Elvis Presley — Winner or Loser?
It was Elvis Presley night on American Idol the other night, and I got to thinking, was Elvis a winner or a looser? With all the buzz around American Idol recently, it is easy to think about American music as a game of winners and losers. It is certainly true in top 40 music today. One-hit-wonders come and go. Sometimes they resurface (winners) and sometimes they don’t (losers). Elvis Aaron Presley is still around us every day. Entire books have been written about the history of Elvis Presley. His music still plays on the radio, and his influence on today’s music is enormous.
Elvis Presley collectibles are in every store, and the life of Elvis Presley is well documented on the internet. Music is a lot like life. Almost everyone is categorized as a winner of a loser, to be admired or despised; to be befriended or to be ostracised; and to be emulated or avoided.
Frequently, there have been cases where people who have been labeled successful businessmen have lost their families through divorce; or have lost their health through over working or drug addiction. Can we call such people winners? The best example of such a conflicted person is Elvis Presley. In the world of pop music he was ‘The King of Rock and Roll’ and definite winner. Elvis’ personal life was a train wreck. He lost his family, his health and died miserably from a drug overdose. His end was pitiful, yet he has vast wealth at his disposal. One is sure that the ‘King’ would have gladly traded all his wealth for a loving family life.
So, was Elvis Presley, the undisputed King of Rock and Roll a winner or a loser? Your comments (votes) are invited.
Neither winner nor loser, Elvis is the poster child for “imbalance”. His rise to fame and wealth coupled with his tragic end serve as a thermometer of his priorities and what he loved most. Most of us who live in the void of anonymity are never tested to the degree of a celebrity, so our triumphs and failures both go unnoticed.