1 00:00:04,080 --> 00:00:07,480 Speaker 1: Welcome to Aaron Benky's Cabinet of Curiosities, a production of 2 00:00:07,480 --> 00:00:13,840 Speaker 1: I Heart Radio and Grim and Mild. Our world is 3 00:00:13,960 --> 00:00:17,960 Speaker 1: full of the unexplainable, and if history is an open book, 4 00:00:18,280 --> 00:00:21,640 Speaker 1: all of these amazing tales are right there on display, 5 00:00:22,000 --> 00:00:27,600 Speaker 1: just waiting for us to explore. Welcome to the Cabinet 6 00:00:27,840 --> 00:00:39,239 Speaker 1: of Curiosities. Nepotism is often frowned upon, especially when the 7 00:00:39,280 --> 00:00:42,240 Speaker 1: person doling out jobs is in a position of great power. 8 00:00:42,640 --> 00:00:46,640 Speaker 1: Politicians and celebrities often give friends and family members cushy 9 00:00:46,760 --> 00:00:49,960 Speaker 1: roles within their organizations as a favor, but not only 10 00:00:50,000 --> 00:00:52,600 Speaker 1: can it be unethical and immoral, it can also lead 11 00:00:52,640 --> 00:00:58,080 Speaker 1: to some bizarre situations for everyone involved. By a d 12 00:00:58,280 --> 00:01:01,400 Speaker 1: Rome had finally gotten rid of its hate Emperor Tiberius 13 00:01:01,440 --> 00:01:05,360 Speaker 1: Caesar Augustus. Installed in his palace was his grand nephew, 14 00:01:05,480 --> 00:01:09,399 Speaker 1: Guius Caesar Augustus Germanicus. However, history would come to know 15 00:01:09,520 --> 00:01:13,840 Speaker 1: him by his nickname Caligula. Though Caligula had been seen 16 00:01:13,880 --> 00:01:17,160 Speaker 1: as a savior to the people of Rome following Tiberius's reign, 17 00:01:17,600 --> 00:01:21,680 Speaker 1: their hopes were quickly dashed. Their new emperor was impetuous 18 00:01:21,680 --> 00:01:25,000 Speaker 1: and power hungry. When he saw something or some one 19 00:01:25,080 --> 00:01:28,760 Speaker 1: that he wanted. He took it, and he killed without question. 20 00:01:29,840 --> 00:01:32,840 Speaker 1: After he was poisoned and nearly killed during his first year, 21 00:01:32,959 --> 00:01:36,440 Speaker 1: Caligula purged his inner circle of any one he suspected 22 00:01:36,480 --> 00:01:39,200 Speaker 1: who might have played a part in his case. That 23 00:01:39,280 --> 00:01:43,440 Speaker 1: was almost everyone. Those who were murdered were exiled, and 24 00:01:43,480 --> 00:01:46,640 Speaker 1: he dispatched anyone he considered a threat to his position, 25 00:01:47,319 --> 00:01:50,440 Speaker 1: and that included family members such as his cousin, his 26 00:01:50,560 --> 00:01:53,400 Speaker 1: father in law, and his brother in law. Aside from 27 00:01:53,440 --> 00:01:57,680 Speaker 1: his general paranoia, Caligula also thought highly of himself, more 28 00:01:57,760 --> 00:02:01,040 Speaker 1: so than other of his predecessors. After a few years 29 00:02:01,040 --> 00:02:03,840 Speaker 1: as emperor, he made his feelings quite known regarding his 30 00:02:03,880 --> 00:02:07,440 Speaker 1: place in the universe. He considered himself a god and 31 00:02:07,520 --> 00:02:11,840 Speaker 1: began addressing the public, dressing clothing reminiscent of Hercules and Apollo, 32 00:02:11,960 --> 00:02:16,520 Speaker 1: among others. Even official documents had him listed as Jupiter 33 00:02:16,760 --> 00:02:21,280 Speaker 1: Latieris rather than his own name. Temples were constructed in 34 00:02:21,360 --> 00:02:24,079 Speaker 1: his honor, as were statues of gold to be worshiped 35 00:02:24,120 --> 00:02:27,640 Speaker 1: by his adoring subjects. Although he was a bit flexible 36 00:02:27,720 --> 00:02:31,160 Speaker 1: in his divine identity, he often shrugged off one persona 37 00:02:31,360 --> 00:02:35,560 Speaker 1: like Jupiter to take on another. Such as Neptune. One 38 00:02:35,600 --> 00:02:38,160 Speaker 1: minute he would be parading around with a trident, and 39 00:02:38,160 --> 00:02:40,920 Speaker 1: the next he was trading it in for Venus's gowns. 