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Read other letters about this article
Dear sir,
"Elvis made his own living ripping off the musical contributions of African-Americans, so maybe what's really going on in this particular case is some cultural reappropriation."
The above kind of nonsense has been repudiated time and again by musicologists.
Elvis Presley no more ripped off African-Americans than Ludwig Van Beethoven ripped off the Irish by using an Irish air for his magnificent 7th Symphony.
On the contrary, Elvis introduced us all to his extraordinary eclectic taste in music from Gospel, R&B, Rockabilly, Christmas Carols, Hymns, ballads, light opera, and even "Danny Boy"!
No nation or race owns the rich tapestry that is classical and popular music. It cannot be stolen. It can only be shared.
Elvis with his amazingly beautiful and versatile voice, as we all know, was generous to a fault.
The American Elvis Presley stamp sold more than 600 million!
Yours sincerely,
Maurice Colgan.
