Elvis Presley: influences, peers and legacy

Every connection with its receipt

Elvis Presley's genius was synthesis: Delta blues, Appalachian bluegrass, white gospel quartets, Black church shouting and Tin Pan Alley crooning collided in a Memphis storefront studio in July 1954. This mix traces the records he absorbed as a Lauderdale Courts teenager, the Sun and Beale Street world around him, and the artists who have carried his charge ever since.

The Kynda mix for Elvis Presley

• Key Influence · That's All Right by Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup (1946). Presley's first Sun single, cut on July 5, 1954, was a sped-up reworking of Crudup's Delta blues sides, and he also recorded Crudup's "My Baby Left Me" and "So Glad You're Mine." Presley spoke publicly in the mid-1950s about admiring Crudup and wanting to perform his material, and the choice signalled the racial border-crossing that made him both a sensation and a scandal in the segregated South.
• Influencia Obscura · You'll Never Walk Alone by Roy Hamilton (1954). Hamilton, a Black gospel-trained balladeer with an operatic reach, was an acknowledged favorite of Presley's; he recorded the song himself and in 1969 at American Sound Studio in Memphis met Hamilton in person, handing him "Angelica," a song intended for his own session. Hamilton's hymn-scale dynamics explain Presley's late dramatic style far better than any rockabilly precedent does.
• Local Roots · 3 O'Clock Blues by B.B. King (1951). King broadcast on Memphis station WDIA and worked Beale Street while Presley was still at Humes High and clerking jobs; the two were photographed together at WDIA's Goodwill Revue in December 1956, and King spoke warmly of the young Presley attending Beale Street shows. This record, cut in Memphis with Sam Phillips involved in early King sessions, maps the sound world a block from Presley's door.
• Beyond the Medium · Rebel Without a Cause by Nicholas Ray (1955). Presley reportedly memorized long stretches of Dean's dialogue and screened the film repeatedly; he met Nicholas Ray and badly wanted the kind of serious roles Dean had. The slouch, the wounded insolence and the half-swallowed delivery in his 1956–57 screen tests and in Jailhouse Rock are drawn directly from this template of teenage male vulnerability rather than from any musical model.
• Peer · Blue Suede Shoes by Carl Perkins (1956). Perkins was Presley's Sun labelmate and direct rival; Presley covered this song on his debut album and deferred to Perkins as its author. The two sat at the piano together with Jerry Lee Lewis and Johnny Cash on December 4, 1956, in the session Sam Phillips taped as the Million Dollar Quartet — the single best document of the Memphis rockabilly cohort in one room.
• From the Canon · The Sun Sessions by Elvis Presley (1976). The 1954–55 Memphis recordings with Scotty Moore and Bill Black, collected here, are the laboratory: slapback echo, no drums at first, and a trio arguing between blues and hillbilly on every take. "Mystery Train," "Milkcow Blues Boogie" and "Baby Let's Play House" show the method of transformation more clearly than the later hits, because you can still hear the source material inside them.
• Key Collaborator · The Guitar That Changed the World! by Scotty Moore (1964). Moore played lead guitar on every essential Presley record from "That's All Right" through the 1968 television special, and his Chet Atkins-derived fingerpicking against Bill Black's slapped bass built the Blue Moon Boys sound. This solo album revisits the hits instrumentally, laying bare how much of the architecture — the fills, the solos, the rhythmic lift — was Moore's invention rather than his employer's.
• Legacy · Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen (1975). Springsteen has described seeing Presley on Ed Sullivan as the moment he asked for a guitar, famously climbed the Graceland wall in 1976 hoping to meet him, and eulogized him onstage after August 1977. The romantic widescreen Americana and the conviction that a rock song can be a total theatrical event descend directly from Presley's example.

