Bob Dylan performing at a civil rights rally in Washington D.C. on August 28, 1963. Photo: Getty Images
Photo: Getty Images
Bob Dylan and singer Joan Baez in Embankment Gardens, London in 1963. Photo: Getty Images
Armed with a harmonica and a guitar, Bob Dylan confronted social injustice, war and racism
Bob Dylan, the surprise winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature on Thursday, became an icon of the 1960s counterculture, but his voice has reached widely and evocatively into the American past.
The author of some of rock’s early anthems such as “The Times They Are A-Changin’,” the poet of pop tapped classic folk and gospel songs to rejuvenate defining US forms of story-telling.
Since early in his career, the 75-year-old singer has experimented with the intersection of the literary and the musical.
In the words of a reviewer in The New York Times, who saw the then 21-year-old perform solo at Town Hall theater in 1963, “Mr. Dylan’s words and melodies sparkle with the light of an inspired poet.”
One of his most celebrated songs, “Mr. Tambourine Man,” features a literary character based on a drummer Dylan knew from the clubs of New York’s Greenwich Village.
“Like a Rolling Stone” tore apart pop convention by going on for more than six minutes, with Dylan’s steady narration and a touch of R&B interrupted by the refrain, “How does it feel?”
“After writing that, I wasn’t interested in writing a novel or a play or anything, like I knew like I had too much. I wanted to write songs,” Dylan said later of the song.
“Desolation Row,” which closed his 1965 album “Highway 61 Revisited,” stretched on for more than 11 minutes and reached into biblical allusions, while referencing the growing tumult in urban America.
“Highway 61 Revisited” itself reflected an American journey, referencing the highway that stretches from Dylan’s home of Minnesota to New Orleans and the homes of the blues in the American South.
The album was part of a massive burst of creativity when in a two-year period Dylan put out three legendary albums, with the other two being “Bringing It All Back Home” and “Blonde on Blonde.”
Rise to stardom
The stardom is all a long way from his humble beginnings as Robert Allen Zimmerman, born in 1941 in Duluth, Minnesota.
He taught himself to play the harmonica, guitar and piano. Captivated by the music of folk singer Woody Guthrie, Zimmerman changed his name to Bob Dylan — reportedly after the Welsh poet Dylan Thomas — and began performing in local nightclubs.
After dropping out of college, he moved to New York in 1960. His first album contained only two original songs, but the 1963 breakthrough “The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan” featured a slew of his own work, including the classic “Blowin’ in the Wind.”
Armed with a harmonica and an acoustic guitar, Dylan confronted social injustice, war and racism, quickly becoming a prominent civil rights campaigner — and recording an astonishing 300 songs in his first three years.
His interest in civil rights has persisted and in 1991 he released “Blind Willie McTell,” one of the best-known songs of his late career in which Dylan reflects on slavery through the story of the blues singer of the same name.
In 1965, Dylan also was behind a symbolic turning point in music when he went electric at the Newport Folk Festival, turning on the amplifiers for a stunned audience.
As Dylan toured Europe afterward, he was met with hostility with an audience member in England even denouncing him as “Judas” over the betrayal of his folk roots.
When Dylan afterward played in France, the tensions had become so raw that he even held a news conference with a puppet, to which he would sarcastically put his ear as if seeking counsel to reporters’ questions.
”Sound like a frog’
Despite his massive cultural influence, Dylan has remained an enigmatic presence. With his gravelly tone, he has long won acclaim in spite of rather than because of his voice.
“Critics have been giving me a hard time since Day One. Critics say I can’t sing. I croak. Sound like a frog,” Dylan said last year in an unexpected career-spanning speech as he accepted a lifetime award at the Grammys.
His relationship with crowds is borders on indifference to hostile, with Dylan steadfastly refusing to please audiences by rolling out his hits.
