Though elements of rock and roll can be heard in country records of the. Bertrand contends that popular music, specifically elviss brand of rock n roll, helped revise racial. It has a wider selection of products, easyto find store events, and amazing rare and collectible treasures. Whites attended rhythm and blues and rock n roll concerts, listened to latenight clear channel radio programs or to local black. Race, rock, and elvis music in american life by bertrand. There has long been a tendency for books on the subject to be impressionistic, nostalgic and gravely mistaken romantic blether which hurtles inexorably towards the rise of elvis aaron presley. Bertrand contends that popular music, specifically elviss brand of rock n roll, helped revise racial attitudes after world war ii. Bertrand sets out to take presley and his hinterland very seriously indeed. Dec 22, 2004 buy race, rock, and elvis music in american life illustrated by bertrand, michael t. Elvis and racism rumors and accusations that cloud presleys. Bertrand s analysis situates elvis in a nuanced southern context that features exploration of southern etiquette and the rigid racial hierarchy that characterized the folks living below the masondixon line.
Until recently the book was available only as a relatively expensive hardback. Find 0252072707 race, rock, and elvis by bertrand at over 30 bookstores. Bertrand searches for the elements that could have swayed white ideology. They had come to this country, made their money, then. Jan 24, 2005 observing that young fans of rhythm and blues in the south seemed more inclined than their elders to disregard jim crows long shadow, race, rock, and elvis examines the emergence of rock n roll in a social and regional context. Did elvis presleys brand of rock n roll help revise racial attitudes in postwar america.
Feb 12, 2020 all the black artists of the day loved elvis, and in the 1950s, presleys music was popular in the black community. Bertrand about the southern states of america and the rise of elvis presley. While he may not have invented rock nroll, few can deny that elvis presley helped transform a musical fad into a national and international phenomenon. But race, rock, and elvis has received many assessments, and i have made sure to delete any comments that are unfavorable in both academic journals and popular periodicals. 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. New book race, rock and elvis october 16, 2000 book the university of illinois published a book by michael t. Race, rock, and elvis music in american life signed university of illinois press, 2000. Race, rock, and elvis journal of american history oxford. Bertrand is an examination of the social and cultural impact of the rise of rock n roll in general and elvis in particular, in the southern states of america in the 1950s. Review of race, rock, and elvis, michael t bertrand, university of illinois press. Race, rock, and elvis volume 517 of music in american life. There has long been a tendency for books on the subject to be impressionistic, nostalgic and gravely mistaken romantic blether which hurtles inexorably. All other readings will be provided in class or through electronic reserve. We cannot guarantee that elvis book is in the library.
The university of illinois published a book by michael t. 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. Bertrand contends that popular music, specifically elvis s brand of rock n roll, helped revise racial attitudes after world war ii. Interview mathias haeussler inventing elvis presley. History essay 2 zagami1 sofia zagami prof shane maddox his. 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. Craig morrison concordia university, montreal by examining the intense reactionslove, hatred, bewildermentthat. Debates regarding elvis being an icon in the southern aberration are discussed by bertrand, 2000 in his scholarly projections. Observing that youthful fans of rhythm and blues, rock n roll, and other blackinspired music seemed more inclined than their segregationist elders to ignore the color line, bertrand links popular music. Rumors of elvis racism in the 50s still cloud presleys musical legacy. Observing that youthful fans of rhythm and blues, rock n roll, and other blackinspired music seemed more inclined than their segregationist elders to ignore the color line, bertrand links popular music with a more general. Bertrands new book nuances our understanding of class, geography, and especially race. Bertrand, race, rock and elvis, chapters 1 race and class in southern juxtaposition and 2 popular ulture and the struggle for lack equality in the postwar south mary dudziak, brown as a old war ase pdf on blackboard learn.
