Fun fact: Elvis sang the song “If I can dream” despite being explicitly told not to by his producer. The song was a tribute to the then recently deceased Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Right you are. They wanted him to do a Christmas carol or hymn. He stood his ground. This was the last song of the evening. I remember this performance. I'm pretty sure this was on the Andy Williams Christmas Special. I was just 10 or 11, so I could be misremembering. Also, I had already discovered Janis Joplin and The Mama's and Papa's. I was in for a wickedly good teenager and young adult life! Haha!
It was one of the few times that Elvis went against the colonel after doing the performance Elvis said and I quote I'm never going to make a movie I don't believe in I'll never record a song I don't believe in ever again he was so upset after the performance that he said in his dressing room 4 hours afterwards by his self
Elvis fought hard to make it where he made it to. He did not play around. Yes he was poor when he was young growing up but he went out of the way to prove to his parents he could do better and he did. Like I said I know I was there.
You said " I'm sorry Elvis, I was uneducated". Just goes to show how the media or anyone can start a rumor to divide us all...don't believe anything unless you've done the research for yourself, especially when it come to the character of another soul. Thanks for all the reactions, love watching!
Exactly but all the clowns keep saying he took and stole everything from black people and musicians and didn’t do nothing for them. Those are the people that just talk and you shouldn’t be friends with
@@jakewhitmore6046 Unenlightened souls make the most noise. Elvis and other artists that performed "black" music of that time, were agents in bringing that music to masses of people.
Elvis, when he read about a poor African-American lady who was crippled and couldn't afford a wheelchair. He and Priscilla go and buy this lady an Electric wheelchair ( best on market) and personally deliver it to her house. Elvis then proceeds to pick the lady up ( who had no legs ), place her in the wheelchair all the while tears were streaming down his face. That's the kind of man Elvis Presley was folks!
my Father didn;t have his money, obviously. I was girl guide in England in the sixties. One week I went on a forest camp helping out girl guides from a special school in the London area for physically and mentally challenged youngsters. I was allocated one litte girl to push around in her pushchair and we struck up a friendship. that week taught me loads about patience and taking others into account above my own needs. She told me endless stories that her Father in the Army and guarded the Queen King at Buckingham Palace, i was 13. she was around 11, I think. On the last day my famill arrived in the car to atke me home as we were all saying our goodbyes to our friends from the special residential school in London. I had gone over to speak to my parents who rremained in the car. The little girl wanted to meet my Father. not my Mother.. she had been very interested to hear my Dad was an Airman in the Royal Air Force, wanted to know all about his uniform and his work and what he was like. Was he nice.. Washe kind. she came over and I wheeled her to the drivers door. She said.. Are you Maria's Daddy? He said.. yes, darling, I am. and they held hands for ages. She told him the story of her Father being a guard for the queen. After lots of chat we parted ways and she waived us off. My dad couldn;t drive far before he broke down in tears. she was physically and mentally affected by her disabilities. He said, I hope her Father sees her often. i said. No Dad, its all a fantasy, she is an orphan, all alone with no family. he sobbed his heart out and we all joined him. We felt powerless really but I am glad my Dad had such a gentle heart for children and disabled ones that he was affected by that encounter. I said. Dad, I think you made her Day because ever since I started to tell her about you this week she wanted to know more and more stories and she whispered to me.. you have a nice Daddy, when I wheeled her in her chair back to the others to get on their transport home. She said. You are very lucky. Honestly, that was 54 years ago this summer. Good man Elvis and good man my handsome dad. We were brought up to help others in any way we could, not stare out of morbid, rude curiosity. I am close to needing a chair myself these days but fighting it all the way.
Yes and when Elvis and his friends left....one said E I don't think she knew who you are... Elvis replied ( She doesn't need to know she only needs to know someone care's) Beautiful
Now here is another part of that story when leaving the home after they deliver the wheelchair. One of Elvis's bodyguards looked at him and said I don't think she knows who you are. He said it doesn't matter all that matters is she knows somebody cares. Now that he's a legend
He always doubted himself and feared noone would remember him. That powerhouse in black leather with the most insanely soulful voice that stopped you dead in your tracks, thought we wouldn't remember him. All that swag and confidence, talent and the looks of a GOD... had doubts. Crazy. Long live the King.
