The backlash during 1956 was said to be difficult for Elvis’s mother, Gladys, too. ibid.
The Americas of Elvis’s teenage years was also changing fast. The economy was growing, and for the first time young people had money in their pocket. They were going out watching films, and above all, listening to music. ibid.
Elvis’s version of That’s All Right helped to set him on course for global stardom. ibid.
As Elvis is increasingly pulled away from her [mother’s] world, Gladys’s life starts to unravel. ibid.
Elvis officially entered the army on March 24th 1958. Colonel Parker had arranged for news crews from around the world to be on hand to record this extraordinary event. ibid.
On 31st July 1969 a nervous Elvis Presley stepped out on to the stage at the International Hotel in Las Vegas after an eight-year absence from performance. The show was a triumph: the culmination of a long hard journey for Elvis to show the world who he really was as an artist. Elvis: Rebirth of the King, BBC 2020
But the triumph was brief and the end was not pretty. The grind of over 600 Vegas shows in 8 years eventually killed the king. For many this cartoon image of Elvis is the one that endures. ibid.
In 1956 Elvis Presley shook up the world. Tall, dark and preternaturally handsome, this dirt-poor southern boy scandalised segregated America when he performed Hound Dog on NBC’s Milton Berle Show. ibid.
In 1956 Love Me Tender was one of the highest grossing movies in the world. What could possibly go wrong? ibid.
Elvis determined that his future would be as a balladeer aimed at a mature audience, but it was a direction that set him on a collision course with the Colonel. ibid.
Elvis is a searcher. It’s a part of him that never left. Elvis: The Searcher I, Priscilla, HBO 2018
’68 he was a nervous wreck. Nervous because he didn’t know if his audience was going to accept him. People had not seen him perform in so long. ibid.
Elvis was born in a shotgun house. The poorest of the poor lived in those houses. His twin brother did not survive birth. ibid. Professor Bill Ferris
Elvis was like Huck Finn exploring. At night he would slip in to the black churches and listen to gospel music and to sermons. ibid.
Elvis, he longed to be a great gospel singer. ibid. Tom Petty
What happened in Memphis at that time was a convergence of forces: the convergence of radio, DJs and artists. ibid. Ferris
But the basic set up when it was just Elvis, Scotty, Bill and a beautiful echo tape delay, it was all you needed. With that voice you could do anything. ibid. Robbie Robertson, musician
And I knew I could help him exploit his talents all over the world. ibid. Colonel Tom Parker
Elvis was able to bring a value to the presentation of black music. ibid. David Porter, Stax Records
Elvis’s first television appearances were earth-shattering. He sang at a moment in the history of the south in the early 50s when his music was truly a revolutionary sound. ibid.
He was basically a good-natured southern kid but he was on a mission to deliver this music. ibid. Ferris
He goes into the army which is where he gets the pep pills for the first time, the Methedrine, to stay up on watch. ibid. Petty
So he was gonna follow what Tom Parker said. He’d been right so far. ibid. Prescilla
The 68 Special really showed Elvis’s career in its entirety. They took Elvis’s original songs and made them more modern. Elvis: The Searcher II, dude
The Sinatra Show – it was a very conservative move at the time. He was just trying to find his place after coming out of the army. He basically had to believe in himself and that’s what Elvis did. ibid. Springsteen
He had to make three movies a year. So these soundtrack albums became a big part of the contractual obligation to release music for RCA. ibid. Jackson
The movies were very harmful to his image. ibid. Petty
The Colonel was not taking him to the place he needed to be. ibid. Priscilla
Las Vegas: It worked great in the beginning – just got to be same old stuff. ibid. Ronnie Tutt, drummer
1971: 157 concerts; 1972: 165 concerts. ibid. captions
By this time he had started to turn to prescription drugs to keep himself going. He was on a relentless wheel of performance to travel, and you started to see the stress of that. ibid. Alan Light, writer
Abba transformed the face of pop music with their feel-good floor-fillers. Abba’s total music sales are staggering, with over 380 million records sold. Abba: Secrets of their Greatest Hits, Channel 5 2020
Abba’s shattering personal lives fused with their fully mature songwriting to create the ultimate break-up song. ibid.
Abba entered Eurovision in a desperate bid for international recognition … Abba won Eurovision but what they really wanted was credibility. ibid.
Within two years the Mama Mia costumes helped the band conquer the world. ibid.
The Free Britney movement is advocating the end of Britney Spears’ conservatorship. (Celebrity & Pop Music) Framing Britney Spears, fan, Sky Documentaries 2021
Britney is in the midst of a legal battle right now. She’s been in a conservatorship for the past twelve years. There’s been a lot of speculation whether this is in Britney’s best interests. ibid. Liz Day, senior editor The New York Times
The thing people became fascinated about was the unravelling. ibid. observer
February 21 2007: For nearly four months, Britney and Kevin have been in a battle over the custody of their two children. ibid. caption
Nobody talked about mental health … There was too much money to be made off her suffering. ibid. observer
‘Why don’t we just let her alone and let her get on with her life?’ ibid. Michael Moore
January 4 2019: Eleven weeks later, Britney cancels the residency, citing her father’s recent health issues and her desire to be with her family. ibid. caption
Britney welcomes and appreciates the informed support of her many fans. ibid. lawyer’s press release
John Windsor Lennon was born in Liverpool, a city traumatised by the devastating impact of the Second World War … He never excelled in the classroom; his real passion was music, an obsession he discovered as a teenager, and shared with a circle of friends including George Harrison and Paul McCartney. They practised in each other’s houses and played in public whenever they could. A Life in Ten Pictures: John Lennon
A protracted legal battle: John Lennon vs US Government, for his right to remain in America. ibid.
In just seven short years we witnessed Amy Whitehouse’s transformation from beautiful singer to haunted drug addict. Demonised by the press. Dramatic weight loss, destructive relationships and aggressive behaviour, all playing their part in Amy’s all too brief life. The Death of Amy Whitehouse: 10 Years On, Channel 5 2021
This is the story of a towering but troubled talent. ibid.
‘Amy Whitehouse was the most incredible British raw talent I think ever really seen. ibid. Neev Spencer, radio JD
Back to Black: It was impossible to imagine the scale of the album’s success and colossal impact it would have on Amy’s life. ibid.
I’m not everybody’s cup of tea. But sometimes criticism can be hurtful. Be respectful. I’m a good piano player. I can sing well. I write good songs. If you don’t like it, fair enough. But give me a break. Elton John
I just like having fun. And, you know, sometimes I just like to present myself in that fun energy. Katy Perry
If you’re in the harmony game, you learn to scorn harmonies like that. Simon & Garfunkel: The Harmony Game, Simon & Garfunkel in taxi, BBC 2021
Oh we were on top of the world. We were lucky sons of guns. Our toes were twinkling. There’s nothing that brings out your talent than hit records. It puts you in such a good mood. ibid.
We got hate mail … and we got plenty of that. You don’t like it here? Get out. ibid. Simon