Performing Friday at the inaugural Desert Trip festival of rock elders in California, Dylan did not say a word to the crowd and kept his back turned, not allowing overhead footage of him for the majority of the audience that could not see. In one turn that surprised fans, Dylan — raised a secular Jew — became a born-again Christian in the late 1970s after taking up Bible study following his divorce from his first wife, Sara. Dylan soon played down the Christianity, saying his conversion had been hyped by the media that he was agnostic at heart. He raised controversy again when he played in 1985 at the Live Aid concerts for Ethiopian famine relief and told the crowd that he wished “a little bit” of the money could go to American farmers struggling to pay their mortgages. His quip quickly created momentum as Willie Nelson and other artists set up Farm Aid, a still-running US festival to raise money for farmers.
Dylan has remained active and toured regularly. In 2012, he released an album full of dark tales of the American past called “Tempest,” raising speculation it would be his finale, in an echo of Shakespeare’s last play of the same name.
But Dylan has kept up his prolific output. Earlier this year he released his 37th studio album, his second in a row devoted to pop standards popularized by Frank Sinatra.
The legendary British born, Grammy award winning singer, renowned for his unique voice and passionate delivery, Joe Cocker, returns with his 23rd studio album.
Following on from the resounding success of his platinum selling number one 2010 album ‘Hard Knocks’, Joe Cocker has returned to Matt Serletic’s Californian Emblem studios to deliver an outstanding follow up album due for release this winter.
Serletic, producer (Matchbox Twenty, Rob Thomas, Collective Soul, Carlos Santana) and Cocker have produced ‘Fire It Up’, an album of eleven songs recorded over the 2011 winter and spring of 2012.
On working again with Joe Cocker, Serletic explains: “We took it to the next level. I’m excited to hear all the different elements that we brought to this album, we got great classic soul records, big power ballads, high energy tracks, and they all have their place in this album ”. Cocker shares that creative direction: “Making an album, to me, is a bit like making a painting, you know, you’ve got 12 songs, and it’s colour – I don’t like everything to be one mood”.
Diverse album tracks include ‘Eye On The Prize’ written by Marc Broussard from New Orleans, who also wrote the song ‘Hard Knocks’; ‘I’ll Walk In The Sunshine Again’ written by the platinum selling singer-songwriter Keith Urban. Cocker describes it as: “It’s country but it isn’t”; ‘The Letting Go’ written by the trio of Charlie Evans with renowned young British blues/soul singer Joss Stone, and Grammy award winning Graham Lyle; and the irresistible title track ‘Fire It Up’ written by Alan Frew, Johnny Reid, and Marty Dodson, with the anthemic lyric, and rapturous chorus sung with Cocker’s signature passion.
Cocker: “Fire It Up is a special kind of tune, and it set up the whole album”. Serletic: “There’s this whole energy which we captured”. ‘Fire It Up’, the first single taken from the album, will be released 12th October prior to the album release.
JOE COCKER -With A Little Help From My Friends- 1969 Woodstock..
WARREN BEATTY ACCEPTS THE API LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD 2008
WARREN BEATTY AND NATALIE WOOD IN “SPLENDER IN THE GRASS” 1961, FULL MOVIE
Film Actor, Director (1937–)
Quick Facts
Name Warren Beatty Occupation Film Actor, Director Birth Date March 30, 1937 (age 77) Education Northwestern University Place of Birth Richmond, Virginia Originally Henry Warren Beaty Zodiac Sign Aries
Synopsis
Early Life
Career Beginnings
Later Career
Personal Life
Warren Beatty is an Oscar-winning director and actor known for such films as Bonnie and Clyde, Reds and Heaven Can Wait.
Synopsis
Warren Beatty made his debut as a tortured teenager in Splendor in the Grass (1961). His next big role was in Bonnie and Clyde (1967), which he also produced. The film became a colossal hit and a milestone in cinema history. Beatty was nominated for four Oscars for Heaven Can Wait and won one for directing Reds, in which he also starred. He has written, directed and starred in many films since.
Beatty’s Babes: When Warren Beatty played iconic comic-strip detective Dick Tracy in the movie of the same name, he took on another difficult role: being the boyfriend of co-star Madonna. Moviegoers got to see a glimpse of this odd coupling in the 1991 documentary Madonna: Truth or Dare.
20 of 22-Beatty’s Babes: When Warren Beatty played iconic comic-strip detective Dick Tracy in the movie of the same name, he took on another difficult role: being the boyfriend of co-star Madonna. Moviegoers got to see a glimpse of this odd coupling in the 1991 documentary Madonna: Truth or Dare.
