David Letterman’s Interview With an Unsung Legend Is an Important Part of Music History
David Letterman is typically remembered for his more ridiculous interviews, like the time that Crispin Glover tried to kick him in the face, or when Chuck Norris also tried to kick him in the face. But, in retrospect, one episode of Late Night with David Letterman was an incredibly valuable part of music history.
Forty-one years ago to this day, January 10, 1984, Late Night with David Letterman welcomed Otis Blackwell to the show. While not a household name, Blackwell was, as Letterman stated in his introduction, “the most influential songwriter in rock and roll history.” Blackwell’s credits included hit songs like “Great Balls of Fire” and “Fever.” But, perhaps most notably, he penned several of Elvis Presley’s biggest tunes, including “Don’t Be Cruel,” “All Shook Up” and “Return to Sender.”
Elvis didn’t just record the songs, he arguably copied Blackwell’s singing voice. That’s because Blackwell didn’t send Presley sheet music, he recorded demos of his compositions and then sent them to “the King of Rock and Roll.”
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The Presley legacy has long been clouded by accusations that he stole from Black artists, although his defenders have pointed out that Elvis credited the original songwriters and regularly acknowledged that he owed a debt to the Black musicians that preceded him. But Blackwell’s story is perhaps the clearest example of just how derivative and inequitable this arrangement was.
Word of Blackwell’s unacknowledged contributions to rock and roll spread when he began performing again in the late ‘70s. In 1976, The Village Voice published the article “Just How Much Did Elvis Learn From Otis Blackwell?” by Gary Giddens. Eight years later, he was invited to appear on Letterman, giving him a network television audience.
First, Blackwell sat with Letterman for an interview; while audience members giggled throughout every awkward silence, perhaps presuming that Letterman had invited another eccentric guest to poke fun at, Letterman was nothing but respectful. As American Songwriter argued, “Blackwell was not his target. Letterman was going after the giant named Elvis Presley.”
Blackwell recounted how he’d been paid $25 per song in advance, and while he received songwriting royalties, he had to split them with Presley, who was credited as a co-writer on songs like “Don’t Be Cruel.” “Did he work with you on that song?” Letterman asked, knowingly. “No he didn’t,” Blackwell replied. When Letterman pressed him further about how Elvis was able to put his name on songs he had absolutely no part in writing, Blackwell replied, “That seemed to have been the practice.”
Blackwell also revealed that he had never actually met Elvis, not because there was never an opportunity to (the Giddens piece noted that he was invited to appear in the Elvis movie Girls! Girls! Girls!), but because they had “a good thing going.”
While Blackwell didn’t seem to be in any way bitter, Letterman wasn’t done trying to expose Elvis’ thievery, next bringing up the demo tapes. “Is it true that when he heard you performing the material that he would imitate your style when he recorded the song?” he questioned.
“Well, they did come out very close to the demos that we did,” Blackwell admitted, adding that he was ultimately happy about the arrangement, but felt “a little funny” the first time that he heard how closely Elvis had parroted his performance.
Then he joined the band to play “Don’t Be Cruel,” and around four million viewers got to hear just how close Presley’s version was to Blackwell’s.
Incidentally, Blackwell did change his mind about meeting Elvis in the ‘70s, but his letter to Presley was thrown out by his staff. Elvis wrote to Blackwell and apologized, but died before they ever got a chance to connect in person.
