Elvis Presley Rocks the Newseum in Washington

Why there are so many stars on the US flag and a visit to South by Southwest in Austin, Texas.

02 April 2010

Elvis Presley in the news

DOUG JOHNSON: Welcome to American Mosaic, in VOA Special English.

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I’m Doug Johnson. Today we tell about South by Southwest, the major music conference in Austin, Texas.

And we answer a listener question about the meaning of the stars on America’s flag.

But first, we rediscover Elvis Presley at an exhibit in Washington, D.C.

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Elvis at the Newseum

DOUG JOHNSON: As you can probably guess from its name, the Newseum in Washington, D.C. is a museum about news. It recently opened an exhibit about a famous performer. His special sound and bold moves changed the history of music and popular culture. The exhibit is called “Elvis! His Groundbreaking, Hip-Shaking, Newsmaking Story.” It tells about Elvis Presley’s influence on American culture. It shows newspaper articles, television recordings and personal objects belonging to the King himself. Barbara Klein tells us more.

BARBARA KLEIN: Most people know that Elvis Presley was a popular singer and actor. But many young people today might not realize that Elvis represented a rebellious new form of popular culture. He first became famous in the mid nineteen fifties.