Elvis Presley's clever manipulation of his numerous interests remains one of the music world's great marvels. His synthesis of country, rhythm & blues and gospel resulted in an inventive mixture of hair-raising rock & roll and balladry. This book focuses on the music of Presley's groundbreaking early years and includes a comprehensive analysis of every Presley recording session from the 1950s. Chapters show how Presley, with one foot in delta mud and the other in a country hoedown, teamed with Scotty Moore and Bill Black to fuse two distinctly American musical forms--country and blues--to form what would come to be known as "rockabilly." Also detailed is Presley's influence on music and how his contributions are still celebrated today. “Provoking... intriguing... it is evident that the author has thoroughly researched and considered his subject matter... throughout The Sonic Swagger of Elvis Presley there are nuggets of unexpected and enlightening information... an engaging and stimulating read which offers much of the reader to ponder... one of the best and more important Elvis book releases.”― Elvis Information Network Gary Parker is the author of numerous works well reviewed in such publications as the Los Angeles Times and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. He resides in Palm Springs California (website www.garyparkerwriter.com).