Lately. I have been listening to Patti Page. I always liked her for sentimental reasons that my mother thought she was the best of the best. As a female vocalist she owned the 1950's.
I looked it up one day and those who keep track said she sold about 150,000,000 singles in those days. That was pretty impressive, I thought.
Then I read that Elton John has sold around 250,000,000-300,000,000. That might be more inpressive, although his market is much bigger.
Then I read that Elvis, almost a contemporary of Patti Page sold a minimum of 600,000,000, maybe as high as 1,000,000,000. That was mostly in the 50's and 60's to a much smaller audience that Elton John's and in a much more compressed time frame.
My brother once saw an Elvis concert at the Minnesota Stae Fair and said it was the greatest show anyone ever saw or hoped to see.
Elvis? King? He was the Babe Ruth of the music industry.
Elvis? King? He was the Babe Ruth of the music industry.
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Yes ....... I'm near 72 years old and I was lucky enough to see Elvis out in the country in West Virginia back in the late 50's.
His performance received a greater response (by far) than the Beatles or anyone else.
He missed his (real) career because of Col. Parker ... a dirty money-grubbing slug.