The spirit of Elvis is alive and well in this talented 2 year old kid! Daniel Converse from California has gone viral with a rendition of classic ‘Can’t Help Falling In Love’.
Aside from the surprisingly accomplished performance of a kid covering Elvis, what’s amazing about this story is that Daniel memorized the lyrics for himself! Proud father Steven couldn’t believe his ears one day when his son evoked the King of Rock & Roll.
Because Steven is a musician, he felt compelled to bring Daniel into his home studio to record the track. Wise men say only fools rush in, but Dad was keen to lay this gem down for posterity.
Uploading it to Facebook, he commented “Daniel’s first time trying the mic when he was still just 2. Begged to sing some Elvis. This video is still a daily watch for us at our house.”
This 2-year-old boy singing Elvis is the cutest thing you’ll see today! https://t.co/UmIgxS5kNP pic.twitter.com/q37I9Y1fJ3
— Good Morning America (@GMA) August 9, 2019
The family could only have dreamed of the response he’d receive. Before long, Good Morning America were in touch. “To hear him, just like, memorize the words and sing it by himself was… kind of a special moment for us,” he told them. And it became a special moment for the world also!
Steven’s love of music has clearly translated to his boy. Expectation is high for the next smash hit, though whether Daniel is more interested in just playing with his toys and napping remains to be seen.
https://www.facebook.com/stevenconversemusic/videos/412333926042987/
As for the legendary track itself, Can’t Help Falling In Love was originally titled Can’t Help Falling In Love With Him. It was written by Hugo Peretti, Luigi Creatore and George David Weiss, and based on Jean-Paul-Égide Martini’s ‘Plaisir d’amour’ (The Pleasure of Love).
It was part of Elvis’s Hollywood career, featuring on the soundtrack of 1962’s Blue Hawaii. The Elvis History Blog writes that the recording took place “on the session’s last day” and that George Weiss claimed “the movie’s producers and Elvis’s aides disliked the song, but Elvis still insisted on recording it for the film.”
His notoriously-controlling manager Col Tom Parker also took a dislike to Can’t Help Falling In Love, and didn’t want it released as a single. Expectations were low but label RCA pushed for a shot at the charts. The track became a million seller, and reached number 1 in both the USA (Adult Contemporary Chart) and UK.
Ironically it’s the most-reworked of all the King’s classics. Artists who’ve covered Can’t Help Falling In Love over the years include Bob Dylan (1973) and UB40, who released a reggae-themed version. This appeared in erotic thriller Sliver (1993) and did reach the top spot.
Those thinking that Elvis might have crooned the tune to a sweetheart on the big screen might be in for a surprise. A lady was on the receiving end of his dulcet tones, but not the kind of lady people might expect.
Elvis History Blog writes that he “sang the love song not to his girlfriend, but rather to his grandmother at her birthday party. When she opened the music box he had given her, Elvis sang ‘Can’t Help Falling in Love’ as the music played.” Lucky grandma!
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The song also acted as a closer for shows performed toward the end of the star’s career. As late as 1977 he was concluding gigs with the timeless track. And it turned out to be his unplanned swan song.
In June of that year he performed at Market Square Arena in Indianapolis. This would sadly be his final ever musical appearance. Can’t Help Falling In Love was the last hit he delivered to his adoring fans before dying of a cardiac arrest in August.
CORRECTION: In an earlier version of this article it was stated that Elvis’ last performance was in Market Square Arena in Minneapolis. We have corrected it to reflect that it was in Indianapolis. The correction was made on 10/14/19.