biography of elvis presley

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Elvis Presley Biography

Born: August 8, 1935 Tupelo, Mississippi Died: August 16, 1977 Memphis, Tennessee American singer

Elvis Presley, the "King of Rock 'n' Roll," was the leading American singer for two decades and the most popular singer of the entire early rock 'n' roll era.

Young Elvis and Sun Records

Elvis Aron Presley was born in Tupelo, Mississippi, on January 8, 1935, to Gladys and Vernon Presley. His twin brother, Jesse Garon Presley, died shortly after birth. His father worked as a carpenter, farmer, and factory worker to support the family but was not successful in any of his jobs. Raised in a poor and religious environment, Elvis grew especially close to his mother. Elvis's singing ability was discovered when he was an elementary school student in Tupelo, and he first started singing with the choir of his local church. He received his first guitar as a birthday present when he was about twelve and taught himself how to play, although he could not read music. He went on to participate in numerous talent contests in Tupelo and in Memphis, Tennessee, where the family moved when Elvis was thirteen.

The birth of rock 'n' roll

Elvis reached the top of the country charts with "Mystery Train" in 1955. His first number one song on the so-called "Hot 100" was "Heartbreak Hotel" (1956), which held that position for seven of the twenty-seven weeks it was on the chart. This song also reached the top of the country charts, and it became a symbol of his ability to combine country singing with rhythm-and-blues, as well as with the new rage that had grown out of rhythm-and-blues: rock 'n' roll. The rest of the 1950s brought Elvis "living legend" status with records that included "Hound Dog" (1956), "Don't Be Cruel" (1956), "Blue Suede Shoes" (1956), "Love Me Tender" (1956), "All Shook Up" (1957), and "Jailhouse Rock" (1957). He started the 1960s in similar fashion with "It's Now or Never" (1960) and "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" (1960).

Elvis was universally dubbed the "King of Rock 'n' Roll" and led the new music from its beginnings in the 1950s to its peak in the 1960s and on to its permanent place in the music of the 1970s and the 1980s. His impact on American popular culture was tremendous, as he seemed to affect manner of dress, hairstyles, and even behavior. John Lennon (1940–1980) would later note Elvis as one of the most important influences on the Beatles. Even his spinning hip movements became legendary as he continued his rock 'n' roll conquest to the extent of 136 gold records (500,000 sold) and 10 platinum records (1 million sold). Ultimately he had the most records to make the rating charts and was the top recording artist for two straight decades, the 1950s and the 1960s.

Elvis in the movies

Elvis was an instant success in television and movies as well. Millions watched his television appearances on The Steve Allen Show, The Milton Berle Show, The Toast of the Town, and a controversial (open to dispute) appearance on the The Ed Sullivan Show, in which cameras were instructed to stay above the hips of "Elvis the Pelvis." He was an even bigger box office smash, beginning with Love Me Tender in 1956. Thirty-two movies later, Elvis had become the top box-office draw for two decades, with ticket sales over $150 million.

Although few of Elvis's motion pictures were well-received by the critics, they showcased his music and extended his image and fame. His movies included Jailhouse Rock (1957), King Creole (1958), G. I. Blues (1960), Blue Hawaii (1961), Girls! Girls! Girls! (1962), Viva Las Vegas (1964), and Spinout (1966). Wild in the Country (1961), based on the J. R. Salamanca novel The Lost Country, marked his debut in a straight dramatic role.

Controversy

Elvis began a well-publicized stint in the army in 1958. That year, while he was stationed in Fort Hood, Texas, his mother died. The remainder of his military service was spent stationed in Germany, until his discharge (release) in 1960. It was in Germany that he met Priscilla Beaulieu (1945–), his future wife.

