You know, folks might not realize, but Elvis Presley and John Lennon, two of the biggest names in music, they had a funny ol’ connection, kinda twisted up like roots in the ground. John, you know, that lad from the Beatles, he looked up to Elvis somethin’ fierce. Back then, a lot of ‘em young musicians, they all wanted to be like Elvis, ’cause he was a real big shot, the King of Rock and Roll, they called him.
John, he used to dress up all like Elvis, slicked-back hair and leather jackets, thinkin’ he was right cool. Oh, he’d stand in front of the mirror, pretendin’ to be Elvis, singin’ those rock and roll songs like they were his own. But the funny thing is, when he finally met Elvis, it didn’t go all smooth like folks might imagine. Oh no, not a bit.
Let me tell you, when John and the Beatles got big, they went over to the States, and, well, John wanted to meet his hero, Elvis. So he pushed and pushed, and one day, they got it set up. But it weren’t no warm and fuzzy meetin’, no sir. See, by then, Elvis didn’t think so much of John no more. He thought the Beatles, with all their “peace and love” and whatnot, were makin’ folks soft. Didn’t sit right with him at all.
They met at some house in Beverly Hills—not Graceland, like folks might think. The whole time, Elvis didn’t seem too pleased. Rumor has it, Elvis felt John disrespected him by makin’ jokes and carryin’ on. And John, well, he was disappointed, too. He saw his ol’ hero was kinda different than he imagined. Ain’t that the way it goes sometimes?
Elvis and John, they had this one meetin’ and that was it. Afterward, Elvis was known to get downright mad just hearin’ the Beatles’ name, like he was insulted by the whole bunch of ‘em. John, though, he still admired Elvis in his own way, said that he was his inspiration. Even though things didn’t work out, John kept on talkin’ about Elvis, sayin’ how he’d shaped rock and roll.
Now, they say when Elvis passed away back in ’77, John was saddened like the rest of us. Even if they didn’t see eye-to-eye, John knew how much Elvis meant to music and the world. Elvis was a name bigger than anyone could imagine, and maybe John thought Elvis would always be remembered, like some mighty old tree standin’ tall even after the leaves fall down.
Funny thing is, they were both legends, yet so different. Elvis, the King, he loved his flashy suits and fancy ways, while John Lennon, well, he was all about messages, peace, and lovin’ each other. But in the end, they each made their mark, like two big ol’ stones sittin’ side by side in a river, changin’ the way the water flows around ‘em.
So, maybe they didn’t get along, but in a way, Elvis and John were tied together. Like the roots of two trees tangled up deep in the soil, they didn’t need to see eye-to-eye to be connected in music, and even today, folks still talk about ’em, just like we’re doin’ now. And ain’t that somethin’?
Tags：[Elvis Presley, John Lennon, The Beatles, Rock and Roll, Music History]
