Earlier this week, I read that Waylon Jennings was born on June 15, 1937, so we would be celebrating his 70th birthday had he not passed away five years ago.  That was a good enough reason for me to Google Elvis and Waylon Jennings to see what connection there was between the two.  There was some, not as much as usually makes a good Elvisblog article, but here’s what I found.

Jennings was born in the small West Texas town of Littlefield.  He dropped out of high school and got a job as a radio disc jockey while still a teenager.  When a copy of Elvis’ first Sun Records’ single came into the radio studio, Jennings was impressed. “I looked at that yellow Sun label from Memphis as if it was from Mars.”  He was even more impressed with the music. “I thought, what a wild, strange sound… They didn’t know what to call Elvis yet on the radio, though they thought of him as a country artist.”

However, when Elvis later performed in nearby Lubbock for the first time on January 6, 1955, he was billed as the "King of Hillbilly Bop."  Jennings did not make it to that show, but he didn’t miss Elvis’ next appearance in Lubbock on February 13 (now billed as the "Be-Bop Western Star of the Louisiana Hayride").  Jennings used his DJ connections to get free tickets and to go backstage and meet Elvis.  He remembers, “[Elvis] was about the hottest thing to hit West Texas... He and Scotty Moore were standing over by the stage, and Elvis was just jumping around everywhere, bouncing and bubbling over with enthusiasm, full of more energy than anybody I ever saw.  He was talking to me like he’d known me for a thousand years.”

Waylon Jennings and Elvis crossed paths a few more times in their lives, mostly in Las Vegas.  RCA invited Jennings to see one of Elvis’ shows and Elvis requested that Jennings visit with him afterwards.  At the time, Jennings wore a leather wristband to aid in the recovery of a fractured arm.  The wristband had a metal peace sign in the middle.  “Elvis really liked that wristband; I think he wanted it.  He kept admiring it – ‘you hillbillies sure know how to dress’ – and calling attention to it.”  Jennings never did part with it, but if he had, Elvis would probably have reciprocated with a Cadillac or something (and added another story to the lore of his legendary generosity).

The rest of the Elvis/Waylon connection is in the singing of each other’s songs.  There is an interesting bit of trivia on the one Waylon Jennings song that Elvis recorded.  Jennings wrote and recorded “You Asked Me To” in 1973, and it went to #8 on the Billboard Country Charts.  Elvis recorded it for his 1975 album Promised Land, and it was reworked with different instrumentation for the 1980 album Guitar Man.  That version was released as a single in 1981, and guess how high it went on the charts?  #8 Country, same as Jennings’ version.

Jennings did a medley of “That’s All Right”/”My Baby Left Me” on his 1977 album ‘Ol Waylon.  He sang “Suspicious Minds” in a duet with his wife Jesse Coulter on the 1976 album Wanted! The Outlaws.  He also performed it on the DVD Waylon Jennings: Live From Austin TX, a recent release of his 1989 appearance on Austin City Limits.

The 1998 CD The Old Dogs featured Jennings, Mel Tillis, Bobby Bare and Jerry Reed.  They did an amusing song titled “Elvis Has Left The Building.”  That was not Jennings first tribute song to Elvis. On the 1994 CD Waymore’s Blues Part 2, he sang the song “Nobody Knows.”  It doesn’t mention Elvis by name, but the message is clear.  Here are some of the lyrics:

            Well, I nearly got caught at the Burger King

            And a couple of times on a plane.

            I thought I was safe from detection

With all of the weight I had gained.

            But walking around in a jumpsuit

            That didn’t work worth a damn.

            So, I bought me some Levis and grew a beard,

            And you’ll never guess who I am.

Elvisblog hsve noted comments by Pat Boone and Carl Perkins on how handsome Elvis was, but this quote attributed to Waylon Jennings might be the topper:  “Elvis may have been the most beautiful man in the world.  His face was carved like a stone, chiseled out of rock, he was just that good looking.”

