What comes to your mind when you think of Elvis Presley? Probably him singing fast rock ‘n’ roll songs like “Hound Dog” or “Jailhouse Rock.”
Millions of fans bought his records, making him one of the biggest stars to ever live. But here is a wild secret that almost everyone misses: Elvis only won three competitive Grammy Awards in his whole life, and not a single one was for a rock ‘n’ roll song!
So, what kind of music earned him those golden trophies? The answer is gospel music!
Long before Elvis was famous, he grew up singing sweet, powerful church songs in his home state. Even after he became a giant Hollywood star with flashy outfits, his heart stayed true to those simple spiritual songs. Whenever he wanted to rest, relax, or just sing for fun with his closest friends, he sat down at a piano and sang gospel.
Elvis Presley, How Great Thou Art Live
Elvis won his very first Grammy in 1968 for his beautiful album How Great Thou Art. During this time, he was making silly movie songs that did not test his talents. But when he entered the recording studio to make gospel music, he sang with all his strength, building his voice from a soft whisper to a giant, powerful chorus. The music judges loved it so much that they gave him Best Sacred Performance.
Elvis Presley – He Touched Me (Official Audio)
A few years later, in 1973, Elvis won his second Grammy for another gospel album called He Touched Me. Then, in 1975, he won his third and final Grammy for singing a live version of “How Great Thou Art” right in his hometown of Memphis. Returning to Memphis was special because that was where his musical journey had started as a young boy. Out of all his big pop hits, gospel was the only music that won him competitive Grammy trophies!
You might wonder why his famous 1950s rock songs never won Grammys. The simple truth is that the Grammy Awards did not exist yet when Elvis first sang “Heartbreak Hotel”! By the time the awards started, Elvis had already changed music forever. Later on, the music world made up for this by placing seven of his famous rock and pop songs into the prestigious Grammy Hall of Fame.
Today, if you visit Elvis’s famous house, Graceland, you can see his three shiny Grammy trophies sitting proudly on display. They show visitors that while rock ‘n’ roll made Elvis Presley world-famous, gospel music was the true heart of his musical soul.