Elvis's success in the entertainment industry was accompanied by numerous failures in his personal life. He arranged to have Priscilla, still a teenager, live at his new Memphis home, Graceland Mansion, while she finished high school there. He married her in 1967, and she bore him his only child, Lisa Marie Presley, in 1968. In 1973 he and Priscilla were divorced. During this time, and for his entire career, his personal manager, Tom Parker, controlled his finances. As Elvis's millions grew, so too did the mismanagement of Parker, a known gambler. Parker was later prosecuted for his financial dealings, but he was acquitted (proven innocent). Elvis made an estimated $4.3 billion in earnings during his lifetime, but he never acquired a concept of financial responsibility. This caused frequent legal battles during and after his lifetime among his management people and several record companies. Elvis had similar luck with his friendships, and frequently surrounded himself with a gang of thugs to shield him from an adoring public.

Beginning of the end

A weight problem became evident in the late 1960s, and in private Elvis became increasingly dependent on drugs, particularly amphetamines and sedatives. His personal doctor, George Nichopoulos, would later be prosecuted, but acquitted, for prescribing and dispensing thousands of pills and narcotics (illegal drugs) to him.

Though Elvis's weight and drug dependency were increasing, Elvis continued a steady flow of concert performances in sold-out arenas well into the 1970s. On August 16, 1977, the day before another concert tour was about to begin, Elvis was found dead in Graceland Mansion by his fiancée, Ginger Alden. The official cause of death was heart disease, although information revealed after his death about his drug dependency created a media event. His death caused worldwide scenes of mourning.

Elvis continues to be celebrated as superstar and legend as much in death as he was in life. Graceland Mansion, which he had purchased in 1957 for $102,500, is the top tourist attraction in Memphis and has attracted millions of visitors from both America and around the world.

Presley became the first-ever inductee into three music halls of fame when it was announced that he would be inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame on November 27, 2001, in Nashville, Tennessee. He was already a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Country Hall of Fame.

For More Information

Gordon, Robert. The Elvis Treasures. New York: Villard, 2001.

Jenkins, Mary. Memories Beyond Graceland Gates. Buena Park, CA: West Coast Publishers, 1989.

Lichter, Paul. The Boy Who Dared to Rock: The Definitive Elvis. Garden City, NY: Dolphin Books, 1978.

Parish, James Robert. The Elvis Presley Scrapbook. New York: Ballantine Books, 1977.

Sauer, Wendy. Elvis Presley: A Complete Reference. Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 1984.

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History Cooperative

Elvis Presley Bio: A Full History of Elvis, the King of Rock and Roll

Elvis Presley, often hailed as the “King of Rock and Roll,” was a monumental figure in American music and a cultural icon whose influence resonated worldwide. He brought a unique blend of rock and roll, country music, and R&B to the forefront of the music industry, reshaping the landscape of popular music.

His impact extended beyond music into film and popular culture, making him one of the most famous figures of the 20th century.

Table of Contents

Early Life, Family, and Background

Elvis Aaron Presley was born in a two-room house in Tupelo, Mississippi, during the Great Depression. He was the son of Vernon Presley and Gladys Love Presley and was a twin, though his brother, Jesse Garon Presley, was stillborn, leaving Elvis to grow up as an only child. The Presley family faced many hardships, relying on various odd jobs and government assistance. Elvis’s parents were deeply religious, and the family often attended the Assembly of God Church, where he was exposed to gospel music .

Despite these financial difficulties, Presley’s family was extremely close-knit. Music was a major part of his life from an early age. He received his first guitar as a birthday gift at the age of 11, and while he never received formal music training, he was a regular participant in local talent shows. This early exposure to music, particularly gospel and blues, played a critical role in shaping his musical tastes and talents.

Elvis attended Humes High School in Memphis, where his family had moved in search of better opportunities when he was 13 years old. During his high school years, he was known for being shy but was also recognized for his unique musical abilities. He would bring his guitar to school and sing during lunchtime, gradually gaining popularity among his peers.

Growing up, Presley was deeply influenced by the local African-American music scene, which was vibrant with blues, gospel, and rhythm. He would often visit music shops and shows that were popular in the African-American community.

