Shake Rattle and Turn That Noise Down...How Elvis Shook Up Music, Me and Mom
If you are of a certain age you know exactly where you were on August 16th, 1977 when you first heard that Elvis Presley had died.I was at my parents' cottage on a lake in New England. It was a little cold that evening as it can be there in mid-August. It was the first of many stunning losses in the music world for me and for my generation—a slightly different and younger group than those who had already suffered the loss of legends like Buddy Holly and Ritchie Valens, and different still from our parents' generation that was saddened by the short life and tragic death of Hank Williams in 1953. But Presley's death was the first in the modern media era. He was a huge star globally and had been for over 20 years, literally my entire life. "Nobody of Presley's stature in popular music had died before. Almost immediately, a post-death industry sprang into place, including tours of Graceland, an army of Elvis impersonators, and a never-ending sea of reissues. However in this grim scenario was one positive note. As his music suddenly blared from the airwaves again and profiles abounded in print, people couldn't help but think and talk about him. Many who had never been properly exposed to his music became fans...." —Defining Moments in Music Through this website I was contacted by a multi-faceted artist by the name of Mark Alan Stamaty who took his talents and, most importantly, his facination with Elvis, to a level all its own. He (STAMATY!) even got to visit the White House! Shake, Rattle and Turn That Noise Down - How Elvis Shook Up Music, Me and Mom is a unique and delightful (and personal) new look at The King of Rock n' Roll. Stamaty tells a great story and illustrates wonderfully too! (Some people can do everything!) Entertaining and artful in every way, "Shake, Rattle" can and will be enjoyed by ALL AGES...for ages. This is a GREAT coffee table book...it's on mine! THANKS MARK! JH |
Subscribe in a reader