Beatty’s Babes: Barbara Streisand and Beatty may have crossed paths long before this photo taken in 2005. In 1972, Beatty talked Streisand (who often avoided the live stage due to stage fright) into performing at Senator George McGovern’s political fundraiser for president. Streisand called Beatty ‘persuasive’ and ‘impressive.’
21 of 22-Beatty’s Babes: Barbara Streisand and Beatty may have crossed paths long before this photo taken in 2005. In 1972, Beatty talked Streisand (who often avoided the live stage due to stage fright) into performing at Senator George McGovern’s political fundraiser for president. Streisand called Beatty ‘persuasive’ and ‘impressive.’
Beatty’s Babes: In the 1991 movie Bugsy, Beatty was a gangster and Annette Bening was his moll. Although the film wasn’t a box office smash, he met the leading lady of his life. They married in 1992, had four children together and co-starred again in the 1994 movie Love Affair, a remake of An Affair to Remember.
22 of 22-Beatty’s Babes: In the 1991 movie Bugsy, Beatty was a gangster and Annette Bening was his moll. Although the film wasn’t a box office smash, he met the leading lady of his life. They married in 1992, had four children together and co-starred again in the 1994 movie Love Affair, a remake of An Affair to Remember.
Beatty’s Babes: Although Warren Beatty didn’t make the cut as one of Joan Collins’ four husbands, they were briefly engaged. the sassy Collins has said this about her former beau: ‘He was the only man to get to the mirror faster than me.’
1 of 22-Beatty’s Babes: Although Warren Beatty didn’t make the cut as one of Joan Collins’ four husbands, they were briefly engaged. Seen here in this 1960 photo, the sassy Collins has said this about her former beau: ‘He was the only man to get to the mirror faster than me.’
Beatty’s Babes: Natalie Wood enjoyed a forbidden romance onscreen with Beatty in the 1961 classic Splendor in the Grass. They also carried on off-screen after Wood’s first marriage to Robert Wagner ended. The actress later denied that the romance was the cause of her marital problems. Clearly their onscreen chemistry worked, since Wood took home an Oscar for her performance.
2 of 22-Beatty’s Babes: Natalie Wood enjoyed a forbidden romance onscreen with Beatty in the 1961 classic Splendor in the Grass. They also carried on off-screen after Wood’s first marriage to Robert Wagner ended. The actress later denied that the romance was the cause of her marital problems. Clearly their onscreen chemistry worked, since Wood took home an Oscar for her performance.
Beatty’s Babes: How many women did Warren Beatty sleep with? The book–Star: How Warren Beatty Seduced America–guesses 12,275 – give or take. Although Beatty challenges the accuracy of the unauthorized biography written by Peter Biskind, it’s clear from this 1961 photo that the charismatic actor had a way with women.
3 of 22-Beatty’s Babes: How many women did Warren Beatty sleep with? The book–Star: How Warren Beatty Seduced America–guesses 12,275 – give or take. Although Beatty challenges the accuracy of the unauthorized biography written by Peter Biskind, it’s clear from this 1961 photo that the charismatic actor had a way with women.
Early Life
One of Hollywood’s legendary talents, Warren Beatty has received great acclaim for many of his works, from the 1961 social drama Splendor in the Grass to the 1998 political satire Bulworth. He has also created a lasting legacy for his many dalliances with his leading ladies and others before settling down with actress Annette Bening.
The son of a drama teacher, Beatty seemed to always possess a certain charm and charisma. At Washington-Lee High School in Arlington, Virginia, he was a top football player and president of his class. He went on to Northwestern University in 1955, but he dropped out after a year to move to New York City. Focused on becoming an actor, Beatty studied with famed teacher Stella Adler. His older sister, Shirley MacLaine, had already enjoyed some success as a performer.
Career Beginnings
In the 1950s, Beatty landed some television roles, including a recurring part on The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis. He made his Broadway debut in the William Inge drama A Loss of Roses in 1959. Receiving underwhelming reviews, the production folded quickly folded. Beatty, however, managed to give an impressive performance, raising his professional profile. He also won over the playwright who helped the young actor get his first feature film, 1961’s Splendor in the Grass. Starring opposite Natalie Wood, Beatty played a wealthy teen who struggles with his love and desire for Wood’s character. The film’s depiction of teenage sexuality was quite daring for the times.