Elvis Presley n'a rien volé il disait même qu'il ne voulait pas qu'on appelle le roi king... tout les noirs de l'époque l'aimaient...il a même présenté Mickaël Jackson avec ses frères lors d'un concert a Memphis en 1972 je pense Lisa Marie était présente avec le père d'Elvis Presley...il avait un groupe de chanteuse noires avec lui...ils les appelait les suprêmes..
Elvis didn't like being called The king. He said There's only one king and that's Jesus Christ 🙏. He was a wonderful soul that God gifted us with for a short time ❤️
Elvis was raised in poverty. He and his parents moved to Memphis when he was about 13. They lived in Lauderdale Courts housing project. He knew what the ghetto was because he lived it.
James Brown and Elvis was VERY GOOD Friends, and admired each others talents... James Brown was so moved by Elvis' death that he requested, and was allowed, time alone with Elvis as he lay in his coffin at Graceland. James Brown was also the first entertainer to arrive at Elvis' funeral. James Brown said of Elvis, "I wasn't just a fan, I was his brother.
If you're an Elvis fan, no explanation is necessary. If you're not an Elvis fan, there's no way to explain him. Elvis was a once-in-a-lifetime phenomenon that we will never see again. ELVIS has covered over 720 songs and it's said up to 800 songs. Elvis was the total package, looks, charisma, sex appeal, stage presence, and a voice like velvet . He crossed many barriers in his day; he appealed to men and women.
My Sister knew Elvis. He made no secret about loving black music, and gave the artists credit. He helped Jackie Wilson get popular. Hung with BB King. Read the book written by his black cook. She was treated like family.
Thank you for reacting to Elvis. He was raised in a ghetto and was a wonderful person. It took a lot of guts for Elvis to take a stance back then and no other white artist even dared to do it. Elvis put his career at risk, but he did not care because he knew was right for all people.
"no other white artist" Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw, Charlie Barnet, Woody Herman, and other white bandleaders were hiring black musicians in the '40s. That's how Charlie Christian got famous, Goodman hired him.
"In the Ghetto" was written by Mac Davis! He originally wanted Sammy Davis, Jr. to perform the song, but Sammy said, What do I know about the ghetto? You need to take this song to Elvis!"
He was one of ALL of us. His music was shaped by genuine soul music. He helped kick the door open for for artist from the black community. He was, The King.
Enjoyed your reaction to Elvis and the Black Community. There is a part 2 to this documentary which goes into more information and history. Thank you. 👏👏🥰
@@bodigames you’ve been suckered by right wing reactionaries and racists into wasting your vote. MLK and Malcolm X would be ashamed. How many white Republican Super Bowl Parties have you been invited to? They laughin at you Bruh
Elvis lived in a two room house it did not have running water. His father was sent to prison for six months when he a child. He lived in a area where there were only four white houses the rest were black, these were his friends. He did not see skin color and he never forgot where he came from. Thank you for taking the time to learn about the real Elvis.
@@michellewilson481 THAT house was the one he bought for his mama AFTER he hit it big. He grew up in a two room shack without electricity, in a predominantly black neighborhood, in TUPELO, MISSISSIPPI!
@@michellewilson481 Elvis bought his mansion named Graceland when he was a super star. The mansion is not where he grew up. He was born in Tupeo Missippi
I saw Elvis once, in 1971, and DAMN he WAS THE REAL THING. It was amazing how much power and energy he had, command an entire 12,000 people. THANKs for showing us how much he respected and loved black people.
I saw him too. One show before his last. My future husband and I went to see him at the Chicago Stadium in 1977. He was overweight, he couldn't remember all the words, he joked with the audience. There were so many back up singers on the stage with him. He introduced them and told us that these folks sing the high notes, they remember the words. He knew it wasn't a great performance, but I think he knew it was his last tour. No one cared about what he couldn't do. The women still screamed and threw their underwear on the stage! I will never forget that night. A couple of months later he was dead. He is still the King though, always..
Native Memphian. At the time Elvis lived in Tupelo it was a Ghetto district. His Dad went to prison for a period of time for selling a pig and they moved into a black families home. That has always been my biggest point. He grew up and resonated with the culture and that was what he wanted to perform.
