Aerosmith guitarist, Joe Perry is featured in the January edition of the 'Goldmine'
magazine and includes an in-depth interview.
In the interview, Perry is asked about any favourite music artists that he has and
below is his reply:
"Jimi Hendrix and Elvis. I love Elvis. It's not just the music, it's what he
accomplished and what he did. Probably the most important thing he did was bring
black music to white ears. I think that some of what he contributed to our culture
and music gets lost in his later years, in the stereotypes. Most of the
impersonators are doing the white jumpsuit [look] because he was such a
caricature of himself, but he was so important in those early years that it's just a
drag that it gets lost. People think about the glasses and the jumpsuit, but if it
wasn't for him there is so much music that we wouldn't have heard.
He was the right voice at the right time, and it precipitated that whole social
change in the '60s, bringing all that music and breaking down that barrier because
black music was so taboo. It existed, but to break through that into the white
stronghold on music, somebody had to do it, and he did it. He had the voice.
There were certainly other rockers, but they sounded white. That's why he scared
the sh** out of people when he was coming around. People were expecting to see
a black dude singing. Like I said, the right voice at the right time to do that.
You can't say enough about what he contributed. He laid the groundwork for
breaking out, and the rest is history."
magazine and includes an in-depth interview.
In the interview, Perry is asked about any favourite music artists that he has and
below is his reply:
"Jimi Hendrix and Elvis. I love Elvis. It's not just the music, it's what he
accomplished and what he did. Probably the most important thing he did was bring
black music to white ears. I think that some of what he contributed to our culture
and music gets lost in his later years, in the stereotypes. Most of the
impersonators are doing the white jumpsuit [look] because he was such a
caricature of himself, but he was so important in those early years that it's just a
drag that it gets lost. People think about the glasses and the jumpsuit, but if it
wasn't for him there is so much music that we wouldn't have heard.
He was the right voice at the right time, and it precipitated that whole social
change in the '60s, bringing all that music and breaking down that barrier because
black music was so taboo. It existed, but to break through that into the white
stronghold on music, somebody had to do it, and he did it. He had the voice.
There were certainly other rockers, but they sounded white. That's why he scared
the sh** out of people when he was coming around. People were expecting to see
a black dude singing. Like I said, the right voice at the right time to do that.
You can't say enough about what he contributed. He laid the groundwork for
breaking out, and the rest is history."