Elvis Presley | Interviews and Articles. All about The King of Rock 'n' Roll.
Read all the latest Interviews and Articles about Elvis Presley. The King of Rock 'n' Roll.
D.J. Fontana Interview (1985)
I knew Elvis was different by his clothes and his actions on stage. I said, ‘The boy's got something. What it is, I don't know'. The first show at the Louisiana Hayride was kind of lukewarm. It was a country-oriented crowd, and they weren't quite used to what he was doing. They weren't ready for it. After the second or third time, that changed and we had kids coming in. But it was a gradual thing. We didn't really know it for a couple of years. We knew we were getting bigger crowds, but we didn't know exactly how big he was. I don't think he knew, because we were always going from one town to the next. We didn't have the chance to hear any critics, although we knew the security had gotten tight. But we really didn't know that he had become so famous. We didn't pay attention to it, because we were there every day. We were all still traveling in a car, and it wasn't any big deal to us'.
Elvis Interviews and Articles with and about Elvis Aaron Presley
Interview with Peter Guralnick | The Colonel and The King
Here is a book that I was looking forward to, The Colonel and the King. The book took 10 years to write. There have been other books on the Colonel having their own particular merits, but I waited with anticipation to see what it would be like from Peter Guralnick's perspective. The writer who brought two volumes - Last Train to Memphis and Careless Love, two award-winning Elvis books that really showed a different side of the business and a different side of Elvis' career and personal life than ever before. Many things have been said about Colonel Tom Parker. What to believe? This book really sets itself apart, with Graceland giving access to all of Parker's letters, telegrams along with Peter's first-hand accounts. The book is a must-read for Elvis fans and anyone who is interested in the music business. I've had the pleasure of being able to ask Peter some questions after reading the book that I feel that fans would be interested to know. – Johnny Vallis
Interview with John Wilkinson
John Wilkinson was Elvis' rhythm guitarist from 1969 to 1977 and - along with lead guitarist James Burton - was the only one of the TCB Band never to miss a single show in all those years, notching up over 1100 performances with the King on stage. He's had a long and distinguished career in the music business, and has been playing the guitar since he was five. I spoke to John via telephone from his home in Springfield Missouri.
Interview with Jerry Weintraub | Elvis' Concert Promoter
I started to call Tom Parker who was Elvis' manager every morning at 8:30 in the morning. 'Good morning, Colonel, this is Jerry Weintraub. I want to take Elvis on tour'. Finally, one morning he said to me, 'You still want to take my boy on tour'. I said, 'Yes'. He said, 'Okay, you be in Vegas tomorrow at 11:00 o'clock with a million dollars and we'll talk a deal' .... I said, 'Okay I'll get it and I'll be there'.
Marty Lacker on Elvis' 1969 Memphis recording sessions
One of Elvis' trusted friends, Marty Lacker was instrumental in arranging Elvis' seminal recording sessions at American Sound Studios with producer Chips Moman in January and February of 1969. Marty shares the genesis behind those historic sessions, which yielded the hits, 'Suspicious Minds', 'In The Ghetto', 'Don't Cry Daddy', and 'Kentucky Rain' and marked an artistic rebirth for the singer.
Baz Luhrmann talk at the EPiC movie World Premiere screening at TIFF
On Saturday, September 6, 2025, the world premiere of 'EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert', the latest film by director Baz Luhrmann, took place at the Princess of Wales Theatre in Toronto. The audience reacted enthusiastically and rewarded Luhrmann with a standing ovation. Toronto has always had a special place in Baz Luhrmann's story. Thirty-five years ago, when he premiered Strictly Ballroom, no one wanted the film. 'It was going straight to video', Luhrmann admitted on stage at the Princess of Wales Theatre, visibly emotional.