40 00:02:42,000 --> 00:02:46,000 Speaker 1: One thing was consistent, though Caligula tolerated no other gods 41 00:02:46,000 --> 00:02:51,200 Speaker 1: in Rome. Any statues of Mercury, Juno, or Diana were decapitated, 42 00:02:51,520 --> 00:02:55,399 Speaker 1: leaving only the statues modeled after himself with their heads intact. 43 00:02:55,800 --> 00:02:58,440 Speaker 1: He believed himself so far above the people he had 44 00:02:58,480 --> 00:03:00,680 Speaker 1: a bridge built to take him from his palace to 45 00:03:00,720 --> 00:03:03,080 Speaker 1: the temple of Jupiter, so that he didn't have to 46 00:03:03,120 --> 00:03:07,120 Speaker 1: walk through the public square of the Roman Forum. Although 47 00:03:07,120 --> 00:03:10,639 Speaker 1: he only reigned for four years, Caligula managed to squeeze 48 00:03:10,720 --> 00:03:13,680 Speaker 1: a lot of other strange behaviors into that short time, 49 00:03:14,240 --> 00:03:17,160 Speaker 1: like when he and his army waged war on the sea. 50 00:03:17,600 --> 00:03:20,200 Speaker 1: He marched his soldiers to the coast of northern France, 51 00:03:20,200 --> 00:03:23,200 Speaker 1: ready to do battle against an unbeatable enemy, only to 52 00:03:23,240 --> 00:03:26,880 Speaker 1: have them fill their tunics and helmets with seashells. Caligula 53 00:03:26,960 --> 00:03:31,160 Speaker 1: called them the spoils of the sea. After they collected enough, 54 00:03:31,360 --> 00:03:33,480 Speaker 1: he and his men returned to Rome and through a 55 00:03:33,480 --> 00:03:38,200 Speaker 1: parade for themselves to commemorate their um victory. It's no 56 00:03:38,280 --> 00:03:41,040 Speaker 1: wonder that many people, from those closest to him to 57 00:03:41,200 --> 00:03:45,200 Speaker 1: modern day historians, believed the emperor to be unwell. Those 58 00:03:45,240 --> 00:03:47,720 Speaker 1: who knew him used to see him wide awake at 59 00:03:47,840 --> 00:03:51,400 Speaker 1: night talking to the moon. It was clear that he 60 00:03:51,520 --> 00:03:54,440 Speaker 1: needed a friend, someone he could trust without worrying they 61 00:03:54,440 --> 00:03:56,840 Speaker 1: were going to try and take his place, and he 62 00:03:56,960 --> 00:04:00,840 Speaker 1: found that confidant in in Catatas. In Tatas had been 63 00:04:00,840 --> 00:04:03,480 Speaker 1: there for Caligula when he needed him most, and so 64 00:04:03,560 --> 00:04:06,120 Speaker 1: he treated him much better than almost anyone else in 65 00:04:06,160 --> 00:04:08,840 Speaker 1: the emperor's circle. He lived in a house made of 66 00:04:08,880 --> 00:04:12,880 Speaker 1: ivory and slept beneath lush, purple blankets. He wore expensive 67 00:04:12,920 --> 00:04:15,200 Speaker 1: jewels when he went out in public, and attended dinner 68 00:04:15,240 --> 00:04:18,000 Speaker 1: parties thrown in his honor, all of which were paid 69 00:04:18,000 --> 00:04:21,719 Speaker 1: for by his rich and powerful comrade Caligula. In return, 70 00:04:22,040 --> 00:04:28,320 Speaker 1: Incatatas would perform magnificent feats of athleticism for his friend's amusements. Eventually, however, 71 00:04:28,360 --> 00:04:30,320 Speaker 1: it got to the point where Caligula wanted to do 72 00:04:30,400 --> 00:04:32,840 Speaker 1: more for his pal and to have someone he could 73 00:04:32,880 --> 00:04:35,760 Speaker 1: trust in charge. So he drafted a plan to make 74 00:04:35,839 --> 00:04:39,800 Speaker 1: Incantatas a console. Unfortunately, for both of them, there were 75 00:04:39,800 --> 00:04:43,560 Speaker 1: two big hurdles preventing such a thing from happening. First, 76 00:04:43,920 --> 00:04:48,520 Speaker 1: the emperor was assassinated before Incatatas could be appointed, and second, 77 00:04:48,920 --> 00:04:52,440 Speaker 1: Inca Tatas was a pretty unorthodox choice for the Roman Senate. 78 00:04:53,000 --> 00:04:57,320 Speaker 1: It's because he wasn't even human. He was a horse. 