In the mid-50s, a school-teacher, and a former dishwasher repairman collaborated on writing a song allegedly inspired by the suicide note of a despondent man that was included in an article published by the Miami Herald. It would turn out to be for the King of Rock and Roll Elvis Presley… The song? Heartbreak Hotel. In fact the schoolteacher named Mae Axton vowed to Elvis that she would write his first #1 million seller and she did. Although Presley’s label RCA thought the song was a disaster. They hated it and predicated it would fail. It went to #1 for 7 weeks and was the biggest song of the years. Years later the school teacher who wrote it, would have a song Hoyt Axton who would write a #1 hit for Three Dog Night called Joy to the World making them the only mother and son to do so in history. Over the years the writing of Heartbreak Hotel from a newspaper article has become a mystery. Curiously, there is no evidence of such an incident in the public records of the State of Florida, nor is there any proof of a news article that was published on the alleged suicide by the Miami Herald. It’s the conflicting and mystifying story of the first #1 pop song by the King of Rock ’N Roll…NEXT on Professor of Rock.”
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Hey music junkies, Professor of Rock, always here to celebrate the greatest artists and the greatest songs of all time. If you believe in rock and roll and that music can save your mortal soul that this channel was made for you. make sure to subscribe below right now by clicking the red button . you’ll like what interviews we have coming up in fact I promise you will. . We also have a patreon the link for that is right below. help us curate music history.
It’s hard to believe that there was a time when Elvis Presley was not one of the all-time greatest pop icons. But, long before he was crowned the ‘King of Rock ’N Roll,” some of Elvis’s fellow musicians looked down upon him as a “kid who wasn’t going to go anywhere.”That is exactly what singer Glen Reeves thought of Elvis, after he begrudgingly agreed to perform the vocal for a demo of a song crafted for Elvis to record.
The song on that demo was “Heartbreak Hotel”- becoming Elvis’s first #1 pop single, and propelling the 21 year old performer into an international phenomenon: How the composition of“Heartbreak Hotel”evolved is a confusing, mysterious, and, ultimately puzzling story. The co-writers- Mae Boren Axton, and Tommy Durden both claimed that the inspiration for the song came from a newspaper article published in the Miami Herald about an unidentified man who committed suicide in a Miami hotel room.
Tommy Durden was a steel guitarist playing in bands from Gainesville & Jacksonville, Florida. Although Durden was a professional musician, who backed up luminaires like Tex Ritter & Johnny Cash, he didn’t make much money as a hired player.
He still needed to have ‘day jobs’ to make ends meet, such as being a dishwasher repairman. One morning in the summer-of ‘55, Durden grabbed the Miami Herald from his front porch, and read an article about an unidentified man who killed himself in a Miami hotel room.
No one knew the man’s name, which seemed to be exactly what the deceased wanted. According to the news paper report…before taking his life, the man destroyed all of his identification certificates, and left a suicide note with only one cryptic line…
“I walk a lonely street”……
23 Comments
Poll: What is your pick for the greatest early Rock and Roll song?
I had just turned 3 years old when Heartbreak Hotel hit the local airwaves in L.A. My mom immediately bought the 45. I was not familiar with blues at that time. The song spooked and fascinated and moved me like no other song. In 1973 I got a job that required I sing a song on my table-bussing break at a local restaurant. I had never performed in front of people. I was a competent guitarist so that was done. The vocal scared the shite out of me so two days before I started the job I would ride my bicycle into Runyan Canyon in the Hollywood Hills and hike to the hilltop where there were no dog walkers. During those 2 days I sang the song at the top of my lungs many times just to smooth out the rough parts. I settled on an Elvis impersonation since I had no idea what my "true voice" sounded like. Came my first day of work and I bused tables and my break came. I performed the song and was so terrified I blacked out before it was finished. When I came to I was fired. I do a mean Elvis impersonation and I don't faint in the middle of a song anymore. Nice to know that there are other historical fans.
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a bit of a correction. Sinatra recorded first with Harry James, then Tommy Dorsey
Red Blue Jeans and a Ponytail!