EPiC World Premiere
The Toronto International Film Festival ranks among the most prestigious international film festivals in the world, and that is where Baz Luhrmann's 'EPIC - Elvis Presley in Concert' movie had its world premiere. One of the journalists who saw a preview stated: 'I'd thought that when he emerged from the atom-splitting moments of him you depicted as he became this edgy risk taker who inspired so many kids to become musicians, he went to Vegas and became a caricature in a jumpsuit. I stand corrected; he was a badass who could really sing, from what you captured'. From the exclusive interview with Deadline, the director tells how Elvis Presley wouldn't let him go after his feature film Elvis and why he decided to make a completely new film project.
Why Baz Luhrmann Could Not Shake Elvis And Made TIFF Premiere 'EPiC: Elvis Presley In Concert'
It's difficult to shake rattle and roll Elvis Presley out of your system once you've immersed yourself in the life and music of The King. Elvis star Austin Butler took forever to lose Presley's vocal patter and mannerisms. The film's director Baz Luhrmann was also not immune. He extended his Elvis experience to make EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert, a film that is one part concert and one part documentary, with pristinely restored lost footage from his 1970s residency in Las Vegas that will be a feast for Elvis fans and dispels the notion that the singer became simply a bloated caricature and a shadow of the young man who forever changed music. There is a playful running dialogue through this film, over whether Presley was to be hated or beloved, and whether he could really even sing.
Elvis Presley and Sammy Davis Jr
While it is well known that Elvis Presley and Sammy Davis Jr. were good friends, first meeting in the 1950s, maintaining a friendship through the years, now, we have a fantastic photo via a news paper clipping from Jet magazine, February 27, 1958 showing Sammy in full swing imitating Elvis, and what's more, the clipping tells us that Elvis was sitting in the front row, roaring with laughter. Imitations were a big part of Sammy's shows and Elvis was not left out in this regard, with Sammy singing Hound Dog in concert.
Interview with singer-songwriter Mac Davis
The first time I saw Elvis in person I knew he was special. Number one he was the prettiest man you ever saw in your life. He was really beyond handsome. There was something electric about him. Coming along when he did, moving the way he did, jumping around the way he did plus the fact that every woman was totally mesmerized by him. And if they said they weren't they were lying. Everything came to standstill when you saw Elvis. This was when he was 19 and again when he was 30. I saw him at both instances and there was the same reaction both times. You couldn't have wiped the smiles off their faces with a hand grenade. It was unbelievable every time he performed. He was just a great looking guy and he was very confident.
'At Home with Elvis Presley': The King shared glimpse into his life and Graceland in 1965
Sixty years ago, Elvis Presley allowed a reporter and a photographer from The Commercial Appeal into his Graceland home, to talk about such topics as Ann-Margret, the Beatles and marriage. Said Elvis, in one of several quotes from the story that ought to be more familiar: 'I pray that some day I will find the right girl and that we can get married and raise a little Elvis Jr'. Headlined 'At Home with Elvis Presley', the story was a coup, and the color photographs by Charles Nicholas - Elvis at his white piano, Elvis outside his mansion, peering over the rooftop of one of his many cars - remain among the best-known in the singer's career.
Elvis Presley | A Musical Prodigy
Musical prodigies are most often associated with classical music, but by definition, such prodigies are natural talents and not restricted to one musical genre. Musical prodigies usually have several of the following characteristics: exceptional talent and/or interest in music at an early age; the ability to identify the specific pitch of sounds, i.e., perfect pitch, also known as a natural ear for music, or a good ear; ability to play by ear and/or to improvise; long-term memory for elements of music - melody, harmony, rhythm, time, and/or lyrics; and creative performance abilities (emotional and/or dynamic delivery, improvisation). 'The one element that truly defines a musical prodigy is the ability to create a performance dynamic with the audience that is captivating and, at times, overwhelming'.
'Elvis Presley in Concert' movie at the TIFF on September 6, 2025
It's official! Baz Luhrmann confirmed the world premiere of 'EPiC', 'Elvis Presley in Concert' movie at the TIFF on September 6, 2025 in the Princess Of Wales Theatre! 'Oh, It's a happy day…' he posted.
