Early in his music career, all of Elvis’s hits were on the Country and Western charts, but the next six months would make him a superstar. It was his debut single on RCA/Victor, his new label, which propelled Elvis to the top of the pop charts. But if “Heartbreak Hotel” is what made him the king of the radio and record stores during the spring of 1956, it was television that truly made him the King of Rock and Roll. And if any one moment might be called his coronation, it was his appearance on The Milton Berle Show on June 4, 1956, when he set his guitar aside and put every part of his being into a blistering, scandalous performance of “Hound Dog.”
https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/elvis-rocks-the-milton-berle-show
Starting in January, 1956, Elvis started appearing on a variety of television shows. His first appearance on the Milton Berle show was on April 3, but his second appearance, on June 4, set the world on fire.
His gyrating hips generated a huge amount of controversy, and caused the Catholic weekly America to get right to the point in its headline: “Beware of Elvis Presley.”
A day before his second appearance on the Milton Berle show, the town of Santa Cruz, California had banned rock ‘n roll at public gatherings, calling the music “detrimental to both the health and morals of our youth and community.” Santa Cruz police entered the Santa Cruz Civic auditorium just past midnight to check on the event, and what they found, according to Lieutenant Richard Overton, was a crowd “engaged in suggestive, stimulating and tantalizing motions induced by the provocative rhythms of an all-negro band.” But what might sound like a pretty great dance party to some did not to Lt. Overton, who immediately shut the dance down and sent the disappointed teenagers home early
https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/rock-and-roll-is-banned-in-santa-cruz-california
Both Santa Cruz and the “America” publication evolved over time, and became decidedly more liberal.
Ten years after rock ‘n roll was banned in Santa Cruz, the town became the favorite haunt of Ken Kelsey and his Merry Pranksters. A brief scan of the link below will help you quickly realize that Kelsey was (to quote Steve Martin) “a wild and crazy guy”.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ken_Kesey
“America”, the magazine, was started by the Jesuits in Manhattan in 1909. Although its early position on Elvis may lead you to consider it to be a conservative publication, it’s Jesuit foundation has caused it to be a liberal-leaning publication for most of its existence, and it got even more liberal starting in 1998, when the magazine became known for publishing articles and opinion pieces taking positions contrary to official Catholic teaching on matters such as homosexuality, priestly celibacy, birth control, and the abortion debate. The magazine’s weekly publication is a relatively modest 45,000,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/America_(magazine)
Although you might assume that religious publications, in general, are going to be conservative, “America” is proof that not all of them are. A brief scan of the publication at the line below will confirm that.
https://www.americamagazine.org/
There is no shortage of Catholic newspapers in the Untied States, and the St. Paul-based Wanderer is THE oldest, having been founded in Germany in 1867. In 1931, it merged with the English language version. In 1957, the German version ceased publication.
https://www.w3newspapers.com/usa/romancatholic/
It’s not possible to get circulation information about the Wanderer, but three Catholic newspapers have weekly circulation in excess of 100,000, The most widely read Catholic publication is the Catholic Digest, which was originally started by St. Thomas College in St. Paul, Minnesota. It has a weekly publication of 300,000,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Catholic_newspapers_and_magazines_in_the_United_States
If you scan through the latest issue of The Wanderer, you’ll discover that it is a VERY conservative publication, and I would take issue with just about every opinion expressed therein. I have little doubt that the newspaper would STILL have dim view of Elvis.
https://thewandererpress.com/
Elvis Presley has been dead now for more than 40 years, but his estate still managed to earn $35 million in 2017. As a result, he probably was not overly concerned by early criticism of his singing style.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/zackomalleygreenburg/2017/10/30/elvis-presleys-earnings-35-million-in-2017/#112ccf324187
Since none of us are likely going to hear Elvis on the radio anymore, let’s take a stop back in time, and WATCH “Hound Dog” one more time.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzQ8GDBA8Is
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