Early Career and Rise to Fame

Presley’s early career officially took off after he walked into Sun Studio and recorded That’s All Right in 1954. This recording, done initially as a personal session paid for by Elvis himself, unexpectedly turned into his first single release and marked a definitive moment in his career. Sam Phillips of Sun Records saw potential in Elvis’s distinctive style, which combined elements of various musical genres, resonating with a broad audience.

The success of That’s All Right on local radio stations ignited Presley’s rise to fame. It was a sound that many had never heard before, blending country music and rhythm and blues in a way that appealed to both white and black audiences. This crossover appeal was crucial, as it occurred in a period of significant racial segregation in the United States. His energetic interpretation and charismatic stage presence quickly made him a popular figure among teenagers, who were drawn to his music and rebellious image.

To give an idea of how much of an impact he exactly had, by the 1980s, Elvis Presley’s legacy was already firmly established, though he had passed away in 1977. Despite not being alive during this decade, his impact on music and popular culture continued to resonate powerfully with both existing fans and new generations.

During the 1980s, his influence could be seen in the rockabilly revival and the enduring popularity of his music and films. His songs remained radio staples, and a wave of Elvis impersonators began to emerge, celebrating and perpetuating his style and persona.

Musical Career and Iconic Performances

Elvis’s manager, Colonel Tom Parker , played a significant role in shaping his early career. Parker arranged a deal with RCA Victor, which led to the release of the 1956 hit single Heartbreak Hotel . This song went to number one on the charts, solidifying Elvis’s status as a music sensation. His appearances on national television and his provocative performance style earned him the nickname “Elvis the Pelvis,” controversial at the time but undeniably part of his growing appeal.

Following his initial successes, Presley’s career continued to skyrocket. He churned out hit after hit, such as Hound Dog and Don’t Be Cruel , both reaching the top of the charts. His impact on the music industry was profound, helping to usher in the rock and roll era. Presley became the leading figure in this new musical movement, capturing the hearts of young fans across the country and around the world.

Elvis Presley’s performances over the years showcased significant changes in his approach to entertainment, adapting to both personal evolution and shifts in the music industry. The ’68 Comeback Special , an important event in his career, marked his return to live performances after a period primarily focused on film roles. This television special brought him back to his musical roots, featuring more intimate, stripped-down sessions that contrasted with his earlier, more flamboyant stage shows. This transition was crucial for re-engaging an audience that had grown, perhaps, unaccustomed to seeing him in a musical context due to his extended focus on Hollywood movies.

The Aloha from Hawaii concert in 1973 demonstrated another phase of his career, leveraging new broadcasting technology to reach an international audience via satellite. The concert was notable for its global reach but also highlighted a shift towards more polished, choreographed performances compared to his raw, energetic beginnings. This concert, while a technical achievement and a massive undertaking, was less about musical innovation and more about showcasing Elvis as a staple of American entertainment capable of drawing massive viewership numbers.

During these years, Elvis’s style and performance tactics underwent transformations that aligned with broader entertainment trends, including an increased focus on spectacle and the commercial aspects of show business. His live performances, though still significant, often leaned heavily on past successes and familiar hits to satisfy fan expectations and draw in large crowds rather than pushing musical boundaries.

Musical Style and Influence

Elvis Presley’s musical style was a vibrant mix that blended rock, country, and rhythm and blues. His singing was super flexible, and he easily handled soft ballads and loud rock songs with the same ease.

On stage, he had a magnetic pull, often highlighted by his energetic dance moves and charming ways of connecting with the audience. His singing had a unique shake to it, and he could pack a lot of emotion into his songs, making his performances stand out. Elvis’s way of making music was ahead of its time, combining strong rhythms with a laid-back, almost chatty singing style that came to define rock and roll.

Elvis’s impact on rock and roll is undeniable. He didn’t just help shape the sound but also changed how people saw the music. His style helped bridge racial gaps in music during a time when many parts of America were still heavily segregated. He drew a lot from African-American music styles, bringing sounds like blues and gospel into the pop scene. This mix of styles broke down barriers between music genres and set the stage for future artists who pull from a variety of sounds in their own music.

