What made you a fan and did Elvis lead you to discover other music?

[Juan Luis]

I was "fooled" by Elvis into liking country music. I did not know it was country music in a lot of his country songs. I remember after becoming a fan, getting the "Elvis Country" album as almost a last resort, cause I supposedly thought I didn't like the music! To this day in my opinion, many can hear an Elvis pop/rock record and consider it country, and vice versa. Songs as "Moody Blue" come to mind. Elvis's unique voice had every genre in him when he sang.

[John]

I was "fooled" by Elvis into liking country music. I did not know it was country music in a lot of his country songs. I remember after becoming a fan, getting the "Elvis Country" album as almost a last resort, cause I supposedly thought I didn't like the music! To this day in my opinion, many can hear an Elvis pop/rock record and consider it country, and vice versa. Songs as "Moody Blue" come to mind. Elvis's unique voice had every genre in him when he sang.

I don't know that he sang country music the way that others sang it. Yes, he sang country songs, but they always had a different feel.

[Lonely Summer]

My mom and dad had a couple Elvis 45's, and I was playing those before I was old enough to read the labels; All Shook Up/That's When Your Heartaches Begin, and I Gotta Know/Are You Lonesome Tonight. Because of those 2 45's, I thought every record he did combined an uptempo number with a slow, talking piece on the other side. Most of the credit goes to my Uncle Ron, though. He was the big Elvis fan in the family, he bought every Elvis record that came out - albums, singles, ep's. I remember dad asking him to play Elvis' Golden Records. I don't know how old I was at the time, maybe 6 years old. I got interested enough that mom started buying the Camden albums for me - cause they were cheap, and my parents did not value music the way my uncle did. My first Elvis albums were C'mon Everybody, Burning Love, Separate Ways, and Aloha from Hawaii. The movies were on afternoon tv a lot at that point, so I got to see most of them long before we ever had a VCR.
So thank you, Uncle Ron. He's in declining health now because of Parkinson's Disease, but I always thank him for introducing me to a lot of great music.

[jbgude]

I remember exactly when I got hooked on Elvis- it was at school, and the friday night weekly movie was " Worlds fair"..Elvis was interrupted by the parents making out with his with the girl, and cooly saying " Hi Mom Hi Dad" ....for many,many years I thought he lifted his hat saying Hi ...until I got the movie on VHS !
I am discovering new (old) music even today, especially the Blues ....tracking the Blues and Country roots of Elvis.

[Matt Helm]

It was back in 1975; first time i heard ELVIS on the ARCADE 40 Greatest Hits DoLP for real.
My Dad recorded Side 2,3 and 4 for my forthcoming SANYO-Stereo-Cassette-Player for X-Mas (he doesn't like Side 1!)
After collecting Elvis Albums extreme (till today for sure), in the late 70's and early 80's Shakin' Stevens and the "Stray Cats" was on my Headphones EVERY DAY!...and a whole lot of 60's/70's Tom Jones and of course Jimmy Ellis (aka ORION). But DEAN MARTIN, beside ELVIS, was and is the Greatest for me, always. Jerry Lee Lewis, Chuck Berry, Fats Domino, Sam Cooke, Sammy Davis Jnr. Carl Perkins are my most listening artists till today! A little bit swing from the 40's, Diana Krall, Ella and yes i like Bing and Andy Williams too!
Never liked the BEATLES or STONES in those days or SINATRA, RAY CHARLES, DINAH WASHINGTON etc. etc. but i have a real nice most complete Sinatra and Charles CD-Collection...and i like the Fab4 and Stones for sure; after all this years (Greatest Hits are enough for me

BUT MOST IMPRESSIVE WAS JOHNNY CASH when i saw the Movie WALK THE LINE for the first time in the cinema; till this moment i'm an absolute Johnny Cash Fan and Collector, till today...Matt
@ sorry, but i'm old fashioned...most of all for "my real good music"

[Chop983]

I was brought up listening to Elvis, through my Dad, so was a casual fan at best. Listening to the Sun sessions album when I was about 18/19 was a light bulb moment.

[John]

I was brought up listening to Elvis, through my Dad, so was a casual fan at best. Listening to the Sun sessions album when I was about 18/19 was a light bulb moment.

Did you then go on to discover other artists and other music?

[Mountain Mist]

What made me a fan (or appreciator of a very good man), as a child, is, that I liked Elvis, personally, himself, from what I sensed as a six year old; the rest of what Elvis offered (his music, his acting within the family type movies, which I think were perfect for a child to view), was an incredible bonus and liking Elvis' talent on every level, was within me.

I also liked that there was a very deep and sad message from Elvis' life, of how to live one's life in a good way, and how not to live one's life.

