Elvis Presley: A Southern Life

n Elvis Presley, one of the most admired Southern historians of our time takes on one of the greatest cultural icons of all time. The result is a masterpiece: a vivid, gripping biography, set against the rich backdrop of Southern society--indeed, American society--in the second half of the twentieth century. Author of The Crucible of Race and William Faulkner and Southern History, Joel Williamson is a renowned historian known for his matchless ability to write compelling narratives. In this tour de force biography, he captures the drama of Presley's career and offers insights into the social upheavals following World War II. Born in Tupelo, Mississippi, Presley was a contradiction, flamboyant in pegged black pants with pink stripes, yet soft-spoken, respectfully courting a decent girl from church. Then he wandered into Sun Records, and everything changed. He first went onstage in 1954. I was scared stiff, Elvis recalled. Everyone was hollering and I didn't know what they were hollering at. Girls did the hollering--at his snarl and swagger. Williamson calls it the revolution of the Elvis girls. They took command, insisting on his sexually charged performances. They lived in an intense moment, this generation raised by their mothers, when men had been at war.

by : Joel Williamson |