Elvis Presley No other artist could have had more of an impact on popular culture in the 1950s than Elvis Presley. Elvis's childhood was far less glamorous than his adult life; he and his parents lived in poverty in Tupelo, Mississippi. Elvis' early life and the situations surrounding his upbringing had a major influence on his musical style. The uniqueness of Elvis' singing, dancing, and personality have all had an impact on pop culture and is evident in areas such as sexuality, music, fashion, and anti-authority attitude. There have been many imitators of Elvis Presley's life and influence, but no other can match the impact he had on popular culture. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get Original Essay Elvis undoubtedly grew up in difficult circumstances and lived a controversial lifestyle, all of which had an impact on his musical style. Elvis and his mother and father lived in poverty and moved around when he was a child, but came to settle in Tupelo, Mississippi. Because they could not afford to live in white neighborhoods, they lived in what was considered a respectable black neighborhood in Tupelo. Once Elvis' family moved to Memphis, Tennessee, when he was a teenager, he could frequently be found hanging out in the city's black section, particularly Beale Street (historyofrock.com ). The African-American culture surrounding Elvis certainly had an impact on his music as he was nicknamed “the white man with Negro feeling” (Campbell). The Presley family remained involved with The First Assembly of God Church, and Elvis was involved in the church choir during his childhood. As teenagers in Memphis, Tennessee, Elvis and his friends would often sneak out of the church service and head to the colorful church, "they reveled in the exotic atmosphere, the music was out of this world" (Guralnick). As a child, Elvis would go to South Spring Street where he listened to WELO artists. Elvis had the chance to play the only two songs he knew at the time on the radio with Mississippi Slim accompanying him on guitar. Elvis was inspired by Slim's guitar playing and asked him for guitar lessons and asked him to teach him new songs (Guralnick, 21). Inspired by the gospel singing of the church and the country music heard on the Grand Ole Opry radio station, Elvis' passion for music continued to grow. Elvis certainly did not create rock and roll, but at a time when it was not very popular, he was most notable for rock and roll's commercial presence. His contributions to rock history were his new look, attitude and sound, he gave rock its most memorable visible image. Elvis' sound sparked interest on country western radio, although some stations did not play his music because it sounded too black. However, within a year, he reached No. 1 nationally on country western radio with "Mystery Train" which transformed Junior Parker's rhythm and blues song into rockabilly. Elvis' version of this #1 hit was brighter and more upbeat than the original rhythm and blues version which was Elvis' (Campbell) standard rockabilly. Elvis brought a country flavor to rock and roll. Although Elvis had a major impact on popular culture, his musical contributions were not as significant. He introduced a new vocal sound into popular music and represented the musical direction, but after Elvis, rock followed a different path (Campbell). America was not amusical export but Elvis remained the favorite in England every year until the arrival of the Beatles. Elvis' musical prominence ended after three years, in 1958, when he was inducted into the army. When asked about his service, Elvis told a reporter “he was happy to serve, he just went where he was called” (Guralnick, 380). Once back home, Elvis remained the king of rock'n'roll but could never regain the brilliance he had before his departure. Elvis' influence spanned decades and lasted generations; his reach of influence extended beyond other musicians but to society as a whole. Elvis quickly became a household name to both those who idolized and despised him, despite criticism that Elvis refused to change. Unlike most white pop singers of the era, Elvis was unashamed during his performances and enjoyed his time on stage, he was "an extraordinarily liberating presence for a new generation of popstars" (Campbell). Elvis starred in four films before his induction into the military and each of them showed off his dancing abilities, while other actors and dancers looked choreographed. Elvis seemed to be having the most fun. His free and spontaneous attitude was in contrast to other pop artists of the time who preferred to stand in front of the microphone and sing. Elvis affected aspects of society such as music, fashion, sexuality and an anti-authority attitude. Elvis was able to break down musical and racial barriers through his blending of musical and racial genres. Through his musical combinations, he introduced black music to whites and white music to blacks. Without Elvis' mixing and fusion of music and cultures, society might have taken a very different course. Her fashion sense sparked much controversy at a time when racism was rampant. Elvis' rebellious attitude appealed to many teenagers. He projected tough teenage dress, greased pompadour, energetic singing style and stage manners. He performed in costumes worn primarily by African Americans, but his fashion sense was copied by many; his pompadour hairstyle was also copied by many young men of the time. Elvis' pelvis caused a national brouhaha, his moves were so outrageous that shows were only filmed from his waist up. Although many parents despised the practice, young people copied its movements. Elvis' blatant sexuality laid the foundation for the "free love" attitude of the 1960s. Due to the controversy surrounding Elvis Presley, many parents did not want their teenagers to listen to or watch Elvis, for fear that their children copy his unwanted actions. However, this had the opposite effect: teenagers flocked to his performances, increasing his popularity. This anti-authority attitude became an important part of rock 'n' roll, from punk rock to rockabilly to heavy metal. Elvis (Black)'s upbringing was anything but ordinary. He was born to Gladys and Vernon Presley as a twin, but his brother was born stillborn. Raised as an only child, Elvis's love and devotion to his parents ran deep, he did everything he could to provide for them when he rose to fame. Before fame, he took a job in hopes of supporting his family (Guralnick). Elvis knew what it was like to have to live in poverty, his father was not known for having much ambition and moved from job to job with difficulty. The family moved from Tupelo to Memphis in hopes that things would improve. They were completely poor and disadvantaged in Mississippi and wanted to find a..