Presley’s influence is seen in many big-name artists. Icons like The Beatles, Bob Dylan, and Bruce Springsteen have pointed to Elvis as a big influence. His reach goes beyond rock; artists in genres from pop to country often tip their hats to Elvis’s role in shaping their music. Today, stars like Bruno Mars and Justin Timberlake echo Elvis’s vibe, especially in how they grab an audience’s attention and mix different musical styles on stage.

Discography and Filmography

Studio albums and key songs:.

• Blue Suede Shoes
• I Got a Woman
• Tutti Frutti
• Tryin’ to Get to You
• I’ll Never Let You Go (Lil’ Darlin’)
• When My Blue Moon Turns to Gold Again
• Long Tall Sally
• First in Line
• (Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear
• Got a Lot o’ Livin’ to Do!
• Lonesome Cowboy
• Mean Woman Blues
• Blue Christmas
• Silent Night
• White Christmas
• Santa Claus Is Back in Town
• I’ll Be Home for Christmas
• Are You Lonesome Tonight?
• It’s Now or Never
• Reconsider Baby
• The Girl of My Best Friend
• Such a Night
• His Hand in Mine
• I Believe in the Man in the Sky
• He Knows Just What I Need
• Swing Down Sweet Chariot
• Mansion Over the Hilltop
• I’m Comin’ Home
• There’s Always Me
• Give Me the Right
• It’s a Sin
• I Feel That I’ve Known You Forever
• Something Blue
• Easy Question
• Night Rider
• Your Cheatin’ Heart
• Summer Kisses, Winter Tears
• Finders Keepers, Losers Weepers
• Tomorrow Night
• Memphis Tennessee
• How Great Thou Art
• In the Garden
• Crying in the Chapel
• Without Him
• In the Ghetto
• Suspicious Minds
• Kentucky Rain
• I’ll Hold You in My Heart (Till I Can Hold You in My Arms)
• After Loving You
• I Just Can’t Help Believin’
• You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’
• Bridge Over Troubled Water
• Patch It Up
• The Next Step Is Love
• I Really Don’t Want to Know
• There Goes My Everything
• It’s Your Baby, You Rock It
• Love Letters
• When I’m Over You
• Got My Mojo Working
• Heart of Rome
• Only Believe
• Help Me Make It Through the Night
• Put Your Hand in the Hand
• Early Mornin’ Rain
• Fools Rush In
• Miracle of the Rosary
• He Touched Me
• I’ve Got Confidence
• Amazing Grace
• Seeing Is Believing
• An Evening Prayer
• Where Do I Go From Here
• Love Me, Love the Life I Lead
• It’s Still Here
• I Will Be True
• Raised on Rock
• For Ol’ Times Sake
• Girl of Mine
• Find Out What’s Happening
• Take Good Care of Her
• I’ve Got a Thing About You Baby
• Spanish Eyes
• Loving Arms
• Promised Land
• It’s Midnight
• Honor Thy Father
• Love Song of the Year
• You Asked Me To
• T-R-O-U-B-L-E
• Bringing It Back
• Pieces of My Life
• Never Again
• Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain
• For the Heart
• Bitter They Are, Harder They Fall
• She Thinks I Still Care
• Pledging My Love
• Little Darlin’

Fact: Elvis Presley recorded over 700 songs in his career!

Besides music, Elvis also forayed into the world of films. Elvis Presley’s venture into the film industry was as much a product of his musical success as it was a strategic move by his manager, Colonel Tom Parker, who saw movies as a way to expand Elvis’s appeal and revenue streams.

His acting career began with Love Me Tender in 1956, where he played the younger brother who comes home after the Civil War to find his beloved has married his older brother. Initially intended to be a minor role, Elvis’s part was expanded due to his rapidly growing fan base. While his acting received mixed reviews, his natural charisma and screen presence were undeniable.

