"You ain't nothin' but a hound dog, cryin' all the time. You ain't never caught a rabbit, and you ain't no friend of mine."
With the sounds of Elvis permeating the room, visitors were brought back to the early days of rock and roll before they even had a chance to scope out the gallery.
"Elvis: Grace and Grit" is a black and white photography exhibit produced by CBS that displays images of Presley's early years in the music industry. It is free and on display at the Dale Mabry campus art gallery through May 15.
Although the walls are adorned with nearly 30 pictures of "The King" performing, variety is definitely lacking. Eighteen of those pictures were taken when he made his second appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show back in October of 1956.
Nonetheless, the large vivid portraits help spectators envision Presley performing, as though they are sitting in the audience. The images of Presley strumming his guitar and grabbing the microphone emit an "in the moment" feeling.
One particular picture shows the legendary performer singing on stage at The Ed Sullivan show for the first time. The caption beneath the photo describes Presley as camera shy at first, but becoming more comfortable being filmed as the years went by. This is an interesting revelation; most people would not expect an artist who was adored by millions to have insecurities with the limelight.
While some photos evoke inspiration, others definitely don't. One photo showing Presley getting a flu shot on national television was simply bland.
Although rock and roll has changed over the years, one thing remains the same - its adoring fans. One piece of art shows hundreds of screaming women, young an old, outside CBS Studio 50, blocked off by barricades and police officers.
It was very humors to read about "The King" being scrutinized by the media because his lyrics influenced pregnancies and crime among teenagers. Sure, the man is known for moving his hips when he preformed, but all of the photos show him dressed slacks and a sport coat. Is that so bad? Today, society is filled with music artists who wear next to nothing and belch out promiscuous lyrics on stage.
For someone who was born 30 years after Presley debuted on the music charts, this exhibit did nothing to broaden any appreciation for him. There was nothing on display about his life before or after the 1950s, except for a few souvenirs, which were put on display by a fan.
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