A photo is worth a thousand words, and one particular photo of Elvis Presley hanging out, cape-like jacket and all, with former president Richard Nixon sparked quite a few words from fans at the time.
Videos by American Songwriter
On this day in 1970, Presley formally met Nixon at the White House. The famous photo of the two shaking hands struck a nerve with a number of Presley’s fans at the time, as well as supporters of Nixon.
The photo was a pretty big jolt to fans who knew Presley best for his countercultural approach to getting attention: Shaking his hips indecently and performing rock and roll tunes. He had been called everything from “unfit for television” to “a danger to the security of the United States.” He was a countercultural icon for a minute. Nixon, on the other hand, was not. It’s kind of shocking that he wanted anything to do with Presley at all.
Regardless, Presley appeared at the White House to detail his concerns with drug culture at the time. According to Presley, he had conducted a detailed “study of drug abuse and Communist brainwashing techniques.” He had already written a letter to Nixon detailing his findings.
The meeting was initially kept somewhat secret to protect Presley’s image. Now, it makes sense why. During his talk with Nixon, Presley talked about how he believed rock music was the core cause of the ongoing drug epidemic and even namedropped The Beatles as musicians who were contributed to it. Throwing the Fab Four under the bus was ironic, considering Presley performed The Beatles’ music at his live concerts regularly.
It’ll probably never be clear what Presley’s true intentions were in meeting Nixon. He eventually developed a drug addiction that sadly contributed to his death in 1977. He was back and forth on much of his politics and public statements throughout his life. Some believe he simply wanted a badge from the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs, as he collected them.
The Legendary Status of a Single Photo of Elvis Presley and President Richard Nixon
Something like this wouldn’t cause as much of a stir (more or less) today. However, the photo taken of Elvis Presley and then-president Richard Nixon on December 21, 1970 was an enormous deal.
The photo itself isn’t that otherworldly. Nixon and Presley stand in front of flags in what appears to be the Oval Office, shaking hands. Nixon is dressed in a basic suit, which one would expect. Presley contrasts the “normal” appearance of Nixon by donning a dark suit, a large belt buckle, and perfectly coifed hair, complete with a high-rise collar.
The photo (and meeting) became such a big part of pop culture history at the time. It even inspired a number of films, such as the 2016 film Elvis & Nixon. To this day, the photo of their meeting is still the most requested photo ever from the National Archives.
Photo by MPI/Getty Images
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Leave a Reply
Only members can comment. Become a member. Already a member? Log in.