Wayback Wednesday: Elvis Presley
Mark Mitchell here, welcoming you to our first WMTR Wayback Wednesday of the new decade. We start out by saluting Elvis Presley, born 85 years ago on January 8th, 1935. The King of Rock N’ Roll was preparing for his comeback TV special, when the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy took place, just months after the killing of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Elvis was reportedly so upset by these events, and the state of the country in that turbulent year of 1968, that he asked that a new song be written to close the show. Walter Earl Brown the show’s musical director wrote this powerful song, and when Elvis heard it, he proclaimed, “I’m never going to sing another song I don’t believe in. I’m never going to make another picture I don’t believe in.” It was released as a single at the time of the show’s broadcast in December, 1968, and became his biggest hit in over 2 years. I think it’s Elvis’ most moving and powerful performance. Enjoy “If I Can Dream” as we remember Elvis on his birth anniversary.
