REINVENTING ELVIS: THE ’68 COMEBACK

AUG. 15 ON PARAMOUNT+)

John Lennon is quoted as saying, “Before Elvis Presley there was nothing,” but by the late ‘60s, the man who had been known as the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll’s career was in such a tailspin that the only thing that his manager Colonel Parker could book him for was an NBC special.

“I think he knew this was going to be his make-or-break special,” says Grammywinning artist Darius Rucker, 57, in the documentary, Reinventing Elvis: The ’68 Comeback, which is a behind-thescenes look at all the shenanigans—particularly dealing with Parker— that went on to get the special made.

The film is told from the perspective of Emmy Award-winning TV director Steve Binder, 90, who worked with Elvis on the show that reinvigorated his career. “The world is filled with stories about Elvis and his historic 1968 Comeback Special, but no one has ever told this story the way only I can tell it—because I was there for every moment of it,” says Binder. “I’m so proud of this film because it presents Elvis as he really was and looks at a specific moment in time—when Elvis took control of his life, his career and his legacy. There’s never been a television moment quite like this one.”

When it aired in December 1968, the TV concert became the most-watched television event of the year—with nearly half of the TV-watching audience tuning in, as Presley, clad in an iconic black leather suit, delivered some of the greatest performances of his life.

“It was absolutely amazing,” says Rucker. “When he opened his mouth to sing, all you could say is ‘That’s Elvis.’ He’s one of those artists that 100 years from now, they’ll still be talking about. He influenced everybody. I’m talking about rappers, I’m talking about country singers, I’m talking about everybody.”