Recording Of Elvis Presley Singing Patriotic Classic In 1976

Jun 08, 2020 by apost team

Elvis wasn't just one of the biggest stars of his era. He was also a firmly patriotic American. Consider that when Elvis' draft number came up, he didn't try to find an excuse not to serve. Instead, he stepped away from his career to join the Army, like countless other young men. It's hard to imagine one of today's stars making that kind of sacrifice. Elvis showed his patriotism in other ways, too. His rendition of "America the Beautiful" is one of the most interesting versions ever made.

Elvis found a way to make a slightly more modern version of "America the Beautiful" without offending anyone. He first performed it in 1975, towards the end of his legendary career. In fact, his version sounds very traditional to us today, even if at the time it might have seemed a little surprising to some that the 'King of Rock'n'Roll' would take a stab at such a classic patriotic tune.

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Elvis' stirring version of this song is notable because it can be hard for artists to walk that line. Like Elvis, some artists like Marvin Gaye have been able to modernize patriotic songs. Gaye did a beautiful, unusual, soulful rendition of the National Anthem in the 1980s. Elivs was a true patriot who loved his country and it shows in this recording. It's still very listenable today.

"America the Beautiful" started out as a poem from the pen of Katharine Lee Bates. She wrote it in 1895, intending to make it a part of a special Fourth of July church sermon. After church organist Samuel A. Ward set the poem to a melody in 1910, "America the Beautiful" became one of the most popular of the many U.S. patriotic songs in the 20th century, arguably nearly as famous as “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

What do you like best about Elvis' recording of "America the Beautiful?" Let us know in the comments and be sure to pass this article along to other Elvis fans!