Elvis Presley

Elvis Presley was the King of Rock and Roll, and the leader of the "rockabilly" movement in the fifties which combined country with rock. His phenomenal popularity garnered him numerous hits in the fifties alone, but he also had a few in the sixties and some in the seventies before his death. His stardom led to merchandising galore and various other ways to profit. To this day there have been hundreds of impersonators, many with exceptional talent. The inspiration for these impersonators began due to rumors that his death was a hoax. Elvis was often mocked for his pompadour hairstyle and later his rhinestone jumpsuit. To this day he has been parodied. The popular Cartoon Network character Johnny Bravo was based on Elvis. Many artists have had success covering Presley. Blues rock group Z.Z. Top had success with their cover of his Viva Las Vegas, originally recorded late in his career. Hard rock musician Bruce Springsteen wrote a song entitled Fire for Elvis, but he died only a couple days later. Springsteen eventually performed it himself. Presley was a charter member of the actual Hall of Fame. He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Elvis was greatly rivaled by Jerry Lee Lewis. In his later years Elvis abandoned his rock and roll roots and became more of a country star, which received criticism from many. New wave musician Elvis Costello was named after Elvis Presley. He is mentioned in the Billy Joel song We Didn't Start the Fire.