Speaker 1: But right now, we got to hit you with this
Speaker 1: way black History Fact. Today's way Black History Fact is
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Speaker 1: dot com. All right, I'm gonna be reading from the
Speaker 1: culture newspaper. The headline is, did Elvis steal from Black artists?
Speaker 1: I mean, I could save you all a bunch of time, yes,
Speaker 1: But I'm gonna enlighten you because you know, Elvis is
Speaker 1: maybe just got to do this. So let's see it,
Speaker 1: all right. Elvis Presley's name has been circulating the news
Speaker 1: in light of a new musical drama film entitled Elvis
Speaker 1: the Late Great King of Rock and Roll quote unquote.
Speaker 1: Is most known for his signature sound and unforgettable dance moves. However,
Speaker 1: the black community recognizes him as a musical thief, stealing
Speaker 1: from lesser known blues artists. The film explores Presley's rise
Speaker 1: to fame in the nineteen fifties while maintaining a complex
Speaker 1: relationship as a manager Colonel Tom Parker. Presley had an
Speaker 1: affinity for black music and culture since he was born
Speaker 1: in Tupelo, Mississippi. He grew up on the black side
Speaker 1: of town. Presley would later run with the likes of
Speaker 1: I Turner and B. B. King. Is evident that black
Speaker 1: musicians greatly influenced him, Yet because of his whiteness, doors
Speaker 1: were open for him, they were not available to black musicians. Quote.
Speaker 1: I always wanted to sing like Billy Kennedy of the
Speaker 1: Ink Spots, Presley told Jet Magazine in nineteen fifty seven.
Speaker 1: According to The Daily Beast, goes on to say, I
Speaker 1: liked that high, smooth style. I never sang like this
Speaker 1: in my life until I made that first record. That's
Speaker 1: all right, Mama. I remembered that song because I heard
Speaker 1: Arthur Big Boy Crude sing it, and I thought I
Speaker 1: would like to try it. Is widely known that Presley
Speaker 1: stole one of his biggest hits, hound Dog from Talented
Speaker 1: from the talented black vocalist Big Mama Thornton. Prominent musicians
Speaker 1: and producer explained their personal encounters with the rock and
Speaker 1: roll star. Some called Presley a friend and even a
Speaker 1: brother like James Brown, while others refer to him as
Speaker 1: a crook whose entire discography was built on the backs
Speaker 1: and skills of black folks. I believe that Ray Charles
Speaker 1: is one of those people that wasn't a big fan
Speaker 1: of Elvis. He called him a punk because of exactly
Speaker 1: what we're talking about her, all right. Legendary producer and
Speaker 1: musician Quincy Jones shared his personal interaction with Presley, which
Speaker 1: left a bad taste in his mouth. Quote, No, I
Speaker 1: wouldn't work with him, Jones said to the Hollywood Reporter.
Speaker 1: He goes on to say, I was writing for Tommy Dorsey,
Speaker 1: Oh God, back then in the fifties, and Elvis came
Speaker 1: in and Tommy said, I don't want to play with him.
Speaker 1: He was a racist. Mother blank. I'm going to shut
Speaker 1: up now. But every time I saw Elvis, he was
Speaker 1: being coached by Otis Blackwell telling him how to say Sureley.
Speaker 1: Presley wasn't the first nor the last white artist to
Speaker 1: build his fame or legacy at the hands of black people.
Speaker 1: There was no real justice the artist. There's no justice
Speaker 1: for the artists he has stolen from that they can
Speaker 1: receive now that they are gone. And some of these
Speaker 1: artists include the following and artists and songs. So number
Speaker 1: one obviously Big Mama Thornton with hound Dog, the song
Speaker 1: stolen by Trestley Let's see. Number two Lloyd Price Loudy
Speaker 1: Miss Cloudy. Number three Chuck Berry Memphis, Tennessee. Number four
Speaker 1: Laverne Barker with Tweedledee. Number five Funnily enough, Ray Charles,
Speaker 1: What did I Say? Number six Roy Hamilton, who Elvis
Speaker 1: is often linked to as like the actual source material
Speaker 1: for Elvis Presley in terms of the dance moves and
Speaker 1: all that sort of stuff. Check out a song called
Speaker 1: Unchained Melody to see the connection there. Number seven is
Speaker 1: Arthur Big Boy Crudip So Glad You're Mind? Number eight
Speaker 1: Junior Parker Mystery Train. Number nine Fats Domino, Ain't That
Speaker 1: a Shame? And number ten Arthur Gunter Baby Let's play
Speaker 1: House