A few years before the Beatles were causing countless teenage girls to swoon and faint at their sell-out concerts, the man who started it all was stirring up a storm of controversy with his shaking hips and seductive voice. With Elvis "The King" Presley it's highly unlikely that rock music would be what it is today. Frequently described as the catalyst for the cultural revolution that was rock and roll, Presley's fusion of black-oriented music such as rhythm and blues in an era when the civil rights movement was just picking up made him something of an icon for rebelliousness. The influence he has had on countless artists since cannot be understated - music legends Bob Dylan and Jimi Hendrix are just two of the incredible talents who count Presley among their formative influences. The hundreds of Elvis Presley impersonators who wander the globe entering competitions to this day are a testament to the long-lasting impact on culture he had. Practically everyone who has ever held a guitar on stage owes a debt of gratitude to the King of Rock and Roll.
