Boston, Massachusetts Jul 14, 2023 (Issuewire.com) - Elvis: The King of Rock and Roll
Book 1: The Crowning of a King
Frank R. D’Onofrio is currently an author living in Conowingo, MD, with his wife. Prior to his recent Best Seller Frank was a Senior Program Manager for a series of Fortune 100 Companies in the Mid-Atlantic area.
The Book answers a serious question: Why is Elvis the King of Rock and Roll? It is a simple question not one easily answered by today’s pundits. The book is a historical analysis of how a truck driver named Elvis Presley went from a failed audition on the night of July 5th, 1954, to the most-known person in the world within two years, without any musical pedigree or money.
With details meticulously documented and researched, this book contains all of the answers to that question and more. It not only puts the reader into the shoes of a nineteen-year-old truck driver, but it discusses honestly, the economics, culture, musical, and historical aspects of the time. Justifying unequivocally why Elvis was named and crowned King of Rock and Roll, and why he deserved his title.
What people may not realize today is that the music Elvis performed was not considered acceptable to many people in the deep south. However, it was the black southern Rhythm & Blues population (predominantly black audiences) along with the grassroots white-teenage-baby-boomers that catapulted Elvis to super-stardom. White-owned radio stations and record stores refused to carry his music, yet the crowds kept coming. They refused, until the groundswell was too big, and Elvis broke the cultural barrier between white and black artists. It also addresses the question: Why Elvis?
The book begins with the following premise - Music today, as well as the artists of the time, bear little resemblance to the music played before Elvis stepped into the future on July 5th, 1954. Mr. D’Onofrio looked at Rock and Roll Music, went back into its Jazz root, and came to a conclusion from an extremely different perspective, than what seems to have been given in the last 60 years. Each of the details is specifically investigated from a period perspective, not from today, or as many do or what the author calls the “end result” perspective.
Those looking at Elvis by today's standards, are not looking at the surrounding facts. They can be hard-pressed to understand how Elvis could be labeled “The King of Rock and Roll.” That is because they conveniently forget or were not told about what actually happened, or they are clouded by the constraints of time.
Because Rock and Roll music changed and evolved, it is hard to compare Elvis with any of today's or even Rock and Roll greatest stars at that time. People seem to get lost in the timeline. One could see there might be a case for argument – that is If you start after 1956 – Because prior to 1956, Elvis blazed a trail for others to follow.
But, Rock and Roll Music did not begin until 1952, which this book illustrates in vivid detail. The answer can be found in the specifics of what happened, and what were the causes that ensued between 1954 - 1956. At the time the music broadcast over the radio was a desert.
It is why John Lennon said: "Before Elvis there was nothing."
The book is a detailed perspective from the place of a Nineteen-Year-old Truck Driver, destined to change music, culture, and the world.
QUOTES ABOUT THE BOOK
“This the truest book about my grandfather – I have ever read!”
Riley Keough – Elvis’ oldest Granddaughter
“This book accurately captured events as they happened. My Father Dewey’s interview and his effect on Elvis’ career in those years are perfectly described by the author. My Dad loved Elvis, and Elvis loved him, they were friends. To Quote my dad, about the book “It’s Gonna Be a Hit – De-gaw’ “
Jerry Phillips eldest Son of DJ Dewy Phillips.
“Frank – Nobody has ever written a book about Elvis the way you want to tell it, from his perspective, and the perspective of the time. You have got to write this book! Elvis would have loved this idea!”
- George Klein (GK) Elvis’ friend and Radio DJ at Sirius XM Elvis Radio Maty 2017
“…(Elvis: The King of Rock and Roll Book1: The Crowning of a King ) is not just a typical biography. Frank D’Onofrio delves deep into the essence of Elvis's music, providing a unique analysis of his groundbreaking sound and its profound impact on popular culture. Moreover, he examines the lasting influence Elvis had on subsequent generations of musicians and how he continues to inspire artists to this day.”
Russell D. Nomer on LinkedIn 07/04/2023
MORE ABOUT THE BOOK
The music that was to become Rock and Roll was not quite an evolution; IT was more like a revolution. While many of the ingredients for Rock and Roll were there, the sound, the audience, and even the entertainers that later created the songs and sound that followed. All of them were available. However, the missing ingredient was a catalyst or a missing link. It would be a single piece in a complex chain of events that would catapult Rock and Roll music from a passing fad to the ultimate change agent of the 20th century. Change, which the world had not seen in generations, if ever.
A young man growing up among the poorest of the poor would grow in a grassroots movement into a musical and cultural sensation. that would change the world. He was born in a dirt shack, with no money, no musical training, nothing but a love for music and life. Within two years after he accidentally came across the sound germination of what would be known as Rock and Roll music, would shake the music industry, the culture, and our entire society, including racial and societal barriers. Within two years from 1954 – 1956, he would grow from a poor truck driver to the most famous man on the planet.
America never had a King, but an unlikely young man would change all of that. His path would take a few twists and turns along the way to his coronation.
This is his story from the very beginning to his coronation as King of Rock and Roll on September 9, 1956, on his appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show, Elvis Presley never aspired or called himself a King, nor did he request to be crowned King. He was too humble for all of that. This fact made the journey even more special! He was the people’s King.
In two short years, Elvis Presley would change our culture, the deep south, the music industry, our perceptions of each other, and the nation. Lastly, he would go on to change the world. The world would know him by his single and distinct name ELVIS:
Conductor/Composer Leonard Bernstein said this of Elvis Presley
"Elvis is the greatest cultural force in the twentieth century. He introduced the beat to everything and he changed everything - music, language, clothes, it's a whole new social revolution - the '60s comes from it. Because of him a man like me barely knows his musical grammar anymore."
This all may seem like fiction, but it is real. Every step was meticulously verified. This is the true story and journey of how it all happened, from the beginning in 1954 up until his coronation at the Ed Sullivan Show on September 9th, 1956. When over 85% of the American Public tuned in to see him perform.
(Note: A record which has never been broken).
Keep in Mind, Elvis did it all with just a guitar and a dream.
+++++++++++++++Copyright © 2023 Frank R. D'Onofrio
All rights reserved.
The characters and events portrayed in this book are based on actual events.
No part of this book may be reproduced or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.
ISBN-13: 9798392446957 - Hard Cover
ISBN-13: 9798391821137 - Paperback
ISBN-10: 1477123456
Cover design by: Art Painter
Library of Congress Control Number: 2018675309
Printed in the United States of America
The book can be purchased at www.calanhunter.com
Media Contact
Calan Hunter Books calan@calanhunter.com 2029915358 http://Calanhunter.com
