Before Elvis

A thought-provoking exploration of the Black musicians who inspired Elvis Presley's music, primarily through the lens of four overlooked artists: Little Junior Parker, Big Mama Thornton, Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup, and Calvin Newborn Preston Lauterbach is author of the American music classic The Chitlin' Circuit, as well as two secret histories of Black culture, Beale Street Dynasty and Bluff City. Preston has also co-authored three memoirs with significant figures in Black music, including Brother Robert (with the stepsister of bluesman Robert Johnson), Timekeeper (with Memphis soul drummer Howard Grimes), and the forthcoming Spirit of the Century (with the Blind Boys of Alabama). His works have earned book of the year recognition from the Wall Street Journal, NPR, and Rolling Stone. He lives near Charlottesville, Virginia.