Did Elvis have a favorite singer?
Roy Hamilton was his very favourite singer. He was inspired by him. They had a mutual admiration and met during the Memphis Sessions at the American Studios in 1969. Elvis gifted one of the songs from his listed to do list to Roy.
Examples of Artists Known to Have Perfect Pitch
As for modern artists, Billie Eilish, Elvis Presley, and Michael Jackson have been cited as having perfect pitch.
Elvis first started singing in church at thr tender age of 2 years old. He won a prize at a fair for singing at the age of 10 years old and won another contest in school singing “Ol Shep”. He first went to Sun Studios in Memphis to make a record for his mother. Sam Phillips the owner knew he had talent.
If were talking about vocal strength, range, and an ability to emote, then it's Roy Orbison, hands down. That's not to discount Elvis Presley. Both have a signature sound.
- Elvis Presley spoke out about one major singer (Image: GETTY)
- Elvis Presley said Roy Orbison had the perfect voice (Image: GETTY)
- Elvis Presley adored the music of Roy Orbison (Image: GETTY)
Elvis loved the twang of country music. He had several records by his pal Johnny Cash, as well as records by Merle Haggard, Patsy Cline and Hank Williams.
He states insightfully: “Elvis had a vocal range of about two octaves and a third, compared to about the one octave range of the average pop singer, and was best described as a high baritone. He could hit full-voiced high Gs and As that an opera singer might envy.
“Freddie was very fond of Elvis.” Mercury said he even styled his vocals on the song to sound like The King Of Rock'n'Roll. “My voice does sound a bit like Elvis Presley's on 'Crazy Little Thing Called Love',” explained the singer.
Presley was not a virtuosic guitarist, but he played pretty good rhythm guitar. And he was a really good pianist — on those "Million Dollar Quartet" tapes, that's him playing the majority of the piano parts, even though Jerry Lee Lewis is right there. His best instrument may have been the electric bass guitar.
He could hit full-voiced high Gs and As that an opera singer might envy. He was a naturally assimilative musician with an acute sense of style.” It's easy to assume Elvis peaked early, especially if you prefer the image of the younger, healthier Elvis.
Could Elvis play any instruments?
What instruments did Elvis play? He played guitar, bass and piano, and often toyed with instruments like the drums, accordion and ukulele. While he couldn't read or write music and had no formal lessons, he was a natural musician and played everything by ear.
His voice became stronger and his range broader, as he matured. He worked with some of the best musicians, including singers, whom he hand-picked. Singing and performing with them helped him hone his craft. If he ever had a voice lesson or vocal coach, I've never heard of it.
Elton John once said, There are only two things I know about Canada: hockey and Anne Murray." In a recent interview, Linda Thompson, a friend of the late Elvis Presley said, "Anne Murray was the King's favorite female singer and he used to listen to 'Snowbird' more than any other song.
Elvis held Roy Orbison is very high regard, publicly stating that Roy had ' most perfect voice' and referring to him as the 'greatest singer in the world' during one of his Vegas concerts. And Roy's respect was mutual, he went to Elvis' concerts from 1954 to 1976.
Although legend has it that Roy turned up at the gates to Graceland with a song he has written for Elvis, 'Only The Lonely', however Elvis was not home and Roy went on to record the song which was his first smash hit. In 1979 Roy recorded a tribute song to Elvis, 'Hound Dog Man'.
He experienced a resurgence in popularity in the 1980s, following the success of several cover versions of his songs. In 1988, he co-founded the Traveling Wilburys (a rock supergroup) with George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, and Jeff Lynne. Orbison died of a heart attack in December 1988 at age 52.
Elvis 17th place on the 200 Greatest Singers of All Time list Rolling Stone Magazine.
In the mid-1970s, Andy Kaufman made an Elvis impersonation part of his act. He is considered to be one of the first notable Elvis impersonators and even Presley himself supposedly said that Kaufman was his favorite impersonator.
But Lennon's teenage love for Elvis didn't stop when he became an adult. In fact, throughout his life, even though he criticized Presley in his later years, Lennon never stopped being a fan. Just like any other passionate music fan, Lennon had a lifelong obsession for The King of Rock and Roll.
Who was the guy who influenced Elvis?
Thornton's story is not unique, as Elvis was influenced by B.B. King, Little Richard, Fats Domino, Jackson, Tharpe, Big Boy and more. Little Richard argued that he was the rightful heir to the king of rock 'n' roll title, with Berry up there with him.
I learned very early in life that: 'Without a song, the day would never end; without a song, a man ain't got a friend; without a song, the road would never bend - without a song. ' So I keep singing a song.
Though Elvis Presley recorded more than 700 songs, he did not pen any of them himself. His co-writing credits were limited – and some were there just for publishing and rights purposes – but he was a master at selecting good songs.
Watch Elvis: That's The Way It Is & you will see & hear what a really talented singer could do with just a microphone in his hand. No auto tune, probably no compressor at all, probably no EQ.
He invited Domino to the press conference and when one reporter referred to him as “The King of Rock 'n' Roll,” Elvis pulled the room's focus to Fats Domino, insinuating that he was the true King. “[Domino] was one of my influences from way back,” said Presley.