Liking other music due to Elvis? Yes; the beat and range of genre of Elvis' music (including Elvis' message songs), the fun, set me up in my mind for my likes and dislikes, which also gave me an ear for the beat, and the musicianship that Elvis had, to therefore enjoy other types of music that Elvis represented and played; moreover other artists, whom I like, as I feel that they are near to his talent.

I also liked, growing up, as I learned about the world around me; the music that had lyrics with a message, due to Elvis' "In The Ghetto". This included artists such as Pink (Mr President), The Boss (War); John Lennon's' "Imagine" (loved that song as a child), as well as some Aussie bands' music, such as Midnight Oil (Beds are Burning) and Yothu Yindi's (Treaty); these were message songs, that did some good at the time. Elvis' covers also introduced me to other musician's music who originally wrote what Elvis sang, (Dylan for instance, I enjoy so many covers of his music) or also covered Elvis' music.

[HD_RES]

I cant fingerpoint one event that did it for me (becoming a fan)
But most likely the fact that the only tv channel in my country aired the Aloha special on new years eve
in 1979 was a huge factor.
As a kid this was the first time I saw elvis `alive`...meaning not just pictures but video footage
The same channel aired 68 Comeback and Elvis In Concert in february 1980 so great times for a kid like me in thoose days.
Sadly my family didnt have a video recorder back then so I only got to watch them one time...that changed a few years later
I cant say that Elvis have lead me to other music though.

[John]

I cant fingerpoint one event that did it for me (becoming a fan)
But most likely the fact that the only tv channel in my country aired the Aloha special on new years eve
in 1979 was a huge factor.
As a kid this was the first time I saw elvis `alive`...meaning not just pictures but video footage
The same channel aired 68 Comeback and Elvis In Concert in february 1980 so great times for a kid like me in thoose days.
Sadly my family didnt have a video recorder back then so I only got to watch them one time...that changed a few years later
I cant say that Elvis have lead me to other music though.

That's good to hear, but I can't imagine a young person becoming a fan after watching Elvis In Concert. I suppose. maybe you didn't have anything to compare to the early Elvis. I assume you hadn't seen the movies prior to this?

[HD_RES]

I cant fingerpoint one event that did it for me (becoming a fan)
But most likely the fact that the only tv channel in my country aired the Aloha special on new years eve
in 1979 was a huge factor.
As a kid this was the first time I saw elvis `alive`...meaning not just pictures but video footage
The same channel aired 68 Comeback and Elvis In Concert in february 1980 so great times for a kid like me in thoose days.
Sadly my family didnt have a video recorder back then so I only got to watch them one time...that changed a few years later
I cant say that Elvis have lead me to other music though.

That's good to hear, but I can't imagine a young person becoming a fan after watching Elvis In Concert. I suppose. maybe you didn't have anything to compare to the early Elvis. I assume you hadn't seen the movies prior to this?

A channel in sweeden aired Paradise Hawaian Style in the spring of 1977 but all I remember from that screening was when Elvis lost the helicopter keys in the sand.
But at that time Elvis wasnt someone I cared for so it didnt do any impact on me,that didnt happen until around 1978 when my parents bought the Moody Blue and Rocking Days cassettes....and we got the Elvis Forever tape for christmas in 1977 or 1978,dont remember.
Elvis In Concert was the last special aired so at that time I was already a fan.

[Russ 55]

I’m also a huge Queen fan. Back in 1979 I heard Crazy Little Thing Called Love, i thought it was Elvis when I heard it on the radio ! I was aware of Queen at the time and I think it was the first record I bought. I went on to buy everything available.
Just like Elvis there are many many recordings most people never hear apart from the usual mainstream stuff on the radio. (Though YouTube has
changed a lot of that ).

[Mister Moon]

I’m also a huge Queen fan. Back in 1979 I heard Crazy Little Thing Called Love, i thought it was Elvis when I heard it on the radio ! I was aware of Queen at the time and I think it was the first record I bought. I went on to buy everything available.
Just like Elvis there are many many recordings most people never hear apart from the usual mainstream stuff on the radio. (Though YouTube has
changed a lot of that ).

I just can't stand Queen, and the omnipresence of their music is hard to swallow. Sorry, but this is how I feel. That recent biopic has been the icing on the cake.

[John]

I’m also a huge Queen fan. Back in 1979 I heard Crazy Little Thing Called Love, i thought it was Elvis when I heard it on the radio ! I was aware of Queen at the time and I think it was the first record I bought. I went on to buy everything available.
Just like Elvis there are many many recordings most people never hear apart from the usual mainstream stuff on the radio. (Though YouTube has
changed a lot of that ).

I just can't stand Queen, and the omnipresence of their music is hard to swallow. Sorry, but this is how I feel. That recent biopic has been the icing on the cake.

I think they were a fantastic band, and the biopic was tremendous.

[Russ 55]

It was entertaining but a lot of it was mixed up timeline wise.