Several significant things happened that night. Elvis touched the collective nerve of the nation with his voice, beauty, and stage presence, transcending traditional age and race divisions within the American culture of the 1950s. Audiences applauded his voice and singing talent, but they screamed for the way Elvis performed. He didn’t 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 Elvis’s performance, Sullivan walked over to him, put his arm around his shoulder, 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 afterElvis (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 risqu
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