Rockblog

Wow. I have no idea what kind of mental re-fried beans I’ve been eating to cause the serious brain farts I had while posting yesterday.

First thing I did in yesterday’s post was wish Elvis Presley a Happy 73rd Birthday. It was later pointed out to me that it was actually Elvis’ 74th birthday . Once I realised we were in 2009, and would likely remain there for the rest of the year, I agreed that it was indeed Elvis’ 74th birthday.

I’ve also just realised that not only did I have the year wrong, but I had the date wrong as well. Elvis’ birthday wasn’t yesterday, but it was the day before (Thursday).

I looked at his birth date yesterday and said to myself “Yep, that’s today.”

Elvis, if you’re reading this I’m terribly sorry and would like to wish you a happy belated birthday. And if you’re in the London area tonight why don’t you come along to your Birthday Bash. I’d love to meet you and buy you a drink just so I can hear you say “Thank you very much” when I hand it to you.

After writing yesterday’s post about the Handsome Dicks playing Elvis’ Birthday Bash, it dawned on the Rockblog that Elvis’ birthday must be sometime soon. Lo and behold, the Rockblog was once again spot on with noticing the obvious. Today would have been Elvis Presley’s 73rd 74th birthday (Thanks to atorturedsoul for catching my mistake).

Hell, if the stories can be believed (and why shouldn’t they?) it still might be his 73rd birthday and he’s celebrating with his buddies at the gas station in Michigan where he works, or with Bigfoot in their secret hideaway in the woods, or on a spaceship a million light years from Tupelo.

Seriously though, love him or not, you would have to be a complete idiot to not recognise The King’s influence on rock and roll. You can say what you want about “he just stole the black man’s music”, but the fact is there were NO black rock and roll superstars hitting the headlines and making the teenage girls go crazy when Elvis started out.

Elvis was the blueprint for rock and roll. People have built on it, changed it, tried to reinvent it, and in some cases even improved upon it, but if you break it down and follow it back all rock and roll roads will lead you back to Elvis.

Happy Birthday King, wherever you are.