Fun fact: The woman who told the story about the Superdome in Texas was Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother. Her group, the Sweet Inspirations, sang with Elvis for years. They also sang with Aretha Franklin for many years.
@@Michelles222 Yep and someone on this thread commented on incorrect Elvis rumours - ironic the continued misinformation on or about him is never ending..
Cissy sang a few weeks, I think in 1969, with Elvis and she loved it because it was good fun and good pay. I think she was 5 weeks with him then she wanted to take care of her children.
Elvis Presley is still the best selling artist EVER in the history of popular music. Elvis was born on January 8, 1935 in Tupelo, Mississippi, in a 2 room shack of a house his dad built with money he borrowed from his boss. That's how dirt poor they were. He was one half of identical twins; the other boy - Jesse Garon - was stillborn. They were so poor, that Jesse Garon was buried in a shoebox in an unmarked grave. At Graceland they have a plaque with his name on it in his memory. Elvis always got along with the black community and learned a lot about music from his friends of color. Also, according to the one drop rule, Elvis would not be considered white, since he has Cherokee ancestors on both the Smith (his mother) and the Presley (his father) sides of the family. His paternal grandfather, Jesse Dunning Presley, was not happy that his two sons, Elvis' father Vernon and his brother Vester, married two sisters, Gladys and Clettes who were known to have Cherokee blood in their family tree. J.D. Presley was quite the racist a-hole, often drunk and a philandering husband to Minnie Mae (they were actually separated long before they finally divorced in 1954) who was always competing with his sons Vester and Vernon and who was known to abuse his kids when drunk. J.D. was was publicly against race mixing and was in denial about the Cherokee blood in his own family tree. It was more publicly known that the Smith family had Native blood in their family tree, so when both his sons fell for 2 Smith sisters and Vernon, on top of that, was still a minor at 17 when he eloped with Gladys who was 4 years older than him, Jesse was totally pissed off. As a child, Elvis already had many friends in the black community at the time his family was one of 4 "white" families that lived in the predominantly black neighborhood The Hill, just across from Shake Rag. His childhood friend Sam Bell said that some of the (black) kids in that neighborhood had lighter skin than Elvis (ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-LrFCyNMvZWk.html). One of Elvis' bodyguards once said that he thought it was a miracle Elvis got into Humes High School in Memphis, because it was "lily white". Elvis wanted to be more open about his Native ancestry, but his manager "colonel" Tom Parker (real name Andreas van Kuijk) was against it because he was afraid it might cost Elvis fans (and himself money). They did have Elvis play characters in his movies though where he had Native American blood (Flaming Star, G.I. Blues, Stay Away Joe). Once Elvis had his own (apprentice) job learning to be an electrician, he saved up his money and bought his clothes in the same style that many of his friends of color wore. He was called a (forgive me, just stating facts here) "n-lover" and got beaten up several times too. Later, when he was an established star, he would not perform at places where the members of color of his back-up band/orchestra weren't allowed.
@@williamguillIII How far removed was he your cousin? He ceased to be blond in his teenage years, when his hair slowly got darker. Charlie Hodge said that his natural hair color in the army was chestnut brown (which can be seen in his movie Follow That Dream).
As a child in Tupelo, Elvis best friend was a black boy and they both went to the movies and sat together in the "Colored Section". When he went over to this same friend's house his grandparents were raising him and Elvis said to his black grandmother yes, ma'am no ma'am she smiled so happy at his respect because white folk at that time wasn't required to be respectful to anyone black.
So glad you guys watched this! The rumors about Elvis were debunked shortly after they were started, but somehow they persist today. A couple Elvis quotes: "The Lord messed up on me in two ways - he didn't make me black and didn't make me a bass singer". When a friend told him a DJ wouldn't have him on his program because he was a n** lover, Elvis responded "you tell that s.o.b. that I'm damn proud to be a n** lover". Normally Elvis didn't use the n word. He referred to black people as colored which was a respectful term back in his day.
I honestly believed the rumors too. But I suppose that worked out the way things still work out. One side takes time to look at everything with full context and the other goes with whatever smear campaign gets pushed and passes that info on to the next gens (in this case me being one of the next gen)
@@frankbrownii8489 Besides being a drug and alcohol abusing sexual predator who preyed on very young women and used his influence to sleep with them, he stole other artists original music and didn't pay royalties and more, the man was a grub, and a total fraud.
