 In this corner, Elvis Aron Presley, The King. 30 year old Elvis has occupied the throne for 11 years. Will he lost it now? |
 L. to R. John Lennon, George Harrison, Paul McCartney, Ringo Star ... The Beatles. They challenged Elvis once and now return. |
 Herman (real name Peter Noone) is a newcomer at 17, and Herman's Hermits may be the biggest threat Elvis has faced in years. |
 "The toughest thing about success," America's top songwriter, Irving Berlin, once said, "is that you've got to keep on being a success." Ethel Barrymore, first lady of the stage, observed essentially the same thing. "Stardom is temporary," she warned. "Enjoy it while you can." No one appreciates these storm signals more than Elvis Aron Presley. In a way, Elvis has established himself as firmly in the celestial arrangement of stars and provoked as fanatical a loyalty as any major performer in any media of entertainment. But it isn't enough to just capture the ball. You have to keep running with it. And the greatest fear, of course, is this: you mustn't ever let it drop.The most serious contenders Elvis ever had to face are - The Beatles. What winds up the engine of the jet to Stardom is excitement. The Beatles project excitement. Last year, the boys from Liverpool ushered in a whole new era of entertainment in America. It spilled over into all areas. They became innovators. The first symptom of a star . . . the first way you can tell . . . is the emergence of imitators. Last year, everyone wanted to be a Beatle. But The Beatles returned to Britain, and Elvis, although rocked, was still firmly planted on the throne. This year, The Beatles will be back for another chance to unseat the Champ, and they will enter the ring stronger, readier for battle, having already tested the strength of their opponent.  But there is also a new cloud on the horizon. Elvis will have to fight on two fronts. Because there is another contender charging into the arena. His name is Herman. The young gentleman and his group, the Hermits (they call themselves Herman's Hermits) have become one of the most popular groups in Manchester and the North of England in the space of a year. Their following is a large one. And the first indication of their Star status was the appearance of white sweaters and waistcoats with inscriptions like: "We Love Herman," "Hermania" and "Herman's Hermits."Herman, whose real name is Peter Noone. He is 17 years old, and was born in Manchester on November 5, 1947. Peter had always been keen on pop music and would often visit a local youth club to listen to a group called The Heartbeats. One night, they were short of a singer and Peter stepped in, subsequently joined the group. |
 In a cartoon show on TV called The Bullwinkle Show, a boy called Sherman was featured. The group were amused at the similarity of this character and their lead singer. Mistaking the name of Sherman for Herman, they christened him, and relinquished their name, Heartbeats for The Hermits because it fitted the name.Karl Green, who plays the bass guitar, is 18, was born in Salford, Manchester on July 31, 1947. Karl had his first guitar at the age of 10. On leaving school, he worked as an engraver for a year, then joined a group called The Balmains, which his brother managed. When this group broke up, Karl gave up playing for a year, then became one of the original members of The Heartbeats. Derek Leckenby, lead and rhythm guitar, is an oldster of 22, was born in Leeds on May 14, 1943. Derek is nicknamed and always known as "Lek." He moved to Manchester when very young and studied Civil Engineering at Manchester University for two years. Lek had a guitar for some time and had taught himself to play. He would like to continue his studies, sometime in the future and earn a degree in Civil Engineering. Barry Whitwam plays the drums. He is 19 years old, was born in Manchester on July 21, 1946. He first started to play when a local group had a vacancy. He had 9 months of training as a hairdresser and worked for a year in a ladies' salon before giving it up for the group, which broke up a short time later. Barry then joined Herman's hermits. He had two years of lessons on the drums, but is largely self-taught. Keith Hopwood, lead and rhythm guitar, is 18 years old and was born in Manchester on October 26, 1946. He attended grammar school and on leaving, worked as a telephone engineer. He bought his first guitar at 14 and joined a local group at 16. After 6 months, he was invited to join The Hermits. Will these five newcomers who have meteored to fame within a few months displace The Beatles? Is Elvis, The King, about to lose his throne? What do you think? Use the ballot to make your choice. Watch future issues for news on the winner.
|
|
|