Before Elvis

The African American Musicians Who Made the King

By: Preston Lauterbach

Narrated by: Jaime Lincoln Smith

In this thought-provoking book, the Black musicians who influenced Elvis Presley's music finally receive recognition and praise.

After Baz Luhrmann’s movie, Elvis, hit theaters, audiences and critics alike couldn't help but question the Black origins of Elvis Presley’s music and style, reigniting a debate that has been circling for decades. In Before Elvis: The African American Musicians Who Made the King​, author Preston Lauterbach answers these questions definitively, based on new research and extensive, previously unpublished interviews with the artists who blazed the way and the people who knew them.

Within these pages, Lauterbach examines the lives, music, legacies, and interactions with Elvis Presley of the four innovative Black artists who created a style that would come to be known as Rock ’n’ Roll: Little Junior Parker, Big Mama Thornton, Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup, and mostly-unknown eccentric Beale Street guitarist Calvin Newborn. Along the way, he delves into the injustices of copyright theft and media segregation that resulted in Black artists living in poverty as white performers, managers, and producers reaped the lucrative rewards.

In the wake of continuing conversations about American music and appropriation, Before Elvis is indispensable.

There *was* something before Elvis

Great premise that’s been uncovered for too long. These artists are given their due.
The only hiccup here are the number of bizarre, glaring mispronunciations of some other artists’ names. Carl Pickens? Bob Willis? Mike Stoller’s writing partner is constantly mispronounced as Jerry Lie-ber!
Surely this isn’t in Lauterbach’s text - he’s a great writer.
Otherwise Jaime Lincoln Smith is an excellent reader - so who produced this thing?
The sloppiness mars an otherwise excellent audiobook.

A Masterpiece Acknowledging the Diverse Influences of Elvis Presley

A thorough and thought-provoking dive into the gospel, blues and jazz influences that wove together to inspire Elvis Presley and early rock and roll. A primer for Elvis fans and music fans.