"Before Elvis there was nothing"
John Lennon said it.
shareHe was mistaken.
shareIn what way ? Elvis changed the face of music forever
shareYes he did! When I was in high school in Hollywood CA, my friends and I used to visit Elvis when he stayed at the Hollywood Knickerbocker hotel while he was making movies at Universal Studios. He was very friendly.
shareI love Elvis, so sad how his life ended, but what a singer, seemed like a really nice guy, I still think Mickey Newbury did American Trilogy better though, it was his song I guess, anyway, Elvis, Love ya !
shareElvis was a great performer. He had a strong influence on rock and roll, but to say he "changed the face of music forever" is hyperbole. Even if he did, it does not mean that there was nothing important before him. A bit of self-education about the history of music in general, and pop music in particular, will enlighten you to the realization that Lennon was either an ignorant fool, or he was joking.
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I think perhaps it has been taken too literally, Lennon was an Art School graduate so he certainly knew what had come before musically, indeed they spent their early years playing classic covers of the era, I think it was more of a compliment to what Elvis brought to the table in Lennon's characteristic hyperbolic style.
shareHe changed the crotch of music forever.
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