Episode Transcript
Hey there, everybody. Welcome back to Sorta Sophisticated, the podcast where we take this universe of random facts clogging up the internet and turn them into something you can casually drop into conversations to sound smarter than you really are, people. I'm Pete, drinking a little too much as per uge, and joining me as always is my co host, Amanda, who likes to think? She keeps me in check. Likes to think? I absolutely keep you in check. It's literally the hardest part of the job. What haves, dude? Uh, anyway, my job, if I'm doing it right, is to try to keep things fun, yet weirdly informative, and just snarky enough to keep you awake. Um, speaking of which, Amanda, did you make it to midnight on New Year's? Of course I did. You're welcome. Did you old man? Whoa Totally. I had my friends over we partied as always. Thank you very much. Not gonna lie. I'm kind of surprised Well, I'm like pass out. Okay, first of all usually asleep by 9 that is this is totally not true My friends from Pittsburgh come over all the time every year We stay up even later than our kids do true or not. True. Are you usually asleep by 9 p. m? Like, in general? Yes. No. What time are you going to sleep? 10. 30. No. Yes! Okay. What time do you go to sleep? Three in the morning. Never. Sometimes I just don't sleep for days on end. Basically. Yeah. Basically. We know. Um, okay, but we did this super awesome thing this year. Well Gabby started this whole theme thing. Like, each year was a theme. Like, we'd have like a poker night, or then we'd have like a trivia night, or then we would do like, whatever. Like, game night. Yeah, that's fun. Okay. So this year, um, I did, uh, Like music through the decades. So like for like the first hour. It was like all 50s music and then like the second hour is all 60s music like all the way up through till midnight and From midnight to one o'clock. It was like today's hits Oh, so we did like eight hours of like different kinds of music, which I think was Fabulous. I'm gonna have to steal that. And I also think that's the perfect segue for today's episode because today as you know We're talking about the cultural icon of the world Elvis Presley? I mean, this guy wasn't just the king of rock and roll, he was like the OG blueprint for a superstar. Oh my god, that's right. Because today would have marked his 90th birthday january 8th. Is that Capricorn? I don't know. I think it is. Okay. You gotta love Capricorns. Why? Are you a Zodiac person? I'm just a Leo, that's all I know. How are we both Leos and we didn't even know this? Are we dumb? It's shocking we get along. It totally is. Maybe it's a girl guy thing? I don't know. I'm going to look this up. Um, Capricorns though, right? They're just, they're always like the out to prove people wrong. Like, it's like total Elvis. Total Cap. That makes all the sense in the world. Um, and I kind of like the whole idea of kicking off Cap. 25 with an episode on music because you know me and music. Um, I could pretty much talk about music You really could please don't and we only have 30 minutes. We're gonna so Give our listeners the elvis gist and how he redefined the whole idea of celebrity. I gotta cut it short here Okay, relax re did you say redefine? He didn't redefine anything. He def defined no re just defined seriously He had the dance moves. He had the hips. Oh, we should be on YouTube right now because I could do the hips. I could do the Okay, sorry. Um, what? The big hair, like, he had like the sideburns, the lips. Drove everybody crazy. He was the man. Um, we're gonna break all this down for you because, he was the shiat, for sure. Uh, did you know he even invented the peanut butter and banana sandwich? Yeah, it's called the Elvis, right? I grew up on that. Did you really? My mom loved him so much. Oh, absolutely. And then like, and then we did like the peanut butter and banana and bacon. Yes, like, like my kids eat these sandwiches because my mom was an Elvis fan. And then I had that. I mean, it's quite delicious, so I don't blame them for that. I also love how excited you are about this episode and about Elvis. Did you see the movie? Uh, no, I did not yet. I know, it is one, it's like, I have a list on my phone of all the movies I have to see that's like on the top. I have to get to it. I'll do it this year. Oh, very tragic. Yeah. Okay, but totally though, getting back on track. Get on track, let's go. I mean, I feel like Elvis is the perfect mix of sophistication and absurdity. Oh, totally. So kind of like your sweet spot here, right? I love it. And why don't you go ahead and kick us off then by telling us why learning about Elvis makes us more cultured and curious. I always appreciate that prompt. You know, it's a really good way to start. Thank you. It keeps us focused and on track. It does. Um, you're not going to believe