EVERY MORNING I get a croissant at the bakery a few doors down from where I live. It's a nice way to start the day. With a 7 a.m. opening, some mornings I wait for the croissants to come out of the oven, and on these morning the wait is filled with small talk. One of the bakers is a huge guy, kind of a John Candy type. One morning, I asked what his name was. He told me, "My name is Elvis." I was strangely uncomfortable with his answer and started talking. I told him I dated a woman who's ex was named Elvis. There is also Elvis Costello (whose real name is Declan McManus), and there was an NFL quarterback named Elvis Grbac. He looked at me curiously. I wondered if I was making too big a deal out of his name? Or maybe I just knew more Elvises then he did?
Well, kind readers, there are a bunch of Elvis Presleys. There's rockabilly Elvis, Memphis Elvis, bad movie Elvis, leather-clad comeback Elvis, narco agent Elvis (partnered with Richard Nixon) and rhinestone-jumpsuit bloated Vegas Elvis, to name a few.
This story is from the October 2022 edition of Guitar Player.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the October 2022 edition of Guitar Player.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Steel of a Deal
Jerry Byrd’s Steel Guitar Favorites packs a heap of American styles in one outstanding disc.
The Knockoff That Became a Knockout
Forced to stop copying U.S. guitars, Ibanez launched the all-original Artist line and took America by storm.
UNCOMMON FOLK
He grew up in a folk music haven. As he celebrates his latest album, Wide Open Light, Ben Harper shares sights and memories of his childhood home.
WILD SIDE
After Lou Reed's Berlin concept album bombed, guitarists Steve Hunter and Dick Wagner helped him get his groove back. The result was Rock 'n' Roll Animal, the live classic that redeemed his spirit and saved his career.
'THE BUILDING BLOCKS OF OUR BAND IS TWO GUITARS'
Sleater-Kinney were making bass-less records long before the White Stripes and the Black Keys came along. Says co-leader Carrie Brownstein, \"The power comes from the conversation the guitars are having with each other.\"
YOUR INFLUENCES STICK WITH YOU
Scott Henderson spent lockdown training his ears and building improv skills. As Karnevel! shows, his jazz chops flourished, but his blues-rock roots remain as strong as ever.
EYE ON THE PRIZE
Erstwhile blues-rocker Hannah Wicklund finds her true self with an album of songs she calls the most authentic I’ve ever written.”
'I PLAY LESS NOTES THESE DAYS, BUT THEY ALL MEAN A LOT MORE'
On Broken, Walter Trout packs his licks for maximum impact as he testifies to the hope that can save our divided world.
TIP SHEET
Think effects are a crutch? Reeves Gabrels has a few choice words and good advice) for you.
WATER UNDER THE BRIDGE
As he releases One Deep River, Mark Knopfler reflects on the guitars he's loved, the music that keeps his passion youthful... and how he'd like a do-over on that Dire Straits Rock Hall induction.