In the September 24 issue, a letter writer fan of Elvis Presley complains that Elvis was not given suitable attention in the retrospective of 1957 events and then, as proof, quotes John Lennon as saying "Before Elvis, there was nothing" ["Looking Back on 1957"].
Before Elvis there was popular music that was mostly lovely, beautiful, and sometimes verging on the sublime. Previously, lyrics had been mostly expressions of admiration, affection, or love for someone else by performers who were able to sing. What passes for entertainment now is a mess of loud noise with a mindless beat by performers who are not able to sing. Elvis and the Beatles played important parts in the destruction of popular music.
David W. Knudsen
Gray, Maine
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