Musical influences

Initial influences came exclusively through his family's attendance at the Assembly of God, a Pentecostal Holiness church. Rolling Stone magazine wrote that: Gospel pervaded Elvis' character and was a defining and enduring influence all of his days.

In private, during breaks at recording sessions or after concerts, Presley often joined with others for informal gospel music sessions. A girlfriend, Judy Spreckels, confirms that he liked to sing hymns....He introduced me to Amazing Grace.

The young Presley also listened a lot to local radio; his first musical hero was family friend Mississippi Slim, a hillbilly singer with a radio show on Tupelo’s WELO. Presley performed occasionally on Slim’s Saturday morning show, Singin’ and Pickin’ Hillbilly. He was crazy about music....That’s all he talked about, recalled his sixth grade friend, James Ausborn, Slim’s younger brother. I think gospel sort of [inspired] him to be in music, but then my brother helped carry it on. Before he was a teenager, music was already Presley’s consuming passion. J. R. Snow, son of 1940s country superstar Hank Snow, later recalled that even as a young man Presley knew all of Hank Snow’s songs, even the most obscure.

The family's move to Memphis expanded Presley's musical horizons. He became a regular at record stores that had jukeboxes and listening booths, playing old records and new releases for hours. He attended services at the East Trigg Baptist Church, whose pastor, the Rev. Herbert W. Brewster, was a composer of numerous gospel songs. Presley was an audience member at the all-night black and white gospel sings downtown. Memphis Symphony Orchestra concerts at Overton Park were another Presley favorite, along with the Metropolitan Opera. His small record collection included Mario Lanza and Dean Martin. Presley later said, I just loved music. Music period.

Another major influence of the move to Memphis was the strong tradition of blues and soul music. He went to blues as well as and hillbilly venues. Many of his recordings were inspired by black Memphis composers and recording artists, including Arthur Crudup, Rufus Thomas and B.B. King. King says that he knew Elvis before he was popular. He used to come around and be around us a lot...on Beale Street.

According to Michael Bertrand, he was an untrained musician who played entirely by ear. 'I don't read music,' he confessed, 'but I know what I like.' ... Because he was not a songwriter, Presley rarely had material prepared for recording sessions... When he, as a young singer, ventured into the recording studio he was heavily influenced by the songs he had heard on the jukebox and radio.