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Comparing Presley and Hendrix

Introduction

The paper covers a comparison between two popular music stars, Elvis Presley and Jimi Hendrix. The focus will be on how their upbringing and lifestyle shaped their music styles considering all factors that include musical influences and socio-economic backgrounds.

Life Overview

Jimi Hendrix was an American guitarist, singer and the song writer. I selected him because he was one of the marvelous guitarists, and the most influential musicians of the era in the history of music. Despite of the fact that he cannot read or write the musical notes, he did a remarkable work and took place in just four years of a time span.

Elvis Aron Presley, the most popular American singer of the 20th Century, was born on 8th January, 1935, in Tupelo, Mississippi, United States of America. He grew up in a family surrounded by grandparents, cousins, uncles and aunties who were closely knit together. He was born a twin, but, unfortunately his brother was stillborn.

By the year 1956, Elvis Presley caught the national attention to transform the entertainment field of music and culture (Collins, p. 4). The name 'Elvis Presley' and his voice are globally recognized and admired by generations. He was a supreme figure and an asset for American music and culture. Unfortunately, the tragic end of Presley's life is a loss for the nation. His iconic personality became inspirations for a million people around the world. The king of rock and roll lived a depressing life that led him to overdose the prescribed drugs and cause death.

Pathologist Michael Baden declared that Elvis was suffering from an enlarged heart and due to his drug habit the diagnosis of his cause of death became very difficult (p. 35). His tragic death left his fans heartbroken, and some of them still believe his replacement is impossible.

Music Style

The earliest inspirations of Elvis Presley were from gospel sung at the Assembly of God church in Tupelo. Speaking about Presley's passion for music, his mother recalled 'He would slide down off my lap, run into the aisle and scramble up to the platform. There, he would stand looking at the choir and trying to sing with them' (Guralnick, p.14). He had deep knowledge about music with African-American musical idioms as well as the White ones, even without any formal trainings of music. The Rock style of music is considered as the creation by Elvis Presley, and he was titled as 'The King of Rock and Roll'.

From the first song to the last song, of Jimi Hendrix, every work was a master piece, and he recorded and amazing collection of songs over a very short span of his early career. He had an edge over many styles of music's, and embraced the influences of blues, ballads, rock, R&B, and jazz that made him one of the most pop musicians. His songs have such a musical language that every listener would be influence by his concepts, and he not even tends to influence the mob but also those ...