Why Roustabout remains a cult classic
Elvis' 16th movie is hardly the kind of film that's going to change the world. At first glance, Roustabout is formulaic enough to understand why, in 1964, the New York Times flatly refused to review it. Many critics lamented the way this musical comedy 'totally wasted' the talents of Barbara Stanwyck, the acclaimed star of such classics as 'Ball Of Fire' and 'Cattle Queen Of Montana' (a performance that especially impressed Elvis). Yet despite a clichéd plot - hard-hearted business types try to shut down struggling carnival - and some below par songs - Roustabout has, if anything, improved with age.
Pfc. John Gilgun was an Army buddy of the 'King of Rock and Roll'
Elvis Presley was known to bring women to tears, and former Pfc. John Gilgun, 83, of Pawtucket witnessed the hysteria firsthand. He also remembers a time when he saw tears coming from the eyes of the 'King of Rock and Roll' in a quiet moment more than 60 years ago.
Interview with Wayne Jackson
Wayne Jackson has played on over 300 Number 1 records. Born in West Memphis, Arkansas, Jackson rose to prominence while still in high school as a member of Stax Records' famed studio band the Mar-Keys, a crew of expert musicians that included guitarist Steve Cropper, bassist Donald 'Duck' Dunn, keyboardist Booker T. Jones, organist Isaac Hayes and saxophonist Andrew Love, Jackson's future Memphis Horns partner. Jackson's love of music began with a guitar but one night his mother came home with a trumpet for her 11 year-old son. By 12th grade Wayne Jackson found himself playing with a group called The Mar-Keys.
EPiC Announcement
Filmmaker Baz Luhrmann announced that his movie 'EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert' will have its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival's 50th edition (TIFF) in September 2025.
Interview with session guitar player Chip Young
Chip Young: RCA Studio B. I was blown away getting to work with Elvis. Then the next thing we did was a movie soundtrack out in L.A. We went to MGM or Universal, I've forgotten which one it was now. I remember I was driving the car with all the musicians with me. It's a movie lot, so all the buildings are really close together. I swerved around the corner and Rock Hudson stepped out of one of the doorways and jumped back in. I almost hit him. Scared me to death!
Sam Phillips: The Rolling Stone Interview
The history of rock & roll may have begun with a man known as Uncle Silas Payne. Uncle Silas was a black man, blinded by syphilis, who lived in Florence, Alabama, with the Phillips family, whose eighth child was named Sam. Uncle Silas used to tell Sam stories, stories that tempered the way Sam came to think, and perceive, stories that shaped his sense of possibility. 'In Africa, Samuel', Uncle Silas would say, 'we have the most beautiful molasses rivers, and we have battercake trees that grow warm battercakes on them. And a young boy can pick those battercakes off the trees and sop them in those molasses rivers'. This was a story that amazed young Sam, and it was based in magic and in alchemy.
Interview With Darlene Love ('The Blossoms')
Darlene Love was the lead voice of 'The Blossoms' an American girl-group. During their height of success in the 1960s, the group's lineup most famously consisted of Darlene Love, Fanita James, and Jean King. It has been said that the Blossoms were to the American West Coast what the Sweet Inspirations were to the East Coast and the Andantes were for Motown. In 1968 they appeared in the Elvis (NBC TV Special).
Elvis thrilled Tulsa teens at fairgrounds April 18, 1956
If you were a teenage girl living in the Tulsa area on April 18, 1956, chances are you were screaming your head off at the fairgrounds Pavilion. 'Presley Leaves 'Em Limp - 8,000 Squeal at 1st Show', read the headline in the Tulsa World the next day. Elvis was a 21-year-old singer and former truck driver who performed two 'frenetic' Tulsa shows, 60 years ago next month. Most of the tickets were $1 each.