Beatty’s career reached a new level of fame in 1967 with his crime drama Bonnie and Clyde, based on the real-life thieving couple of Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker. Behind the scenes, Beatty took the reins as the film’s producer. He worked closely with director Arthur Penn to create this now classic film. A commercial and critical hit, Bonnie and Clyde earned 10 Academy Award nominations, including several acting nods for Beatty, his co-star Faye Dunaway, Gene Hackman and other supporting cast members.
In the 1970s, Beatty seemed to be quite selective in his projects. He won praise for his work in Robert Altman’s 1971 western McCabe & Mrs. Miller with Julie Christie. For 1975’s Shampoo, he worked hard both in front of and behind the cameras. Beatty wrote, produced and starred in this story about a straight, promiscuous hairstylist and his romantic misadventures. Some believed the film to be autobiographical to some extent, given Beatty’s reputation as a ladies’ man.
Teaming up with Elaine May, Beatty co-wrote 1978’s Heaven Can Wait, which also marked his directorial debut. The remake of 1941’s Here Comes Mr. Jordan proved to be a hit both with critics and the public. Beatty picked up Academy Award nominations as an actor, director, producer and writer for the project. At the time, he was the second person to receive nominations in these four categories for one film, following in the footsteps of Orson Welles and his work on Citizen Kane (1941).
Later Career
A perfectionist about his work, Beatty has been known to shoot numerous takes of the same scene. He has a reputation for having a keen eye for details as well. His personality as a filmmaker is perhaps no more apparent than in one of his most ambitious works, the 1981 political epic Reds. In this lengthy, true-to-life film, Beatty starred as American journalist John Reed, who witnesses the rise of Communism in Russia in 1917 during the October Revolution and finds himself inspired by this new political movement. Along with Reed’s love interest, political radical and journalist Louise Bryant (Diane Keaton), Reed tries to spread these ideals. It also featured vignettes from actual participants in the historic events detailed in the film.
Reds brought Beatty his one and only Academy Award win. In 1982, he took home the honor for Best Director. The remainder of the decade proved to be a disappointment for Beatty, however. He teamed up with Dustin Hoffman for the 1987 comedy Ishtar, which became one of the costly duds of its time. Modeled on the Bing Crosby-Bob Hope musical hits of the past, the film failed to find an audience.
Beatty turned to the funny papers for 1990’s film adaptation of the popular comic strip Dick Tracy with Madonna and Al Pacino. The movie seemed to garner more attention for its soundtrack than its plot. Switching to the wrong side of the law, he earned much stronger reviews for his starring turn as gangster Bugsy Siegel in 1991’s Bugsy. His future wife Annette Bening played his girlfriend Virginia Hill.
In 1998, Beatty returned to top form as a screenwriter and director with the political satire Bulworth. The film may not have been a box office hit, but it brought Beatty enormous critical acclaim. He played a senator who decides to actually tell the truth as he runs for reelection in the movie, which also features Halle Berry.
After his most recent film, 2001’s Town & Country, came and went without much notice, Beatty stayed away from filmmaking for years. In 2011, reports circulated that he signed with Paramount Pictures for a new project. The Hollywood legend is set to write, direct, produce and star in this untitled effort. It’s anyone’s guess what kind of film it will be and what type of character he will portray. After more than 50 years in the business, Beatty has shown that he can tackle any genre and any role.
Personal Life
Since the beginning of his acting career, Beatty has been linked to numerous co-stars and other celebrities. Natalie Wood reportedly left her husband Robert Wagner for him. Beatty himself was engaged to actress Joan Collins around this time. He later had long-term relationships with actresses Julie Christie and Diane Keaton. Top stars, such as singer Carly Simon, Barbra Streisand and Madonna, also succumbed to his boyish charms.
Though he once called marriage a “dead institution,” Beatty changed his mind in 1992 when he married Annette Bening. The couple has four children together, Stephen (born Kathlyn), Benjamin, Isabel and Ella.
