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The Cat From Memphis

The Cat from Memphis
Elvis Presley enjoyed a long reign as the King of Rock N' Roll. He succeeded in not only stealing the hearts of every teenage girl in America, but also in redefining pop culture. Not only did Elvis redefine the world of pop culture but he helped to create the genre of Rock-n-Roll. According to Horace Logan, a radio producer for the music show the Louisiana Hayride who helped to launch Elvis's career, "Elvis changed everything. He changed the way popular music sounded, the way it looked, the way it acted-everything about it" (Logan and Sloan 9). By creating a new sound and style of music Elvis helped set the stage for recording artists such as The Beatles, Billy Joel and Elton John. Even John Lennon said, "Before Elvis, there was nothing." (Logan and Sloan, quotesandsayings.com)
While Elvis is toted as being the King of Rock-n-Roll, he was insanely self-conscious growing up. He was a young kid with acne who was torn between wanting to fit in and wanting to draw attention to himself, "He was an outsider who stressed his apartness by refusing to conform" (Mason 24). He would wear "flashy clothes to compensate for his deep dissatisfaction with his looks" (Mason 24). As Elvis's fame grew he became a prolific figure in American culture; women everywhere wanted to be with him and men everywhere wanted to be him, however his initial self-esteem issues never seemed to fade. "Despite the way he acted on stage, he had a lot of insecurities bottled up inside him-insecurities that no amount of wealth and fame could ever erase" (Logan and Sloan 144). He needed to be noticed and needed to feel loved; therefore fame and fortune became his drug. Sadly, he became addicted to more than fame. Elvis began using drugs frequently to cope with the pressures of fame, "Sometimes stoned on pills, he stood on the coffee table and preached lengthy, hilarious sermons to the guys-who were not encouraged to laugh […] Everyone found Elvis's behavior bizarre....