“BEFORE ELVIS: THE AFRICAN AMERICAN MUSICIANS WHO MADE THE KING” by Preston Lauterbach (Grand Central, 320 pages, $30).
In the 1990 hip-hop anthem “Fight the Power,” Chuck D of Public Enemy slammed Elvis Presley. Elvis may have been “a hero to most,” but for the militantly conscious rapper, that “sucker” was a “straight-up racist,” lumped with the conservative icon John Wayne.
The lyrics evoked the long, complicated debate over Presley’s legacy: Did his music bridge a racial chasm, or did he steal from Black artists? In “Before Elvis,” Preston Lauterbach flips the frame on this question. He explores Elvis through the lives of the Black musicians who shaped his style.
Lauterbach is the acclaimed author of books that explore the history of Black music and Black Memphis, including “The Chitlin’ Circuit and the Road to Rock ‘n’ Roll” and “Beale Street Dynasty.” He answered questions via email from Chapter 16.
Q: What compelled you to write “Before Elvis,” and how did the project evolve?