Elvis’s foray into acting continued with a mix of dramatic roles and light-hearted musicals, with Jailhouse Rock (1957) becoming one of his most memorable performances. In this film, he played a young man imprisoned for manslaughter who becomes a music star. The movie is often noted for its classic dance sequence.

Throughout his career, Elvis starred in 31 feature films , and while his movies were commercially successful, they were often seen as formulaic. The roles he was given typically mirrored his public persona—charming, good-looking, and often surrounded by beautiful women and catchy tunes. These roles rarely challenged him as an actor and did not offer much in terms of depth or development.

His later films, such as Viva Las Vegas and Blue Hawaii , were particularly popular, continuing the trend of light entertainment over substantial storytelling. People often remarked that Elvis had potential as an actor, but the types of movies he was in didn’t fully allow him to explore or display serious acting chops.

The commercial focus of his film career ensured his continued visibility but did little to enhance his reputation as a serious actor.

Elvis Presley as a Sex Symbol

Elvis Presley’s status as a sex symbol in the mid-20th century was heavily influenced by his charismatic stage presence, distinctive voice, and good looks. His emergence coincided with a time when television was becoming a dominant medium in American households, which amplified his appeal. His physical appearance—distinctive sideburns, styled hair, and gyrating dance moves—became iconic and was seen as emblematic of youthful sexuality and rebellion.

Elvis’s impact on popular culture extended beyond his music to influence the fashion and beauty standards of his time . His slicked-back hair and casual yet polished attire set trends among young men of the era, who emulated his style in droves.

The Elvis look often included tight-fitting clothes and flashy accessories that emphasized a new, more relaxed but bold approach to personal style. This fashion sense played a significant role in the way masculinity was portrayed in the media; it challenged the more conservative dress codes of earlier generations and introduced a more liberated, flamboyant form of male beauty.

Furthermore, Elvis’s portrayal of masculinity had a profound impact on societal norms. He combined a rough, rebellious vibe with a smooth, charming persona, creating a multifaceted form of masculinity that was new to mainstream media.

This complex presentation allowed men to explore a range of behaviors and appearances that had previously been less accepted, broadening the societal definitions of what it meant to be masculine. His influence was so significant that it persisted long after his peak, affecting generations of musicians and fashion icons who sought to capture a similar magnetic appeal.

Elvis also played a key role in the transformation of beauty standards in the media. His dark, brooding looks, coupled with a passionate performance style, set a new benchmark for what was considered attractive, not just in America but globally. The casual yet suggestive manner in which he dressed and moved led to a more open embrace of sexual expression in popular culture, paving the way for future artists and public figures to express their identities more freely.

Personal Life, Challenges, and Legacy

Elvis was closely connected to his family, particularly to his mother, Gladys, until her death in 1958, which deeply affected him. His relationships often made headlines, including his high-profile marriage to Priscilla Beaulieu . The couple met when she was very young, during his stint in the Army in Germany, and eventually married on May 1, 1967. Their daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, was born exactly nine months later, on February 1, 1968. Despite his strong connections to family and friends, Elvis’s personal life was often complicated by the demands of his career, leading to the eventual divorce from Priscilla in 1973.

Elvis’s ascent to fame brought immense pressures that would later contribute to significant personal challenges. From a young age, Elvis was thrust into a spotlight that intensified as his career progressed. Managed by Colonel Tom Parker, Elvis’s schedule was grueling, filled with back-to-back concerts, movie filming, and public appearances. This relentless pace was demanding and left little room for a normal life, contributing to a growing sense of isolation and dependence on prescription drugs for stress and pain management. His drug use began to affect his health visibly and performances, particularly noted during his later tours and the infamous Elvis in Concert TV special in 1977.