79 00:05:09,760 --> 00:05:12,960 Speaker 1: Aaron was born into a pretty poor family, although that's 80 00:05:13,000 --> 00:05:16,479 Speaker 1: not an extraordinary beginning. In fact, it's far too common 81 00:05:16,640 --> 00:05:20,920 Speaker 1: even today, but in in Mississippi that meant living with 82 00:05:21,000 --> 00:05:25,320 Speaker 1: some pretty rough conditions. His father really did try to 83 00:05:25,400 --> 00:05:28,200 Speaker 1: provide for the family, but he was just a day laborer, 84 00:05:28,279 --> 00:05:31,520 Speaker 1: and oftentimes the work would dry up. When that happened, 85 00:05:31,600 --> 00:05:34,400 Speaker 1: word would spread and the community around them would step 86 00:05:34,480 --> 00:05:37,520 Speaker 1: up and help out. A cooked meal, a warm coat, 87 00:05:38,120 --> 00:05:41,960 Speaker 1: things that mattered from people who cared for someone in need. 88 00:05:43,400 --> 00:05:46,279 Speaker 1: When Aaron was fairly young, the family went through another 89 00:05:46,320 --> 00:05:48,760 Speaker 1: of those rough patches. As a result, they had to 90 00:05:48,800 --> 00:05:52,240 Speaker 1: move around a bit by They were in Tennessee in 91 00:05:52,279 --> 00:05:54,960 Speaker 1: a rough neighborhood, which meant that he was quickly known 92 00:05:55,040 --> 00:05:57,560 Speaker 1: as the poor kid from the wrong side of the tracks. 93 00:05:58,040 --> 00:06:01,320 Speaker 1: It seems that then, just like today, where you lived 94 00:06:01,360 --> 00:06:04,000 Speaker 1: said a lot about who you were, even when that 95 00:06:04,120 --> 00:06:08,040 Speaker 1: message was wrong. Of course, Aaron had friends who were 96 00:06:08,080 --> 00:06:10,359 Speaker 1: better off. One of them was a boy named Jimmy 97 00:06:10,440 --> 00:06:13,600 Speaker 1: who lived in a much nicer part of town. At school, 98 00:06:13,640 --> 00:06:16,360 Speaker 1: they had a lot of laughs and enjoyed each other's company. 99 00:06:16,600 --> 00:06:19,839 Speaker 1: Kids have fewer prejudices and it showed in their friendship. 100 00:06:20,480 --> 00:06:23,320 Speaker 1: But Jimmy's mother didn't care for the neighborhood where Aaron's 101 00:06:23,320 --> 00:06:25,599 Speaker 1: family lived, so she made it clear to her son 102 00:06:25,640 --> 00:06:27,839 Speaker 1: that the poor boy was never allowed in their house. 103 00:06:28,320 --> 00:06:33,599 Speaker 1: After all, he might steal something. Right, well, it happened 104 00:06:33,600 --> 00:06:36,320 Speaker 1: one day in nineteen fifty that Jimmy had some relatives 105 00:06:36,360 --> 00:06:38,719 Speaker 1: come to stay for a while at their house. His uncle, 106 00:06:38,800 --> 00:06:41,839 Speaker 1: a Lonzo Green, was a country singer, and to Jimmy 107 00:06:41,960 --> 00:06:45,080 Speaker 1: it was like welcoming royalty into the house. He beamed 108 00:06:45,120 --> 00:06:47,440 Speaker 1: with pride and couldn't help but tell all of his 109 00:06:47,560 --> 00:06:52,160 Speaker 1: friends about it, and that included Aaron, which prompted a request. 110 00:06:52,720 --> 00:06:55,520 Speaker 1: You see, Aaron had somehow come into possession of a guitar, 111 00:06:55,960 --> 00:06:58,560 Speaker 1: but he had no idea how to tune it, so, 112 00:06:58,760 --> 00:07:01,960 Speaker 1: knowing Jimmy's uncle as a musician, he pressured the friend 113 00:07:02,000 --> 00:07:04,279 Speaker 1: to go home and ask if he could visit, just 114 00:07:04,440 --> 00:07:08,560 Speaker 1: to get help with his guitar. Uncle Anzo agreed as 115 00:07:08,600 --> 00:07:11,320 Speaker 1: long as they didn't break the rules. So Jimmy told 116 00:07:11,360 --> 00:07:14,240 Speaker 1: Aaron to meet them outside on the sidewalk, and that's 117 00:07:14,240 --> 00:07:16,920 Speaker 1: where Alonzo first met him, a shy boy with dark 118 00:07:16,920 --> 00:07:19,880 Speaker 1: hair and a southern accent, with a raddy old guitar 119 00:07:20,120 --> 00:07:25,080 Speaker 1: over his shoulder. They made small talk. Alonzo represented everything 120 00:07:25,120 --> 00:07:27,480 Speaker 1: this teenage boy wanted to be, so there was a 121 00:07:27,480 --> 00:07:30,480 Speaker 1: lot of that awe and wonder you might