@@65cj55 Aww , what’s the matter !! You mad!!! Elvis is a big bad creep! Go a head.. repeat what you have read of heard so I can prove you wrong one lie at a time!! With facts not dramatic propaganda!!!!
Elvis is the GOAT!! He was 42 when he passed, R.I.P Elvis, but hes been gone 46 yrs this month and he's STILL relevant, talked about, movies made about his life still being made, songs written about him and his music still being used in commercials, T.V. shows and movies.....and to think he was afraid he'd be forgotten. If he only knew. Hopefully he does and is smiling down on us with that boyish yet supremely sexy grin of his!! ❤
@@dharma__3 once upon a time that was True. I did every evil thing imaginable. Sex, drugs and rock and roll the music stole yo mommas' soul. But then I saw the light that Jesus Christ is King. Through HIS mercy and grace I changed directions.
@@dewaynethomas7729 If that's really true, then you wouldn't attack Elvis with lies in a comment section, because that's evil and you're STILL doing it.
@@dharma__3 didn't attack Elvis just told the truth. He bowed down to the Devil for fame and fortune. I saw some of his interviews where he was talking about a woman a groupie that he had sex with, and one of his crew said you know this is being recorded and instantly went into singing a gospel song. It was all about the fame fortune and women. Lust of the eye,lust of the flesh and the pride of life.
It was the Blues in Elvis’ voice that made his rock and roll so famous. Elvis was Color blind. He loved all people. He grew up poor and once lived in the projects so could relate.
Elvis was born and grew up in the ghetto. His mother picked cotton and took Elvis in a baby basket and as a small child with her into the fields as she worked. In fact, Elvis's family was the poorest family in the ghetto neighborhood they lived in. His father was sent to jail, and other people in the ghetto used to give Elvis's mother food to feed him.. It's where he started eating peanut butter and banana sandwiches They made meals out of whatever they were given. Elvis never forgot
One of my favorite stories was about Elvis's generosity to buy Cadillacs and give them away to people (the running tally was around 200 Caddies before his death). The Mennie L Person story is a simple one that I love. She was a bank teller shopping at a Cadillac dealership in 1975. She was just admiring the cars, and a young handsome man walked up to her and asked her if she admired the car. She said she did, and while he mentioned the Caddie she admired in front of them was his, he offered to buy her one of her choice. She ended up with a brand new, gold-and-white Caddie. That same day, he bought 13 other Caddies to give away. $140k in 1975 USD, which was close to $700k back in 2020 (before inflation got crazy in the last couple of years). Imagine someone nowadays with the wealth and generosity to buy a bunch of cars for over $50k each, and gift one of them to a woman and a bunch to others.
Elvis is the GOAT. I didn’t care for him at first. But once I got my head out of my @$$ and really listened to him, I realized how amazing he was. Elvis was in the military for two years, and still sold a ton of albums. AND he didn’t have any other platforms to promote his music like the artist of today. Thanks for this reaction guys!
@@themajicman745 It's not a racist comment at all, but no need to bring race into, but if you are gonna bring race into it, name another artist at the time who made as many hit albums or singles? There were tons of amazing and I mean amazing black artists at that time, but none, had as many hits or remembered songs and it's nothing to do with race and it's not because their songs weren't liked as much due to race. Great songs would always top the charts no matter what race. Elvis had his background in singing Gospel music in a Black church in his poor neighbourhood, which was the ghetto, as he grew up there, so why bring race into it? Does music not get added to no matter the culture or race, take sampling of white artists or bands' songs with Black rap artists today which has been rife for decades, but nothing said about it
@@themajicman745 you will lose this one pretty easily sir magic man. Elvis doing covers of performers like the great Little Richard outsold them. He was like a tremendous machine. So you lose on the white performer. Hey where is the TROLLSTER WITH NO HOLSTER what's your valueless opinion on the magic man. Come on
@@makingthecoin3647 You can never go by record sales, because whites represented 80 plus percent of the populace while blacks only represented 11 percent. About 10 percent of whites would buy black records and most blacks(Not all) didn't care that much about rock and roll back then.
