Number One Songs—Heartbreak Hotel

"Heartbreak Hotel" shot up the charts, a litmus of things to come for the "King," and landed at #1 on the Pop, R&B and Country Charts, a crossover smash.

In naming "Heartbreak Hotel" #45 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, Rolling Stone Magazine said, "When RCA records signed 'hillbilly cat' Presley, they expected more songs like his rockabilly hits from Sun Records. Instead, for his first RCA single, Presley recorded this gloomy, downtempo number, co-written by Axton, his former publicist, and inspired by a newspaper report of a suicide note that consisted solely of the line 'I walk a lonely street.' But what Sun Records founder Sam Phillips called "a morbid mess" went on to become Presley's first Number One hit and million-selling single, thanks in part to Scotty Moore's steely guitar and a thumping bass line from Bill Black."

"Heartbreak Hotel" was written by Mae Boren "Mama Mae" Axton, Tommy Durden and Elvis Presley. Likely the song was written entirely before Elvis ever saw it but it is fairly common in the music business for a big star like Presley to be added as a writer to songs they cut, for financial (songwriter royalties) and professional (looks like Elvis is a songwriter) reasons. Of course, most songwriters are happy to have a major recording artist share the songwriting credit in exchange for cutting their song!

Mama Mae Axton is an interesting story. She is the mother of the late Hoyt Axton, who wrote a number of huge hits including "Joy to the World" and "Never Been to Spain," for Three Dog Night, Steppenwolf's "The Pusher" (which was made famous as part of the soundtrack to the 1960s classic film Easy Rider), and Ringo's "No No Song." Hoyt Axton was also a successful singer, recording artist and actor, but his biggest claim to fame was as a hit songwriter. He died in 1999 at age 61.

"Mae Boren Axton (September 14, 1914 in Bardwell, Texas - April 9, 1997 in Hendersonville, Tennessee) was known in the music industry as the 'Queen Mother of Nashville.' She was enormously influential in the Nashville music industry. For decades she used her influence to contribute to the success of many musical careers including Reba McIntire, Willie Nelson and Blake Shelton to name only a few.

"Mae was married to the late John T. Axton. Together they had two sons, the late Hoyt and late John Axton.

"Mae had friends and colleagues literally by the thousands. She was known simply by all who knew her as 'Mama Mae.'

"It all began with Elvis' rise to the throne. Mae was a key player in helping launch his career. She'd met Elvis when she was in her early forties. At that time he was on Sun's label and not yet recognized nationally. She became a close friend and confidante to him. It was her influence that contributed to the marriage of Elvis and Col. Tom Parker, triggering his ascent to RCA. Mae was a whip when it came to PR and she used her influence to help Elvis every chance she had.

"Mae struck oil in 1956 when she and a man named Tommy Durden co-wrote a little song called 'Heartbreak Hotel.' She brought the song to Elvis to see if he might be interested in recording it. Elvis loved the song and soon put it to vinyl. The song became a smash hit soon after it's release and sold over a million copies...a first for Elvis. The rest is history." Wikipedia

Heartbreak Hotel is not only a famous fictional place. Elvis Presley Enterprises owns and operates a real Heartbreak Hotel in Memphis, Tennessee.

Elvis Presley's Heartbreak Hotel is a fashionable boutique hotel that takes its cues from the legendary hospitality and personal style for which the King of Rock & Roll was known.

"The 128-room namesake hotel serves as a chic and convenient headquarters for visitors of the celebrated Graceland Mansion and its related attractions, as well as executives traveling to the Mid-South area." —Elvis.com

SIDEBAR: A movie entitled Heartbreak Hotel, based on a mythical incident involving the kidnapping of Elvis Presley, was released theatrically in 1988. It starred David Keith, and Tuesday Weld and was directed by Chris Columbus.

Heartbreak Hotel Lyrics
(Words and Music by Mae Boren Axton, Tommy Durden and Elvis Presley)

Now since my baby left me I've found a new place to dwell:
down at the end of Lonely Street at Heartbreak Hotel.
I'm so lonely, I'm so lonely,
I'm so lonely that I could die.

And though it's always crowded you can still find some room
for broken hearted lovers to cry there in the gloom
and be so lonely, oh so lonely,
oh so lonely they could die.

The bell hop's tears keep flowing, the desk clerk's dressed in black.
They been so long on Lonely Street they never will go back
and they're so lonely, oh they're so lonely,
they're so lonely they pray to die.

So if your baby leaves and you have a tale to tell
just take a walk down Lonely Street to Heartbreak Hotel
where you'll be lonely and I'll be lonely,
we'll be so lonely that we could die.