Are blackness and whiteness useful concepts in the study of pop music?

Whiteness and blackness maybe seen as useful concepts in the study of popular music when in fact they somewhat complicate it. David Hatch states that "pop music has relied on the merging of both black and white traditions" in order to be where it is. An example of this is pointed out by Barry Shank, "Rock and Roll came about from white peoples fascination with black music." The most recognized person to demonstrate such a blur in the lines of color would be Elvis Presley; he was brought up in a deprived area around the black culture and his style of music reflected this. Sam Phillips famously said "if I could find a white man with the negro sound and the negro feel I could make a billion;" he found Elvis. Recent examples could be the new asian style of Bhangra where traditional asian instruments are fused with western pop in oder to make a new sound. Pop music can not simply be seen as either black or white; history shows us how intwined these two are within the genre.