Elvis Presley was so much more than a rock star. He was THE rock star. Elvis was The King of Rock. In fact, his star shined so brightly that it lit up everything he did. Every bit of his life has become a part of his deep and complicated mythos. Countless behind-the-scenes videos and personal anecdotes show that The King was laid back. At the same time, when it was time to put in the work, he was ready at the drop of a hat. You could say that The King was always ready to take care of business.
Elvis Presley stopped performing live for a while. After his initial success, he famously joined the US Army. After being honorably discharged, The King worked primarily in film. He recorded soundtrack albums for his films as well as a handful of albums and singles. After some time, his popularity began to wane. Sales were down. It looked like his once bright star was fading. He also had a brand new baby daughter to think about. Something had to change.
Elvis Presley – Taking Care of Business
Elvis Presley recorded what would come to be called the “68 Comeback Special,” in June of 1968. This was just months after Lisa Marie was born. The special aired on December 3rd of that year. TV audiences loved the special. The ratings were through the roof. Elvis was officially back.
Not long after recording the “68 Comeback Special,” The King started building a new backing band. They were called The TCB Band. The TCB Band would take care of business with Elvis from August of 1969 until his death in 1977.
The initials TCB are all over Elvis-related items. The band all wore TCB pendants. The Memphis Mafia sported them as well. Elvis Presley famously wore a diamond-encrusted ring with those iconic initials on it. But, why did The King use the phrase and its initials so often?
Taking Care of Business became Elvis Presley’s mantra when he decided to make his comeback, according to LiveAbout. Leading up to the “Comeback Special, “The King was increasingly unhappy with his career. His star wasn’t shining as bright. At the same time, the money wasn’t rolling in like it once was. Again, he had a new daughter to care for. So, he needed to find a way to climb back to the top. He needed to take care of business.
So, that became his motivation. He was still the laid-back, easy-going guy that everyone around him loved. On the other hand, he had a killer work ethic that he had to flex to get things rolling again.
Elvis Presley, his backing band, and the Memphis Mafia all wore TCB jewelry. This wasn’t just a fashion decision. It was a reminder. No matter what else was going on, they were there to take care of business.
They did just that until the day The King passed away.
