"Elvis Presley and the Media"

by Maurice Colgan

The contradictory nature of the thousands of newspaper And magazine articles printed before and since the death of Elvis Presley Must leave many people scratching their heads. Was there ever a young entertainer so maligned by the likes of the mighty, "New York Times", down to the lowliest tabloids, right at the outset of his career!

Now more than twenty five years after Elvis' truly amazing impact on the music culture of the world and his untimely death, the media in general are having to face up to a virtual "Elvis Renaissance". A chart topping single, and Album, "ELV1S", have, along with the world's celebration of his 25th Anniversary and the Disney movie, "Lilo and Stitch", featuring a selection of Elvis songs, catapulted Elvis right back into the limelight.

New generations are now hearing and appreciating the sheer versatility of his voice and, thanks to videos etc., seeing his great talent for communication, which he had in abundance. Yet despite the growing acclaim for his contribution to music there are those who would still deny his importance. Why? Are they just tone deaf and incapable of hearing the quality of his voice, or in their defense, have they only heard a few of his less committed performances, lazily not taking the trouble to investigate further? Or are they playing to the gallery having not the courage to raise their heads above the parapet!

Surely only a fool would now try and denigrate the world's most loved entertainer. Yet so-called learned authors and journalists to this day fly in the face of common-sense - surely Elvis did not fool us all? Of course not! Elvis Presley was the most charismatic vocalist of all time. Even in the world of Opera there is not one name that dominates all others. Maybe Maria Callas would be an exception, right up there with the best. She died the same month and year as Elvis.

Time and again I have heard young Television and radio Show presenters dismiss Elvis Presley with a few gratuitous and facetious remarks, a testament to their ignorance of the history of popular music, a field young Elvis completely dominated to the dismay of the establishment - some of them have never forgiven him! Sadly they are still prominent in the media and have far more power than they deserve having a platform to belittle a man who was known for his reckless charity.

Nevertheless, as a discerning reader, I have noticed a growing change in the treatment of Elvis in the upper circles, how rewarding it is to read articles like the one by Eileen Battersby literary correspondent of, "The Irish Times", who only last year wrote about how she had discovered Elvis by accident! Normally a listener to a classical music radio station she inadvertently tuned into a station playing pop music. Lo and behold, she heard Elvis - this time she listened with care, and was hooked! Her description of Elvis' voice is a pleasure to read. "...He had a musical textured rhythmic voice, that emotional intelligence. Concentrate on his voice; sweet, remorseful, defiant, suggestive." It was rewarding to read such honest reporting just after the 25th Anniversary of Elvis' sad death. But Eileen Battersby was not the only one in the broad-sheets and sound and vision media to awaken to the fact the late Elvis Presley just could not be ignored anymore.

Scouring the World Wide Web for newspaper articles leading up to the 25th Anniversary I noticed with a growing degree of satisfaction if not vindication a change in the tone of many of the reporters reporting on the event. An increasing number of journalists were facing up to the truth staring them in the face, Elvis Presley was a very important cultural presence still, and no longer could the myopic view of him be sustained- not when his recordings were still selling like hot cakes twenty five years after his demise, and he seemed to be just about everywhere!

My personal experience in recent times has changed my mind About the press they can make and break a star, but with Elvis we have a contradiction, here we have a love hate relationship where the press just cannot stop itself printing Elvis Presley stories, good, bad, or indifferent. Thankfully the majority lately have been the former with just a few sour examples from the usual suspects, "Time" magazine and, "The Times", newspaper of London. Elvis fans will warmly remember the, "Time", magazine Poll for "The Man of the Century", which in reality Elvis won having not been included in the original list of the celebrities chosen by, "Time", magazine staff!

Using the very powerful name, Elvis Presley, as a key, yours Truly in all modesty, has had exceptional success these past few months in having Elvis appear in the news. For instance, Television, Radio, Newspapers and Magazines, have all replied to my letters, e-mail, and telephone calls, and gone on to cover the extraordinary unfolding Elvis related stories which I have been feeding them. Not because they are remotely interested in the writer, oh no, but once Elvis is mentioned, they are all attention. Yes, they cannot help asking the usual questions, "Have you seen him lately?", and suchlike nonsense, but once I brush aside the silliness, they do listen in awe!

A life-sized bronze statue of, "Elvis at 13", now stands close to the little house where Elvis was born because yours truly had a bright Spark of an idea and transmitted it to the Mayor of Tupelo, Larry K Otis, who passed it to Henry Dodge the Chairman of the, "Elvis Presley Memorial Foundation". Wisely the foundation commissioned the gifted sculptor Michiel Van der Sommen to make the statue. The rest is history? Well not quite. Because of Michiel's beautiful statue, now attracting increasing numbers of Elvis fans to Tupelo, I can now telephone reporters on a number of newspaper here in Ireland, the USA, and the UK, without being rushed off the telephone by busy news-desk reporters.

The Media once the relentless mocker of Elvis and his fans now finds itself the servant contributing thousands of hours and pages to covering every little aspect of Elvis Presley's posthumous career. On the cover of yesterday's "Independent", newspaper Magazine of the UK, a large photo of Elvis, Pricilla, and Lisa Marie. Inside the magazine, a feature on Lisa Marie Presley's newly launched music career - here we go again!

FOOTNOTE. Reading a fairly new (2002) biography on Aldous Huxley by Nicholas Murray I could not help thinking of his privileged Upbringing and his excellent education in comparison to Elvis' humble beginnings. Huxley was a member of a famous family of scientists and writers and grew up surrounded by the elite of British society. Educated at Oxford University he went on to befriend the greatest thinkers, artists, novelists composers and poets of his day. Described as, "...one of the most interesting and complex figures of the twentieth-century-English writing-novelist, poet, biographer, philosopher, and social and political thinker..." He is best remembered for his, "Brave New World", science fiction novel and experiments with drugs. In his late twenties Aldous Huxley began to make his mark as a promising novelist. Elvis Presley by his early twenties was famous internationally he had conquered the world of popular music, Hollywood, and was rich beyond his wildest dreams. Elvis you see had been studying one subject all his life. Just my perception.

July, 2003.

The latest Elvis statue story in the Irish Press - http://www.dublinpeople.com/newssport/thepeople/sspeople/