Elvis Shows The World Why He Is Considered "The King Of Rock And Roll" In 1972 Live Performance

Jan 28, 2020 by apost team

Many of us who frequent social networks to find interesting videos were born way past the Elvis Presley era. We have certainly heard his music; perhaps our parents or grandparents have played it, or maybe it was part of a documentary or multimedia presentation during school.

We have learned about his status as the "King of Rock and Roll," which is always up for debate in terms of actual contribution to the American music canon, but we have to keep in mind that this was a nickname.

According to NBC, historians can easily agree that Aretha Franklin was the Queen of Soul, and Warner Music Australia also declare that Madonna was Queen of Pop at one time. As for Elvis Presley, musicologists tend to lean more strongly towards Chuck Berry, reports Affinity Magazine.

But fans who were able to see him perform live in concert will tell you why they called him "the King." It was not so much the marketing machine driven by Sam Phillips and later Charles Felton Jarvis; the reason fans knew him as the King can be appreciated in a YouTube video dating back to a 1972 performance in Virginia.

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To date, the video has been viewed more than four million times. It starts off with Presley talking to the audience before gospel singers come onstage and warm things up for a rendition of "How Great Thou Are." A couple of verses into the song, the King and the choir are in the pocket; they harmonize in the beginning but then Presley catches the gospel spirit and the audience simply takes it all in. You can even see the choir members amazed at what they are experiencing.

A couple of interesting facts about that 1972 Hampton Roads performance: Jarvis had been stationed with the U.S. Marines in nearby Norfolk, and he coordinated with local contacts to arrange the concert, states Elvis Australia. Although fans always clamored to hear Presley singing known hits such as "Love Me Cruel" and "Suspicious Minds," he always insisted on performing traditional blues and gospel songs.

This Hampton Roads concert took place five years before Presley succumbed to a life of excesses, but it is a perfect example of why he was called the King. Early in his career, he was a shy young man; once he understood that he was able to touch his fans, he gave them royal performances. If your friends have not seen this video, be sure to pass it on to them so that they get to see a formidable side of the man who was King to his many fans.