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OpEdNews Op Eds    H4'ed 8/16/11

Long Live Elvis Presley: The King Of Rock And Roll

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Message Robert Paul Reyes

"Thousands of Elvis Presley fans held a candlelight vigil at Graceland late Monday night to mark the 34th anniversary of the King's death." - People.com

Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most influential persons of the 20th century, he transformed America but his influence was felt worldwide.

A cultural icon; a sex symbol; a musical legend -- he is widely known by the single name Elvis. Michael Jackson may be the King of Pop but Elvis is the King of Rock and Roll.

Elvis was an ungodly fusion of country, gospel and rhythm and blues. The King brought the music heard in Black Country churches and black ghettos to the corn-fed white children of Middle America.

Elvis Presley is the best selling recording artists of all time; his hits topped the black, country, rock and gospel charts. But his influence transcended the world of pop music.

With a thrust of his pelvis and a shake of his hips Elvis sexed up the young generation. Elvis Presley and Hugh Hefner were evangelists of sexual liberation, and most of the young kids were their disciples.

Elvis Presley helped usher in the cult of personality and the preeminence of pop culture. I write about every subject under the sun, but my forte is pop culture. If you don't immerse yourself in pop culture, you don't understand America. Writing about pop culture is more important than writing about politics, religion or philosophy.

There is nothing shocking or original about Lady Gaga's shenanigans, she's as exciting as a slice of white bread with the edges cut off. But Elvis was shocking and original, when he burst on the scene folks had never seen anything quite like him before.

Elvis Presley was as American as apple pie, Mom, and prescription drugs. Elvis was an American boy who adored his mother, fought for his country, proclaimed his love for God, and lived the Rock and Roll dream.

Legend has it that Elvis died on his throne (the toilet), reading porn, with a gazillion drugs in his system. It doesn't get more Rock and Roll and it doesn't get more American than that!

May the King of Rock and Roll live forever!

http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20518572,00.html

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Robert Paul Reyes was born and raised in the liberal San Francisco Bay Area, but now he writes a newspaper column from a liberal perspective for a small town in the Bible Belt.
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