(Kealing, Bob) Bob Kealing is the author of Kerouac in Florida, Life of the Party, and Calling Me Home: Gram Parsons and the Roots of Country Rock. The subject of Kealing’s latest book is none other than The King of rock and roll. Elvis Ignited: The Rise of an Icon in Florida (University Press of Florida) follows the performer through his four tumultuous Florida tours in fifteen months spanning 1955-1956. In 1956, his most crucial and transformative year, Presley played more live shows in Florida than in any other state in the country becoming the object of worship, scorn, and controversy. Kealing spotlights intriguing back stories of Floridians such as Presley’s controversial manager Tom Parker and Mae Axton, who penned The King’s first national breakout hit. Writing for the Tamp Bay Times, Colette Bankroft writes, “This is the Elvis that created the legend: young, beautiful, raw and revolutionary, a shot of pure energy into mid-century America.”
