Elvis Presley is considered a highly influential figure in 20th-century culture and is known as the “King of Rock and Roll” or simply “The King”. Presley began his singing career in 1954 and gained popularity quickly due to his energetic stage presence and compelling performances.
The King has been an inspiration to so many artists who grew up during that time. And the guitarist of one of the most influential bands The Rolling Stones was not an exception. Keith was always a fan of Elvis Presley. However, even after he found fame, he didn’t meet his inspiration and there is a reason behind it.
Keith also talked about how much he loved Elvis. Also, a song by Elvis totally changed his life. In his autobiography, ‘Life’, Richards shared. While he was in his bed, he was listening to Radio Luxembourg, the signal was poor and he caught a song called ‘Heartbreak Hotel’. He wrote, “that was the stunner. I’d never heard it before … I had to go back to what this cat had done before. It wasn’t that I suddenly wanted to be Elvis Presley. I had no idea who he was at the time.” Richards wrote the first album he ever bought was ‘A Date with Elvis’ and treasured it forever.
He really idolized him, but he never wanted to meet Elvis. The career of Elvis Presley, like many other prominent figures in entertainment, was marked by both triumphs and setbacks. At the end of his life, Elvis lost his love for the craft and was dependent on drugs. It was a very sad situation for such a talented individual.
In an episode of ‘Ask Keith’ on YouTube, he was asked if he ever met Elvis or not. And he didn’t miss out on his chance to say things he always wanted to. He told, “He just fell down into … the hole. I didn’t want to know. I didn’t want to meet a fallen idol, maybe.”
Keith was disappointed in his idol. The King died an untimely death and it was pure tragedy. Elvis had health problems, and the demands and expectations that came with being a famous musician may have been difficult for Elvis Presley to handle at times. He then got involved with drugs. It was a sad scene for an admirer like Keith.
However we all know for sure, Richards had respect for the King like everyone else. No matter what he did, the admiration he had for Elvis was true of value.
