Nobody had ever seen anything quite like Elvis Presley before when he started appearing on stages and live television broadcasts in the mid 1950s. Some had seen the rhythm and blues performers that Elvis in large part modeled himself after, but no one had seen a white performer behave "that way." Elvis' music was exciting and his stage presence was equally so. He had strong sex appeal and he knew how to use it. And he wasn't alone. Sex appeal was a big part of the equation for many rockabilly stars. And it was a big part of the reason why parents and other "responsible" adults hated the music!
By today's standards, the Elvis of 1955 looks fairly tame. But back then, he hit the scene with a raw sensuality that seemed at the same time both dangerous and innocent. It was like he wasn't necessarily trying to act that way; it was just the way he was, and how could he help it? Off stage he was very quiet and polite--a real nice boy. But on stage, he turned into a pulsating, suggestive, dangerous "cretin" who many thought should be banned and kept away from the kids. But it was Elvis' ground-breaking sensuality that attracted girls and boys alike: The girls wanted to be with Elvis and the boys wanted to be Elvis!
But Elvis didn't hold the exclusive market on this unique sensuality for long. Many other musicians recognized a successful formula when they saw and heard one and they took off in many different directions from the starting point that Elvis established. Ricky Nelson expertly played the role of pretty-boy teen idol as he started cranking out rockabilly hits. Eddie Cochran's natural good looks and undeniable charisma made many think that he would soon rival Elvis. Of course, his early death in a car crash made it impossible to ever know for sure.
Gene Vincent played a harder-edged bad boy with a greaser image. Vincent didn't pretend that there was anything "nice" about him. He'd had a few rough blows in life--being permanently crippled in a motorcycle accident which nearly cost him his leg--and you could see the roughness in his on-stage presence.
The ladies were getting into the act too. Wanda Jackson was as close to a female Elvis as there ever was. In the same way that Elvis seemed to innocently use his sensuality, Jackson broke the mold for performing women. She broke away from the cowgirl outfits that women were wearing on stage at the time and began to appear on stage in tight pencil skirts and high heels. She cut a stunning figure on stage and she knew it. But she was also classy and forever changed the way female rock and roll and country performers approached being on stage.
Sparkle Moore developed a presence that was more the female Gene Vincent than Elvis. She appeared on stage in "greaser" cloths complete with jeans and leather jacket and a female version of the pompadour haircut that was so popular with the men. In fact, her hair was not unlike the haircut Stray Cat Brian Setzer sported during the band's early 1980s run to the top.
Each of these performers--and many others--rewrote the book on stage presence. They defined the look and tone of early rock and roll performers. Parents and establishment adults were shocked at such "lewd" behavior and they hated these people and the music they made. This, of course, only elevated their place in the hearts and minds of teenagers all that much more!
By today's standards, the Elvis of 1955 looks fairly tame. But back then, he hit the scene with a raw sensuality that seemed at the same time both dangerous and innocent. It was like he wasn't necessarily trying to act that way; it was just the way he was, and how could he help it? Off stage he was very quiet and polite--a real nice boy. But on stage, he turned into a pulsating, suggestive, dangerous "cretin" who many thought should be banned and kept away from the kids. But it was Elvis' ground-breaking sensuality that attracted girls and boys alike: The girls wanted to be with Elvis and the boys wanted to be Elvis!
But Elvis didn't hold the exclusive market on this unique sensuality for long. Many other musicians recognized a successful formula when they saw and heard one and they took off in many different directions from the starting point that Elvis established. Ricky Nelson expertly played the role of pretty-boy teen idol as he started cranking out rockabilly hits. Eddie Cochran's natural good looks and undeniable charisma made many think that he would soon rival Elvis. Of course, his early death in a car crash made it impossible to ever know for sure.
Gene Vincent played a harder-edged bad boy with a greaser image. Vincent didn't pretend that there was anything "nice" about him. He'd had a few rough blows in life--being permanently crippled in a motorcycle accident which nearly cost him his leg--and you could see the roughness in his on-stage presence.
The ladies were getting into the act too. Wanda Jackson was as close to a female Elvis as there ever was. In the same way that Elvis seemed to innocently use his sensuality, Jackson broke the mold for performing women. She broke away from the cowgirl outfits that women were wearing on stage at the time and began to appear on stage in tight pencil skirts and high heels. She cut a stunning figure on stage and she knew it. But she was also classy and forever changed the way female rock and roll and country performers approached being on stage.
Sparkle Moore developed a presence that was more the female Gene Vincent than Elvis. She appeared on stage in "greaser" cloths complete with jeans and leather jacket and a female version of the pompadour haircut that was so popular with the men. In fact, her hair was not unlike the haircut Stray Cat Brian Setzer sported during the band's early 1980s run to the top.
Each of these performers--and many others--rewrote the book on stage presence. They defined the look and tone of early rock and roll performers. Parents and establishment adults were shocked at such "lewd" behavior and they hated these people and the music they made. This, of course, only elevated their place in the hearts and minds of teenagers all that much more!
