In 1994, McCartney shared a similar view of The King during an interview with guitar writer Tony Bacon. The Beatles legend said: “Elvis was the guy. He ended up a complete plonker, unfortunately—he turned in the end, wanted to become a Federal drug marshal.”
Mick Jagger
"It was Elvis that got me interested in music. I've been an Elvis fan since I was a kid. Ask anyone. If it hadn't been for Elvis, I don't know where popular music would be.
He looked too much like a rock star to me. “Elvis is the greatest because he did his own thing,” John Lennon once said of the singer. It made no difference what anyone said to him. In both his style and rebellious manner, it's clear that The Beatles owe much to Elvis.
As teenagers, The Beatles, especially John Lennon, were strongly influenced by Elvis Presley. They started wearing their hair slicked back like Elvis. They admired his rebelliousness and his appeal to women, not to mention his musical talent.
Part of the clash was due to Lennon and Elvis's profound political differences. The King was notoriously enthusiastic about guns, law and order and military service. Hutchins said: "Elvis' dislike of the pacifist Beatle was born from the night I took the Fab Four to his house for their first – and last – meeting.
John Lennon said there wouldn't have been The Beatles without Elvis. Paul McCartney praised John as the Elvis of The Beatles. Likewise, John praised Elvis for inspiring The Beatles' music, but he had a strange way of showing his admiration. John and Paul became prolific songwriters as their careers progressed.
On that list, Elvis Presley outranks The Beatles in terms of “significance” (Presley's ranking is 7.116 and The Beatles ranking is 6.707). However, The Beatles outrank Elvis in terms of “fame”: The Beatles scored 4.423 vs. Elvis at 3.592.
"He loved close harmony," says former Memphis Mafia member Red West, who lived at Graceland. He says Elvis's favorite groups were the Harmonizing Four and Golden Gate Quartet and his favorite gospel singers included Jimmy Jones, Jake Hess (who sang with the Statesmen and later formed the Imperials) and Mahalia Jackson.
Lennon, according to Harris, was disappointed when he met Lennon despite his admiration for Elvis' music. It is true that he despised the King of Rock and Roll because he perceived him to be a right-wing bigot from the South. When he was a teenager, John Lennon was a huge fan of Elvis Presley.
During the latter years of Elvis' life, John Lennon heaped praise on the singer, expressing his deep sadness at his death. According to John, Elvis actually died the day before he enlisted in the army. They killed him that day, and his body was left there for the rest of his life.
Led Zeppelin and the King shared the same promoter, Jerry Weintraub, who set up a meeting after the show between the two parties. Plant later wrote about his impressions of Presley: “I sized him up. He wasn't quite as tall as me. But he had a singer's build.
“Heartbreak Hotel” seemed to change everything, not just for John Lennon, but also for rock and roll history.
On June 5, 1956, Elvis set his guitar to the side and performed what came to be known as one of the most controversial performances in television history. The provocative hip-swinging dance moves caused a national scandal and set the stage for the King of Rock 'n' Roll's place in history.
'Black Star': David Bowie's Connection to Elvis Presley
In an interview with Q in 1997 Bowie said of the date: 'I couldn't believe it', he was a major hero of mine. And I was probably stupid enough to believe that having the same birthday as him actually meant something'.
He invited Domino to the press conference and when one reporter referred to him as “The King of Rock 'n' Roll,” Elvis pulled the room's focus to Fats Domino, insinuating that he was the true King. “[Domino] was one of my influences from way back,” said Presley.
In a 1978 interview with Playboy Magazine, Parton discussed the parallels drawn between herself and Elvis. She explained that, while she sadly never had the chance to meet Elvis, “There was nobody that [she] ever related to more. I always felt that we were kin.”
But it's safe to say that while The Beatles may very well have still come into existence without Elvis, they would certainly have been a very different group. By a similar token, innumerable other artists have credited Elvis with giving them the inspiration to pursue a creative career.
Colonel Tom Parker was likely moved to tears for two reasons. One, was that he loved seeing "his boy" do so well at his craft. But the other reason was purely financial.
Elvis held Roy Orbison is very high regard, publicly stating that Roy had ' most perfect voice' and referring to him as the 'greatest singer in the world' during one of his Vegas concerts.
Did Ginger Alden Attend Elvis' Funeral? Yes. As his fiancée at the time, it is believed that Ginger Alden was present for Elvis' funeral. Following the funeral, however, she was reportedly banned from Graceland by Presley's family and had to receive permission to visit his grave.
“Don't Be Cruel” was Elvis Presley's biggest hit in the US. “Hound Dog” was Elvis Presley's biggest hit in the rest of the world.
The Beatles are one of the most iconic and successful musical acts in history. Their albums, singles, and live performances have sold millions of copies and they have a huge global following. So it's no wonder that many have wondered if any artist has ever outsold the Beatles. Unfortunately, the answer is no.
• Beatles lead Elvis in #1 records
As to be expected, due to his far greater number of total chart entries, Elvis has the advantage over The Beatles in most performance categories. Presley placed 102 titles in Billboard's top 40, while The Beatles had 50 entries that made it that far up the chart.
People who said they loved at least one Beatle were asked which of those they love is their favorite. McCartney tops this list as well, by a bigger margin: 45% say he is their favorite. Lennon earns 27% of the vote, while Harrison (17%) and Starr (11%) take third and fourth place.
Documentary has Joe Esposito, Elvis' best friend apparently, telling various stories from their first meeting while they were in the Army up until the day The King died.