Final answer:
Elvis Presley was notably influenced by African music and was a key figure in blending country music and rhythm and blues to create rock 'n' roll.
Step-by-step explanation:
Elvis Presley, a Western musician of the 20th century, was notably influenced by the characteristics of African music. Presley, who hailed from Mississippi and Tennessee, incorporated elements of country music and rhythm and blues, a genre with deep roots in African American culture, into his own style, creating a unique blend that helped give birth to rock 'n' roll.
This new genre drew largely from African musical traditions, such as call-and-response patterns typical of West African music, and integrating them with other American musical forms. Elvis Presley became a symbol of this cultural synthesis and enjoyed widespread fame, despite the controversy that surrounded his adoption of music that White parents associated with African American culture.