What influenced Elvis Presley

• Blue Moon of Kentucky by Bill Monroe (1947). Blue Moon of Kentucky (Bill Monroe) — titan for Elvis Presley “During the next few days, the trio recorded a bluegrass song, Bill Monroe 's " Blue Moon of Kentucky ", again in a distinctive style” (Wikipedia)
• Arthur Crudup. Crudup inspired Presley’s later recordings. (also via That's All Right) “Many of his future recordings were inspired by local African-American musicians such as Arthur Crudup and Rufus Thomas .” (Wikipedia)
• Rudolph Valentino. Marcus compares Presley’s television appearance to Valentino’s screen persona. “He is incredibly handsome, with possibly the best film profile since Rudolph Valentino. Fittingly enough, he would pass for a stereotyped Las Vegas gambler in a movie.” (London Evening Standard)
• Rufus Thomas. Thomas inspired Presley’s later recordings. (also via Bear Cat) “Many of his future recordings were inspired by local African-American musicians such as Arthur Crudup and Rufus Thomas .” (Wikipedia)
• Bing Crosby. The article names Presley among singers influenced by Crosby. “influenced many male singers who followed, such as Frank Sinatra , [ 6 ] Andy Williams , Perry Como , Dean Martin , Johnny Cash , Glen Campbell , Elton John , John Denver , Dick Haymes , Bob Dylan , Elvis Presley , John Lennon and Paul M…” (Wikipedia)
• You'll Never Walk Alone by Roy Hamilton (1954). You'll Never Walk Alone (Roy Hamilton) — ghost for Elvis Presley “So, in late 1957, Epic coaxed Hamilton into recording "Don't Let Go", an R&B rocker produced by Otis Blackwell, the man who had written two of the biggest number-one hits of Elvis Presley’s career: "Don't Be Cruel" and "All Shook Up".” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Rebel Without a Cause by Nicholas Ray (1955). Rebel Without a Cause (Nicholas Ray) — culture for Elvis Presley “Ray wanted to cast Elvis Presley as the legendary bandit, and Presley had made his first film, Love Me Tender (1956), at the studio.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• The Great Caruso by Richard Thorpe (1951). The Great Caruso (Richard Thorpe) — culture for Elvis Presley “Thorpe followed these with the movie Jailhouse Rock, produced by Berman and starring Elvis Presley, which became a huge hit.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Mississippi Slim. Slim taught Presley chord techniques. “Presley was a devotee of Mississippi Slim 's radio show. He was described as "crazy about music" by Slim's younger brother, one of Presley's classmates. Slim showed Presley chord techniques.” (Wikipedia)
• Lee Denson. Presley practiced guitar under Denson’s tutelage. “In 1950, Presley began practicing guitar under the tutelage of Lee Denson , a neighbor.” (Wikipedia)
• Hank Snow. Presley knew Snow’s songs. “He knew all of Hank Snow 's songs, [ 28 ] and he loved records by other country singers such as Roy Acuff , Ernest Tubb , Ted Daffan , Jimmie Rodgers , Jimmie Davis , and Bob Wills .” (Wikipedia)
• Roy Acuff. Presley loved Acuff’s records. “he loved records by other country singers such as Roy Acuff , Ernest Tubb , Ted Daffan , Jimmie Rodgers , Jimmie Davis , and Bob Wills .” (Wikipedia)
• Ernest Tubb. Presley loved Tubb’s records. “he loved records by other country singers such as Roy Acuff , Ernest Tubb , Ted Daffan , Jimmie Rodgers , Jimmie Davis , and Bob Wills .” (Wikipedia)
• Ted Daffan. Presley loved Daffan’s records. “he loved records by other country singers such as Roy Acuff , Ernest Tubb , Ted Daffan , Jimmie Rodgers , Jimmie Davis , and Bob Wills .” (Wikipedia)
• Jimmie Rodgers. Presley loved Rodgers’s records. “he loved records by other country singers such as Roy Acuff , Ernest Tubb , Ted Daffan , Jimmie Rodgers , Jimmie Davis , and Bob Wills .” (Wikipedia)
• Jimmie Davis. Presley loved Davis’s records. “he loved records by other country singers such as Roy Acuff , Ernest Tubb , Ted Daffan , Jimmie Rodgers , Jimmie Davis , and Bob Wills .” (Wikipedia)
• Bob Wills. Presley loved Wills’s records. “he loved records by other country singers such as Roy Acuff , Ernest Tubb , Ted Daffan , Jimmie Rodgers , Jimmie Davis , and Bob Wills .” (Wikipedia)
• Jake Hess. Hess influenced Presley’s ballad singing. “The Southern gospel singer Jake Hess , one of his favorite performers, was a significant influence on his ballad -singing style.” (Wikipedia)
• Freddie Bell and the Bellboys. Their performance of “Hound Dog” prompted Presley to add it to his act. “He had attended several shows by Freddie Bell and the Bellboys in Vegas and was struck by their cover of " Hound Dog ", a hit in 1953 for blues singer Big Mama Thornton” (Wikipedia)
• Peace in the Valley by Red Foley (1951). Peace in the Valley (Red Foley) — titan for Elvis Presley “The song, later recorded by many artists, including Hank Snow and Elvis Presley, became a country classic.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Rock My Soul by The Blackwood Brothers (1952). Rock My Soul (The Blackwood Brothers) — ghost for Elvis Presley “The funeral was attended by thousands in Memphis, including a young Elvis Presley.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• That's All Right by Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup (1946). That's All Right (Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup) — titan for Elvis Presley
• Captain Marvel Jr. by Fawcett Comics (1942). Captain Marvel Jr. (Fawcett Comics) — culture for Elvis Presley

