What made the king, king so to speak (Elvis)

[Hawkins001]

Just seen the trailer and it does look an excellent film, but what made Elvis different or quite popular ?

m.youtube.com/watch?v=wBDLRvjHVOY

No one like him. He sounded like a black singer but he was Southern white dirt poor, attractive so v.marketable. He was God fearing, raised 'right', loved his parents but had listened to country and gospel music all his life. Remember, the South had segregation so no black artists were allowed success unless they went North. His good looks, moves, voice etc and the way he was marketed catapulted him to fame. Being filmed on tv above the waist only added to the legend. John Lennon famously said before Elvis there was nothing. For that generation it was new, exciting and rebellious.

His blue suede shoes?

Wow that looks fantastic, can't wait!

His unique voice , his good looks and his lovely, warm generous personality. I am sure he wasn’t the easiest to live with entourage there continually though. I still feel sad about how his last years panned out and he was treated awfully by his manager .

Me too, normally I'm not fussed about the bio type films, but Elvis looks great.

From what I've read it does seem a mix with the manager business, although not absolve the manager, but I guess due to him, we have Elvis.

Much appreciated for the perspectives

Also the way he moved, excuse the pelvis. His story is quite tragic imo

Lol at the autocorrect elvis the pelvis.

There isn't as much footage of him performing live (full length) from the earlier years when it was very clear that he was clean cut yet very sexually confident - but watch the '69 special. The way he interacted with the other musicians, his voice, his musicality and his appearance - he had 'it' in bucketloads. Charisma. Talent. Looks.

In a time when the stars were all so very, very bland, he was absolutely nothing like any white male stars before him.

Only Elvis could make this trite song special!

Elvis has charisma, good looks and a unique voice and that coupled with the 'sexy' dance moves made him a superstar when he first started performing.

There was and hasn't been since, anyone like him.

Age 21 I think -

Terribly exciting if you were a young girl back then.

Incredible performer

Nobody like him, before or since. He changed the music world forever, and he will never be forgotten.

Scream 😍

m.youtube.com/watch?v=BskKbs_BHNg

Will it go into the dark stuff? (Not just the drugs).

eg the record company ripping off black artists’ music. (Good Malcolm Gladwell podcast on thus).

His relationships with young teens. Abusiveness in relationships.

Agree with PPs that he was a fantastic performer.

I have never been able to see the appeal of Elvis. I acknowledge that he is popular and influential but I like neither his voice or his appearance.

The voice, the moves and the looks.
That film actually looks really good.

@Loopytiles

"Will it go into the dark stuff? (Not just the drugs).
His relationships with young teens"

We conveniently ignore the stones and Bowie having sex with 13 year olds three decades after Elvis had sex with 15/16 year olds, which in the South wasn't unusual and during Elvis lifetime legal, so I doubt it.

When he was young and slim he was absolutely gorgeous.

OMG, I love Wooden Heart. I love listening to it using headphones/ear-pods, particularly when he croons “treat me nice”, right into my ear.

He had a beautiful voice. I love the come-back special

Film looks fab!