A very special record was about to hit the music stores, and it was going to show a completely different side of a very famous star. The whole world knew Elvis Presley for shaking his hips and singing loud rock and roll songs. But a quiet surprise was waiting for his fans in the winter of 1960. He was about to release something very close to his heart, proving that his true roots were planted in a much softer place.
On November 10, 1960, he officially released a brand new album called His Hand in Mine. This was not a normal pop record filled with fast guitar playing and heavy drums. It was a beautiful collection of gentle gospel music. Fans who expected another loud dance record were completely shocked when they heard the soft, slow songs about faith and love.
Even though he was the biggest rock star in the world, gospel music was always his absolute favorite thing to sing. As a young boy growing up in a very poor family in Mississippi, he learned how to sing inside a small church. Those early days taught him how to put real feeling into his voice. He wanted to share that deep love for church music with all of his fans, so he decided to make a full album just for those songs.
Recording this special album was a very happy time for him. When he was alone in his house, he rarely listened to his own famous hits. Instead, he would sit at his piano for hours and sing old gospel tunes with his close friends. The album His Hand in Mine finally let the whole world hear the exact kind of music that brought him the most peace and comfort when the bright stage lights were turned off.
His Hand in Mine
Earlier that same year, he also made a huge return to television after spending two long years in the army. In March 1960, he walked onto the stage of the famous Frank Sinatra Timex Show. The television special was totally planned to welcome him back home from his military service. Everyone in the crowd wondered if he could still make the girls go crazy after being away for so long.
He completely proved that he was still the king when he started singing his fun new song called Stuck On You. He wore a very nice suit and smiled at the crowd while shaking his shoulders to the happy beat. The women in the audience screamed so loudly that it was hard to even hear the music playing. Frank Sinatra even joked after the song that he had never heard girls scream quite like that for a male singer before.
Stuck On You – Live (March 26, 1960 The Frank Sinatra Timex Show: Welcome Home Elvis) Elvis Presley
From loud television stages to quiet church songs, his talent had absolutely no limits. The year 1960 proved that he could easily make people jump up to dance and also make them sit down to reflect. He showed the world that a true artist can sing fun rock tunes and gentle gospel music perfectly. His amazing voice will always be remembered for bringing so many different styles of music to life.