Race, Rock, and Elvis (Music in American Life) [Hardcover]

Michael T. Bertrand (Author)

Book Description

Series: Music in American Life | Publication Date: August 1, 2000

In "Race, Rock, and Elvis", Michael T. Bertrand contends that popular music, specifically Elvis's brand of rock 'n' roll, helped revise racial attitudes after World War II. Observing that youthful fans of rhythm and blues, rock 'n' roll, and other black-inspired music seemed more inclined than their segregationist elders to ignore the color line, Bertrand links popular music with a more general relaxation, led by white youths, of the historical denigration of blacks in the South. The tradition of southern racism, successfully communicated to previous generations, failed for the first time when confronted with the demand for rock 'n' roll by a new, national, commercialized youth culture. In a narrative peppered with the colorful observations of ordinary southerners, Bertrand argues that appreciating black music made possible a new recognition of blacks as fellow human beings. Bertrand documents black enthusiasm for Elvis and cites the racially mixed audiences that flocked to the new music at a time when adults expected separate performances for black and white audiences. He describes the critical role of radio and recordings in blurring the color line and notes that these media made black culture available to appreciative whites on an unprecedented scale. He also shows how music was used to define and express the values of a southern working-class youth culture in transition, as young whites, many of them trying to orient themselves in an unfamiliar urban setting, embraced black music and culture as a means of identifying themselves. By adding rock 'n' roll to the mix of factors that fed into civil rights advances in the South, "Race, Rock, and Elvis" shows how the music, with its rituals and vehicles, symbolized the vast potential for racial accord inherent in postwar society.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"It was teenagers who bought Elvis Presley's records, in enormous numbers. And Michael T. Bertrand's convincingly argues that the black-and-white character of the sound, as well as Elvis's own persona, helped to relax the rigid color line and thereby fed the fires of the civil rights movement... A sobering lesson for historians who scoff at popular culture (and the oral testimony that peppers the book) as trivia for the tenured." -- Karal Ann Marling, American Historical Review "Bertrand has managed to argue more cogently and with more evidential authority than any previous commentator that the music that Elvis Presley and his rockabilly cousins fashioned in the South in the 1950s represented a serious threat to various national and regional social conventions, particularly those relating to race, class, and gender." -- Brian Ward, The Journal of American History "Meticulous research and elegant, concise prose... Bertrand has written an insightful book that both deepens our understanding of rock 'n' roll and makes significant contributions to musical studies, Southern history, and the history of the civil rights movement... Would make an excellent book for adoption in undergraduate and graduate history courses, as its provocative arguments and fascinating anecdotes are sure to spark lively classroom discussions." -- Patrick Huber, History "Thoroughly readable and redemptive... The story of American music is, after all, as complex as the story of the country itself, and yet Betrand covers most bases with impressive ease. His major contribution, however, is a measured assessment of how rock 'n' roll ... really did change the seemingly unchangeable place of its birth." -- John Kelly, The Irish Times "Extremely insightful... Illuminates social and cultural change that traditional political and economic focused studies ignore." -- Dexter L. Blackman, H-South, H-Net Reviews "A fascinating read... Packed with information." -- Maurice Bottomley, PopMatters.com "A wonderful mix of critical theory ... and traditional historical research... Bertrand's model also effectively documents one of the processes by which cultural identity is formed through popular culture. This book is for those teachers who think the music their students listen to is 'just noise.'" -- Multicultural Review "[Bertrand's] arguments are always persuasive and his lines of reasoning clear... The book is cleanly written, well annotated and involving... A thoroughly absorbing piece of work." -- Keith Briggs, Blues and Rhythm ADVANCE PRAISE "An ambitious exploration of the relationship between cultural and political change in the South in the crucial years after World War II. This book will encourage everyone to rethink the role played by rock 'n' roll in American life." -- Bill Malone, author of Country Music, U.S.A. "Michael Bertrand aims to prove that rock 'n' roll contributed to the success of the civil rights movement by breaking down the generational transmission of traditional southern attitudes toward race. Indeed, as he argues, the attraction for young white southerners of rhythm & blues initially and rock 'n' roll eventually had enormous cultural and political consequences." -- James M. Salem, author of The Late Great Johnny Ace and the Transition from R&B to Rock 'n' Roll

Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: University of Illinois Press (August 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0252025865
• ISBN-13: 978-0252025860
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.3 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,327,511 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars He didn't sound like nobody., September 16, 2003

By 

Doris Jean (Viola, AR) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Race, Rock, and Elvis (Music in American Life) (Hardcover)

This book intelligently delves into the impact Elvis had on the world of culture, music and sociology around. Like all artists Elvis was compelled by many artists from every musical genre. His style was a compilation of all of them. "That's All Right Mama" may have sounded like a Black artist to people in 1954, but they'd never heard anything like it. It was unique and it didn't sound like anybody else. His early Sun sides were as hillbilly as they were race and its crossover style was met with racial bais from both Black and White deejays that refused to play his records on the grounds they would offend their race conscious listeners. Elvis made his fame on stage creating mass hysteria like he was an icon. No one thought he was Black.

As Thorne Peters wrote in his book AROUND ELVIS, without Elvis and Sam Phillips opening the door for crossover audiences, Motown would've only been distributed regionally and like all other Black labels pandering to the poorly networked Black market their music would've never been heard in the commercial White mainstream. Elvis was the trailblazer that created that portal and he deserves better than to have his estate picketed by angry protesters on the anniversary of his death. E.P.E employs many Black people and gives to many Black causes and programs in the predominately Black city of Memphis. Lisa Marie Presley sponsors Presley Place for wayward drug addicted mothers and fans raise money in his name worldwide for people of all ethnicities and denominations who are in need. His family was sharecropping alonside Black people since before the civil War right until Elvis was a teen and then they came to Memphis and lived in the federal housing projects until Elvis hit it big. He certainly in no way benefitted and gained wealth based on slave labor.

It's good to see Elvis Presley finally being written about in a proper social context to highlight how powerful he remains.

12 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Race, Rock And Elvis, August 29, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Race, Rock, and Elvis (Music in American Life) (Hardcover)

This is a very interesting look at rock'n'roll's positive influence on race relations in the South after World War II. Michael Bertrand has done a great job in thoroughly researching the facts and presenting his argument throughout the book. I highly recommend "Race, Rock And Elvis."

1 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars boring!, March 18, 2009

By 

C. White (Huntsville, AL USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Race, Rock, and Elvis (Music in American Life) (Paperback)

I never knew something dealing with Elvis could be so boring. I never would have read it if it had not been assigned for a class.