Peers and kindred spirits

• Carl Perkins. Presley jammed with Perkins at Sun Records. (also via Blue Suede Shoes) “On December 4, Presley paid a visit to Sun Records and ended up jamming with Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis , and Perkins' rhythm section.” (Wikipedia)
• Mort Shuman. Presley’s film albums included songs by Shuman. “Doc and I never got to meet Elvis, but I didn’t feel bad about it at the time. Now I realise that I would have at least liked to have shaken his hand and told him who I was.” (Mort Shuman)
• Steve Binder. Binder directed and co-produced Presley’s television special. “But they all related to music he had either recorded or he liked or whatever. It was a special that we could not have, if he dropped out, we couldn't have run to another artist and said do this show.” (Elvis Australia)
• James Burton. Burton led Presley’s new live accompaniment. “You had to have eye contact and watch him every minute onstage, because he could change in midstream. He loved guitar, and he liked cueing off guitar.” (Graceland)
• The Sweet Inspirations. The Sweet Inspirations joined Presley’s live accompaniment. “Elvis responded with, 'Well if they don't come, I don't come'. But he was really upset about it. There was one person in particular who had sent the message.” (Elvis Australia)
• Blue Suede Shoes by Carl Perkins (1956). Blue Suede Shoes (Carl Perkins) — peer for Elvis Presley “The sessions yielded eight songs, including a cover of Carl Perkins ' rockabilly anthem " Blue Suede Shoes ".” (Wikipedia)
• Ray Charles. Presley’s stage repertoire included a Ray Charles cover. “While his act is concentrated mainly on a selection of his own many hits he also found time to include some great versions of Ray Charles's I Can't Stop Loving You and Chuck Berry's Johnny B. Goode .” (London Evening Standard)
• Jerry Leiber. The referenced songwriting team of Leiber and Stoller worked closely with Presley. (also via Hound Dog) “The songwriting team effectively produced the Jailhouse sessions and developed a close working relationship with Presley, who came to regard them as his "good-luck charm".” (Wikipedia)
• Mike Stoller. Stoller worked with Presley on his Christmas album. (also via Hound Dog) “Leiber and Stoller were again in the studio for the recording of Elvis' Christmas Album . Toward the end of the session, they wrote a song on the spot at Presley's request” (Wikipedia)
• Jerry Lee Lewis. Presley jammed with Lewis at Sun Records. (also via Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On) “On December 4, Presley paid a visit to Sun Records and ended up jamming with Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis , and Perkins' rhythm section.” (Wikipedia)
• Doc Pomus. Presley’s film albums included songs by Pomus. “The song Doc and I wrote specifically for Elvis was ‘A Mess of Blues’. ‘A Mess of Blues’ was a typical Doc Pomus expression: he loved the word ‘mess’ and he loved the blues” (Mort Shuman)
• The Imperials. The Imperials joined Presley’s live accompaniment. “As backing, a group of girl singers, the Sweet Inspirations , joined with the Imperials to add strength to an outstanding six-man group on electric piano, drums, bass and three guitars.” (London Evening Standard)
• Bill Haley. Presley’s quartet played shows supporting Haley. “On the night of October 20, 1955, Elvis, Scotty and Bill performed on a bill that featured acts filmed earlier that day at the Brooklyn High School Auditorium by Cleveland DeeJay, Bill Randle. The other acts were said to include Pat Boon…” (Elvis Australia)
• Barbra Streisand. Partners features a song pairing Streisand with Presley. (also via Elvis Presley) “she released Partners , a new album of duets that features a song with Elvis Presley as well as collaborations with Andrea Bocelli” (Wikipedia)
• Bob Dylan. Dylan's early band covered Elvis Presley songs. “Another song I got him to record was Bob Dylan's 'Don't Think Twice, It's Alright'. We were just jamming it, and then Elvis told them to start rolling the tapes.” (Elvis Australia)
• Chuck Berry. Connelly reports hearing Presley perform Berry’s “Johnny B. Goode” in concert. (also via Maybellene) “While his act is concentrated mainly on a selection of his own many hits he also found time to include some great versions of Ray Charles's I Can't Stop Loving You and Chuck Berry's Johnny B. Goode .” (London Evening Standard)
• Scotty Moore. Moore played lead guitar with Presley. (also via The Guitar That Changed the World!) “Presley, on guitar and accompanied by the guitarist Scotty Moore on lead and the bassist Bill Black , was a pioneer of rockabilly” (Wikipedia)
• The Jordanaires. The Jordanaires had previously done session work with Presley. (also via Peace in the Valley) “Moore, Fontana, and the Jordanaires declined to participate, afraid of losing the lucrative session work they had in Nashville.” (Wikipedia)
• Frank Sinatra (1915). Documents an on-screen duet collaboration between Sinatra and Elvis Presley. “A segment from a Frank Sinatra TV show, marking Elvis's return from the Army, reflects all too well the changing of the guard. They appear amiably in a duet, singing each other's songs” (Fresh Air (NPR/WHYY))
• Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On by Jerry Lee Lewis (1957). Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On (Jerry Lee Lewis) — peer for Elvis Presley “On December 4, Presley paid a visit to Sun Records and ended up jamming with Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Perkins' rhythm section.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Maybellene by Chuck Berry (1955). Maybellene (Chuck Berry) — peer for Elvis Presley “While Presley was not an innovative guitarist like Moore or contemporary African American rockers Bo Diddley and Chuck Berry, cultural historian Gilbert B.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Sam Phillips. Phillips produced Presley’s early recordings. “He began his music career in 1954 at Sun Records with the producer Sam Phillips , who wanted to bring the sound of African-American music to a wider audience.” (Wikipedia)
• Bill Black. Black played bass with Presley. “Presley, on guitar and accompanied by the guitarist Scotty Moore on lead and the bassist Bill Black , was a pioneer of rockabilly” (Wikipedia)
• D. J. Fontana. Fontana joined Presley’s performing quartet. “In 1955, the drummer D. J. Fontana joined to complete the lineup of Presley's classic quartet” (Wikipedia)
• That's All Right by Arthur Crudup. Presley performed Crudup’s song during a recording session. “As they were about to give up and go home, Presley launched into a 1946 blues number, Arthur Crudup's " That's All Right ".” (Wikipedia)
• Little Richard (1932). Presley’s stage repertoire included a Little Richard cover. “three R&B numbers that had been part of Presley's stage repertoire, covers of Little Richard , Ray Charles , and The Drifters .” (Wikipedia)
• The Drifters. Presley’s stage repertoire included a Drifters cover. “three R&B numbers that had been part of Presley's stage repertoire, covers of Little Richard , Ray Charles , and The Drifters .” (Wikipedia)
• Hound Dog by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. Presley made the previously recorded song his closing number. “He had attended several shows by Freddie Bell and the Bellboys in Vegas and was struck by their cover of " Hound Dog ", a hit in 1953 for blues singer Big Mama Thornton by songwriters Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller . It became his new clo…” (Wikipedia)
• Chet Atkins. Atkins was enlisted for a Presley recording session. “RCA Victor enlisted guitarist Chet Atkins and three background singers, including Gordon Stoker of the popular Jordanaires quartet.” (Wikipedia)
• Floyd Cramer. Cramer performed with Presley at live club dates. “Hayride pianist Floyd Cramer —who had been performing at live club dates with Presley—RCA Victor enlisted guitarist Chet Atkins” (Wikipedia)
• Jim Morrison. Landau compares Presley’s stage movement with Morrison’s. “He moved his body with a lack of pretension and effort that must have made Jim Morrison green with envy.” (Wikipedia)
• Judy Garland. The article attributes a comparison between Garland and Presley to Dowlin. “she was also capable of singing soul , blues and jazz music, which Dowlin compared to singer Elvis Presley .” (Wikipedia)
• Train Kept A-Rollin' by The Rock and Roll Trio (1956). Train Kept A-Rollin' (The Rock and Roll Trio) — geography for Elvis Presley “The trio were said to have auditioned for Sun Records but were turned down by Sam Phillips, apparently because they sounded too much like Elvis Presley.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Bear Cat by Rufus Thomas (1953). Bear Cat (Rufus Thomas) — geography for Elvis Presley “Many of his future recordings were inspired by local African-American musicians such as Arthur Crudup and Rufus Thomas.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• The Guitar That Changed the World! by Scotty Moore (1964). The Guitar That Changed the World! (Scotty Moore) — collaborator for Elvis Presley “Presley, on guitar and accompanied by the guitarist Scotty Moore on lead and the bassist Bill Black, was a pioneer of rockabilly, an uptempo, backbeat-driven fusion of country music and rhythm and blues.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Hound Dog by Big Mama Thornton (1953). Hound Dog (Big Mama Thornton) — collaborator for Elvis Presley “He had attended several shows by Freddie Bell and the Bellboys in Vegas and was struck by their cover of "Hound Dog", a hit in 1953 for blues singer Big Mama Thornton by songwriters Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Peace in the Valley by The Jordanaires (1957). Peace in the Valley (The Jordanaires) — collaborator for Elvis Presley “The Jordanaires' Gordon Stoker describes how he would retreat from the studio microphone: "The material was so bad that he felt like he couldn't sing it." Most of the film albums featured a song or two from respected writers such as the …” (en.wikipedia.org)
• 3 O'Clock Blues by B.B. King (1951). 3 O'Clock Blues (B.B. King) — geography for Elvis Presley