expect. The 122 00:07:30,560 --> 00:07:32,960 Speaker 1: singer asked if he knew how to tune the instrument, 123 00:07:33,080 --> 00:07:35,640 Speaker 1: and the boy shook his head, so he showed them 124 00:07:35,720 --> 00:07:39,800 Speaker 1: right there outside Jimmy's house. The pair really hit it 125 00:07:39,800 --> 00:07:43,160 Speaker 1: off too soon enough, an hour had flown by. Alonzo 126 00:07:43,240 --> 00:07:45,080 Speaker 1: had his own guitar with him and he played through 127 00:07:45,080 --> 00:07:47,920 Speaker 1: a number of songs on it, singing along as he did. 128 00:07:48,400 --> 00:07:51,800 Speaker 1: There were ballads, gospel songs, even some stuff he'd written 129 00:07:51,840 --> 00:07:54,720 Speaker 1: on his own, and Aaron loved every minute of it. 130 00:07:54,960 --> 00:07:58,120 Speaker 1: He even learned a few chords in the process. But 131 00:07:58,160 --> 00:08:01,040 Speaker 1: when they were done, Aaron had to leave. There was 132 00:08:01,120 --> 00:08:03,480 Speaker 1: no way Jimmy's mother was going to let him inside, 133 00:08:03,560 --> 00:08:06,440 Speaker 1: and it was getting late, and I'm gonna be honest, 134 00:08:06,480 --> 00:08:09,280 Speaker 1: with you. It had to have felt pretty demoralizing to 135 00:08:09,360 --> 00:08:12,960 Speaker 1: be rejected like that just because he didn't have as 136 00:08:13,040 --> 00:08:17,720 Speaker 1: much as others. It worked out okay, though. Aaron kept practicing, 137 00:08:17,840 --> 00:08:19,720 Speaker 1: and within a couple of years he was good enough 138 00:08:19,720 --> 00:08:22,240 Speaker 1: to feel like he should step into a recording studio. 139 00:08:22,760 --> 00:08:25,120 Speaker 1: In August of nineteen fifty three, he did just that, 140 00:08:25,560 --> 00:08:28,080 Speaker 1: recording two songs that he had put onto a record 141 00:08:28,120 --> 00:08:31,080 Speaker 1: he intended to give to his mother. Soon enough, though, 142 00:08:31,400 --> 00:08:34,480 Speaker 1: word about his talent had spread. Although it wasn't just 143 00:08:34,559 --> 00:08:37,520 Speaker 1: his guitar the people were drawn to, it was his voice. 144 00:08:37,880 --> 00:08:40,880 Speaker 1: There was something special about it about him, and the 145 00:08:40,920 --> 00:08:44,200 Speaker 1: world was slowly noticing that. Yes, he was the poor 146 00:08:44,280 --> 00:08:46,680 Speaker 1: kid from the wrong side of the tracks, but that 147 00:08:46,800 --> 00:08:49,920 Speaker 1: was all about the change. Today, there's hardly a home 148 00:08:49,960 --> 00:08:53,000 Speaker 1: in the country that his voice hasn't entered, despite the 149 00:08:53,080 --> 00:08:56,280 Speaker 1: rules laid out by Jimmy's mother, and over the years, 150 00:08:56,320 --> 00:08:59,760 Speaker 1: his music propelled him to legendary status. He holds the 151 00:08:59,760 --> 00:09:02,559 Speaker 1: wreck heard for the most Billboard Top forty songs at 152 00:09:02,679 --> 00:09:06,360 Speaker 1: one and has sold more than one hundred forty six 153 00:09:06,480 --> 00:09:11,240 Speaker 1: million albums worldwide, which of course makes sense. After all, 154 00:09:11,920 --> 00:09:19,480 Speaker 1: Aaron was the king Elvis Aaron Pressley. I hope you've 155 00:09:19,559 --> 00:09:23,520 Speaker 1: enjoyed today's guided tour of the Cabinet of Curiosities. Subscribe 156 00:09:23,559 --> 00:09:26,160 Speaker 1: for free on Apple Podcasts, or learn more about the 157 00:09:26,200 --> 00:09:30,960 Speaker 1: show by visiting Curiosities podcast dot com. The show was 158 00:09:31,080 --> 00:09:34,880 Speaker 1: created by me, Aaron Manky, in partnership with how Stuff Works. 159 00:09:35,280 --> 00:09:38,440 Speaker 1: I make another award winning show called Lore, which is 160 00:09:38,559 --> 00:09:41,959 Speaker 1: a podcast, book series, and television show, and you can 161 00:09:42,040 --> 00:09:44,360 Speaker 1: learn all about it over at the World of Lore 162 00:09:44,640 --> 00:09:48,400 Speaker 1: dot com. And until next time, stay curious.