Early in his career, Elvis Presley was considered the king of rock ‘n’ roll, popular with the African American community – but his reputation has suffered among blacks over the years.
Jazz trumpeter and music producer Quincy Jones, for example, revealed in an interview that he never wanted to work with Presley. The singer is said to have been a racist. His ex-wife Priscilla Presley is now defending him against these allegations. Elvis is said to have got on well with black musicians.
In a conversation with the conservative British journalist Piers Morgan, Presley spoke about the film biography “Elvis” and later about the King himself. When asked whether Elvis could fall victim to the cancel culture, his widow had a clear answer. “Elvis wasn’t a racist. He had friends everywhere.”
Elvis loved black music and maintained close friendships with artists like Fats Domino and Sammy Davis Jr. The two would have visited him regularly before performances in Las Vegas.
“Like the real Elvis”
Priscilla was enthusiastic about the biopic “Elvis”. Lead actor Austin Butler did a “great job” and reminded her of her late husband. The film by director Baz Luhrmann has been in German cinemas since June 23.