The King may be dead, but that didn't stop renowned History Professor Thomas Childers from lecturing on the hip-gyrating, rock 'n' roll icon.
Childers, who currently teaches a class on the Third Reich, gave a lecture on Elvis Presley last Wednesday to a standing-room only crowd in College Hall.
"Elvis Lives!" was the third in a series of History Department lectures entitled "Twentieth Century Lives." Earlier this semester, the department sponsored lectures on Sigmund Freud and Woodrow Wilson.
It would seem like an odd pairing, but Childers spoke knowledgeably and intimately about his fellow Tennesseean. He cited comments from musical legends such as Leonard Bernstein and John Lennon as evidence of Presley's greatness.
Childers quoted Lennon as saying, "Before Elvis, there was nothing."
"Well, Bernstein and John Lennon may have exaggerated, but they are not so off the mark as one might think," Childers said. "Like it or not, Elvis Presley's accomplishments in the music world were unparalleled."
Twenty-four years after his death, Childers said, Elvis remains a social icon.
"In 2001, membership in these fan clubs continues to go up, not drop," Childers said. "It's not just a generational thing with people my age."
Although there were many college students and history scholars in attendance, a large portion of the audience consisted of middle-aged King enthusiasts, some even sporting "The King" or "Elvis in Concert" T-shirts.
According to Childers, Elvis has racked up the largest number of recordings in music history, and his record sales are still going strong. Childers also noted that Graceland is one of the top tourist attractions in the United States, attracting 600,000 visitors a year, second only to the White House.
"With things the way they are right now, it might even reach the top of the list this year," Childers said.
Despite an interruption by the fire alarm, Childers remained unfazed and continued the lecture enthusiastically.
"I know some people don't like Elvis, but isn't this carrying it a bit too far?" he asked.
The lecture series will continue on Nov. 28, with Professor Kathy Peiss giving a talk on feminist icon Betty Friedan. Topics scheduled for next semester include Martin Luther King, Mao Zedong and Margaret Thatcher.