©  2007   Philip R Arnold   All Rights Reserved   www.elvisblog.net

I love doing a little digging to find out what kind of connection Elvis had with other rock & rollers.  In the case of Johnny Rivers, it goes all the way back to early 1955, before Elvis was a big star, and before Johnny Rivers was Johnny Rivers.  At that time, he was Brooklyn-born John Ramistella, a twelve-year-old growing up in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

He and a buddy went to the local high school to see a country concert starring Minnie Pearl and Little Jimmy Dickens.  Opening the show was some unknown kid named Elvis Presley.  Minnie Pearl introduced him as “The Hillbilly Cat,” and he came out wearing a pink suit and white buck shoes.  Elvis sang only two songs, “That’s All Right” and “Blue Moon of Kentucky.”  Rivers recalls, “All that sexual energy up there on stage, people didn’t know what to make of it.”

Young Johnny did.  He said to his buddy, “Wow.  This guy’s really cool.”  Within a year, Johnny was playing guitar in local groups, and by age fourteen, he was fronting the band “Johnny and the Spades.”

Young Johnny got a second look at Elvis after that high school concert. He went around behind the auditorium and saw Elvis, Scotty Moore, and Bill Black loading their gear in a trailer pulled by a Cadillac Coupe de Ville.  Actually, Scotty and Bill were doing the loading.  Elvis was talking to some of the country acts.  Johnny remembers this about Elvis: “He was bouncing around, he couldn’t stand still.  I’m thinking this is the coolest guy I ever seen.”

In 1957, Johnny recorded his first record, ‘Hey Little Girl,” and a local newspaper article about him led to his next Elvis connection – performing at the Louisiana Hayride in Shreveport.  It was there in 1958 that he met James Burton, who would later play guitar with Elvis, but back then was the guitarist for Ricky Nelson.  Burton was responsible for taking a demo Johnny had written and delivering it to Nelson, who liked the song and recorded it for his huge album “Rick at 21.”

Later in 1958, Johnny traveled to New York to seek work in recording studios.  It was there he met legendary disc jockey Allen Freed, who convinced him to change his name to Johnny Rivers.

After he graduated from high school, Rivers moved to Nashville, where he teamed up with another young hopeful singer, Roger Miller.  They wrote songs together and made a little money singing demonstration tracks for Elvis and Johnny Cash.  The next few years saw Rivers move to New York City and then to Los Angeles.  In 1963 Rivers and his group began an extended stay as the house band at a local nightclub.  This led to a lucrative offer to open the new discotheque Whiskey A-Go-Go on the Sunset Strip.  Soon, his first album Johnny Rivers at the Whiskey A-Go-Go was released, and it quickly sold a million copies.  Johnny Rivers’ career was on a roll.

With his newfound wealth, Johnny Rivers moved into a mansion in exclusive Trousdale Estates, and regularly drove his maroon Jaguar over to Elvis’ place in Bel Air for weekend football games, with other stars like Pat Boone and Jan and Dean.

Johnny Rivers and Elvis had one other interesting connection – the song “Memphis” written by Chuck Berry.  Elvis recorded it during a two-day session in Nashville in May 1963 that produced fourteen songs.  Time constraints limited “Memphis” to just two takes, and Elvis was not happy with either one.  So, on January 12, 1964, Elvis went back in the studio to re-record “Memphis” and one other song.  He wanted a more exciting, modern sound, because he planned to release “Memphis” as his next single.  Elvis was dedicated and focused.  He was in good voice, and he loaded up the studio with three guitar players and two drummers.

Elvis left the studio very pleased with the results, but “Memphis” was never released as a single – and Johnny Rivers was the reason.  He and Elvis had jammed together on the song back in Bel Air.  Rivers liked it so much he incorporated it into his repertoire at the Whiskey.  In May 1964 a live version of the song hit the market and quickly went to #2 on the charts.  That killed any chance of “Memphis” ever being an Elvis single.

