Elvis Tribute Special: Post Malone and Keith Urban Cover 'Baby What You Want Me to Do’

Post Malone may sound like an unconventional choice for an Elvis Presley tribute show, but the [...]

By Daniel S. Levine

Post Malone may sound like an unconventional choice for an Elvis Presley tribute show, but the "Rockstar" rapper showed off his skills with a guitar alongside Keith Urban during NBC's Elvis All-Star Tribute.

Before the October concert finally airs on NBC Sunday night, the network shared a clip of Post and Urban performing a cover of Jimmy Reed's "Baby What You Want Me To Do." Presley recorded his own version of the blues song during his '68 Comeback Special.

During the show, Post wore an eye-catching yellow Western suit, created by Indianapolis tailor Jerry Lee Atwood. Post also wore rhinestone cowboy-inspired suits designed by Atwood to the American Music Awards and the Grammys. The Elvis suit is inspired by Nudie Cohn and the jumpsuits Presley famously wore from 1969 until his death in 1977.

"I love the idea of Post wearing something that is one of a kind," Catherine Hahn, Post's stylist and a costume designer, told IndyStar. "The Elvis suit was inspired by Elvis but also feels like Post being Post."

"It's really cool to be a part of something bigger, culturally," Atwood, who began his business in 2001, added. "To turn on the television and see somebody accepting this huge award in something I made is just unbelievable."

Post also joined Carrie Underwood, Shawn Mendes, Darius Rucker and Blake Shelton for the show's finale, a performance of "If I Can Dream" with a Presley recording.

The show also includes performances from John Fogerty, Ed Sheeran, Kelsea Ballerini, Jennifer Lopez, Alessia Cara, Mac Davis, John Legend, Little Big Town, Adam Lambert, Dierks Beltley and Pistol Annies. It was filmed in Los Angeles in October to mark the 50th anniversary of Presley's now-legendary '68 Comeback Special, which revived his career.

"We're taking you back to 1968," show producer Ken Ehrlich told the audience during taping, reports Rolling Stone. "I want you to think back to what that night must have been like to Elvis Presley fans. The record hits had stopped coming. He hadn't performed in front of an audience in eight years. This was the show he came back."

"There would be no current popular music without Elvis," producer Don Was, who served as musical director for the show, told Rolling Stone. "He not only synthesized everything that had come before him in a really unique way, but he influenced everybody who came after — so you can have Blake Shelton and Adam Lambert influenced by the same cat."

Malone was nominated for four Grammys last week, including Album of the Year for his second album, Beerbongs & Bentleys.

Elvis All-Star Tribute stars Sunday at 9 p.m. ET on NBC.

Photo credit: NBC

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