This says it all

Last night, while reading Careless Love, I came across this quote from Jake Hess, the former lead singer of the Statesmen, member of the Imperials, and Elvis's idol, who recorded with Elvis in the spring of 1966. It encapsulates what I love most about Elvis and his music:

Elvis was one of those individuals, when he sang a song, he just seemed to live every word of it. There's other people that have a voice that's maybe as great or greater than Presley's, I don't know, but he had that certain something that everyone searches for all during their lifetime. You know, he sang a lot with his eyes closed, and I think the reason for that was because he [wanted] to have a picture in mind at all times; if something was distracting him to where he couldn't put his heart into what he was doing, he would close his eyes, so he could get that picture of what he was talking about. That's the reason he communicated with the audience so well. (232)