this. I actually have an answer, like for once in my life. You always have an answer, but let's hear it. But half the time I'm making it up, but this one I didn't make up. It's for real. I looked up. For real, real. Right. So learning about Elvis helps us understand how one man not only revolutionized music, But fashion as well. You didn't have like a stylist. Do you remember those iconic jumpsuits? Yes, he totally did We're gonna talk about a stylist. Okay. Yeah And just like the whole idea of celebrity status in the first place it's like history art and pop culture all got like jammed in a box and And like that there you have Elvis First Celebrity he wasn't the first but he was like because he did so many things Like he was like the super celeb. It's why he became such a big deal in pop culture. He was the SS For sure. And so then do you like listen to him on your playlist all the time? If you're gonna call me old all the time, I'll say no, but I don't know. I feel like he's like timeless Okay, thank God. So then so then the answer is yes He is totally on my Sunday morning playlist oddly enough because like I'll be like making pancakes or something for the kids like Every once in a while get in the mood I don't know, once a month, maybe, um, and then like my kids come downstairs and they're like, Oh my God, dad Elvis again, really? Um, but it's totally the vibe because I love it. Um, but then they make me change it to, um, Oh my God, what? Easy, easy by Lionel Richie, the Commodores. Easy like Sunday morning. Yeah, totally. I'm looking at that like a huge parenting win because my kids are totally learning about Elvis. So, there. And Lionel Richie. Good job. Well since your kids are now learning so much about Elvis and Lionel Richie, how about we learn a new word of the day? Oh yeah, good call. Okay, so the word of the day today is Fulgent. It sounds a little bougie. What does it mean? Fulgent means like something that's really bright. Like bright, bright. Like all the Christmas lights are fulgent? Like yes, like dazzling, like radiant. Like the sun has fulgent light or like you just said, what is it? Christmas lights are fulgent? Christmas lights are totally fulgent and um, oh my god, especially the new LED ones. I didn't tell you this Um, I was at your house the other day and I think you did an excellent job with your Christmas lights They looked really good. So best on the block super well done. Very proud of the Houston house yeah, we did our best. So time to talk about this. I'll do the early days because that's my favorite part of the whole thing. Right. And then not always, I usually do the end. I never do the history. Well, it's like Get it straight. Get it straight. Okay, but there's, you like the baby parts and then you like, yeah, you're the concluder. You're the wrap it up. You're the summit. We can, we can skip the middle. Right, right, right. Seriously. If it was up to you, we do baby. It's like how you get a book and you read the beginning and then you read the end and you skip the middle. Wow. We're learning so much about you today. Okay. Go for it. Alright, so Baby Elvis Presley, our future king of rock and roll, was born in someplace called Tupelo? Tupelo. Tupelo? You nailed it. Mississippi, on January 8th, 1935. Yes, totally. Um, M I S S I S S I P E I. I love that. Um, I have a question. Already. Uh huh. Sideburns? Did he come out with sideburns? No. Did his mom have heartburn because he shot out the VJJ with sideburns already? No, but fun fact. What? Did you know he was a twin say what yeah, so there's two of them that shot it was there was two Elvis's Yep, let's go. I need to hear this. He had a twin brother named Jesse Garen Presley, but he was a stillborn. So Sandy that is sad It is sad. And so instead of living in his brother's shadow He decided to go be some one of a kind cultural phenomenon instead dude. Talk about grand entrance I mean this guy pops out with sideburns and probably holding a guitar and then he goes and eats his brother. It's a total animal. Stop it. That's not what happened. It was probably really sad if you think about it. First of all, it was basically still the Great Depression or at least right at the end of it and everyone was still poor and we hadn't even entered the war yet. People were scared and then they live in this little two room farmhouse somewhere in Podunk, Mississippi. Which, by the way, Elvis's dad and uncle built with their own two hands. He built the house? Yeah, another fun fact. And then the town doctor comes over and everyone's all excited to deliver twins and all of a sudden Jesse pops out and he's not alive. That's terrible. It is terrible. They're probably freaking out. Yeah, I think everyone probably did. And then they have to wait another 30 minutes is born. Wait a second, I have a question already. Don't twins like come