Cher’s favourite song by Elvis Presley: “I’m going to do that”
Cher and Elvis Presley might seem like they would be at the total opposite ends of the sonic spectrum, but nonetheless the Goddess of Pop and the King of Rock and Roll share a special sonic connection, not just in their esteemed monikers but in the path that the latter paved for a young Cher to be drawn towards the true heights of stardom.
Growing up during the 1950s, in many ways it’s only natural that Cher came to worship the rock icon, who she referred to as “my Elvis” as a beacon of music and looks throughout her childhood. But among his seismic array of hits, there’s one particularly special Presley tune that Cher holds closer to her heart than any other.
Speaking to Desert Island Discs late last year, along with all her other favourite songs, she explained her allure towards the star, and especially his 1956 ballad ‘Love Me Tender’, by saying: “Elvis was the beginning of me knowing what I wanted to do. Most of my friends loved him – I wanted to be him.”
Going on to recall the seminal memory when she first saw him lived in LA at 11 years old, she continued: “It was amazing. He came out in his gold suit. I remember when he came out, and the way they flashed the lights, and I was thinking, ‘Oh my God, that must be amazing to be on that stage!’”
Cher then told her mother, who also “loved” Presley and came to the concert with her, “‘I’m going to do that.’” Wrapped up in the excitement of the moment, she added: “All the girls were standing up on their chairs and screaming, so I turned to my mom and said, ‘Can we get up on the chairs and scream?’, and she said, ‘Sure, let’s do it!’”
While admittedly ‘Love Me Tender’ isn’t exactly the most electrifying anthem in the Presley songbook, it clearly spoke to a memory for Cher of one of the most important gigs she would ever attend, because it provided her with the dream of that same rapture that she would be chasing forever after that point.
For the song’s part, ‘Love Me Tender’ undeniably went a long way in cementing Presley as the ultimate romantic idol and sex icon for girls like Cher the world over, with this lyrical adaption to the original 1800s civil war song ‘Aura Lee’ scooping the king yet another number one during his most acclaimed period of chart domination. As the lead tune to the film of the same name, it was the moment when the singer first took the leap to the silver screen, making his acting debut and propelling his career to new heights across the two realms.
For those like Cher left starry-eyed in his wake, this point in the mid-‘50s was a defining moment in the overall history of music that has never quite been replicated at any time since. But unlike the girls who simply fawned over him, Presley’s influence on Cher was always set to take a different path, as she single-handedly credits him as the star who showed her what a life in the spotlight was really all about. If she could turn back time, you can be sure he’d be at the top of her list of musical heroes.
