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Reconsidering The King: Elvis In America

Rosemary Matthews/BIPs/Getty Images

Elvis Presley’s reputation sways as much as his hips. He’s alternately the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll, a megastar with big hits and an even larger life, or he’s a cultural thief who appropriated black music on his path to the top of the charts.

A new documentary explores the place in between, focusing on the musician behind the myth and examining the roles of race and class in his rise to fame.

We’ll dive into who Elvis was, and what his musical roots say about America’s melting pot.

GUESTS

Thom Zimny, Director, “Elvis Presley: The Searcher;” @ThomZimny

Alan Light, Screenwriter, “Elvis Presley: The Searcher;” music journalist; former rock critic, Rolling Stone; former editor-in-chief for both Vibe and Spin

David Porter, Record producer; songwriter; 2005 inductee, Songwriters Hall of Fame; first staff songwriter at Stax Records

For more, visit https://the1a.org.

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Copyright 2018 WAMU 88.5