"Presley’s label RCA thought the song was a disaster. They hated it and predicated it would fail"
Music labels, much like movie studios, really seem to succeed in spite of themselves. When has interference from the label ever produced anything good?
How long did you practice your Elvis voice? It was pretty good
I LOVE Hoyt Axton; had no idea his mom was I'm music too
I just looked on the Familysearch app and Hoyt Axton is my 8th cousin once removed 🤩
Elvis will always be missed
I never understood Elvis hatred outside of bigotry, I've heard people argue that the sexual undertones of his music were a little much for the late 50s considering he was kind of like a country western dude that wanted to do rhythm and blues tunes
I loved Hoyt Axton skilled man
I still have the two tickets my dad bought us to go see Elvis in Huntington WV, unfortunately Elvis passed before that concert. My dad still had those two tickets in his wallet when he died. Funnily, although I liked Elvis ok at that time I was 13 and not thrilled to go see him. Heart and Kiss were more my jam back then lol. I honestly never knew just what an international and global icon he was till I visited Hawaii and then Graceland for my daughter’s 13th birthday. Ironically, she is a major Elvis fan! 🙂
Heartbreak Hotel was NOT on his album. Back then, he recorded an album and single material.
Great episode! I love your channel and I’m glad to see you covering Elvis!
Btw, Never Been to Spain was covered by Elvis
Wow, you finally featured a song older than I am.😎 Seriously, I was born in January of 1956. Pretty much everybody my age was raised listening to Elvis, even if secretly because of parental disapproval. Even after moving into pop, Motown, and then rock, I would still stop to catch an Elvis song on the radio. Of course, Elvis movies were a not-really-guilty pleasure. His resurgence in the late '60s brought new, more contemporary songs.
Dying at 42 was a thorough shock.
Good episode.
Born in 1965 and I had Elvis posters on my bedroom wall until 1976 when Farrah replaced him. It’s almost 2023 and Elvis is still the King of Rock & Roll with no equal in sight.
The background story of this song told by the Professor is iconic. The Professor is an old soul.
I remember Fonzi filling in when the Elvis train didn't stop in their town and the guys were in trouble with the girls so Fonzi was as popular locally and he said I'm going to do Heartbreak Hotel. I hope it's your favorite. It ain't mine. But the girls went wild anyway.
Speaking of Leon Russell…you should do a video on Leon Russell. Anything.
actually, the biggest memory i have about Elvis was walking in a field with my transistor radio to my ear, and hearing the announcement of his death, i was so stunned that i have a PTSD type memory of it. 🙁
16:23 No doubt Professor of Rock would like to extend a warm and gracious 'Thank you' to the Friendswood Public Library for providing the Blake Shelton album art.
When you're in need of a friend, there's no need to be couped up in a 'Heartbreak Hotel'. Just swing by Friendswood, TX and stop by the library.
Mom said the first time she heard it, it made her toes curl. Probably the firt “hard rock” song recorded
Good lord, imo this guy's more interesting than Caey Kasem and I loved that radio show!!
Great episode again! Professor never fails! Growin' up in a city between Memphis and Nashville ,Tennessee, and from a musical family, I come outta the womb with music history. Elvis was pivotal for music in a global way. Great origin story on "Heartbreak Hotel". It would probably be the most influential early Rock song to me. I like all of Elvis' catalog. Ole boy could get down. Daddy and my Step-Dad appreciated Elvis also. Of course, even non musicians like him. Many Elvis paintings in homes down South, the dark colored ones on cloth. My ear likes the Memphis sound. Always has. I was the same way hearin' Vedder and Pearl Jam as Lennon was hearin' Elvis. Couldn't completely make out the lyric at first, only the energy of the vocal and instruments. Really captured my interest. I believe if Elvis had not of came through in the 50's, music would not have advanced like it did in the following 4 decades. It seems we are at a similar place in music now as we were before Elvis passed through. It will be interestin' to hear where it goes from here.