Elvis and Jackie Wilson were simply a huge mutual fan club. Elvis adored Wilson’s voice, technique and exuberant live performance style whilst Jackie said of Elvis “A lot of people have accused Elvis of stealing the black man’s music, when in fact, almost every black solo entertainer copied his stage mannerisms from Elvis” which sets the notion of Elvis “stealing” black music on its head.

This interaction with black artists was not publicized at the time by any of the involved parties but, when Elvis first appeared on national TV on the Dorsey show on January 28th, 1956, white middle-class America was outraged by the appearance of a white black man.

By the Milton Berle show and the legendary performance of “Hound Dog” that caused so much trouble in June that year, the establishment were convinced that Elvis was part of a black conspiracy to undermine civilization as they knew it. In some ways he was, and he did, because things would never be the same again. As Little Richard put it “Elvis was an integrator. Elvis was a blessing. They wouldn’t let Black music through.

He opened the door for Black music.” Ernest Withers concurs: “Elvis was a great man and did more for civil rights than people know.