The strain of fame also impacted Elvis’s mental and physical health. As early as his mid-30s, he was dealing with multiple health issues, including high blood pressure, liver damage, and severe sleep disorders, which were exacerbated by his lifestyle and the medications he was taking. Prescription drug abuse became a significant problem, marked by his frequent hospitalizations in the 1970s.

These personal struggles greatly influenced the public’s perception of Elvis, especially as his physical appearance changed and his performance quality declined. Despite this, he remained a beloved figure; his concerts still drew large crowds, and his albums continued to achieve gold and platinum status.

Military Service

Elvis Presley’s military service began in March 1958 when he was drafted into the United States Army. This period marked a significant pause in his skyrocketing career as a music and film star. Despite the potential disruption, his induction into the army was handled with great public interest, and it was seen as a testament to his character that he chose to serve as a regular soldier rather than taking advantage of special entertainment services that could have leveraged his fame. Elvis underwent basic training at Fort Hood, Texas, where he was treated much like any other recruit, albeit with massive media attention.

In October 1958, Elvis was deployed to Friedberg, Germany, serving in the 3rd Armored Division. His time in Germany was pivotal; not only did it impact his personal life through experiences such as meeting Priscilla Beaulieu, whom he would later marry, but it also matured him as a person. During his service, Elvis was exposed to the broader world outside America, encountering new cultural perspectives and deepening his sense of responsibility. Despite being an international star, Elvis maintained his musical interests privately, buying records to keep up with the latest trends and occasionally performing in small settings to stay connected with his musical roots.

Elvis’s down-to-earth attitude won him respect from fellow soldiers and superiors alike. His service was relatively uneventful, but the isolation from the celebrity world allowed him some time to reflect away from the public eye. However, it was during this period that his mother, Gladys, passed away, a personal tragedy that deeply affected him. Elvis continued to receive fan mail and support from back home, ensuring that his popularity remained intact upon his return.

His discharge from active duty in March 1960 was met with media fanfare and marked his transition back to civilian life, where he quickly resumed his recording and acting careers. This break from entertainment had refreshed his image and perhaps grounded him in ways that few other experiences could have.

Final Years and Death

Fame comes with a cost. Elvis Presley’s final years were marked by significant personal and health struggles despite ongoing artistic output. He died on August 16, 1977. At the time of his death, he was 42 years old. The official cause of death was heart failure, although it is widely acknowledged that prescription drug abuse and associated health complications played a significant role in his premature demise.

In the years leading up to his death, Elvis’s health visibly deteriorated, exacerbated by his weight gain and dependence on a variety of medications prescribed to treat various health issues, including pain, weight management, and insomnia. Despite these challenges, he continued to tour and record music. His performances, however, were inconsistent, sometimes brilliant while at other times lethargic, reflecting his worsening condition.

Artistically, he still had moments of greatness; his last few albums, while not as commercially successful as his earlier works, included tracks that showed he could still deliver performances with emotional depth and vocal power.

The impact of Elvis’s death on the music world and his fans was profound and immediate. News of his passing sent shockwaves around the globe, leading to an outpouring of grief from millions of fans who had followed his career for decades. Elvis had been a cultural icon, not just a music star, influencing not only music but also fashion, film, and the very notion of celebrity. His home, Graceland, quickly became a shrine for mourning fans, and to this day, it attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors annually. His legacy was further cemented by posthumous inductions into multiple music halls of fame and continued sales of his music and memorabilia.

Wrapping Up the Elvis Presley Bio

There aren’t many performers that get to call themselves the face of American music. Elvis Presley was perhaps one of the first ones who earned the right to establish himself as one of the very few who actually managed to do it. He rode the waves of the American symphony to the top and became the glass ceiling that no one has quite been able to break through to this day. Though he met a tragic end, Elvis Presley’s voice and image will undoubtedly echo and inspire the minds of many flourishing musicians.

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Biography of Elvis Presley, the King of Rock 'n' Roll

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Elvis Presley (Jan. 8, 1935–Aug 16, 1977) was a singer, actor, and cultural icon of the 20th century. Presley sold more than 1 billion records and made 33 movies, but his cultural impact far exceeds even those numbers.