There is one last Elvis/Johnny Rivers connection.  I would strongly recommend the 1991 Rivers CD The Memphis Sun Recordings.  Rivers recorded it at Sun Studios, with James Burton and Carl Perkins as special guests.  It contains cover versions of four Elvis songs and three Perkins hits, plus others by Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Charlie Rich.  It’s a terrific CD, and I play it a lot, including twice while writing this article.

©  2007   Philip R Arnold   All Rights Reserved   www.elvisblog.net

Elvisblog has taken a look at the connections between Elvis and other singers, including Pat Boone,  Johnny Cash, and Jerry Lee Lewis.  When the news of James Brown’s death on Christmas morning hit the media, I wondered if there had been much of a link between him and Elvis.  It turns out there was.

For one thing, they were both members of the first class of inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986.  Buddy Holly, Sam Cooke, and Ray Charles have also left us, so now five of the original ten have passed away.  The Hall of Fame website says this:  “What Elvis was to rock and roll, James Brown became to R&B – a prolific and dominant phenom.”

Elvis and James Brown both received Grammy Awards for lifetime achievement, as well as several individual Grammys.  Both performers made their mark with dynamic, but completely different, stage showmanship.  Elvis created excitement with his hip and leg movements, while Brown showcased fancy footwork, complete with spins, slides, splits, and drops.

However, there was also a personal connection between Elvis and James Brown.  According to Elvis Presley from A to Z, they first met at a party at the Continental Hyatt in Hollywood, and they became lifelong friends.  Brown visited Elvis at Graceland, and during one visit they sang several gospel tunes together at the piano, including “Old Jonah” and “Blind Barnabas.”  What a shame no tape recorder was running to capture this session.

James Brown authored two books, and one contains this quote about Elvis: “I wasn’t just a fan, I was his brother.  He said I was good and I said he was good; we never argued about that.  Elvis was a hard worker, dedicated, and God loved him… I love him and hope to see him in heaven.  There’ll never be another like that soul brother.”  That’s a pretty nice compliment coming from the man known as Soul Brother Number One.

If I may, I’d like to mention my three favorite James Brown songs, in no particular order.  From the movie Rocky IV in 1986, I’m sure you remember “Living in America.”  This turned out to be Brown’s biggest hit in more than twenty years, and it managed to swell our patriotic psyche and to make us want to boogie at the same time.  Perhaps his greatest recorded achievement.

From the album Santa’s Got A Brand New Bag, I just love “Christmas In Heaven.”  Brown moves completely away from his trademark funk and soul to do a tender ballad surrounded by lush strings.  A most unusual James Brown song.

And, if you’ve ever seen footage of Brown’s stage act in the 60s, you know why I pick “Please, Please, Please.”  This was his first R&B hit back in 1956, and the live version of it evolved into one of the grandest pieces of concert showmanship ever.  The song’s lyrics are not much more than a painful lament begging a loved one not to leave: “Please, please, don’t go. I love you so.  Please, please, don’t go.”  As Brown repeated this, he got more and more sorrowful and started to sob.  Overcome with heartbreak, he stopped singing and dropped to his knees, hung his head, and shuddered in despair.  The music then stopped, and two men rushed in from off-stage.  They draped a cape over Brown’s shoulders and helped him to stand and move slowly toward the side of the stage.  The audience couldn’t help but applaud in encouragement.  The music began again, softly at first, then building in intensity.  Brown heard the cheers and the music, and it was like it recharged his battery.  His slumped body straightened and his facial expression changed.  Soon he threw off the cape and grabbed the mic and gave a fevered finish to the song.  It was a remarkable routine that certainly had to be admired by Elvis and any other performer who saw it.

James Brown was one of the celebrities who attended Elvis’ funeral on August 18, 1977.  In his autobiography, Brown wrote, “His death hit me very hard.  When he died, I said, ‘That’s my friend, I have to go.’”

