Elvis Presley may be the king of rock 'n' roll, but it appears country music is a big part of his early days. Not only did he perform a country song for his first ever professional live performance, but he also debuted a signature dance move to one (even if by accident).
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Thanks to an Elvis Presley archive site, the story of one of his classic dance moves has been unearthed. And it was a complete accident. I'm sure you're familiar with how he would shake and move his leg around to create a look that was hypnotizing to his audiences.
It turns out this style of movement came about due to his nervousness when performing.
In 1954, Elvis performed live professionally for the first time at the Overton Park Shell on July 30. There, he was opening for Slim Whitman.
In what was advertised as a Hillbilly Hoedown, Elvis Presley, Scotty Moore, and Billy Walker performed "That's Alright Mama." Although most associate this rockabilly tune with Presley, it was originally a blues song by Arthur Crudup in 1949.
While performing, our young Elvis was pretty nervous, however, leading to an anxious behavior. "Elvis was so nervous he stood up on the balls of his feet and shook his leg in time with the music, a move he sometimes used in the studio."
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After "That's Alright Mama," they performed "Blue Moon of Kentucky" by Bill Monroe. All while the girls were still going crazy.
What was a nervous tick for Presley was the next hottest thing for his audience.
When he finally got off stage, he asked why people were yelling at him. "Someone told him it was because he was shaking his leg, which with the baggy pleated pants created a wild gyrating effect in time with the music," the site abridged.
So there you have it, country music has played an important part in Elvis Presley's life and career.
Strangely, they then went back on stage to perform those two numbers again, although they added "I'll never let you go (Little Darlin)," an original song by the trio.
