Filed under: Exclusive, Country News





Hulton Archive



Elvis Presley was only 42 when he died at his home in Memphis, Tenn., exactly 35 years ago today (Aug. 16), yet the man who changed the course of music still has legions of loyal followers and countless entertainers who are influenced by his music.

"I love Elvis, and I'm very proud of him and that whole Tennessee connection, even though he was born in Tupelo (Miss.)," says Dolly Parton. "Elvis had an influence and certainly an impact on everybody, including me."


Jerrod Niemann wasn't even born when Elvis passed away, but he's hugely grateful for the musical doors knocked down by the icon. "It was good to have people like that who weren't scared to take chances back then," Jerrod tells The Boot. "You don't take chances to do it in vain; you take chances musically because you care, or you want to be different, or you want to see what would happen if you mix this with that. It takes an open mind, but Elvis was one of those people that whatever he did, it was right.