out like one or two weeks? Three or five minutes apart 30 minutes. No, they can come out like two hours apart. Holy shit So they have a dead kid and then they got to wait 30 more minutes for Elvis to come out Wow, talk about like a cluster. Totally. You're bringing me down already Everyone was probably standing around wondering if the same thing was gonna happen. Totally overwhelming and Okay, I take back everything. I just said I feel bad and we need to make this Episode way more upbeat. So I have an idea. Why don't we, make this episode a tribute to Jesse Guerin Presley. Okay. Okay. Okay. Also, um, shout out to Dan Goggins and associates for letting us use a studio. Am I right? Like, let's go people. If you need your workers comp claims, go to Dan because he does so much workers comp stuff. Dan's better than Larry H Parker guys Like he has won people like millions and millions of dollars So I'm just telling you Dan Goggins and associates right here in good old sunny Brea, California get on it people Um, I'm full of questions today. I'll tell you PSA. I haven't I am I thought like Elvis was born in Memphis. Do they just say that cuz Tupelo doesn't really like Give rock and roll vibes. No, no, no. What's going on? He moved to Memphis when he was 13. So people just affiliate him with Memphis because that's where he grew up and his whole career started. Uh huh. Yeah. Tupelo was nothing like Memphis. It was super religious and super poor. And actually another fun fact Elvis grew up singing gospel music in the church choir. First of all, you're taking all the fun facts But I also do feel like everyone who's like a great singer started out as a gospel singer like Katy Perry really Carrie Underwood Holy crap. Okay. I'd like Clarkson like gospel like Southern Baptist gospel or like like where they're like clapping It's like Aretha Franklin or like got like real gospel music like gospel gospel real gospel music. Oh my god. Okay fine. So anyways, he moves to Memphis when he's 13, cause there was no work in Tupelo and they were pretty poor and needed to do something different to try to survive. That makes sense. So his pops gets a job in Memphis and the rest is kind of history. So fast forward to 1953, he turns 18 years old and Elvis just walks into someplace called Sun Studio and records a couple of songs as a gift for his mom. What a dude. Duh. What a stud, right? That's what he's gonna do for a present for me. I love that. Right. So good. And the owner of the record studio is just sitting there, and that guy was Sam Phillips, and he hears this and he just knows right then and there that there was something different in Elvis's voice and style. And by the following year, Elvis cuts his first real single, That's Alright Mama Of course there was something different in his voice because he had the whole like, like southern drawl thing going on that was all awesome. So, um, he just was like famous. Just like that. Like that's all right. Mama gets recorded and like, out of nowhere, he's famous. I mean, not that fast. At first it was just in Memphis famous. Kind of like how he was Memphis famous. What is Memphis? What does that even mean? Like when you're like a hometown boy. Okay. I got you. I got you. So he's hometown famous and he starts gaining momentum by playing at local bars and clubs and other stuff. Like a motley crew did. in the LA area. Let's go. Yeah, sure. Like that. Yeah. Duh. But his whole mix of like blues gospel and country was totally novel for this time and it caught on super quick and really who are we kidding? He was also easy on the eyes. So that helped. He was good looking dude. I'm not going to lie. No shame in this. Uh huh. So it took another year or two after that. And then voila, then he was super famous. And then he signed with RCA Records, released Heartbreak Hotel, and appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show. And he starts shaking his hips like they don't lie. Way before Shakira. Um, first of all, that's hysterical. I like the Shakira reference. Good work. Second, um, I mean, you gotta love the invention of the TV, right? Cause, talk about right place, right time. This must have been legendary. He goes on national television and starts dancing like a stud, driving all these ladies crazy. I wish I was alive for that. People probably went nuts. But like, was it just that it was on TV and everyone was watching him dance and stuff? Or was it really like, new moves? That no one had ever done before and that's why everybody was freaking out. Okay, well, one, you gotta remember it was like the 1950s and America was pretty tightly wound. And we had rules and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. So then Elvis shows up and starts shaking his hips that people didn't even know you could shake or should shake and then he became super controversial for the