This Song Connected Elvis Presley to His Gospel Roots
Elvis Presley isn’t often considered a gospel singer, but he delved into the genre many times. A reporter said one of his later songs reconnected the singer to his background in gospel music. Afterward, the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll discussed his childhood experiences in church and his musical tastes.
Elvis Presley loved gospel music as well as opera, Mexican music, and Spanish music
During a 1977 interview with the Hot Press, a reporter said performing “Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain” brought Elvis back to his roots in gospel music. The reporter asked if Elvis started singing gospel music. “Yeah,” the “Hound Dog” singer replied. “I’ve always liked music. My mother and dad both loved to sing. And they did tell me that when I was about three or four years old I got away from them in church and walked in front of the choir and started beating time.”
The “Can’t Help Falling in Love” singer explained why gospel music inspired him so much. “I grew up with gospel because my folks took me there,” he revealed. “When I got old enough, I started to sing in church. That is one of the ways I got into singing. But I liked all types of music. When I was in high school I had records by Mario Lanza [laughs].” Lanza was an actor and operatic tenor.” Elvis revealed he was also a fan of Mexican and Spanish music.
The King of Rock ‘n’ Roll didn’t think when he performed gospel songs
Later in the interview, Elvis described his approach to singing gospel songs. “At certain times you push out and you pull in,” he said. “It’s just part of you. You don’t even think about it.
“And when we get through work, what we have to do, we usually end up doing gospel,” he added. “Because we wanna do it. We do two shows a lot of times and afterward we will go upstairs and sing gospel songs, until daylight.”
How Elvis Presley’s ‘Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain’ performed on the pop charts
Elvis released his cover of “Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain” to the music-buying public. Since it was never a single, his “Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain” did not impact the Billboard Hot 100. The tune appeared on the record Elvis Presley Boulevard, Memphis, Tennessee. That album was famously recorded in Graceland, Elvis’ mansion. Elvis Presley Boulevard, Memphis, Tennessee reached No. 41 on the Billboard 200, staying on the chart for 17 weeks.
“Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain” became a standard, inspiring renditions by Hank Williams Sr., Willie Nelson, Olivia Newton-John, and UB40. For a song to get covered by artists from the worlds of rock, country, pop, and reggae, it must be something special! While many versions of the song are good, nobody can compare to the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll!
“Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain” isn’t one of Elvis’ more famous tunes but it shows off how gospel influenced his inimitable singing.