Bob Neal | Managing Elvis Presley (1973)
Your biggest success came after a phone call from Sam Phillips, right? Yes, Sam phoned me and said he had this new boy who just had a record out and would I put him on a show. I agreed with Sam and so I got Elvis on a show on August 10th, 1954. He got a tremendous reaction, which really amazed me because he had just started. Then a couple of months after that I was thinking one day and asked Elvis had he got a manager. He said 'No' and well I said I've never been a manager but let's try it.
Paul McCartney names his favourite Elvis Presley songs
Paul McCartney has never been shy about his admiration for Elvis Presley. The King of Rock and Roll was one of McCartney's earliest and most important influences, long before The Beatles became a worldwide sensation. Like the rest of his bandmates, McCartney grew up captivated by Presley's revolutionary sound and style. While each Beatle found inspiration in Elvis, McCartney's connection to his music remained deeply personal, and two specific songs stood out as his lifelong favourites.
Writing for the King | The Songs and the Writers Behind Them
Raised in Tupelo, Miss., Elvis listened to music without prejudice. Whether it was Tin Pan Alley pop, R&B, gospel, country & western, rock and roll, Appalachian folk, opera or big ballads, he adored all kinds of music. And while Elvis wasn't a songwriter per se, he did co-write a few songs in his career including 'That's Someone You Never Forget' and the haunting 'You'll Be Gone'. From the '50s through the '70s, Elvis demonstrated his innate gift as a seasoned song man.
Maurice Elliott has died
Maurice Elliott, the reporter who announced Elvis' death to the world from Baptist Memorial Hospital has died. From the L.A. Times Archive: Maurice Elliott used to be assistant administrator at Memphis' Baptist Hospital and, as such, oversaw public relations duties. The job escalated each time Elvis Presley checked in. He was hospitalized four times, from 1973 prior to his death. He was also at the hospital when his father suffered a heart attack and when his daughter, Lisa Marie, was born.
Elvis sightings | Spokane, Summer 1957
In the summer of 1957, girls across America - even sleepy Spokane - loved Elvis. So many kids and teens turned out on July 31 to see the opening of Elvis Presley's second film, 'Loving You', that the line at the Fox Theater extended three downtown blocks. 'At showtime there were no injuries, but pressure of the crowd of young people near the Fox entrance broke out a display window of the Wurlitzer Organ company', the Spokane Daily Chronicle reported.
Ben Weisman | Why Elvis Recorded 57 Of My Songs
'I approached writing for Elvis differently than I did for any other artist. The songs had to have acombination of blues, country, rock and pop [what came to becalled 'rockabilly']. It was like walking in his musical shoes. With each new Elvis movie, more of my songs were being recorded. It became more and more exciting, for I was becoming the only songwriter to have so many songs recorded by him.
How I met Elvis at a party in Tulsa
There are times in your life when you reflect on a past event that, at the time you were living it, you were not fully aware of what a remarkable situation you were in. What I am about to recount is one of those times. I have been a diehard Elvis fan for as long as I can remember. I have seen all his films and collected every one of his albums.
Interview with George Nichopoulos (Dr. Nick) | Elvis Presley's doctor
George Nichopoulos, known simply as Dr. Nick, talks with Andrew Hearn (2007) about his time with Elvis Presley.
On This Day in 1956, Elvis Delivered his Famous Performance of 'Hound Dog'
On June 5, 1956, Elvis Presley helped change the attitude and sexuality of rock 'n' roll with a performance that left the media warning 'beware of Elvis Presley', critics and Catholics clutching their pearls, and Elvis fans buzzing with an excitement they had never felt from music prior to that fateful evening. Presley's career was already well in the midst of its upswing at the time. But his appearance on the Milton Berle Show increased his stardom tenfold.
Elvis Presley | The King of Rock 'n' Roll
Elvis Presley is the undisputed King of Rock and Roll. In 1954, Elvis Presley kicked off a musical revolution by modernizing traditional genres such as blues, country and bluegrass. Throw in a charismatic stage presence with then-scandalous hip-swings and body contortions, and it's easy to see why he set the charts (and hearts) ablaze.