time. Nowadays, it wouldn't be a big deal. I mean, we twerk and all, but back then, it was crazy it would sort of be like today if during the Super Bowl halftime show, someone would rip off all the clothes on national TVs, Como, Justin Timberlake. Oh my God. Right. But like, for real, like no faking. I mean, yeah, but like full frontal, maybe. I'm in. Could you imagine the shock? Ah, I'd love it. But yeah, I hear you. One more fun fact. What? Really? Yeah. Okay, so his whole hip I'm gonna have to rewrite, by the way, my fun facts. I'm gonna have to go make sure I have different That's okay. They're just so good. We can repeat them. Go, go, go. Okay, so his whole hip gyration thingy. Yeah. Did you know that's how he got the nickname Elvis the Pelvis? Oh my god. Did you even know he had the nickname Elvis? I did not. The pelvis? I did not. I did not. I was researching. I did not research that. No. Yeah. Um, that's awesome. I love that. Elvis the pelvis. So to all teenagers, he was of course amazing and the new biggest heartthrob ever. But to parents, he was air quotes, corrupting the youth and should be banned from television forever. Okay. No gyration of the hips. Of course. Like why? It's older generations. They suck. Like, okay, whatever. Um. I mean, sex and rock and roll. He started it. It's great. All the older generations were younger generations at one point, and I'm sure we're pissing off their parents. And then they grow up and get all lame and turn into people they don't want to become in the first place. I'm never going to do that. Bullshit on this. I mean, if you were a 40 year old woman with a teenage daughter, and you see Elvis pumping those hips on stage. You know you're secretly getting off on it in the bedroom and then pretending to your daughter that he's all corrupt like you said. There is no way you weren't. At least your daughter was doing it in public, like with no shame. While you're in the bathroom doing, you know, what and not even telling your husband, whatever. I'm over it. Yeah, I'm done with your setbacks. I'm just, it's bullshit. I don't even believe it. I believe every woman was doing the same thing, whether you're 40 or 18. So, uh, okay, okay, whatever. So, kind of a question along the same line. I mean, how many women need to throw their underwear at you before you can actually be called a lesbian? I need to chat GPT this shit, like, right now. Yeah, you probably should. Okay, I'm doing it. Okay, I have no idea on that. That just seems like a really odd question. Do you think it's gonna work? I don't know. I'm, I'm, go. Okay, well, you do that. I'm clicking. Okay, so I'm looking. Where were we? Oh, the title of the King. So speaking of the king, that name caught on pretty quickly because by the late 50s, so like three years after he got famous, it was already pretty set in stone. He was already selling records like crazy, but then he started starring in movies, sealed the deal. But then, just as everything was getting good, he totally gets drafted by the army, and has to go off to Fort Hood, Texas, for basic training. So, thanks Uncle Sam. Thanks Uncle Sam. Dude, no way. I love that. Let's go. No favorites, man. You gotta go do your duty just like everything else. They took that shit serious back then. I would have totally dodged. I'm such a dodger. Okay, wait. But back to the underwear thing. Check this out. Okay, I looked up chat GPT. There's no precise count on how many women threw their panties at Elvis Presley. But the phenomenon of fans tossing undergarments at him is part of his legendary status as a cultural icon in heartthrob. Elvis inspired frenzied adoration from women during the height of his career from the 1950s, 1960s. Okay, hold on. I have one more, more than 10, 000. While there is no exact count, given Elvis Presley's immense popularity and the sheer number of concerts he performed, over 1100 live shows during his career, it is possible that thousands of women threw panties, bras, and other items of clothing at him over the years. The figure 10, 000 wouldn't be entirely out of the question if you consider his global fan base. And the frenzy he inspired at each performance. Let's go. Okay. I love that. Where were we? the draft Okay, I just want to know why he was called the king, but we got we're back to that back to the draft Go for it. Okay. So at 23, he was drafted had to go the army and now it's your turn because I went way past childhood And okay, good point. He's like this part. He's already in his mid 20s and he's getting bras thrown at him. Okay Um, so after he finishes basic training, he gets shipped overseas and he spends two years stationed in Bad Nauheim, Germany. But that's only like, but that only like made him more famous. Cause now everyone felt sorry for him. Remember all those moms that I was just talking about who were like, Oh