Hero 2: The King

To those that know me, they will probably have realised I’m a big Elvis fan. Not one of those jumpsuit-wearing imitators, as I believe that does the biggest selling artist of all time an injustice, but rather a fan of the man himself. It was his name and stardom that brought me to research who he was. It’s not that I want the fame (and fortune) that these icons had but I am intrigued as to why they had it and what they did with it. You could add to this list of curiosity, people such as Sinatra, Martin Luther King, JFK, Malcolm X and so on. Reading about these people captivates my mind. And then it dawned on me. All these people and many more, happen to be dead. They say it is a great career move, with the most recent case being Jacko. I tend to agree with this statement although one also has to think what could have happened if individuals such as Dr King had not had their lives cut so depressingly short. Death seems to add an extra element of mystique and wonder to these icons, for now we can only hear them through tapes, sound and memory. They seem so distant to our normal lives. There may well be so much we never know… So maybe the above is why I started to read on one of, if not the, biggest entertainment star ever to live. Thus listening to his music followed. Casting aside certain cheesy songs and cringe worthy films (Which were probably not made on his accord), I honestly believe there has not been a better singer. He may not have written his songs like the Beatles or had the lyricism of Dylan but for pure out and out talent, not many come close. He could do the rock and pop with ease but it’s the gospel and soul music I adhere to most. I hope these videos prove it and if people still question the talent then there must be some underlying issues. Yet ridiculous talent does not make someone a hero or someone to admire. A few footballers spring to mind although not Becks. He is a total champ of a person and more a chump of a talent. There are two things I really admire about Presley. Firstly, this man from humble backgrounds had a painful existence near the end of his life. The separation from his wife and child were things he never recovered from and the people around him did not help. If a lesson is learnt, it is that all the riches in the world can’t buy you happiness. It sure is lonely at the top. You may say everyone has tough ordeals to go through and there are many worse things to battle with. I agree. But in hearing the emotions in his voice, it is hard not to sympathise and relate to. Secondly, the other tribulation he had, similar to many of us, was his spiritual quest. He was a Christian but struggled with it and I learnt that the road for spiritual knowledge is never complete. The man had pillars in his garden to all other major religions such as Islam, Judaism, and Buddhism etc. This is something I heavily relate to. He was willing to keep reading and learning, which encourages me, when I’m slipping to do likewise. I believe an educated person studies these important parts of life and in reality never ceases to do so. So when I hear his gospel music, I hear the doubts but I also hear the willingness to believe. I like that. After reading over this, maybe I like the man because, although these kind of people seem from another world, they are in fact just like every one of us.

P.S. I had stopped this hero list because I did not want people to think I idolise others. I don’t. (I also stopped it, as it’s hard to get any decent gags in!!) I just wanted to say why I’m interested in these people and how they have influenced me. After all to try and be like someone else is to waste your unique self.
My next hero on the list is big though so stay tuned!!