©  2006   Philip R Arnold   All Rights Reserved   www.elvisblog.net

Several Elvisblog articles have been reprinted in the new 29^th Anniversary issue of Elvis…The Magazine.  One was “Elvis and the Grammy Awards,” originally posted on Elvisblog on January 8, 2006.  In the article I said that Elvis won the Best Sacred Performance Grammy in 1967, and he was nominated in the same category in 1968 for “You’ll Never Walk Alone,” but he lost to Jake Hess.  Then I added:  (Has anybody ever heard of Jake Hess?)  In the last paragraph of the story, I mentioned that Elvis received a Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award in 1991.  In an attempt at humor, I added, “Jake Hess is still waiting for his.”

Well, it turns out that one avid Gospel music listener named Harriet Heigl has not only heard of Jake Hess, she is a big fan.  She took offense to my comments and sent an e-mail to Elvis…The Magazine to register her displeasure.  She went on to list Jake Hess’ many achievements, and I must admit they are pretty impressive.  After some research, I now know that Jake Hess was a superstar in the world of Southern gospel music. If I had known that back in January, I would never have said those things.  In fact, now that I’ve studied up on Jake Hess, I know he is enshrined in The Gospel Music Hall of Fame, he received four Grammy Awards, and he performed well into his seventies as part of Bill Gaither’s Homecoming gospel video series.  Honestly, I’m surprised the Grammy people have not yet given Jake Hess a Lifetime Achievement Award in gospel music.

To me, the best news about Jake Hess is discovering that he had a strong Elvis connection.  In 1948, Jake Hess became the lead singer of The Statesmen Quartet.  For the next fifteen years, this legendary group recorded for RCA Victor, appeared on network television shows, and created one of the first syndicated gospel music TV shows.  In 1953 and 1954, Elvis, Vernon and Gladys were regulars at the monthly “All-Night Gospel Singing” at Ellis Auditorium in Memphis.  Gladys’ favorites were the Blackwood Brothers, but Elvis much preferred the Statesmen Quartet.  Lead singer, Jake Hess, had a powerful voice and unique styling that young Elvis particularly admired.  It turns out Jake Hess had a profound influence on the future King of Rock & Roll.

In 1963, Jake Hess founded The Imperials, and introduced the guitar, bass, and drums to Gospel music -- a bold move for the times.  Three years later, Elvis was thrilled to have The Imperials do backing vocals during the recording sessions for the album How Great Thou Art.  Several times during the sessions, Elvis tried unsuccessfully to hand off the lead mic to Jake Hess.  Elvis was so pleased to have Jake on hand that he gave an inspired performance.  The album How Great Thou Art has been hailed as one of the highlights of Elvis’ sixties recordings, and it won the 1967 Grammy Award for Best Sacred Performance.  How Great Thou Art sold over one million copies and went to # 18 on the charts.  Noted Elvis historian Ernst Jorgenson called the album, “tough, powerful, even threatening – different from any religious music Elvis had ever recorded.”  Jake Hess made the difference.

When Elvis died in 1977, funeral preparations included selecting an elite group of Gospel music stars to sing at the service:  JD Sumner and the Stamps, The Statesmen, James Blackwood, Kathy Westmoreland – and Jake Hess.  (Hess also sang at the 1953 funeral for Hank Williams).

So, let’s see.  Jake Hess greatly influenced Elvis’ performing style.  He recorded with and inspired Elvis to new artistic and commercial heights on a Gospel album.  And he sang at Elvis’ funeral service.  It seems like anyone who considers himself a serious Elvis fan would know about Jake Hess.  Yes, I blew it, and Harriet, I am sorry. If I offended any Elvisblog readers as well, I apologize.  Should anyone decide to start a petition to get Jake Hess a Lifetime Achievement Grammy award, I’ll be glad to sign up.  He deserves it.

©  2006   Philip R Arnold   All Rights Reserved   www.elvisblog.net

Jerry Lee Lewis is in the news again, so it might be a good time to write about him and Elvis Presley.  Stories about their rivalry persist, although Elvis had been gone from Sun Records for over a year before Jerry Lee burst on the scene.  In some ways The Killer had the better of it in this presumed competition.  For one thing, Jerry Lee had much bigger hits at Sun Records than Elvis did.  The sales of “Whole Lot of Shakin’ Going On” and “Great Balls of Fire” absolutely dwarfed anything achieved by Elvis’ five Sun releases. “Breathless” and “High School Confidential” also made the Top 40, something not achieved by an Elvis song until he went to RCA.  Jerry Lee’s career also shot out of the gates quicker than Elvis’.  His first release “Crazy Arms” went nowhere, but the second, “Whole Lot of Shakin’,” instantly made him a national star.