yeah, he's vile. He shouldn't be shaking his hips like that. Well now they're all like, Oh, he's hot. He's chiseled. He's a war veteran. So now he's totally fair game. Well, I'm probably legal now. Right. That too. Uh, fun fact. Can I do a fun fact? While he was stationed in Germany, that's where he met his wife. That's where he met Priscilla Boliu. The woman that would later become his wife. I mean, we're talking about some rom coms. That's some seriously good material right there. Uh, you know they made a movie about it. Uh, it's, it wasn't a rom com or anything, it was how they met, Priscilla made it, it came out like after he died, it was like in 1988. Uh, it was called Elvis and Me, and it's based on Oh, okay, but it wasn't like a rom com, it was like a biography. No, not at all, not at all, no, no, no, it's like a, it's not a documentary, but it's like, it's based on Priscilla's memoir, of how she met Elvis. So like, it's out there, it's just not rom com. Okay, wait. But When he came back from his tour of duty, did he just pick up where he left off, or, what happened? I mean If he was out of the music industry for a few years, it would kind of be hard to just like slide right back in, right? Uh, I would think so, right? So he Or maybe not. I mean, maybe people were waiting for it. It sort of ended up like a mixed bag. Cause you, you were like kind of right. It's kind of hard. So he starts making a ton of new movies instead. And sort of let his music take a backseat. Which In retrospect might not have been the best idea. Um, some of his movies were awesome. Uh, like instant classics. Uh, Blue Hawaii and Viva Las Vegas. Both awesome. Did he sing in all of his movies? Of course. Um, but he made other ones that really sucked. Like one called Kissin Cousins, I guess. Or like, Harem Scarem. I didn't see these or anything. I just read reviews that they totally sucked. So, trust me. Um, so I guess his agent was a little lame about all this. When I was researching everything, it kept coming up. I guess he was known for being like, a bully. And making Elvis take some really shitty roles to like, keep money flowing in. Rather than like, picking really good scripts. And it only takes a few of those. And then after a few years, critics start talking shit and calling him irrelevant. And things start going south. I mean, I can only imagine. It's a tough world out there. Ain't going down without a fight, right? Because, I mean, who are we kidding? He's the king! And he's got all those bras and underwear souvenirs hiding in the closet somewhere. So in December of 1968, he goes on national TV and does something called the Comeback Special. Did you ever hear this? Yes, but only when I was researching, not like before that or anything. Because, you know, I am a young'un. Yeah, yeah, that's true, you totally are. Um, okay, but this was perfect. I mean, he goes out on stage, dressed head to toe in that totally iconic black leather suit, And it takes, like, the world 30 seconds to fall in love with him again. Total legend. It was a big deal. Like, a big, big deal. It was his first real performance of any kind since before he went to war. Like, seven years or something, Amanda. Was he fat by then? No! Not even close. No, no! No, he looked totally awesome. It was ridiculous. It's just that he was making all the shitty movies. So like everybody was sort of forgetting about him. And then he goes back on stage, looks like a stud in this black leather suit and it's like, bam, he was amazing at it again. Um, so more fun facts. I can't believe this. Um, are you ready about, I'm going to do some quick fun facts about this television special. Are you ready? Yes. For one, it was supposed to be just a Christmas special. Where he was going to sing all these holiday songs. But then his producer convinced him that it'd be totally lame. And he pivoted right before it started. And he went all rock and roll. Which I think was totally cool. And the right thing to do. Also, it got massive ratings. Like half the United States was watching. Cause he did this whole section, like, unplugged. Where he stripped down the songs and talked to the live audience and everything. It was awesome. And last fun fact about the TV special. It ended with a new song called, If I Can Dream. A song inspired by the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy earlier that same year. He recorded it live, right there, on that set, in one take. Totally amazing. It went on to become an anthem of hope for all those fighting for social justice. I mean talk about a good comeback story. Totally was. Absolutely. That's just like top of the top, so was that the whole thing that started his whole Vegas years or was there something else in between? Yeah, that was it. Yeah, he totally went to Vegas like right after that by the early 1970s Elvis was like ruling Las Vegas But it was hard AF cuz like That shitty agent was basically working him to death and making him do, like, way too many shows. So, why didn't he drop him then? Yeah, so I had to look that one up too. So, he was just like, I guess, a really loyal dude. Like, what do you want me to say? He just met him when he was really young, and he didn't ever feel comfortable leaving him. Even though he didn't, like, really agree with him all the time. And, yes, our 80th fun fact. After Elvis died, they found out that his agent was actually making Amanda, ready for this? 50 percent on everything Elvis was doing. That's insane. No, it gets worse. Like, 50%? 