Who Elvis Presley influenced

• The Beatles. Presley is explicitly called a foundational influence on the Beatles. “That was followed by his first album, which I still love the best of all his records. It was so fantastic we played it endlessly and tried to learn it all. Everything we did was based on that album.” (The Beatles Story)
• David Bowie (1947). Bowie names Presley as part of his musical hybridization. (also via Hound Dog) “Everything from Presley to Edith Piaf went into this mix of this hybridization, this pluralism about what in fact, rock music was and could become.” (Fresh Air (NPR/WHYY))
• Luke Bryan (1976). Wikipedia states Bryan drew inspiration from Elvis Presley. “He drew inspiration from Elvis Presley, Michael Jackson, and country artists such as George Strait, Alabama, and Ronnie Milsap” (Wikipedia)
• Eddie Murphy (1961). Murphy directly cited Elvis Presley as an influence. “Murphy has cited as influences Richard Pryor , Elvis Presley , Muhammad Ali and Bruce Lee .” (Wikipedia)
• Jimi Hendrix. Hendrix learned to play by following Presley recordings. “Learning by ear, he played single notes, following along to Elvis Presley songs, particularly " Hound Dog ".” (Wikipedia)
• Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen (1975). Born to Run (Bruce Springsteen) — legacy for Elvis Presley “By the age of seven, he became interested in being a musician after seeing Elvis Presley's performances on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1956 and 1957.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc. by Dwight Yoakam (1986). Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc. (Dwight Yoakam) — legacy for Elvis Presley “Although he has a large number of songs written by himself, he has also recorded cover songs by a wide range of artists including Johnny Horton, Elvis Presley, Cheap Trick, the Blasters, Lefty Frizzell, and Queen.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Songs for Drella by Lou Reed and John Cale (1990). Songs for Drella (Lou Reed and John Cale) — legacy for Elvis Presley