His first record was cut in 1954 when I was a sophomore in high school so we were contemporaries. I always loved his music (and still do) but I never understood the rest of it. Here are a few facts from the article.
- In the 1960s, none other than Leonard Bernstein called Elvis "the greatest cultural force in the 20th century. "
- He is thought to be the most commercially successful solo musical artist of all time.
- In 2016 he was the fourth top-earning dead celebrity in America. Right behind his short time son-in-law, Michael Jackson.
- Graceland is still among the most -visited private homes in the nation along with the White House.
- His performances were a combination of highly sexual and highly religious - and it worked.
- Somewhere along the way his life began to unravel right before our eyes and we watched him slowly disappear.
But my fascination isn't with Elvis himself, but with the cult-like following he had - and 40 years after his death - still has. He's been likened to Jesus.
Several months ago when I read, J. D. Vance's book, "Hillbilly Elegy," I was reminded of the Elvis phenomena and how there are millions of folks in America that I just don't understand. But here's the thing: I want to understand them. Many of them I care for and respect and some I love.
Next week in Forum we will be discussing "Hillbilly Elegy." I'm hoping to get some insight.
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