All I want to say is that Elvis has sold over 1 billion records worldwide and that’s without ever setting foot outside (performance wise) of North America!! I mean that’s an achievement I doubt anyone could achieve in their lifetime.. not even MJ.. On top of that even the poorest man in south east Asia knows him … ❤
Elvis is is the King, nuff said. He is the single greatest selling artist of all time and never even left the US except to go to Hawaii(a US State) and still sold records world wide. Even the Beatles stood frozen unable to talk or move when they met Elvis for the first time.
Elvis was the first singer to move around at all when he sang, and he was almost crucified for it. He paved the way for all the singers who sing and dance He loved gospel, blues, country, jazz, and rock.
What are you TALKING ABOUT??? 😂😂😂😂 NUMEROUS black singers moved around WAY before Elvis you clown 😂😂😂 .. chubby checker.. little Richard.. get your facts straight
when elvis was dead and laying in his coffin in a room, james brown was so heart broke about elvis dying that he would not leave the room and after some hours went by had to be escorted out of the room. Thats how much the godfather of soul loved elvis
Glad y'all got a true look behind the curtain at the current reigning King of Music - Elvis Presley. He the only entertainer or artist in more Music Halls of Fame than anyone; he sang and recorded more music genres than anyone past or present; he's the biggest selling solo artist EVER....and counting. EP was the original IT FACTOR, the Main Main, revolutionary and innovative. Elvis Presley was a Caucasian Brotha from a Black Ghetto in Tupelo, Mississippi. Amen 🙌🏼💯⚡❤
Stevie Wonder. 1. a blind man. 2. a black man 3. wrote most of his songs 4. played most instruments. 5. brilliant song writer. 6. 25 Grammys, the most by any solo artist 7. 1 Oscar 8. did I mention he was blind and black? 9. 23 studio albums, three soundtrack albums, Elvis 1. 3 Grammys 2. never wrote a song.
Yeah Bro's Elvis was brought up in the hood brought up with the black community brought up with black music, A man who made a change and loved the people. Peace and love from the Whanganui River, New Zealand.✌✌✌✌❤❤❤❤
Watch “If I Have A Dream” from Elvis’s ‘68 comeback special. The network wanted him to end the show with a Christmas song. Instead he stayed up all night and helped write this song. He never wrote his own music and never made political statements. At the time he was very upset about the assignations of MLK and Robert Kennedy. This was a HUGE political statement from him. You can feel his distress and passion when he sings it. And btw, his backup singers The Sweet Inspirations included Whitney Houston’s mother, Cissy.
@@motionblurofhappy7804 some legends are cooler than facts. Plato invented the "Noble Lie." inspiring stories don't have to be completely true.... it's the message that counts.
Elvis was it with me and a lot of teens growing up. Elvis broke down a lot of barriers between the races. I used to get in trouble for listening to Elvis as a kid which only fueled my hunger to hear more.
Over the course of Elvis' life, he achieved some of the highest accolades in music and film. It is estimated that more than one billion Elvis records have been sold worldwide, more than anyone in record industry history.
Just went to Graceland recently and after seeing his life/artifacts, you cannot deny Elvis was just an all around good dude who wanted to give his family and friends a good life. He was also very generous to his community and always wanted to give back. Im convinced now that anyone who looks at him in a negative light, simply doesn’t know enough about him.
It has always saddened me that over time some people have attributed things to Elvis that he never was. It’s great to see young people learning more about one of the greatest entertainers of all time.
I believe that was the first concert ever beamed via satellite. It's very fortunate it was because despite being performed all the way back in 1973, the closeup shots of Elvis on dvd are crystal clear. Just compare it to other concerts filmed from that period.
The most important thing is to judge people by their character not the color of their skin. There are good and bad in all races. If we stop looking at color and starting looking at the content of their character, we would be a much better society. People like Elvis, Sinatra, Bing Crosby, and few other stars were best friends with people like Sammy Davis Jr, Louis Armstrong, and many others.
Thanks for keeping Elvis alive. I love y'alls reactions. This means a lot. From a third generation Elvis fan thanks for taking time to learn who he really was. I will never forget 21 years ago my husband told me black people don't listen to Elvis he didn't like black people. That broke my heart. The same man 21 years later listens to Elvis watches his movies and has respect for Elvis. That is all us Elvis fans want. We don't care if you don't like him but please respect him. Thanks again for keeping Elvis alive.
