Elvis a Racist? Debunking an Urban Legend

Many people have thought that Elvis was racist because of a quote that he was reported to have said. Professor Michael Bertrand debunks the myths and tells us how he tracked down its source.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• ELVIS
• RACIST.
• elvis
• presley.

[12Aggiefan]

He may or may not have been a racist only Elvis knows but the fact is he STOLE all of his music and style from black preformers and gave them no credit for it. Because of that Elvis is a THEIF and a scoundrel he got famous because he was a great white entertainer preforming black music. You can blame it on him and the times that he preformed in, end of story.

[mrpitv]

@12Aggiefan Actually, he did give credit to other performers including Big Mama Thornton, & Little Richard. He blended music and styles from many sources and didn't hide where it came from and that's how music evolves. The big hit, Hound Dog, 1st recorded by Big Mama was written by two Jewish guys, Leiber and Stoller. Then Elvis sang it. Blue Moon of Kentucky was the anthem of Bill Monroe and Elvis sang it with a different beat. I don't think it's theft it's how culture is passed on. 

[marycockburn1]

WHAT A LOAD OF COMPLETE UTTER SHITE ELVIS WAS  NEVER EVER

A RACIST THIS IS COMPLETE RUBISH AND A INSULT TO HIS MEMORY

[mrpitv]

@marycockburn1 not sure what you're referring too. Are you commenting on the video clip or the comments? The video we posted clearly states that Elvis was not a racist and debunks this as an urban myth.

[marycockburn1]

@mrpitv video

[mrpitv]

@marycockburn1 The video is pretty clear that you're correct.

[bronson1921]

@12Aggiefan If Elvis was nothing more than a so called "Thief" then why did so many of his black peers hold him in high-esteem & praise him for postively impacting Black music?? It wasnt Elvis who denied blacks their due credit but the unfair System & music publishers.The thief comes only to steal,kill & destroy - but Elvis dared to do in the light of day what White America had been doing in the sneak-thief anonymity of night - he consorted on a human level with blacks - thats the BIG picture.

[66gingerly]

It was the times that he came up in.White people ,especially the older whites would never have listened to black music.Elvis was white and he caused white people to sit up and listen.To me he was a messenger saying to his people,"listen to what we are missing".Again,it was time and he was there,not to mention,so talented in his own right.

[ProFishingGuys]

@12Aggiefan elvis had one of the best voices of all time, thats how he got famous of it. and he did give credit

[5starGeneral79]

This guy looks stoned!

[TheLONEWOLFETA]

Elvis gave lots of credit to whom ever what artist he covered, he spoke many times about how great the people were who he covered, He pushed it forward because of the MEDIA...Work it out its still going on now with crap like this video.

[ronfowlermusic]

@12Aggiefan "nearly all his songs were from black musicians?" Wrong, wrong, wrong. Was Carl Perkins black? Mae Axton? Leiber/Stoller? Doc Pomus? Mark James? Mac Davis? Dennis Linde? Tony Joe White? Baker Knight? Get your facts straight before spreading these lies. If you had asked James Brown, Little Richard, B.B. King, Fats Domino, Sammy Davis, Jr, Ike Turner, they would all tell you Elvis was one of the greats. I'll take their opinions over yours.

[ronfowlermusic]

So it would have been okay if Elvis was only influenced by white artists but not black artists? Maybe you'd prefer it, too, if white people didn't LISTEN to black music. So who's the racist here?

[youngj11229]

@12Aggiefan Black people create it White people claim it

[FREECY8ERSPACE]

what does it matter if he was or was not