50 percent of all his money! Yes! It's crazy! Okay, it gets worse. Cause his schedule in Las Vegas was so friggin demanding, he ended up screwing up his entire personal life too. Like, it totally unraveled. Him and Priscilla got divorced in 1973, and then he started getting addicted to all his prescription painkillers, and had a whole bunch of other health issues from there and he's only like 40 years old It's so sad because he was so young and just had so much more potential. Oh my god Totally his last live performance was in June of 1977 at the Market Square Arena in Indianapolis, Indiana Just seven weeks before he died from officially what has been called a heart attack on August 16th, 1977. He died at his home in Graceland. And he was only 42 years old. It totally shocked the world. Yeah, but wait, hold on. Wasn't it really more than a heart attack? Or like, better, I guess, way to ask. Did his lifestyle lead to the heart attack? Uh, totally, yes. Um, he was addicted to his painkillers. He drank a ton, so he had like, liver damage already. He had a shitty diet, high blood pressure, diabetes, and an enlarged heart. His cardiovascular system was destroyed. And then, he like, ultimately died of a heart attack. I mean, it was like, hardcore lifestyle. But then after he died, he became even more famous, right? Oh my god, totally. Graceland turned into this like huge pilgrimage site for all his fans. And then all the Elvis impersonators started and became their own cultural phenomenon, like in their own right. And to this day, he's still one of the best selling solo artists of all time. Dude, we gotta go to Graceland. Book our tickets to Tennessee. It's in Tennessee? It is! Graceland, Tennessee! Let's go! Tennessee has the best stuff. It also has Dollywood. It does. Let's go. Okay, I have one more question. What? So, what was with the white bedazzled jumpsuits? Like, how did that become a whole thing? You said we were going to talk about stylists. I haven't heard about stylists yet. Oh my god, how did we just, like, do this podcast episode and not talk about the sparkly jumpsuits? Um, good catch. So, they were designed by some guy named Bill Bellew, Elvis costume designer. Right? That's what we were talking about earlier. Uh, and the idea was that he wanted Elvis to stand out in the giant arenas in Vegas. So we used white for contrast, and then a bunch of rhinestones for reflecting the stage lights. So that way, he would look amazing. Uh, wait, wait, wait. What was our word of the day? What was our word of the day? Ful Fulgent? Fulgent? Fulgent. Fulgent. Does that work? They used rhinestones so he could look ful I think it does. I think it does. It's something really bright or dazzling. Okay, we nailed it. Accepted. Thank you very much. Um, okay. And this fulgent jumpsuit was also really important for like practical reasons too. Check this. It was specifically designed so he could move around on stage easier and do all his famous moves and stuff. Like his hip gyrations and karate moves. And in like 10 seconds, it became his signature suit. And it fit in perfectly with the whole glitzy Las Vegas vibe during that era. So love him or hate him, the jumpsuit was iconic, for sure. I mean, who could really hate him? Everyone loved him. Nobody could hate him. You can't hate him. Nope. You totally can't hate him, because who else in the world could pull something like that off besides, you know, Michael Jackson. Right? Maybe Michael. Again, another big icon though. Nobody else. Yeah, I don't think anybody else. All right, are we gonna do fun facts or do we already do all of our fun facts? Oh my god, so we're gonna do fun facts, but I got to look through my fun facts first and make sure like we didn't steal all the fun facts. Um, I think we're okay. We'll just, as we go, we'll just skip if like we already said one, okay? Okay. All right, ready. Did you know Elvis had his own private island? Of course he did. What? How did he get his own private island? Oh my god, okay. It wasn't really his private island. But, they call it a private island. It was in Palm Springs, California. What? And it was officially called Graceland West. Yes! You could totally go visit