he had seen in black churches and in the performances of the Statesmen Quartet, the Blackwood Brothers, and other gospel groups, were so controversial that Sullivan decreed that Elvis was not to be shown below the waist. Elvis was also told not to perform gospel songs on the air, a directive he defied with his rendition of "Peace in the Valley," reportedly because it was his mothers favorite. Several significant things happened that night. Elvis touched the collective nerve of the nation with his voice, beauty, and stage pres- ence, transcending traditional age and race divisions within the Amer- ican culture of the 1950s. Audiences applauded his voice and singing talent, but they screamed for the way Elvis performed. He didnt just sing a song on stage, he entertained people-gyrating, swaying, and flashing his little-boy smile. To many of his female fans, the songs he sang were secondary to his personality and the way he performed them, evoking an emotional response that made the girls swoon. As a result, the Sullivan show achieved an audience share of 82 percent, a record never equaled until the Beatles appeared years later. It was clear that Elvis was amassing fans; it was clear that people wanted to love him. And that night, Sullivan gave America permission to do so and to invite Elvis into their lives and their culture. Following Elviss per- formance, Sullivan walked over to him, put his arm around his shoul- der, and told America, with great sincerity, that Elvis was "a fine and decent boy." From that point on, entertainment was never the same, dividing the history of twentieth-century music into before-Elvis (B.E.) and after- Elvis (A.E.) timeframes. Many would argue that American culture was also forever changed. The young, white, and openly sexual performer created upheaval in many households, causing teens to butt heads with     their parents primarily Victorian values and embrace the statement Elvis made with his risqué on-stage movements. He unlocked the universal trait of teens that has today been accepted as the norm- rebellion. The allegiance fans felt toward Elvis was enhanced by the way they experienced him-through sound, touch, and sight. Teens could hear his music, feel the rhythm and beat, dance the way he did, and watch him on stage (and later in the movies). Eventually, in an almost "If you cant beat em, join em" fashion, Elvis appealed to nearly everyone, drawing fans from all walks of life and from generations that initially were threatened by what his music and his style embodied. Why? Because he bonded with people at an extrasensory level through his personality as much as (if not more than) through his songs. His music had cultural relevance in sound and message; his lyrics, style, and delivery reflected his core market at the time; and he influenced how teens danced and dressed. Consequently, he was adopted by the culture, becoming an icon dubbed the King of Rock and Roll, and he ruled the music industry for decades. Today, over 25 years after his death, he is actually more successful than he was in the latter part of his career. Many rock-and-roll bands followed, striving for the impact and connection Elvis had with his fans. Some were successful; others werent. But all were aided by the King of Rock and Roll, who paved the way for the mainstream rockers of the 1960s-from Bob Dylan to the Beatles-and opened the door for the next wave-from the