, "he would slide down off my lap, run into the aisle and scramble up to the platform. There he would stand looking at the choir and trying to sing with them." In Memphis, Presley frequently attended all-night gospel singings at the Ellis Auditorium, where groups such as the Statesmen Quartet led the music in a style that, Guralnick suggests, sowed the seeds of Presley's future stage act: The Statesmen were an electric combination ... featuring some of the most thrillingly emotive singing and daringly unconventional showmanship in the entertainment world ... dressed in suits that might have come out of the window of Lansky's. ... Bass singer Jim Wetherington, known universally as the Big Chief, maintained a steady bottom, ceaselessly jiggling first his left leg, then his right, with the material of the pants leg ballooning out and shimmering. "He went about as far as you could go in gospel music," said Jake Hess. "The women would jump up, just like they do for the pop shows." Preachers frequently objected to the lewd movements ... but audiences reacted with screams and swoons. He adored the music of black gospel singer Sister Rosetta Tharpe. During his junior year, Presley began to stand out more among his classmates, largely because of his appearance: he grew his sideburns and styled his hair with rose oil and Vaseline. In his free time, he would head down to Beale Street, the heart of Memphis' thriving blues scene, and gaze longingly at the wild, flashy clothes in the windows of Lansky Brothers. By his senior year, he was wearing those clothes. He hated racism, and there is an episode in the 70's, when he was performing in a Hotel (if I'm not wrong, at Lake Tahoe Hotel), and while singing "An American Trilogy" there was a video being presented after the stage, like a giant cinema screen. When he stared at her female vocal quartet (The Sweet Inspirations) and noticed they were uncomfortable, he turned to the screen and scenes of slaves were being shown. He took the microphone support and threw it at the screen, left the stage and ended the show without any further comment. If you wanna know more about his personality, find a B.B.King interview about Elvis. B.B.King, one of my idols, said that Elvis deserved everything he got, and he didn't steal any music from the black people, other than this he opened the doors to many musicians that, without him, would never been able to perform in New York or L.A. You're absolutely right to call him "The King". If today artists can do something, is because Elvis did it first. My respects to you, man, YOU'RE AWESOME!!!!! Your Brazilian friend, Jorge
He grew up in a ghetto too.he loved everyone and understood the struggle.wish we had more people like him.Glad you like his music and you are a good man.Bless you 😊
I grew up in and around Detroit and ended up getting my ged and went to college. Got married and had 2 kids that I helped raise and took responsibility for and never cheated or beated on my wife and quit drinking and getting high and tried to grow up. Opportunities are out there and much of it is what the individual wants to do.