The supposed feud between Jerry Lee Lewis and Elvis Presley is on pretty shaky ground.  Consider what Elvis said after the famed “Million Dollar Quartet” session, his first musical interaction with Jerry Lee:  “That boy can go. I think he has a great future ahead of him.  He has a different style, and the way he plays piano just gets inside me.”  Jerry Lee wasn’t afraid to put his stamp on Elvis songs.  He has recorded “Good Rockin’ Tonight,” “Jailhouse Rock,” “Hound Dog,” and “Don’t Be Cruel.”   Elvis covered Jerry Lee’s’ “Whole Lot of Shakin,” and a few lesser-known Lewis songs. 

The news about Jerry Lee is not so happy; he has divorced his sixth wife.  They had been married for almost 21 years, probably a marital-longevity record for him.   He will have to pay her $250,000, plus $50,000 a year for 4 years until Jerry Lee Lewis III reaches 22.  Most celebrity divorces cost much more than this, so it sounds like he got off pretty light.  Jerry Lee also gets to keep his ranch south of Memphis in Nesbit, Mississippi, where he has lived for 40 years; and that’s got to be helpful in getting him through yet another difficult time.

Jerry Lee Lewis is a survivor.  He is now 70, which means he will outlive Elvis by at least 28 years.  Unfortunately, he filled a lot of his years with scandals, drug and alcohol problems, and family breakups.  Nine months before Elvis’ death, Jerry Lee was arrested for waving a gun outside the gates of Graceland in the early morning hours, when he was refused permission to see Elvis. I like Jerry Lee Lewis and his music.  He hasn’t led an exemplary life, but I hope somehow he finds a good woman, marries her, treats her right, and lives long enough to set an even greater marital-longevity record.  Have a nice life at the ranch, Jerry Lee.

© 2005  Philip R Arnold

Two days before the mini-series “Elvis” aired on CBS, Bill O’Riley did a segment about Elvis Presley on his Fox News Channel show “The O’Riley Factor."  He was most intrigued by the fact that Elvis still earned $40 million a year, twenty-eight years after his death. O’Riley explored why Elvis is the most enduring celebrity in American history with two guests, one of whom was Pat Boone.  I half expected Boone to say something derogatory about Elvis.  After all, he had been the singer all the Elvis critics wanted the teenage fans to like.  He had that squeaky-clean, good-boy image, with the white buck shoes and all. 

However, Boone was quite complimentary about Elvis.  He said Elvis looked like a Greek god.  Boone also explained how Elvis had such a clearly defined image of himself, and stayed within it for so many years.  Boone was still being complimentary when he advanced the idea that Elvis had evolved into something of a comic book fantasy image, that he had entered a category with Superman and Batman.  Boone made the quote, “ He is now Elvisman.”  I like that.  ELVISMAN!  Well said, Pat Boone.

With Pat Boone still on my mind, I looked him up in several Elvis references to see if there was much connection between the two.  Elvis, His Life From A To Z states they were good friends who first crossed paths at a try-out for "Arthur Godfrey’s Talent Scouts."  They also appeared together in a show in Cleveland in 1955.  In the 60’s, Boone sometimes joined in touch football games in Bel Air, CA with Elvis and friends. 

One other note on Pat Boone.  Despite the fact that he had 38 Top Forty hits, Boone is not in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.  The rap against him is that many of his hits were cover versions of songs done better by the original black artists (”Long Tall Sally” by Little Richard for example).  Also, that his biggest hits were all ballads.  That’s stupid.  It didn’t keep the Platters out of the Hall.  He will never evolve into PATBOONEMAN, but he deserves to be in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

© 2005  Philip R Arnold