The Browns and Elvis Presley | Maxine Brown Recalls
Singer-songwriter Maxine Brown first laid approving eyes on young Elvis Presley backstage at the Louisiana Hayride in 1954. She and her brother, Jim Ed, were already members of the Hayride, having been propelled to the Shreveport-based radio show by their recent hit, 'Looking Back to See'.
Review | Elvis '57: The Final Fifties Tours Book by Alan Hanson
In 1957, Elvis Presley undertook his last live performances of the 1950s, with tours that took him to eighteen major cities in the USA and Canada. He played twenty-eight concerts, with a total audience of over a quarter of a million people. He was at the pinnacle of his career and would soon be pulled away to perform in a very different fashion for the US military.
Leiber And Stoller | The Masters Behind the Masters
Jerry Leiber: I called and asked to speak to (Colonel) Tom. He got on the phone and said (Leiber imitates Parker) 'How you doin' boy?' I said, 'I'm OK. I had a real close call there. I had walking pneumonia and I just got out of the hospital.' He said he wanted me to pack right away and catch a plane. I told him I wasn't in any shape to catch a plane because I'd just gotten out of the hospital. He said, 'If they let you out, that means you're all right'. I told him I needed a day or two to get myself together, but he said the schedule was very tight and he needed me to come out right away.
Rick Nelson talks about Elvis Presley (1981)
Rick Nelson talks a little about Elvis Presley and their football games' starting at 3:44.
Interview with James Burton
James Burton was born in Dubberly, Louisiana, on August 21, 1939, but he grew up in Shreveport which he refers to as home. He never took any lessons in how to play the guitar. He picked it up from listening and sitting in. His first guitar was not a Fender (the one he is most associated with) but a Rex, and after that a Stella. In 1953, he walked into a Shreveport music store and fell in love with the '53 Telecaster.
Finding Elvis by Fox 5 New York
Graceland was recently contacted by 'Fox 5 New York' about footage that was discovered in their archives during their work on a story about Elvis Presley's 90th birthday. The rare, candid footage from 1956 shows Elvis recording a new ending for his first film, 'Love Me Tender', in New York City on Oct. 29, 1956 - as well as footage of him signing autographs for fans. The footage will now be showcased in the Hollywood section of Elvis: The Entertainer Career Museum at Elvis Presley's Graceland in Memphis.
The Elvis Presley song that changed Bruce Springsteen's life: 'Shot straight through to my brain'
In the world of art, heroes can be found in all corners of the globe. The beauty of art, and music in particular, is how singular and personal it can feel. A song can make the singer an icon, if only to a few hundred people who happened to hear it. Bruce Springsteen is a hero to millions of music lovers.
Didn't Have To Die | Elvis Presley | Bruce Springsteen
In this work of speculative fiction, Shawn Poole ponders the possibilities of what could have been if Bruce Springsteen had gotten to meet Elvis Presley before August 16, 1977. Might things have turned out any differently for either or both of them? Poignantly reminding us of the promise and potential that tragically disappeared in that long ago summer. Memphis, Tennessee was sweltering in the mid-July heat.
A New Light On Colonel Tom Parker
Just as his Elvis Presley is possibly the most famous entertainer of all time, Colonel Tom Parker is the publicly best-known artist manager, besides perhaps the Beatles' Brian Epstein who was, by the way, a huge admirer of Parker. In contrast to Epstein, however, Parker always 'enjoyed' an extremely bad reputation among his client's fans; loads of the worst imaginable stories and rumors are being told about the man who directed Elvis' career. The question is: What of all this is truth, what is legend, what is misunderstood or misjudged, what is totally false?
Elvis Aaron Presley - Elvis' middle name, is it Aron or Aaron?
Are you ready for this? Either spelling is right and either spelling is wrong. But, how can that be?
