of the early 1950s. There was an all-too-familiar dissention among the generations about things that affect culture-appearance, sex, lan- guage, music, and other contributors to the overall makeup of values and morals. But these 1950s teenagers, like most teens, rebelled and broke the rules. The music, the message, and eventually the lifestyle of rock and roll began to transcend racial, ethnic, and cultural lines, mov- ing from the minority culture toward a mass market. The primary conduit for this transition would be none other than Elvis Presley.     American Culture---B.E. and A.E.   Elvis was born in 1936 in Tupelo, Mississippi, where he grew up in a modest, predominantly black neighborhood. He was raised in a reli- gious home and loved attending church from the time he was a young boy. Though he belonged to a Pentecostal church in Tupelo, he report- edly sneaked out frequently to the African-American church around the corner, where he absorbed the sounds of gospel choirs and singers. Gospel music became his first love as he sang with his black friends and their families, learning the rhythms and sounds of their music. Elvis went on to cut his first record in 1952, motivated primarily by his desire to make a recording for his mother. But the executives at Sun Records knew they were hearing-and watching-something special. The way he sang his particular style of rock and roll was unique; the way he moved was edgy; his looks were movie-star qual- ity; and his connection with people who watched was intense. Elvis crossed many established lines. Just as Microsoft would dom- inate the computer industry decades later by combining the best practices and innovations of other industry pioneers, Elvis rolled R&B, gospel, and country into a new form of music that would go on to rock the world for the rest of the century. He also pushed the enve- lope of what society considered sexually appropriate. And finally, Elvis himself broke the race barrier by being white and singing black. Soul singer James Brown said it well: "Elvis taught white people how to get down."     Not everyone was ready for Elvis and his provocative style; he encountered resistance from many traditional, suburban, middle- income, family-oriented people. Appearing on Ed Sullivans Toast of the Town took Elvis from the fringe of society to the mainstream. Sul- livans show dominated television ratings at that time, reflecting and influencing American culture with each act it presented. Initially re- buffed as unsuitable for a family show, Elvis was later booked by Sulli- van for three appearances, despite protests from segregationist leaders and parents concerned that his type of music would corrupt American