In 1960, a chart-toppingElvis Presleysong did more than dominate the airwaves—it unexpectedly turned the life of one young man around, setting him on the path to becoming a soul legend.
The King of Rock and Roll released "It's Now or Never." The song was a career-defining hit, released shortly after his tour of service for the United States Army concluded.
The song was written byWally GoldandAaron Schroeder, who based their version on a melody similar to the Italian classic,Eduardo di Capua's "O Sole Mio." According to American Songwriter, Presley heard "There’s No Tomorrow” byTony Martinwhile stationed in Germany, and wanted a song with a similar musical style.
Gold and Schroeder came up with "It's Now or Never." The song would become a worldwide smash, per theElvis History Blog, and reach thepinnacle of Billboard's chartsin August 1960.
Parade Daily🎬SIGN UP for Parade's Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox🎬
The song did more than become a worldwide hit; it changed the life of a future soul superstar who was spending time in a juvenile detention center for his crimes.American Songwriterreported that, as a young man,Barry Whitespent four months in jail after stealing $30,000 worth of Cadillac tires.
White was midway through his sentence when he heard the Presley hit coming from another cellmate's block. He recounted the moment in his bookLove Unlimited.
Advertisement
RELATED:Elvis Presley’s Most Scandalous Song Ever
The future soul superstar explained, “I’d heard [the song] before, I don’t know, twenty-five, thirty times. But it never hit me like it did that night. It was, of all people, Elvis Presley!"
"The song? ‘It’s Now Or Never’. It became my personal message, meant only for me. ‘Stop wasting your time, Barry,’ it said. ‘When you get out, you better change your ways. It’s now or never.’ I sat up in my cell bed, and right then, and there took an oath that I would do just that—change my life.”
He concluded, “I knew I was never going back in, that the life I’d known on the street, all of it was history. I was going to change everything, because the night before I’d heard the Voice and the Voice had heard me!”
White stayed true to his promise. He turned his life around and began a career in themusicbusiness, recording some of the best soul songs of a generation.
Barry White would go on to havesix Top 10 Billboard hits. These would include 1975's "You're The First, The Last, My Everything," 1973's "I'm Gonna Love You Just a Little More Baby," 1977's "It's Ecstasy When You Lay Down Next to Me," 1974's "Never Ever Gonna Give Ya Up," and 1975's "What Am I Gonna Do With You."
RELATED:1972 Chart-Buster Elvis Presley Had to Be Convinced to RecordElvis Presley died in 1977 at 42. Barry White died 26 years later in 2003 at 58.
MORE:1972 Elvis Presley Apology Ballad Ranks Among the Decade’s Greatest Love Songs, But a Rival Artist Took it To No. 1
This story was originally published byParadeon Apr 12, 2026, where it first appeared in theNewssection. Add Parade as aPreferred Source by clicking here.