Interview with Linda Thompson
Linda Thompson was born May 23, 1950 in Memphis, Tennessee. Linda won several beauty pageants, including the 1972 Miss Tennessee USA title. In July of that year she began a relationship with the recently separated Elvis Presley and immediately moved in with him at Graceland for roughly three and a half years.
Will Hutchins has died aged 94
Will Hutchins has died aged 94. Hutchins appeared in two Elvis Presley movies (Spinout and Clambake) and played a New York City landlord and Dagwood Bumstead on short-lived sitcoms, he also portrayed the wholesome sharpshooter and frontier lawyer Tom Brewster on the 1957-61 ABC Western Sugarfoot.
David Briggs - Pianist, Arranger, And Producer Dies At 82
There are only a few distinct session players in Nashville who can legitimately claim to be part of the cast of 'Nashville Cats' who were in high demand for decades to perform on country albums, along with albums from across the American music spectrum. There are even fewer session players who can claim they were also part of the original Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section. Piano and keyboard player, songwriter, producer, studio owner, and performer David Briggs was one of those rare unicorns.
Crying In The Chapel | Elvis Presley's Forgotten Gospel Masterpiece
Were there a gathering of past rock and roll years, the resident mack daddy and the accompanying belle of the ball would be the calendar pages bearing the imprints 1966 and 1967 at the top. Everybody who was a rock titan - Dylan, the Beatles, the Stones, the Who, the Kinks, the Byrds, the Beach Boys, Hendrix, Cream - unleashed major works whose impact would echo down the years. We're talking 104 weeks of new sounds, envelope-pushing, artists one couldn't have anticipated, concept albums, feedback platters, psychedelia and burgeoning metal blending as one, music to blast the detritus out of your brain, tune you in, turn you on. Heady stuff.
Wink Martindale has died age 91
Wink Martindale, a radio personality who became a television star has passed away. He was 91. R.I.P.
Interview with Otis Blackwell |1979 (Otis Blackwell & Elvis Presley)
Otis Blackwell was reportedly a very quiet man. Yet in truth he didn't need to speak much, as his wonderful songs spoke in volumes. 'Don't Be Cruel', 'All Shook Up', 'Paralyzed' and 'Great Balls Of Fire' are among the rock and roll treasures he created.
Eyewitness To History | Scotty Moore Recalls (2008)
Scotty Moore recalls the day Elvis recorded 'That's All Right'. He could have been a Starlite Wrangler. If history had played out differently, Elvis Presley might have been just a singer in a local country & western group. That's how Wrangler guitarist Scotty Moore pictured him when he first heard the unproven vocalist.
Elvis' 1974 Easter Television Special
The following article was first published in the U.K. based ‘Elvis Monthly' magazine in 1974, written by Wayne Stierle. The annoyance is the single sleeve which proclaims an 'Easter Television Special From Elvis'. The fact is most fans are eagerly awaiting it, and why not? (Unless Elvis decided to convert his millions of non-religious fans and fans of other beliefs to his way of worshiping it'll be great. If he pulls off a religious trip, well, it'll be interesting to see how the country responds to it). But, no such thing, folks, and here we go on a binge of phone calls to find out what's happening, or not happening. Come on along!
next page >>
Tupelo's Own Elvis Presley DVD
Never before have we seen an Elvis Presley concert from the 1950's with sound. Until Now! The DVD Contains recently discovered unreleased film of Elvis performing 6 songs, including Heartbreak Hotel and Don't Be Cruel, live in Tupelo Mississippi 1956. Included we see a live performance of the elusive Long Tall Sally seen here for the first time ever. + Plus Bonus DVD Audio.
This is an excellent release no fan should be without it.
The 'parade' footage is good to see as it puts you in the right context with color and b&w footage. The interviews of Elvis' Parents are well worth hearing too. The afternoon show footage is wonderful and electrifying : Here is Elvis in his prime rocking and rolling in front of 11.000 people. Highly recommended.
Tupelo's Own Elvis Presley DVD Video with Sound.