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Hunter S. Thompson and Johnny Depp: Partners in Film and Life
March 05, 2012 | by: Christopher Burns
Thompson and Depp
Thompson and Depp
Johnny Depp and Hunter S. Thompson first met in 1994 at the Woody Creek Tavern, instantly connecting as sons of the great state of Kentucky. Little did they know that this meeting would lead one of the most dynamic author/actor relationships Hollywood has seen since Arthur Miller and Marilyn Monroe. The checkered youths of both Depp and Thompson brought them close together during that first meeting in 1994, and they became best friends nearly instantly.
“You could strike sparks anywhere. There was a fantastic universal sense that whatever we were doing was right, that we were winning. . . .
Hunter S. Thompson and Johnny Depp
And that, I think, was the handle—that sense of inevitable victory over the forces of Old and Evil. Not in any mean or military sense; we didn’t need that. Our energy would simply prevail. There was no point in fighting—on our side or theirs. We had all the momentum; we were riding the crest of a high and beautiful wave. . . .
So now, less than five years later, you can go up on a steep hill in Las Vegas and look West, and with the right kind of eyes you can almost see the high-water mark—that place where the wave finally broke and rolled back.”
-Hunter S. Thompson in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
Thompson was born in Louisville, Kentucky in 1937, the son of a World War One veteran who died when he was 15. His mother sunk into a deep alcoholic state following his father’s death, and was described as a heavy drinker for some time. After being arrested and forced into the Air Force for a short time to avoid jail, Thompson began a career in journalism.
Like Thompson, Depp had a interesting high school experience, and never ended up graduating. He dropped out of high school to pursue a career as a Rock musician only to return two weeks later requesting re-admittance. Instead, the principal encouraged him to follow his dreams and Depp took off for Los Angeles, where he would eventually become a teen idol on the show 21 Jump Street.
Thompson, Depp, John Cusack, Inflatable Sex Doll
Professionally, both men were never afraid to push the boundaries of art and information. Thompson’s most amazing skill was capturing the air of excitement surrounding any great event, often using less that literal prose to do so. He was more than content taking cues from great journalists like Ernie Pyle, as well as from the literary icons he and Depp so adored, such as Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald. In fact, he was fired as a copy boy at Time magazine for wasting time rewriting the Great Gatsby over and over again in order to understand how it felt to write a great novel.
This style became known as Gonzo journalism, and was credited as one of the most pioneering styles of reporting in the 20th century. Much more suited to a feature book or magazine, Gonzo is an often rambling form of writing which explores both the apparent and implicit side of the reported events.
While his lifelong reporting on President Nixon was less than factually precise: “Ford, who believes strongly in Heaven and Hell, has told more than one of his celebrity golf partners that ‘I know I will go to hell, because I pardoned Richard Nixon.’” His reporting spoke for a generation of Americans with a great disdain for the authority which continually betrayed them.
In Thompson’s semi-fictional accounts, the American public found a voice which transcended the black and white truth of the daily newspaper. His honest, brutal approach to life and writing rocked the journalism world like The Rolling Stones changed music, and Ken Kesey changed American literature. Like any good rock star, Thompson was considered a black mouth promoter of drugs and alcohol by many conservative journalists who denounced his demeanor as unprofessional and immoral. He was not afraid to hide his frequent use of LSD, Mushrooms, Peyote, Weed, and Booze, and once told a reporter that any writer who claimed alcohol diminished their ability to write was a liar.
In the Summer of 1997, Johnny Depp lived in the basement ‘war room’ of Thompson’s house, bearing the title Colonel Depp. During those months, Depp and Thompson grew close as friends, brother’s and family. Of the great Doctor, the actor said “He knew I worshiped him, and I know that he loved me, so he may have been part father figure, part mentor, but I’d say the closest thing is brothers. We were like brothers.”
Depp in Fear and Loathing
Both Thompson and Depp held a contempt for authority close to their hearts. The way Thompson saw it, he was an outlaw intent on exposing the American dream for what he though it really was: dead. Though Hell’s Angels was Hunter’s first big hit, His novel Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas affirmed his place as an American pop icon. While living with Thompson, Depp studied his character, hoping to one day have the honor of portraying him in some sort of theatrical adaptation of the novel. When Fear and Loathing received a film, Depp was one of only a few people considered for the role.
