RETIRED MEN'S ASSOCIATION OF GREENWICH, Inc. (RMA)
Invites you to its meeting, February 12, 2025, at 11 am at
Christ Church, Parish Hall, 254 East Putnam Ave, Greenwich
The program will also be shown on Zoom: https://bit.ly/30IBj21
Will Friedwald
Elvis at 90: The Music of Elvis Presley
Seventy years after he helped to revolutionize popular music, why is he still called the King? Why is he still the most dynamic and significant figure in the entire history of rock and roll? This is the story of how an only child from a poor family in the small town of Tupelo, Mississippi, grew up to conquer the music world. It is the story of the life and music of the legendary Elvis Presley, and how he combined elements of many different musical styles — including rockabilly, pop, country, and R&B — to transform himself into not only the first and greatest King of rock, but also the last great superstar of traditional pop music.
Will Friedwald, Wall Street Journal music journalist and Grammy-nominated historian, presents a definitive critique of Elvis:
- The early years, and how the young man from Memphis (and Mississippi) arrived on the music scene at just the right time to ignite the perfect storm
- The breakthrough — those amazing years when the "Hillbilly Cat" from the deep South lit the spark which ignited the rock-and-roll revolution
- Elvis in Hollywood - considered by many to be his low period, he still found time to sing a lot of great songs (even if they were included in some pretty terrible movies)
- The Return of the King – the concert years (1968-1977), considered to be his most prolific, when singing in front of stadium-sized audiences rekindled his passion for performance and led to some of his most recognizable hits
- Side topics, including his obsession with all things Italian, and why many TV programs were only allowed to film Elvis from the waist up
- Rare video and film performances
Will Friedwald is a featured arts writer for The Wall Street Journal and Vanity Fair, and the award-winning author of ten books on music and popular culture, including Straighten Up and Fly Right: The Life and Music of Nat King Cole, A Biographical Guide To The Great Jazz And Pop Singers, Sinatra: The Song Is You, Stardust Melodies, Tony Bennett: The Good Life, and Jazz Singing. He has written over 600 liner notes for compact discs, received ten Grammy nominations, and appears frequently on television and in documentaries.
Our next speaker, on February 19, will be Cynthia Johnson MacKay, MD, Professor of Ophthalmology, Emeritus, “The Unsightly Truth of Laser Vision Correction: LASIK Surgery Makes Healthy Eyes Sick.”
The Greenwich Retired Men’s Association offers a free program every Wednesday that is open to the public, both men and women; no reservations are required. Our social break starts at 10:40 am followed promptly by our presentation at 11:00 am. For additional information see https://greenwichrma.org.
