As he sat at the bus stop with his brand new Elvis Presley record in hand, Eddie tried to remember exactly when his parents were going to be home from their country club dinner. He needed to be sure that his conservative parents would never walk in on him listening to rock, or "the devil's music," as they considered it. In 1955, rock n' roll was the new, youthful music style that allowed teenagers to feel a hint of rebellion when they locked the bedroom door, put on their new record, and danced with their hips while lighting cigarettes. This is what Eddie, son of a lawyer and a preacher's daughter, liked to do on his Friday nights.
Eddie's parents, Judith and Robert, always knew he was a troublemaker. While his older sister, Margot, never failed to impress, whether it be at her violin performance or with her always-stellar report card, Eddie was always a black sheep. His elementary school years were filled with detentions relating to rowdiness and often "crude behavior," he never got along with the other boys in the neighborhood. None of the other kids were "wild" enough, according to Eddie. While the other kids tucked in their shirts and wore their button-ups like their parents told them, Eddie refused. Eddie was never one to do anything that did not please himself.
It wasn't until Eddie discovered rock n' roll music that he finally found others like himself: adventurous, rebellious, pleasure-seeking teenagers. It was on that night in 1955 at the bus stop when a group of older teenagers pointed out the Elvis record in his hand.
"Hey, you! Yeah, kid in the leather jacket!" said a tall young man, smoking a cigarette while the rest of his friends stood behind.
"You like Elvis? You should come with us. We're going to a wild party at this abandoned mansion, and the one rule is to only play rock n' roll!" said the boy to Eddie.
Eddie was thrilled by the opportunity for an adventure. He jumped up, and followed the group to what looked like Frankenstein's mansion. When they knocked on the door, a peppy, blond girl answered and ushered them into the main room, where Elvis Presley blasted from the megaphone.
Eddie thought about what his parents would think if they knew where he was. The thought of their anger actually excited Eddie, and encouraged him to jump right into the middle of the dance floor and grab a girl.
After just a few songs, Eddie was already the most confident dancer in the room, grabbing girls one-by-one. But in the middle of "Jailhouse Rock," something strange occurred. So strange, that even adventurous Eddie was stunned.
A loud shatter was heard, and the room shook. It had seemed as though something fell through the roof upstairs. With his undying love for mysterious journeys, Eddie decided to be the one to go upstairs and find out what occurred.
By his very first step onto the second floor, Eddie was greeted suddenly by a beautiful creature with red hair and piercing eyes. She looked like a woman, but there was something different about her. Eddie would soon know her as Columbia.