The novel is less about the rampant drug use found in the movie, and more about the semi-autobiographical journey Thompson took to Las Vegas to figure out exactly what happened to the American Dream our culture had come to call upon during the counterculture revolution. Depp’s performance in this film is perhaps the highest proof of the strong relationship and understanding between the two men. The Thompson character Depp pulls through with is leagues better than Bill Murray’s attempt in Where the Buffalo Roam, and he captures the hard drinking, hard smoking character perfectly… “We can’t stop now, this is bat country!”
HUNTER S. THOMPSON,JOHNNY DEPP AND JOHN CUCSAK WITH BLOW UP DOLL
Recently, Depp was involved in another adaptation of Thompson’s work called The Rum Diaries. The legitimate novel focuses on a man named Paul Kemp as he explores Puerto Rico as a journalist in the 1950s. It portrays the art of a much younger and conservative H.S.T. who was just beginning to dip into the beauty of Gonzo prose. The DVD version of this film was just release in middle February.
Depp and Thompson
Both films are a testament to the relationship of Johnny Depp and Hunter S. Thomspon. In both roles, as Raul Duke and Paul Kemp, Depp calls upon a great understanding of his author friend to craft characters as believable as they are unbelievable, a special gift Thompson possessed as well. Perhaps this is their greatest compliment, the ability to use the absurd, the uncalled for, and the unaccepted in order to expose a world which normal words and images could not. They challenged the norm and forged their own paths towards greatness.
And less we forget, when Thompson passed away in 2005, Depp financed the entire affair. An affair which happened to include the ashes of Dr. Gonzo being launched out of a gigantic cannon atop a 150 ft tower with Bob Dylan’s Mr. Tambourine Man playing alongside red green and white fireworks. If that’s not a funeral I don’t know what is.
“I feel him every single day. Literally, from the time I wake up and have coffee to when I plop my head down on the pillow, I’m haunted by him. And I’m ecstatic for it. I was very fortunate back then to know that whatever was going on, whatever was happening with us, whatever we were doing, I knew it was really special, and I knew that was never going to happen again. I’m very lucky.”
Graceland takes you on a panoramic 360° view of Elvis Presley’s home. See where Elvis lived, relaxed and spent time with his friends and family. Take a look at the mansion from the entrance and step inside the foyer, the famous jungle room, and the racquetball trophy room to walk the same footsteps of the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll. Turn your virtual experience into a live one by visiting Elvis Presley’s Graceland in Memphis. For a free Graceland online travel planner, visit Elvis.com/Graceland.
Exterior of Graceland Mansion Elvis fans can often be seen posing for photographs at the front entrance of the mansion. As the front door swings open, guests are able to enter the private world of a rock legend. Elvis loved Graceland and always enjoyed showing it off and entertaining friends and family there. The home welcomes over 600,000 visitors a year and holds countless memories for the many friends, fans and family whose lives he touched. Take the 360° tour!
Mansion Foyer The foyer is where special guests were greeted and shown to the living room where they would wait for Elvis to come down the stairs from his private area upstairs. Elvis would often entertain his guests on his 15-foot white sofa inside the living room. At the far end of the living room is the entrance into the music room where Elvis enjoyed singing and playing piano to his favorite gospel and R&B songs. Across the foyer from the living room – is the dining room where Elvis and his family would enjoy down-home Southern cooking for their evening meals. These rooms hosted many large gatherings and is where Elvis enjoyed the company of his friends and family. Take the 360° tour!
Mansion Jungle Room One of Elvis’ favorite hangouts was the “Jungle Room.” The room is known for its Polynesian feel and exotically carved wood. In the early 1960s, during one of Elvis’ home improvements, it was added to the back of the house. Elvis referred to the room as the den and later added the eccentric furniture and shag carpet reminiscent of Hawaii- one of Elvis’ favorite places to vacation. In 1976, the room was transformed into a recording studio for a series of all-night sessions that later became the album called “From Elvis Presley Boulevard, Memphis, Tennessee.” The faux fur upholstery and green shag carpet on the floor and the ceiling completes the wild look and ’70s feel – making this room an Elvis fan favorite. Take the 360° tour!
