Bruno Mars Learnt from Elvis... Why Wouldn't You?

Helloo0O Ladies and Gentlemen…

Welcome back to another week at Graceland Ontario where we show you the lessons that made Elvis successful and fit them into your life. This week we’re going to talk about Elvis’s influence and how it’s no sin to use it for your benefit.

Check out this link:

http://www.elvis.com/news/detail.aspx?id=5575

It’s about modern pop star Bruno Mars. Mars has topped the charts a few times in recent years and won a Grammy, yet when he was four years old he was known as the world’s youngest Elvis Impersonator.

When Mars was young, he used Elvis’s image to boost his own (though he probably didn’t realise it then). When he got older, he did his own original material but still used what he learnt from Elvis to improve his act.

Mars at a young age, consciously or not, learnt that mixing his talent with Elvis’s legend and style were explosive. Even now, he uses the same formila to capture this generation of youth’s attention as Elvis did back in the 50’s.

As Mars shows, there’s no shame in learning from your idols to improve your act, whether it be in show biz, politics or the corporate world. Sure, you need to be safe in your own skin to be successful but if using the legend of a dead guy helps you do it, then use it.

You see, a lot of people get worried when they start using the legends of great men (or women) like Elvis to fine-tone their skills. They’re scared they’ll lose their personal identity and turn into a copy-cat.

But, as in Bruno Mars’s case, learning from the best does not mean you turn into them… It took Mars years to cement his own musical reputation. And even then, it required his own unique style. Take a look at some of his stuff − you can see the 50’s/60’s influence, but you wouldn’t say he’s solely copying Elvis.

And besides, most modern musicians copy Elvis to a degree whether they like it or not, he’s so imbedded in our culture.

No, Mars has a unique style, but he used Elvis to help get him there. And YOU can, too.

Copying Elvis’s confidence, his charm, his energy − whatever you need − will give you a basis to build foundations of your own (as Mars did in his music career). It turns into a question of “What would Elvis do in this situation?” From that basis, you can let the dead singer’s spirit lead you to accomplishment in whatever field you want.

Mars did it to help him get to a modern crowd of pop-enthusiasts; you can do it to help get whatever you like, too.

Elvis’s Lessons:

Bruno Mars, a modern singer-songwriter, Grammy winner and teen sensation, got his career basis as the world’s youngest Elvis impersonator when he was four. Mars used Elvis’s legend to help his career, and so can you. By asking yourself, “what would Elvis do in this situation?” you can change your perspective and use what Elvis had (confidence, energy, humility, etc…) as basis to improve yourself in that area. It worked for Mars, and he’s rich and famous now. It can work for you, too.

P.S. Any comments or questions regarding this post? Write me a note in the comment box below or email me at alexghilson@gmail.com and I'll reply to you faster than Usain Bolt can run the 100m... well, maybe not that fast.

P.P.S. If you'd like to see Bruno Mars singing his number one hit single, "Just the Way You Are", here's a link to the music video on Youtube.