Elvis Presley

Rockabilly came from Memphis, man, and the biggest damn thing that ever happened was Elvis. Sun Records, Elvis Presley, end of the damn story.

Charlie Feathers

If I could find a white man who had the Negro sound and the Negro feel, I could make a billion dollars.

 Sam Phillips

He was white, but he sang black. It wasn't socially acceptable for white kids to buy black records at the time. Elvis filled a void. 

Chet Atkins

I usually try and post stuff that I think deserves a wider audience, and it might seem strange to see Elvis Presley here. But in writing about Rockabilly you just can't ignore Elvis and the impact that his early recordings made.
In fact you ou can't ignore the importance of Elvis in 20th century culture full stop. But the Elvis that most people think of now is the bloated Vegas Elvis, the global superstar, the creation of Colonel Tom Parker.
What we have here, recorded in 1954-1956 is the real Elvis, a man of incredible charisma who showed a wider audience something that they had never seen before.
As Charlie Feathers said:  Let me tell you something - in 1954 when Elvis Presley's first record came out, it was just like when they found gold in California. But then in'55 when Elvis went from Sun Records to RCA - well, after that, Elvis wasn't Elvis no more. Yep, the Elvis we knew died back in'55 - and that was the beginning of the end for music.

In 1956 when Elvis had made the big time with his first RCA single, Heartbreak Hotel , Colonel Parker took him to Vegas and it was a disaster:
 For the teen-agers, the long, tall Memphis lad is a whiz; for the average Vegas spender or showgoer, a bore. His musical sound with a combo of three is uncouth, matching to a great extent the lyric content of his nonsensical songs.

Bill Willard  Las Vegas Sun

 The poor response of the mature audience led The Colonel to cut the booking from four weeks to two and Elvis considered this to be one of the worst moments of his career.
In my opinion this was when Colonel Tom Parker decided to maximise Elvis' commercial potential by making him a pop singer, a lounge singer to appeal to a different, more conservative audience. He was lost to Rockabilly.
If by any chance you are not familiar with these early works, take a listen and you might be pleasantly surprised.
Here's an Elvis blog: http://www.elvis-history-blog.com/index.html

His energy was incredible, his instinct was just amazing. ... I just didn't know what to make of it. There was just no reference point in the culture to compare it... 

Roy Orbison

 And you know, Elvis was so good. Every show I did with him, I never missed the chance to stand in the wings and watch. We all did. He was that charismatic... 

Johnny Cash

His kind of music is deplorable, a rancid smelling aphrodisiac. It fosters almost totally negative and destructive reactions in young people.

 Frank Sinatra

 Hearing him for the first time was like busting out of jail. 

Bob Dylan

None of us could have made it without Elvis.
Buddy Holly

Tracks: That's All Right; I Don't Care If The Sun Don't Shine; I Got a Woman; Money Honey; Good Rockin' Tonight; Just Because; Blue Suede Shoes; My Baby Left Me; Milkcow Blues Boogie; You're A Heartbreaker; Mystery Train; One-Sided Love Affair; Tutti Frutti; Baby Let's Play House; I'm Left, You're Right, She's Gone; Shake, Rattle And Roll; I'm Gonna Sit Right Down & Cry; I'll Never Let You Go (Little Darlin'); I Forgot To Remember To Forget; Mystery Train/Tiger Man (live in Vegas 1969)