Letter: The men who launched Elvis

Sir: Now that 20 years have lapsed since the King of Rhythm and Blues died, it is time to tell the truth about Elvis.

Elvis was the first white Rhythm and Blues singer, everyone would agree on that; but he didn't play the music. The music was played by the first white Rhythm and Blues band and that band gave Elvis his original sound.

Elvis found getting the blues sound of the vocals hard and some of his early blues recordings took him over 100 takes to perfect. However those original recordings made by Elvis and the white studio musicians stand as the best white Rhythm and Blues ever recorded.

The band went on to record under the name of the Bill Black Combo, and their vocalist, Elvis, went on to be the King of Holliwooden music. Elvis stood at the Blues crossroads and sold his soul to become king of all the world. But what did it profit him? He'd lost his Soul.

PETE BAXTER

Hove,

East Sussex