The Blue Inspiration of Elvis Presley

Mississippi blues pioneer Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup plays one of his original compositions at his home in Virginia in 1972.

As the original un-credited author of Elvis Presley’s big hit “That’s All Right” Crudup stopped recording in the 1950s, because of further battles over royalties. His last Chicago session was in 1951. His 1952-54 recording sessions for Victor were held at radio station WGST in Atlanta, Georgia. He returned to recording with Fire Records and Delmark Records and touring in 1965. Sometimes labeled as “The Father of Rock and Roll”, he accepted this title with some bemusement. Un-gratified due to the loss of royalties, he would refer to his admirer Presley as ‘Elvin Preston’.

Throughout this time Crudup worked as a laborer to augment the non-existent royalties and the small wages he received as a singer. He returned to Mississippi after a dispute with Lester Melrose over royalties, then went into bootlegging, and later moved to Virginia where he had lived and worked as a musician and laborer. In the early 1970s, two local Virginia activists, Celia Santiago and Margaret Carter assisted him in an attempt to gain his past due royalties with little success.

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