“It’s Now or Never” by Elvis Presley is one of those songs that I loved as a kid. Based on an Italian melody, “O Sole Mio,” with new lyrics, it was inevitable that I’d love it. My mother’s side of our family is Italian, and I’d heard that melody many times before.

Today, August 16, marks the anniversary of the passing of Elvis, at age 42, in 1977. As a lover of oldies music, I couldn’t let this day slip by without mention of The King. To be completely honest, I was not a big fan of  Elvis Presley. What few songs I’d heard by him prior to 1960 weren’t really appealing to me musically. I’d never seen the now-famous Ed Sullivan television broadcast, so I really had no conception of the magnitude of his celebrity and talent.

To put it frankly, I simply didn’t like tunes like “Hound Dog” and “Jailhouse Rock.” I know, in retrospect those songs have taken on almost mystical proportions. Today, they’re treasured classics in oldies music and beyond. But as a kid of 10 or 11 at the time, I had no idea of their greatness, nor that of Elvis Presley himself.

Historically, now, I can appreciate that Elvis Presley was probably the greatest single performer and star of the post World War II era. But as a brat back then, if it weren’t for “It’s Now or Never,” I would likely have dismissed him as just another rockabilly singer. If I’d known then what I know now…

“It’s Now or Never” was the first of several Elvis Presley songs I would truly enjoy over the next few years. Not long after, he released another song, “Surrender,” also based on an old Italian melody, “Torna a Surriento” (“Come Back To Sorrento”).

Other Elvis recordings I consider personal favorites, as well as classic oldies, are “Marie’s The Name (Of His Latest Flame), written by Del Shannon, “Return To Sender,” “Blue Hawaii,” and “Wild In The Country.” The latter two are from two of his movies with the same titles, which I think were among his best.

Recommended:

All of Elvis Presley’s #1 Hits (Listen/Download)

Read more about Elvis Presley:

  1. Graceland Vigil Marks 33 Years Since Elvis’ Death (Article)
  2. The Ultimate Guide To Elvis
  3. Elvis Presley on Wikipedia

Elvis In Print: Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About The King

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