Racquetball Building The racquetball building was built in 1975 and houses a large display of Elvis’ awards and accomplishments. The court is currently used to display all of his posthumous awards and honors. Several of his stage costumes are featured including his Aztec and American Eagle jumpsuit. It is estimated that Elvis has sold over one billion records worldwide.
I dedicate this song to my late mum who loved Elvis’s love songs I bought her this single when I was a teenager in London
“I CAN’T HELP FALLING IN LOVE WITH YOU” FROM THE MOVIE BLUE HAWAII
Elvis Presley Biography
Elvis PresleyThe incredible Elvis life story began when Elvis Aaron Presley was born to Vernon and Gladys Presley in a two-room house in Tupelo, Mississippi, on January 8, 1935. His twin brother, Jessie Garon, was stillborn, leaving Elvis to grow up as an only child. He and his parents moved to Memphis, Tennessee, in 1948, and Elvis graduated from Humes High School there in 1953.
Elvis’ musical influences were the pop and country music of the time, the gospel music he heard in church and at the all-night gospel sings he frequently attended, and the black R&B he absorbed on historic Beale Street as a Memphis teenager.
In 1954, Elvis began his singing career with the legendary Sun Records label in Memphis. In late 1955, his recording contract was sold to RCA Victor. By 1956, he was an international sensation. With a sound and style that uniquely combined his diverse musical influences and blurred and challenged the social and racial barriers of the time, he ushered in a whole new era of American music and popular culture.
He starred in 33 successful films, made history with his television appearances and specials, and knew great acclaim through his many, often record-breaking, live concert performances on tour and in Las Vegas. Globally, he has sold over one billion records, more than any other artist. His American sales have earned him gold, platinum or multi-platinum awards. Among his many awards and accolades were 14 Grammy nominations (3 wins) from the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences, the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award which he received at age 36, and his being named One of the Ten Outstanding Young Men of the Nation for 1970 by the United States Jaycees. Without any of the special privileges, his celebrity status might have afforded him, he honorably served his country in the U.S. Army.
His talent, good looks, sensuality, charisma, and good humor endeared him to millions, as did the humility and human kindness he demonstrated throughout his life. Known the world over by his first name, he is regarded as one of the most important figures of twentieth century popular culture. Elvis died at his Memphis home, Graceland, on August 16, 1977.
If you enjoyed this Elvis biography, check out our fun, interactive walk through Elvis’ life story with the 75 years of Elvis Timeline, developed for Elvis’ 75th Birthday Celebration.
Laurie Anderson remembered her husband Lou Reed as “a prince and a fighter” and for “the incredible joy he felt for life” in a letter published yesterday in The East Hampton Star on Long Island. Reed died Sunday at 71 of liver disease while the couple were at their home in Springs, New York.
“Lou was a tai chi master and spent his last days here being happy and dazzled by the beauty and power and softness of nature,” Anderson wrote. “He died on Sunday morning looking at the trees and doing the famous 21 form of tai chi with just his musician hands moving through the air.”
Reed and Anderson, a performance artist and musician, began dating in the late Nineties and married in 2008. Her most recent album was Homeland in 2010.
Here’s her letter to The Star:
To our neighbors:
What a beautiful fall! Everything shimmering and golden and all that incredible soft light. Water surrounding us.
Lou and I have spent a lot of time here in the past few years, and even though we’re city people this is our spiritual home. Last week I promised Lou to get him out of the hospital and come home to Springs. And we made it!
Lou was a tai chi master and spent his last days here being happy and dazzled by the beauty and power and softness of nature. He died on Sunday morning looking at the trees and doing the famous 21 form of tai chi with just his musician hands moving through the air.
Lou was a prince and a fighter and I know his songs of the pain and beauty in the world will fill many people with the incredible joy he felt for life. Long live the beauty that comes down and through and onto all of us.
– Laurie Anderson his loving wife and eternal friend
Photo: Getty Images
BEATNIKHIWAY 