| The New York Optimist January 2009 |
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Elvis Aaron Presley[1][3] (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977; middle name sometimes written Aron)a
was an American singer, actor, and musician. A cultural icon, he is commonly known simply as "Elvis",
and is also sometimes referred to as "The King of Rock 'n' Roll" or "The King".
In 1954, Presley began his career as one of the first performers of rockabilly, an uptempo fusion of
country and rhythm and blues with a strong back beat. His novel versions of existing songs, mixing
"black" and "white" sounds, made him popular—and controversial[4][5][6]—as did his uninhibited stage
and television performances. He recorded songs in the rock and roll genre, with tracks like "Hound Dog"
and "Jailhouse Rock" later embodying the style. Presley had a versatile voice[7] and had unusually wide
success encompassing other genres, including gospel, blues, ballads and pop. To date, he has been
inducted into four music halls of fame.
was an American singer, actor, and musician. A cultural icon, he is commonly known simply as "Elvis",
and is also sometimes referred to as "The King of Rock 'n' Roll" or "The King".
In 1954, Presley began his career as one of the first performers of rockabilly, an uptempo fusion of
country and rhythm and blues with a strong back beat. His novel versions of existing songs, mixing
"black" and "white" sounds, made him popular—and controversial[4][5][6]—as did his uninhibited stage
and television performances. He recorded songs in the rock and roll genre, with tracks like "Hound Dog"
and "Jailhouse Rock" later embodying the style. Presley had a versatile voice[7] and had unusually wide
success encompassing other genres, including gospel, blues, ballads and pop. To date, he has been
inducted into four music halls of fame.
