Baz Luhrmann's latest musical biopic of Elvis Presley was released in theaters on June 24. It chronicles Presley's early life and rise to rock ‘n’ roll stardom. The film made $31 million in its opening weekend and is expected to begin streaming on HBO Max in August.

The film's opening box office success is not surprising considering its subject matter and the level of reverence he reached during his career—one that still resonates today. Often dubbed “The King of Rock and Roll,” Presley took the genre into new and exciting directions, lending him great appraise from fans and fellow musicians. John Lennon once famously said, “Before Elvis, there was nothing.” But in reality, there was quite a bit before Elvis—namely Black artists who helped shape Elvis’s sound.

While Elvis Presley was a powerhouse performer and sensational singer, it goes without saying that there would be no Elvis without Black music and culture. This fact was not lost on Luhrmann, as there are many nods to Black music and style in his film. In fact, some of the film’s greatest musical performances are from Black icons like Sister Rosetta Tharpe (played by Yola) and Little Richard (played by Alton Mason).

Rock ‘n’ roll is an eclectic mix of musical genres, like the blues, gospel, and country. Several key Black artists figured prominently in the formation of Presley’s sound and style, but in pre-Civil Rights America, when black artists were marginalized as creators and largely ignored by the white mainstream audience, they were not allowed the same amount of praise and monetary success as some of their white counterparts. Ultimately, Presley was a white man who profited from the adoption of Black music and culture. This has led to some feelings of resentment in the Black community, from fans and artists alike.

In a 1999 interview with Bob Costas, Soul legend Ray Charles shared his thoughts on Elvis Presley and how he co-opted his sound from Black artists. Charles expressed that Presley was just “doing our kind of music” and getting recognized for it because he was a white man. “He caused a lot of the populous—usually when people say populous they usually mean white people—to start listening to a lot of music that normally they wouldn’t have been listening to,” Ray expressed in the interview.

Although he “borrowed” a lot of Black music in order to foment his own success, Presley is often credited for being able to break down some barriers with regard to race; namely in upholding Black music and making it more accessible to white American youths. And according to The New York Times, Elvis often publicly credited the Black musicians that came before him. That being said, it's vital that these Black artists are recognized not only for their influence on Presley but for their contributions to music as a whole.

Throughout his career there were a ton of seminal Black influences that helped shape Elvis’ music and persona, here are just a few of them.

Katana Dumont