it if you want. It's nothing like, like, Graceland, Graceland. But it's still cool if you're an Elvis fan and live on the west coast. Yes! Let's go. Why was it an island? I don't know. I don't know why they said it. Like, Palm Springs, maybe like that was like the style back, I have no idea. Okay. Um, okay. Another fun fact. Elvis didn't perform at his own wedding. Like, not that he had to, but I'm just saying like you would think that would happen. That would be something cool he would do. Um, actually, nobody did. In exact opposite Elvis fashion, his wedding to Priscilla lasted a total of 8 minutes and was like, super low key. I don't know, why'd he do that? Like, why would he want to go big? He didn't. He just You know where he probably got married. One of those little wedding chapels in Las Vegas. Oh my god, I'm funny. Okay, um Alright, number three. Elvis was known to give out gold records to his friends. Cause, um, I guess if you can flex like that, why wouldn't you do that? Um, he even gave one out to then president Richard Nixon in 1970, who kept it in the White House library before it moved to its final resting place in good old Yorba Linda, California. at the Richard Nixon Library and Museum. Man, I wish I knew that one. We were just there. Let's go! And I would have totally geeked out over that. Darn fun fact missed. Totally. Missed opportunity. Yeah, it was probably sitting in like, um, all the file rooms during the Watergate scandal. And Nixon had to like, pull it out and like, get it over to the Nixon library. Fun fact forward. Did you know Elvis was a 7th degree black belt in karate? I mean, that kind of helps. The whole kicking and right. I don't know. That's why the white was really random, but that now attracts that's the white jumpsuit, man. That's why he was doing all that weird stuff. So he started studying it while he was in the army in Germany in 1958 and got all the way up to seventh degree black belt before he left. It's crazy. It's crazy. Okay, how about this one? Did you know Elvis was a natural blonde? No way. Totally. Okay, um, As a young boy, Elvis Presley was naturally a dirty blonde. However, as he grew older, Oh, okay, okay. His hair darkened, bear with me, to medium brown. And when his career started, he began dyeing his hair black to enhance his image. The idea was that the black hair complemented his striking blue eyes and created a more dramatic and iconic look that stood out on stage and films. He initially used shoe polish to darken his hair before switching to like professional dyes when he got older. Yeah. All right. The more you know. So dirty blonde, brown. And then he was like, no, I'm going to pretend it's all black, but that does make sense because black hair, blue eyes. Yeah, it does. What's her name? Alexandra Daddario. Alexandra Daddario. Oh, yeah. I think I'm in love. Okay. Number six, Elvis's jumpsuits. Oh, here we go. Back to your fat fun fact, Elvis's jumpsuit. It wasn't a fat fun fact. Whatever. I was just asking if it was fat. Yes, here we go. Elvis's jumpsuits gained 50 pounds during his run. That's like three to four sizes. That's like from like a large Amanda to like a triple extra large. Shout out to like Bill Baloo for like, keeping up with all those changing sizes. Poor guy, with all the stress. I know, totally. Okay, um, okay, last one. Finally, you'd never catch Elvis dead in a pair of shorts. But why? Uh, he didn't like the way his legs looked. He always thought they were like, too skinny for his body. Because they were looking like a chicken. Maybe because he got so fat. Um, I don't know, but that's super weird. Like, the king of rock and roll never wore shorts. I mean, he probably looked like Gru. Oh my god, that's hysterical. Yeah, like little chicken legs. Oh my god, that's hysterical! Okay, that was a good one. Is that all of our fun facts? Um, yeah, totally. Elvis was easy. Okay, I mean they were fun. They were good and they were all new so good job But cuz I took out all the other ones that you stole. Well, you know, those were also good before we wrap up don't we have to like sing like don't we have to like impersonate Elvis? I mean, I think you've been doing that all up. We can't go on together with suspicious minds Are you quite done? Can you do one? No. Do you even know an Elvis song? No. How are you doing an episode on Elvis and not be cultured and curious and know I mean, I'm sure I know it. Like, I just can't pick one out of the air. Can you please go home and listen to Elvis? Yeah, I know he is and I've listened to his music. Okay, unlike you. I just can't just randomly recall. Yeah, okay My recall is very low. Can you wrap this shit up, please? Well, you're gonna wrap it up What are our takeaways for today? And what do we need to remember to be all smart and stuff? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, okay Um, well number one if you haven't visited Tennessee yet. Let's go to Graceland people make sure it's on the list It's a must see for every Elvis fan and it's totally packed With all his amazing history, or like I said, go to Graceland West out in Palm Springs and enjoy some sunshine. No excuses. Um, if you haven't already, much like my co host, Amandita, check out some of his classic movies. I would start with Blue Hawaii, like that's like the most famous, best one ever. Iconic. Totally iconic. Absolutely. Um, third, next time you're listening to some more of his famous songs, mix it up a bit and check out some of his lesser known albums. There's a whole treasure trove of Elvis music that's just waiting to be rediscovered. How many albums did he have? Oh my god, he like 50 had like a ton of out? No way. Yeah. Yeah. No, no. No, you know how many movies you mean? No, he made 40 movies Hey, and he had over 50 albums do this guy's not messing around and one of my dad at 42 Yeah, because he started with me. He was like 20 years. Yeah, that's so crazy much life. Wow. What'd you do Peter? What'd you do? Oh, man, it's terrible. Can I please tell you one of my favorite like Secret album. It's not really a secret album, but like lesser known album. What uh Elvis country. I'm 10, 000 years old get on it People if you if you're like a super Elvis fan, you'll already know this But like if you're not and you just know like some of his main songs go listen Elvis country. I'm 10, 000 years old Okay, it's classic. Okay. Um Finally remember these few important details to seem sort of sophisticated number one, Elvis was a trailblazer in both music and culture. His fusion of country blues and gospel helped create rock and roll as a mainstream genre. His 1956 hit Heartbreak Hotel launched him into national stardom, and his charismatic performances broke racial and cultural barriers during a transformative time in America in the 1950s. Elvis didn't write any of his own songs that made him famous, but his ability to interpret and perform them with emotion and charisma set him apart. He turned songs like hound dog and jailhouse rock into massive hits, thanks to his iconic style. Dancing to the jail house rock. Okay. Number three in 1958 at the height of his fame, Elvis was drafted into the U S army and served in Germany. This period marked a shift in his career, and it was during this time that he met his future wife, Priscilla. Number four, after years of focusing on movies with mixed success, Elvis re established his dominance in music with his televised 1968 comeback special, where he performed in his now iconic black leather suit and reconnected with his live audience. And finally, Elvis home, Graceland, in Memphis, Tennessee, is now a National Historical Landmark, and one of the most visited private homes in the United States. It's also where Elvis is buried alongside his parents. And daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, cementing it as a pilgrimage site for fans. Lisa Marie just died in, uh, I want to say January of 2023? Like, really recently. Yeah. Yeah. It was when the movie came out. All right. And there you have it. Fellow listeners, the story of Elvis Presley, the King of rock and roll. The next time you hear someone singing jailhouse rock or see a rhinestone jumpsuit, that's way too much. You'll know there's a whole legacy behind the swagger and sound. Yes, you will. You ain't nothing but a hound dog. Why do you look at me like that with such disdain? It's a lot, you know, all you have to do is smile, you know what Pete? Okay, go ahead. I'm sorry to interrupt your summary Continue. Well, then Elvis isn't just a music icon people He's a symbol of an era a trailblazer who reshaped the sound of popular music And left an indelible mark on American culture from his groundbreaking son records sessions to his unforgettable Aloha from Hawaii concert. His story is pure rhythm, rebellion, and re innovation. Yes, it is. So if we've done our job right today, you're leaving a little more sophisticated, sorta, and ready to slip a fun fact about the King into your next conversation, or at least just belt out a hound dog like Pete does. Every two seconds with a little more respect behind it. Yes. Amen respect So if you've enjoyed this episode be a hunk of burning love and subscribe leave a review and share it with anyone who loves music Pop culture or a good story. So until next time keep rocking and remember Elvis has definitely not left the building. Oh my god How did we just talk about a whole Elvis episode and not include Lilo and stitch like that? Well whole soundtrack was Elvis like I mean, I'm today years old to realize stitch. Yeah I loved Elvis and he was like doing his like impersonations That's so true, oh my god, we love you Elvis look at you you're in Yeah, he just pops in Elvis out
