Which person has spread the gospel of Jesus Christ to more people than anyone else in history? That’s hard to calculate. JohnWesley rode more than 250,000 miles on horseback. Billy Graham spoke to nearly 215 million people in 99 countries. What about…Elvis?
Oh c’mon. The guy who sang Hound Dog? Well, Joe Moscheo thinks Elvis belongs in this conversation. The former singer with The Imperials, who played with Presley in the early ‘70s, even wrote a book called The Gospel Side of Elvis. “He had personal problems and demons, but… he introduced gospel music to a secular world,” Moscheo said. “In a way, he was an evangelist.”
Talk about a potential congregation. It’s estimated Elvis’ music has been “streamed” over a billion times. How long has streaming music over the internet been popular? Since the mid-2010s. Elvis died in 1977. But the vast majority of that audience has only heard his secular songs, right? I can imagine someone saying, “Elvis sang gospel? Ohhh that’s right… I hear it on the radio every December. Blue Christmas. Love that song.”
It makes me “blue” that most people only hear that one song from Presley during Advent. That’s because if you haven’t heard his gospel music, you haven’t really heard Elvis sing. Sounds crazy to say that, considering the “King of Rock ‘n’ Roll” recorded 104 hits in the Top 40, and 27 albums in the Top 10. Incredible secular success, but as Elvis said himself, “There’s only one king, and that’s Jesus Christ.”
My mom and I have a tradition of listening to her favorite CD in the car. It’s called Elvis: Ultimate Gospel. It’s 25 powerful songs that showcase his vocal range and his passion for gospel music. We take turns singing background and lead, but always find ourselves saying, “Elvis can sing, can’t he?” I wish everyone knew this legendary performer was at his best when he was singing about Jesus. His three Grammy awards? Sure enough, all in the Gospel category.
How Great Thou Art and Amazing Grace are timeless hits, of course, but I love his version of Milky White Way, which captures the joy of going to heaven. The lighthearted song, I Believe In the Man In the Sky, acknowledges our mortality. Then there’s our favorite, the slow and soulful, Where Could I Go but To the Lord. And I never thought I’d tap the steering wheel to a song about John’s vision of Christ from Revelation, called “I, John.” So, if you need a Christmas gift idea, I guarantee you won’t see “return to sender” on this CD’s gift wrapping.
Right under an Elvis gospel song on YouTube, one comment says, “As an atheist, all I can say is, he was the greatest gift God could give mankind!” Even though we know the greatest gift was Jesus, I’m sure even John Wesley and Billy Graham would’ve clicked the Like button.
Ed Doney, Writer & Videographer