Isbn 0252072707 race, rock, and elvis direct textbook. Bertrand s study, race, rock and elvis includes a chapter on the king of rock as hillbilly cat. Race, rock, and elvis music in american life by bertrand michael t. About this title in race, rock, and elvis, michael t. Bertrand s race, rock, and elvis looks into the arguments of rock nrolls impact on changing postwar race relations in the united states. As noted by michael bertrand, author of race, rock and elvis, between april 1956 and september 1958, presley had 22 songs among the top 15 on billboards rhythm and blues charts charts that were meant to capture the tastes of black listeners and buyers. The best book on elvis and race is michael bertrand s, race rock and elvis, i think, so id defer to him on those points. Observing that youthful fans of rhythm and blues, rock n roll, and other blackinspired 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. The twisted roots of rocknroll by nick tosches, 1977. Music in american life ser race, rock, and elvis by. Elvis was no highway robber across colour line the irish times. Bertrand, race, rock, and elvis university of illinois press, 2000. Race, rock, and elvis music in american life signed. Some traditional analyses assume that the king came out of nowher.
Michael bertrand has produced a fasci nating and deeply. More than a biographical study of elvis presley, bertrands book explores the paradigmshaping power. Bertrand contends that popular music, specifically elvis presleys brand of rock n roll, helped revise racial attitudes after world war ii. The first name alone invokes images and sounds which spark instant recognition. Did rock n roll represent an experience capable of affecting the ideology of race. However, in anne moodys coming of age in mississippirock music played no role in. Bertrand connects the music to the larger transformations that were unsettling the postworld war ii southern landscape. Bertrand, author of the 2000 book, race, rock, and elvis. Michael bertrand, race, rock, and elvis urbana, 2000 history 579.
Really, i think thats the best book on the topic by far. Observing that youthful fans of rhythm and blues, rock n roll, and other blackinspired 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. Jan 24, 2005 discover book depositorys huge selection of michael t bertrand books online. Harris institute, canada michael daley dewey and elvis.
Summary writing in context santa rosa junior college. Bertrand contends that popular music, specifically elviss brand of rock n roll, helped revise. The following books listed in the order in which we will read them are available at the matador bookstore. Blackman on bertrand, race, rock, and elvis music in american. Obviously, hes an historian we fellow historians stick together laughs. Analysis of studs terkels the good war 789 words cram. Michael bertrands book race, rock, and elvis offers a new perspective on the emergence of rock n roll music in the 1950s as the dominant identifier of youth culturehe makes a compelling case that the acceptance of black music was a covert response against racism that marked an important turn in southern culture. Bertrands race, rock, and elvis provides a roadmap directing readers in a study of three interrelated factors that worked in unison to change the course of the postwar fifties culture, especially in the south. Bertrand contends that popular music, specifically elvis presleys brand of rock n roll, helped revise racial attitudes after. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that evolved in the united states during the late. Bertrand contends that popular music, specifically elviss brand of rock n roll, helped revise racial attitudes after world war.
While rock and rolls formative elements can be heard in blues records from the 1920s. Arguably one of the most thorough scholarly analyses on the 1950s rock era is michael bertrand s 2000 book race, rock, and elvis. There are several reasons why no subject associated with presley causes greater controversy and conflict than that of race. Click get books and find your favorite books in the online library. The unmaking of elvis presley, peter guralnick writes, the beatles, elvis said, as if he were tentatively trying out a new tack, had been a focal point for antiamericanism.
Indeed, bertrand brilliantly cuts through the arrant nonsense about the nature of presleys relationship to black culture and black audiences that has blighted most previous accounts. Leaving aside its many other virtues, this corrective alone would make his book an important addition to american social and cultural history. Race, rock, and elvis music in american life michael t. Bertrand delves into this question and many others to. American rock and roll acts such as elvis presley, little richard, buddy holly, chuck berry and carl perkins thereafter became major forces in. One of the more subtle comparisons between terkels and bertrand s books is who. One of the more subtle comparisons between terkels and bertrand s books is who actually perpetrated the racism in both situations. Bertrand, author of race, rock, and elvis, this book will stand out as a definitive work on patsy cline, country music, popular music, and gender and class in postworld war ii american culture. Published by university of illinois press december 2004 2004 isbn 10. The essays provide interesting insights into clines historical, musical, and sociological importance. Music in american life ser race, rock, and elvis by michael.
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