Fast Facts: Elvis Presley

• Known For : A rock 'n' roll icon
• Also Known As : The King of Rock 'n' Roll
• Born : Jan. 8, 1935 in Tupelo, Mississippi
• Parents : Gladys and Vernon Presley
• Died : Aug 16, 1977 in Memphis, Tennessee
• Songs : "Love Me Tender," "Hound Dog," "Heartbreak Hotel," "Jailhouse Rock," "Can’t Help Falling in Love"
• Movies : "Kid Galahad," "Blue Hawaii," "Jailhouse Rock," "King Creole"
• Spouse : Priscilla Beaulieu Presley
• Children : Lisa Marie Presley
• Notable Quote : "Rock 'n' roll music, if you like it, if you feel it, you can't help but move to it. That's what happens to me. I can't help it."

Elvis Presley was born to Gladys and Vernon Presley in the couple's two-room house in Tupelo, Mississippi, following a difficult delivery. Presley's twin brother, Jessie Garon, was stillborn, and Gladys was so ill from the birth that she was taken to the hospital. She wasn't able to have more children.

Gladys Presley doted on her sandy-haired, blue-eyed son and worked hard to keep her family together. She struggled when her husband was sentenced to three years in the Mississippi state penitentiary, also known as Parchman Farm, for forgery after changing the amount on a check. With him in prison, Gladys couldn't earn enough to keep the house, so she and her 3-year-old moved in with relatives, the first of many moves for the family.

Learning Music

Since they moved often, only two things were consistent in Presley's childhood: his parents and music. With his parents usually at work, Presley found music wherever he could. He listened to music in church and taught himself to play the church piano. When Presley was 8, he often hung out at the local radio station. For his 11th birthday, his parents gave him a guitar.

By high school, his family had moved to Memphis, Tennessee. Although Presley joined R.O.T.C., played football, and worked as an usher at a movie theater, his activities didn't stop other students from picking on him. Presley was different. He dyed his hair black and wore it in a style that made him look more like a comic book character than other kids in his school.

So he surrounded himself with music, listening to the radio and buying records. After the family moved to Lauderdale Courts, an apartment complex, he often played with other aspiring musicians who lived there. Although segregation was still a fact in the south, Presley crossed the color line and listened to African-American artists such as B.B. King. He often visited Beale Street in the African-American section of town to watch Black musicians play.

By the time Presley graduated from high school, he could sing in various styles, from hillbilly to gospel. He also had a style of singing and moving that was all his own. He had combined what he saw and heard into a unique new sound. The first to realize this was Sam Phillips at Sun Records.

After spending the year after high school working a day job and playing at small clubs at night, Presley received a call from Sun Records on June 6, 1954. Phillips wanted Presley to sing a new song. When that didn't work out, he set Presley up with guitarist Scotty Moore and bassist Bill Black. After a month of practicing, they recorded "That's All Right (Mama)." Phillips convinced a friend to play it on the radio, and it was an instant hit.

Moore, Black, and drummer D.J. Fontana continued to back Presley on dozens of legendary rock 'n' roll songs over the next decade.

Presley quickly built an audience. On Aug. 15, 1954, he signed with Sun Records for four albums. He then began making appearances on popular radio shows such as "Grand Ole Opry" and "Louisiana Hayride." Presley was so successful on "Hayride" that he was hired to perform every Saturday for a year. He quit his job and toured the south during the week, playing anywhere there was a paying audience, then returned to Shreveport, Louisiana, every Saturday for "Hayride."

High school and college students went wild for Presley, screaming and cheering and mobbing him backstage. He put his soul into every performance and moved his body—a lot. Presley gyrated his hips, jiggled his legs, and fell to his knees on the floor. Adults thought he was lewd and suggestive; teenagers loved him.

