Elvis - The Early Years Trivia Quiz

Answer: John Lennon

John Lennon and Elvis were both revolutionary, whether they knew it or not. Elvis was first, he changed our music, language, clothes, and virtually our culture as a whole. He was not a revolutionary in the more modern sense of the word; he was not political, and he seemed to have to interest in racial issues, although his music brought the races together in a unique way.

Answer: Crown Electric Company

Sam Phillips, owner of Sun Records, said he saw that Crown Electric Company truck pull up and park in front of his studio at 706 Union Street, many times. Phillips said that Elvis would just sit in the truck, trying to get up the nerve to go in.

Answer: for his mother's birthday

Elvis had a special affection for his mother, Gladys. He bought her a new pink Cadillac when she didn't even drive.
According to an interview with Phillips years later, his secretary at Sun Records, Marion Kreisker, asked Elvis what kind of music he sang, Elvis replied "all kinds", and when asked who he sounded like he answered, "I don't sound like nobody".

Answer: The Ink Spots

Elvis was not happy with the recordings, which cost him $3.00. Years later he said it sounded like someone beating on a bucket lid.
The Ink Spots gained most of their fame in the late 1930s and 1940s. They were one of the first African American groups to gain popularity with white audiences.

Answer: Dean Martin

Elvis didn't really know who he was and when Phillips asked him what he could do, he said he could do anything, from white, black, country, gospel and crooners. Phillips put him together with two friends of his, electric guitarist Scotty Moore and bassist Bill Black. They "woodshedded" together for a few weeks.
In an interview, Sam Phillips remembered saying, "If I could find a white man with a Negro sound I could make a billion dollars." Phillips discovered not only Elvis, but Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Roy Orbison.

Answer: Arthur Crudup

This session with Phillips occurred on July 5, 1954 (he just happened to note the date in his log). Arthur Crudup made it to Chicago with his electric guitar and blues style. It was during this session that Elvis first caught the beat.
Crudrup was none too happy to learn that white singers were making money off of his work.

Answer: Moondog

Freed is known as the "Father of Rock n' Roll". He stole the moniker "moondog" from a New York street musician. It was the foresight of men like Minz, Freed, and Phillips that saw the future of Elvis and his genre of music.

The mixture of white country and black gospel was called "rock-a-billy".

Answer: The Songfellows

Elvis was eighteen when he started singing with The Songfellows. Initially he was turned down as he couldn't harmonize when someone else was singing lead. Several months later the group gave him a second chance. He was hired, but doing a couple of random dates wasn't enough. That's when he took a job driving a truck for Crown Electric.

Answer: Kemmons Wilson

Sam Phillips sold Elvis' contract to RCA Records for the now paltry sum of $35,000.
During an interview with Phillips, he recalled that he wasn't in a financial position to properly promote Elvis to a nationwide audience. Phillips said he called a friend of his, Kemmons Wilson, for advice. Wilson told Phillips that he wouldn't hesitate to sell. Wilson went on to build America's great first motel chain, Holiday Inns. Fortunately, Phillips was an early investor.

Answer: Jackie Gleason

Elvis signed to do four shows for Gleason at $1250 a show. Gleason knew that the music was only part of the act. It was the movement, style and that sultry, alienated look. Few Americans either before or since have looked so rebellious and yet been so polite.