LEARN MOREĪfter being dubbed “The King of Rock and Roll,” it was Presley who credited Black artists like Fats Domino and said the genre “was here a long time before I came long.” The newest “Elvis” biopic from director Baz Luhrmann contextualizes Presley’s origins in the segregated music industry - something past films about the musician largely ignored.Actor Austin Butler, who played Presley, said: “We don’t have Elvis without Black music and Black culture.”The beginning of the film highlights the musician’s relationship with B.B. His singing career began in 1954 and was heavily influenced by growing up in a predominantly Black neighborhood in Tupelo, Mississippi.
King argued that the rock and roll legend didn’t steal music but re-interpreted the music he grew up on. James Brown said “I wasn’t just a fan, I was his brother,” Little Richard said Presley opened the door for him and B.B. Others artists were more supportive of Presley, who grew up in a predominantly Black neighborhood in Tupelo, Mississippi. In 1994, singer and jazz pianist Ray Charles even criticized him as someone who copied Black styles for White audiences. It's because of that disparity that some critics accused Presley of profiteering off the works of Black artists.
Because like many Black musicians during segregation, she was never able to reach White audiences. It was a success in the R&B world, but Thornton could never reach Presley’s level of mainstream fame. The song was specifically written for her, and it sold almost two million copies in 1953. Before Presley put a bop spin on “Hound Dog,” the song was originally recorded by rhythm and blues legend Big Mama Thornton.
It’s an obvious part of Presley’s origin story in the singer’s latest jukebox musical biopic, but it’s also a lightning rod for one of the biggest criticisms of the musician’s legacy. “Hound Dog” was one of Elvis Presley’s earliest singles, landing the number one spot of the Billboard charts and skyrocketing the career of the young musician in 1956.