Elvis Presley: Gospel Singer Extraordinaire
Sunday, September 20th, 2009This video insert includes 4 of my favorite gospel songs sung by Elvis. If it pleases you, listen while you read.
On my MP3 player, I have over 230 Elvis songs on my “favorites” playlist. Many of them are gospel songs with Swing Low Sweet Chariot, Run On, Help Me and Bosom of Abraham among my all time favorites. Actually, there isn’t really any gospel tune that Elvis sings that I don’t like.
If you know anything at all about Elvis, you know that he was raised on southern gospel. Him and his parents used to sing as a trio and would visit various churches to participate in services and sing. Certainly there was a lot of old country music influence in his life but until Elvis discovered Beale Street and the African American blues, gospel was his music and he sang it like an angel.
So while listening to my playlist the other day, I noticed that Elvis’s voice and presence is different when he sings gospel versus when he sings any other genre of music. His singing sounds completely effortless when he’s singing gospel as if it’s the most natural thing in the world. His voice is softer, smoother and less forced and he sounds comfortable. This may be because gospel was a major force in his upbringing but I think there’s more to it then that.
I think everybody must have heard by now the story that Gladys use to love to tell about her and young Elvis being in church together. When the choir started to sing, Elvis would squirm out of her lap and run up to the front of the church. There he would try to imitate the choir singers, singing along and aping their gestures. There are stories about Elvis and his parents sitting on the front porch of their little two room shack singing gospel songs after dinner. So gospel was definitely something that was in Elvis’s soul from a very early age. However is that the only reason why Elvis sings gospel just like you would imagine an angel would?
Chris Beard, a writer for the 1968 Comeback Special, says “Elvis had a supernatural something to him. He was very spiritual. He, he was connected to the spirit. And, a lot of people don’t know this and Colonel didn’t want that to be out there ‘cause it would’ve made him appear to be a little bit sort of like wiggy. All of us that believe in spirit understand each other and, Elvis was right there. He wanted to have that knowledge. He wanted to go to other places.”
And that’s what you hear if you listen closely to Elvis sing gospel. His connection to spirit. A connection he doesn’t show when singing rock & roll, or the blues, or country. Those songs he’s obviously singing for his fans and we adore him for it. After all, Elvis fans know that he was the greatest singer to ever grace the planet. But the gospel songs, those songs Elvis sang just for God. Whatever It is, Elvis had a direct line to It.
“It (gospel singing) more or less puts your mind to rest. At least it does mine, since I was two.” Elvis is quoted as saying. Every rehearsal that ever took place with Elvis started with him warming up with gospel music. And every concert that ever took place with Elvis ended with him cooling off in his hotel room singing gospel music.
So now you understand why Elvis sounds different when he sings gospel music. His mind is at rest, he’s in his comfort zone, he’s gone back to his roots and he’s completely connected to Spirit.
Listening to Elvis sing gospel is an experience not to be missed. Even if you’re not a Christian, there’s just something about hearing Elvis sing gospel that calms your mind, eases your heart and let’s you forget your troubles.
Although Elvis is known worldwide as The King of Rock & Roll, the only Grammy awards he received were for gospel. If you want to hear why click this link below.