Elvis still holds the record for. His Aloha from Hawa is concert. Seen by more people than anyone else…despite the newer technologies available. Elvis is #1. End of story.
Well, if BB acknowledged Elvis worthy of the title King of Rock N Roll, I think that says volumes. BB might know a thing or two about being a King. Saw BB King in '94/95? Stellar booming voice that could move you... or could move you to tears with just a few notes and a bend on Lucille.
My Dad was a mechanic at Schilling motors in Memphis. Dad would come home sometimes and tell us about Elvis stopping and buying a new Lincoln for someone who was looking in the window at the fancy cars. He was very generous. I remember one of those occasions, an elderly black couple were the recipients of one of those cars and that story was in the news. He seems to have been very empathetic towards other people, and the world could use more of that. Plus: those gyrating hips looked mighty good. ;)
My husband and I managed a motel off Elvis Presley blvd. It was amazing how many people from all countries of the world came to honour and celebrate him I would go to the office and see every shape, colour, and nationality dressed like him lol. They would beg to buy any albums,etc from us at no price limit
There's a lot of really nice stories about how Elvis helped people he didn't even know. He liked to buy Cadillacs for people...whom he thought should have one. He was cool and people that didn't grow up around his time while he was performing, didn't know some of the selfless things he did, because most of the time no one knew, but Elvis and the person he helped.
You guys need to watch the interview with Elvis's black childhood friend Sam Bell. It is very touching to hear about Elvis before he got famous and to learn about where his soul came from. You'll love it.
Elvis was "Da Man." He loved people of color. Not only was he a great entertainer, he was a good man. He loved all people - he definitely loved those who, unfortunately, lived in the Ghetto. Yes, he was a good man. I really enjoyed all of your reactions to that video. I love you guys. Thank you.
My former wife is from Memphis and met Elvis twice. When she was 7 and again when she was 13 and said he was extremely sweet. I met Mac Davis, who actually wrote "In The Ghetto", when I was 16 and HE was very warm and friendly.
I’m from Tupelo (Too-pe-low) rite down the street from the kings birthplace and childhood home. When he was a boy he used to come over to my great aunts house after church on Sunday and play guitar and sing with my great grandfather actually. Elvis truly is the GOAT and the KING!! Y’all should watch the 68 comeback special, one of his greatest songs/performances ever! Really wish I could’ve met him. He proved to me that even if you come from a poor beginning, you can make something of yourself, even from little ole Tupelo MS! He’s my inspiration.
Elvis grew up in a mixed neighborhood in Tupelo, a very poor area to say the least. He moved to Memphis at age 14 where his family lived in a housing project.Elvis's childhood friends included many black kids
Elvis sold more records than any one person.Guinness World Records recognizes him as the best-selling solo artist in the world, selling up to 500 million records globally.
I remember the hysteria, the phenomenon and the huge, worldwide fandom that was Michael Jackson when Thriller was released. Its kind of hard to really understand hiw big it was if you werent there, but to my knowledge this level of worldwide reaction by legions of fans was only achieved by Elvis, the Beatles and Michael Jackson.
ELVIS grew up dirt poor. when he made it big and became a billionaire, he was very generous in helping people who didn't have nothing.he never forgot where he came from.
I highly doubt he was ever a billionaire. Maybe if he would've lived a full life but probably not even then. At the time being a millionaire making music would have been a major milestone.
@@MrMferg240 wow. That's kinda unreal honestly. Wonder what type of assest he had that appreciated after his death. He must have made good investments. I just think that's a high number for him at the time. That's old money time cash. Nowadays baseball players have gotten 10/400mil deals. I believe you. Just curious to learn how he got that outside of music.
Elvis Brought All Kinds Of Music Up Front To The Public ! And He Went Through Hell And Paved The Road For Other Artists ! He influenced the Beatles Many Many Artist Till Today !
How about we just share him? There's a message to be learned here. Music doesn't have to make walls or cause divisions among people. Instead it can become a unique and binding of many people & many groups if they just take a minute to actually listen. Your willingness to explore all types is fantastic. Keep up the amazing work you do.