“I believe in the Bible. I believe that all good things come from God. I don’t believe that I’d sing the way I do if God hadn’t wanted me to." - Elvis
When most people think of Elvis Presley, religion is not one of the first things that come to mind. He was thought of as the devil back in the 1950s because of a “dangerous, sexy, and vulgar” image that he displayed. This couldn’t be farther from the truth. Various people in Elvis’ life, most notably, his spiritual mentor and friend Larry Geller, have said that Elvis was on a constant spiritual search throughout his life.
The truth is, Elvis was a very spiritual man. In his childhood, he attended the Assembly of God Pentecostal Church in Mississippi, which featured singing and swaying. Elvis would wriggle out of his mother’s lap and dash to the front of the church and imitate the choir. He also snuck into the East Trigg Baptist Church, which was predominantly African-American. These church-going experiences would form a love of gospel music that would stay with Elvis for his whole life. On a personal level, he recognized the comfort that gospel music brought to him. For Elvis, music and Christianity were entwined from the very beginning.
He once said, “I believe in the Bible. I believe that all good things come from God. I don’t believe that I’d sing the way I do if God hadn’t wanted me to.” The reason why Elvis was so dynamic was because of his ability to go deep into his spirit and connect with a higher power. I believe that he learned this in church as a young boy, and it never did leave him. He grew up with the acceptance of religious music as a form of entertainment and felt comfortable with it. It obviously meant many things and fulfilled many needs for him. As Elvis said, "It more or less puts your mind at ease. It does mine."
Elvis’ connection to spirituality reached an all time high during the mid-60s. Enter Larry Geller, who became Elvis’ hairstylist and eventual spiritual mentor. No one around Elvis had the same passion and drive for spirituality as Larry did. Elvis’ entourage, The Memphis Mafia, certainly didn’t, as they were merely there for the fun times. They had no interest in any departure from the status quo. They resented Geller for ruining a good thing and stealing time and attention that used to belong to them. They referred to him sarcastically as the Swami, Rasputin, and, because he was Jewish, Lawrence of Israel. They wouldn’t hesitate to use the terms in front of Geller, but never in Elvis’ hearing. Some of the MM members cruelly mocked and made fun of Elvis’ interests years after in some interviews. The Colonel saw Larry as a threat. He considered the whole “religious kick” nothing other than the result of mind control on Larry's part. Even Priscilla was not having it as she confronted Elvis. She attended lectures in his place which she "found difficult to understand and painful to endure." It seems that most people close to Elvis did not approve of his spiritual quests, which is quite selfish on their behalves.
Elvis was a spiritual seeker, and the the variety of books show how vast his quest for knowledge was. The Bible was always with him but he tried to understand how other people from religions thought. During the filming of Harum Scarum, Elvis was delving into "Autobiography of a Yogi", which, along with Kahlil Gibran’s "The Prophet" and Joseph Benner’s "The Impersonal Life", became some of his favorite books. He was intrigued with Eastern religion and mysticism. People need to be know that Elvis was a voracious reader who studied subjects such as philosophy, history, theosophy, numerology, and self-realization.
The passion that Elvis had for gospel music seems to have continued throughout his life. He was know to sing spiritual songs all night after performances with his background vocalists. Elvis once said about the gospel influence, “…We grew up with it...It more or less puts your mind at ease. It does mine.”
As a child, Elvis attended The First Assembly of God Church in East Tupelo with his parents. The Assemblies of God were a branch of the Pentecostal movement. They were accepting of new music, and new ways of experiencing the Holy Spirit. They did not condemn the popular music of the time. The Pentecostals were also open to female evangelists, and they began as an interracial movement. Elvis would also go to all black church tent revivals with his childhood friend, Sam Bell, and sing gospel songs with the older people. He listened to both black and white gospel music, developing an appreciation for quartets. Once he moved to Memphis in 1948, he attended Sunday School at the First Assembly of God. Cecil Blackwood was one of the members of the class. James Blackwood, of the famed Blackwood Brothers gospel group, remembered meeting Elvis at the Ellis Auditorium during their performances. A bond between Elvis and the group was formed.
Elvis hung around the group when they performed and was invited without being charged. They encouraged his interest in singing gospel music even though he was turned down by the Songfellows when he first tried out. Once Elvis started his career in rock n’ roll, he still continued to hang around the Blackwood Brothers. Despite being able to afford the tickets, Elvis was allowed to get in for free. Elvis always had a love for the Blackwood Brothers.
Elvis one said, "People think your crazy if you talk about things they don’t understand." This quote definitely pertains to him. Those who mocked him simply didn’t understand how Elvis, a very open-minded individual, could read books on other religions.
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