January 8, 1935 was dead center of the time in American history called "The Depression." Abject poverty, shotgun shacks, breadlines indicated a depression for several reasons. Of the many births and deaths that day, there is one we remember. The most popular entertainer in world history was born in Tupelo, Mississippi. Popularity doesn't account for much. It is more like asteroids blinking on the horizon, particularly in our current age.What made Elvis special and more than a radar blip on an overpopulated screen were many things. Most notably, he was the agent of social change in the 1950s. I have read him referred to as the man who destroyed culture forever. So many things changed after he hit the stage and before he hit the screen. For two, think of Paul Newman and Andy Warhol. For three, think of a crewcutted boy in Brookline looking to stay meek to garner approval but rebel to get out from the weight of his own burdens.
