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CNN Saturday Morning News

Elvis' Legacy Lives On

Aired August 10, 2002 - 09:13   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: It's been a quarter of a century since Elvis Presley died and his legacy, of course, still lives on, the songs, the memories, the movies, and the swivel-hipped dance move, not to mention this, the...
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: The lip.

COOPER: The curled lip.

Charles Molineaux takes a look now at how Elvis lives, how his world keeps spinning more than two decades after his death.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHARLES MOLINEAUX, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Elvis Presley would now be 67 years old. And even though the king of rock and roll passed away 25 years ago, his movies and his music still play on.

This summer, one of his songs was featured in a Nike commercial. A new DVD boxed set of his greatest performances is being released, and next month, RCA Records will release Elvis's number one hits.

He burst into the music scene in 1956, with an electrifying style that drove young girls into hysteria.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

ELVIS PRESLEY: I didn't know what (UNINTELLIGIBLE), and they were screaming and everything. And then I came on stage, and my manager told me that (UNINTELLIGIBLE) because I was wiggling my legs, and so I went back out for an encore, and I did a little more.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

MOLINEAUX: The Elvis phenomenon all started when the young 19- year-old walked into Sun Records and recorded a song for his mother. His recording contract was sold to RCA Records. His popularity rocketed, and Elvis quickly became a sensation, adored by legions of screaming young fans, but scorned by their parents, who complained his swivel hips and provocative sexual style were not fit for family viewing.

All the fuss got Hollywood interested. Ed Sullivan wanted him for ratings and dished out $50,000 for three appearances. He gave the controversial singer a stamp of approval that quieted the critics.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ED SULLIVAN: I wanted to say to Elvis Presley and the country, this is a real decent, fine boy. And wherever you go, Elvis...

AUDIENCE: (screaming)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MOLINEAUX: Elvis's best friend, Joe Esposito, told Larry king about Elvis's early impact.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "LARRY KING LIVE")

LARRY KING, HOST: He was the first rock and roll rebel, wasn't he? I mean, he was against the tide.

JOE ESPOSITO, ELVIS'S FRIEND: Oh, definitely. Let's face it, at that time, everything was (UNINTELLIGIBLE), was always mediocre, nice song, but they were beautiful at the time. But I think the kids were looking for something different.

KING: He changed music.

ESPOSITO: He changed music, changed history.

KING: (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MOLINEAUX: Elvis' life was a strange mix of fame, fortune, and heartbreak. His mother died early in his career, his marriage ended after only five years. During the '60s, his strong ambition to become a serious actor kept him busy with a movie career that ultimately produced 33 films, but he never stopped performing live.

Elvis's first show in Las Vegas before an older audience was a bust, but he later returned to be one of the town's biggest acts.

In 1973, Elvis returned to Hawaii, this time not to make a movie but to do the first worldwide satellite broadcast, a show that would be seen by 1 billion people.

Elvis's voice was silenced by his death in 1977 at the young age of 42. But now, even 25 years after his death, the king of rock'n'roll enjoys enormous popularity and remains larger than life.

Charles Molineaux, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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