"Elvis inspired my sideburns, but Little Richard my vocals." --Lemmy

Motörhead's frontman revealed the motive behind his legendary mutton-chops and distinctive snarl, adding that Richard had the "most joyous" voice in all of rock 'n' roll.



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ElvisFrom Elvis Presley's humble origins in Tupelo, Miss., to his ultimate reign as King of Rock 'n' Roll, a legendary store of facts and lore about him has been amassed during his short lifetime (and even beyond). In honor of Elvis' birthday, Spinner counts down the 30 coolest facts about him, presented alongside a gallery of iconic photos.

Yes, kids, the early days of rock 'n' roll were a long time ago, but this is ridiculous.

A marble bust of Elvis dating back 1,800 years sold at auction in London for $42,000. Elvis, of course, did not actually pose for the likeness, which was once part of a Roman sarcophagus from the second century A.D. But the sculpture, with its heavy brow, full lips and impressive mane, bears an uncanny resemblance.

"It's the quiff that does it," said an antiques specialist. "It wasn't a hairstyle of the day as far as I know."

Elvis in Rome, just before the fall of the empire: mere coincidence? We suspect not. The Romans had a short-term emperor named Publius Helvius Pertinax, whose middle name in Italian is ... Elvizio.

Bruce Springsteen's first arena show in eight years in Music City on Thursday night drew such Nashville royalty as Kix Brooks of Brooks & Dunn, Amy Grant, Martina McBride, dobro player extraordinaire Jerry Douglas and Kim Carnes of 'Bette Davis Eyes' fame. But it was the ghosts whose true presence was felt.

Performing at the Sommet Center, Springsteen conjured up Spirits in the Night as he first evoked that of Elvis with the jump blues classic 'Good Rocking Tonight,' a tour premiere and a song Springsteen recalled the band had played at the now legendary Passaic, N.J.-Capital Theater shows in 1978. The song, which he played as a request from an audience member's sign, required a "short conference" called by Springsteen for the band to go over the chords before they launched into a sloppy, but high-spirited version. A few tunes later, accompanied only by guitarist Nils Lofgren, Springsteen rendered a beautifully soulful short take on Johnny Cash's 'I Walk the Line,' introducing it by saying, "This man cut a few of my songs. His voice is deeply missed."

To celebrate our nation's birthday, Spinner's own DL Show pieced together a music video featuring 71 different renditions of the 'Star Spangled Banner.' We're talking Justin Timberlake, Elvis, Coldplay, George Michael and even Celine Dion, folks. Hell, if a chest-bangin' Frenchie Canuck can be patriotic, so can we. Happy birthday, America!

Rock's rich tapestry is rife with threads about musicians being banned, busted or otherwise singled out for their utter filthiness, so it's a nice change of pace when a performer gets into trouble for being a little too clean -- the fate that recently befell Puddle of Mudd singer Wes Scantlin, The singer got into hot water after he got into room temperature water -- namely the H-2-0 filling the pool at Graceland, which he leapt into while on a tour of Elvis Presley's one-time home.

Scantlin, who was apparently fully clothed when he decided he needed a nice refreshing dip -- or, as our cynical side might suggest, a little bit of publicity for an upcoming album release -- has been banned from the grounds for life. We're not entirely certain if that means Scantlin's lifespan or that of Elvis himself.

A handgun owned by Elvis Presley that was stolen from the Elvis After Dark Museum in Memphis last week has been found by a man cleaning portable toilets behind the exhibit.

Surveillance video captured the theft last week during the commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the King's death. The tape shows a man reaching into an unlocked display case at the museum and pulling out the 9 mm Smith and Wesson pistol.

On Monday, Travis Brookins turned the gun into police after he saw a news report about the theft. He said he found the gun inside one of the portable toilets, and, not knowing it was stolen, took it home to clean it. Police believe the thief likely dropped the gun into the toilet accidentally and didn't want to fish it out of the muck. The suspect has not yet been caught.