Elvis Aaron Presley emerged on the music scene at the time of a segregated America. Elvis Presley was an accepted White Star who could sing "Black Music." While Elvis had Black friends who shared their talents with Elvis, Elvis Presley had to distance himself from Blacks. While Elvis Presley was the King to White People Blacks had their own stars. Cooke was king.
While Whites in America had the handsome Elvis Presley we African Americans had singers to adore like Sam Cooke. Sam Cooke was not only a Black singer he became an activist in civil rights. He was Black and Proud and the New African American idol who did not tap dance and sing and smile for White people. Sam Cooke was around years before Elvis in the Black Gospel world. We Black people did not have to find an Elvis Presley. Click on above pictures learn more
Buddhism is a religion that deals with cause and effect phenomena. While Elvis Presley music and career seems to have nothing to do with the civil rights movement, Elvis Presley music indirectly helped to advance the Civil Rights movement in America. Many White teenagers who were taught to hate Blacks, many got exposed to Black music and culture via engaging with Elvis music.
Again the Gosho (Nichiren Daishonin "True Entity of Phenomena) reads: "only. Buddhas know the “True entity of all phenomena.. the nature form true entity. Let us again move to 1956 in America and explain how phenomena is inter-related.
In our household in Memphis my mother loved Harry Belafonte who recorded his music before Elvis Presley. Harry Belafonte was the "King of Calypso Music." Belafonte starred in films. His Christmas album of 1956 sold a million copies. Also in 1956 a young Kenyan by the name of Tom Mboya came to America. Harry Belafonte leant his name on a letter to help raise money for Kenyan students to come to America to get an educationthat lead to President Obama.
Let us go back to 1956 in America. Buddhism's 10 aspects explains phenomena. 1.Appearance 2. Nature 3. Entity 4. Power 5. Influence.....In 1956 Elvis made his 1st movie "Love me Tender." Elvis starred as a "Confederate Southern White Family hero." Black people while they may have loved Elvis in his 1st movie he played as Confederate hero who hated Black people. In the picture below is Harry Belefonte and then 26 year old Kenyan labor leader Tom Mboya. Tom Mboya had a dream that one day Kenya would be a free country. Mboya asked for help and he wanted to raise money for Kenyan students to get to American for an education. Harry Belefonte, baseball great Jackie Robinson, in the picture below and actor Sydney Pointer used their star power in a letter asking for donations to help Kenya students get to America. In 1959 a young student from Kenya arrived in Hawaii by the name of Barack Obama Sr. The rest today is history.
"A Change Is Gonna Come" became the anthem for the American Civil Rights Movement. When Obama became President Sam Cooke song "A Change is Gonna Come" was played in America.
Again the Gosho (Nichiren Daishonin "True Entity of Phenomena) reads: "only. Buddhas know the “True entity of all phenomena.. the nature form true entity.Again the Gosho (Nichiren Daishonin "True Entity of Phenomena) reads: "only. Buddhas know the “True entity of all phenomena.. the nature form true entity. Let us again move to 1956 in America and explain how phenomena is inter-related. In March of 1956 the James Brown Song Please, Please, Please was released. The start of "Soul Brother Number" and the God Father of Soul or the king of "Funk" James Brown. African Americans moved to and clearly named James Brown as the "King" and not Elvis Presley. Elvis Presley was king of Rock and Roll but it was James Brown who was the King to Black people.
Buddhism's 10 aspects explains phenomena. 1.Appearance 2. Nature 3. Entity 4. Power 5. Influence 6. Inherent Cause 7. Relationship 8. Latent Effect 9. Manifest effect. In 1956 James Brown comes on the scene dancing and singing. Michael Jackson was born in 1958. It was in 1968 that Michael Jackson audition for Motown at 10 years old. It was not Elvis Presley who influenced Michael Jackson. Look on the 1968 video of Michael Jackson below and see how Michael copied James Brown moves. We African Americans were not influenced by Elvis Presley, we hold that we African Americans influenced Elvis Presley. While Whites denied a James Brown a Black man to be King of Rock and Roll it was James Brown who influenced Michael Jackson who is today the "King of Pop."
Please Click on the above picture to see both James Brown and Michael Jackson perform James Brown song "I got the Feeling." Michael was strongly influenced by Brown.
In 1983 I met a man in Gary Indiana by the name of Booker Griffin. Booker becamen my friend and I hired him to help me in my Kickboxing carreer.Booker was a talk show host at radio station KGFJ in Los Angeles. He was a graduate of Baldwin-Wallace College in Berea, Ohio, and in 1962 moved to Los Angeles, where he started with Motown Records as a publicist. "Booker was a volunteer in the presidential campaign of Robert F. Kennedy. Booker was an African American activist who, after the 1965 Watts riots, wrote and helped design programs for the Westminster Neighborhood Association in Watts. Booker worked for Motown Records and it was Booker Griffin who arranged for Jacksons to get an audition at Motown Records in 1968. Booker shared the story with me. Booker died July 4, 1993, after suffering a diabetes-induced stroke at the age of 55. The man that introduced Michael Jackson to Motown was my close friend.
My friend Booker Griffin worked also as a publicist for Boxing promoter Don King and worked the Ali/Foreman fight in Kinshasa Zaire Africa. Booker told me two stories that could have made history. A young White Porno star named the Italian Stallion came to Don King asking for money to do a movie. Don King asked Booker to look at the script. Booker read the script and said the movie was Garbage. The actor turned out to be "Sylvester Stalone" who later became known as "Rocky." Booker told me that Berry Gordy had him to listen to music from this artist in Minnesota. Booker told Berry Gordy that the music was Garbage. The singer turned out later to me known as "Prince". Booker did get it right about Michael Jackson and he knew Joe Jackson from Gary, Indiana.
During the time of Elvis Presely a young handsome Black Sam Cooke crossed over to White audiences. We Black people had Sam Cooke. Learn more about Same Cooke.
Muhammad Ali loved Sam Cooke. While Elvis introduced a new culture to America it was Sam Cooke who brought a new style of Singing to the Black Community. About the time of Elvis a new music phenomenon was born in America called "Soul Music." Elvis could rock and roll but he did not have "Soul."
Anthony and Bogalech Elmore pose with the great singer and Civil Rights Actist Harry Belafonte in Memphis, Tennessee. Mr. Belafonte was in Memphis honoring the 40th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King who got Killed in Memphis.
Harry Belafonte was a Black singer who worked side by side with Dr. Martin Luther King. He is in a photo with Tom Mboya who got Obama Sr. to America.
