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Did Elvis Write His Own Songs?

Can’t Help Falling in Love, Jailhouse Rock, In the Ghetto, It’s Now or Never, and Burning Love are just some of the hits that made Elvis Presley the King. But did you know that Presley never wrote any of them?

The King of Rock, Elvis Aaron Presley, never wrote any of his own songs. He was not a songwriter per se, but he did co-write a few songs in his career. Despite this, he is still one of the most recognized musicians of all time.

Elvis Presley Did Not Write Songs

While the King of Rock and Roll had several hit songs throughout his career, he never actually wrote any of his music. In an interview in 1957, he admitted the fact that he had never written a song he performed, but he received credit for being part of its production.

It’s all a big hoax, honey. I never wrote a song in my life. I get one-third of the credit for recording it. It makes me look smarter than I am. I’ve never even had an idea for a song. Just once, maybe. I went to bed one night, had quite a dream, and woke up all shook up. I phoned a pal and told him about it. By morning, he had a new song, ‘All Shook Up.

Elvis Presley, on Dig Magazine 1957

(Source: Outsider)

Who Wrote the Songs?

In addition to not writing his own songs, Presley also admitted that he could not read or write music. He played everything by ear and was natural. He preferred to depend on sounds than learning notes.

Because of this, Presley invested in hiring the best songwriters and music cultivators that would be able to find potential hits that would suit his music style. One of the notable songwriters who worked with Presley is Freddy Bienstock. His task was to collate a list of tunes for Presley to go through. Bienstock said that Presley had a knack for finding music that would later on top the charts.

He knew exactly what he wanted to do, You couldn’t talk Elvis into doing a song; he had to feel it. He knew what would work for him. If Elvis didn’t like a song, he’d only play about eight bars and then he would take it off. Then there were times he’d want to hear it again and again. Elvis would often adapt the arrangements inherent in the demos. On songs that he was particularly fond of, he would make a real effort, sometimes he’d do 40 takes.

Freddy Bienstock, on American Songwriter

(Source: Outsider)

When Did Elvis Presley Die?

Elvis Aaron Presley was born in Tupelo, Mississippi, on January 8, 1935. Little did anyone know that he would grow up to be one of the most iconic musicians in the world. Presley passed away in his Memphis mansion in Graceland on August 16, 1977, at the young age of 42. His fiance, Ginger Alden, found him lying unconscious on the floor of their master suite bathroom.

According to Alden, the last words Presley said were: I’m going to the bathroom to read. He was brought to eh Baptist Memorial Hospital immediately. After several attempts to revive him, he was pronounced dead by 3:30 pm. (Source: Town and Country Magazine)

1 thought on “Did Elvis Write His Own Songs?”

  1. Love

    Nauw dat is niet zo mooi achteraf gezien dan

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