With the arrival of each new musical movement comes a changing of the guard. Whether it’s been the emergence of rock’n’roll in the 50s to replace wholesome jazz and family-friendly pop or punk bands cutting a swathe through legions of lumbering prog rock dinosaurs in the 70s and beyond, the status quo is threatened and eventually replaced with something new, radical and refreshing.
That whole process, of course, creates conflict and those being put out to
pasture naturally do all they can to resist being tossed aside in the process. As the most important musician of his era, Elvis Presley stood at the vanguard of the new wave of rock’n’roll in the 50s and was perceived as a threat to the very moral fabric of society. In our latest cover feature we look back on a pivotal moment in his career where the TV establishment of the United States tried to neuter his unabashed and wholly instinctive sexuality that was an essential part of his onstage performances.
At the same time, other TV shows were quick to realise his undeniable appeal and exploit him for ratings. On a personal level, the push and pull of rebellion versus conformity was a contradiction that Presley fought with for much of the 50s and 60s before fully asserting his true personality the following decade in a more uncompromising style.
Finally, a very sad note to end on. As we were preparing to send this issue to press we learnt of the death of former Vintage Rock Editor Michael Leonard. Mike helmed this magazine between 2017 and 2019 and was an extraordinarily gifted and experienced music journalist. An outstanding writer and hugely knowledgeable across multiple genres, he also edited our sister title Country Music magazine. A generous and kind colleague, Mike will be greatly missed by all who knew him.

Steve Harnell
Editor
Follow me on Twitter @steve_harnell

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