As Presley's popularity soared, he hired "Colonel" Tom Parker as his manager. In some ways, Parker took advantage of Presley, including taking a generous cut of his proceeds, but he steered Presley to mega-stardom.

Presley's popularity soon became more than Sun Records could handle, so Phillips sold Presley's contract to RCA Victor for $35,000, more than any record company had ever paid for a singer.

To further boost Presley's popularity, Parker put him on television. On Jan. 28, 1956, Presley made his first television appearance on "Stage Show," followed by appearances on "The Milton Berle Show," "The Steve Allen Show," and "The Ed Sullivan Show."

In March 1956, Parker arranged an audition with Presley at Paramount studios. Studio executives liked Presley so much that they signed him to do his first movie, "Love Me Tender" (1956), with an option for six more. Two weeks after his audition, Presley received his first gold record for "Heartbreak Hotel," which had sold 1 million copies.

Presley's popularity was skyrocketing and money was flowing. He bought his mother the house he had promised her and in March 1957, he purchased Graceland—a mansion with 13 acres of land—for $102,500. He then had the entire mansion remodeled to his tastes.

Just as it seemed like everything Presley touched turned to gold, on Dec. 20, 1957, he received a draft notice. Presley could have been excused from military service, but he chose to enter the Army as a regular soldier. He was stationed in Germany.

With a nearly two-year hiatus from his career, many people, including Presley, wondered if the world would forget him. But Parker worked hard to keep Presley's name and image before the public, succeeding so well that some said Presley was as popular after his military experience as before it.

While Presley was in the Army, two major personal events occurred. The first was the death of his mother, which devastated him. The second was meeting and dating 14-year-old Priscilla Beaulieu, whose father was also stationed in Germany. They married eight years later, on May 1, 1967, and had one child, a daughter named Lisa Marie Presley, on Feb. 1, 1968.

Following Presley's discharge in 1960, he launched into recording songs and making movies. It had become obvious to Parker and others that anything bearing Presley's name would make money, so Presley was pushed to make movies in quantity rather than quality. His most successful movie, "Blue Hawaii" (1961), became a template for many that followed. He grew increasingly upset about the poor quality of his movies and songs.

From 1960 until 1968, Presley made few public appearances, focusing on making movies. In all, he made 33 movies.

While Presley was busy making movies, other musicians took the stage, some of whom, including the  Beatles , sold lots of records and threatened to make Presley share his title of "King of Rock 'n' Roll,"—if not steal it. Presley had to do something to keep his crown.

In December 1968, he dressed in black leather and made an hour-long television special titled "Elvis." Calm, sexy, and humorous, he wowed the crowd. The "comeback special" energized Presley. He returned to recording songs and doing live performances. In July 1969, Parker booked Presley at the largest venue in Las Vegas, the new International Hotel. His shows were huge successes and the hotel booked Presley for four weeks a year through 1974. The rest of the year he toured.

Since he became popular, Presley had worked at breakneck speed, recording songs, making movies, and giving concerts with little to no rest. To maintain that pace, he started taking prescription drugs.

By the early 1970s, continued drug use had begun to cause problems. Presley started having severe mood swings with aggressive and erratic behavior, and he gained a lot of weight. Presley and Priscilla had grown apart, and in January 1973, they divorced. His drug addiction became worse; he was hospitalized several times for overdoses and other health problems. His performances began to suffer; on many occasions, he mumbled through songs.

On Aug. 16, 1977, Presley's girlfriend Ginger Alden found him on the bathroom floor at Graceland. He wasn't breathing. He was taken to the hospital, but doctors were unable to resuscitate him and he was pronounced dead at 42. His death initially was attributed to "cardiac arrhythmia," but the cause later was changed to a lethal mix of prescription drugs. 

Elvis Presley was one of the few artists to become known worldwide by just his first name and whose talent and accomplishments made him pop culture royalty. His fame has endured.

Twenty-five years after his death, RCA released an album of his No.1 records, titled "ELV1S: 30 #1 Hits." The album debuted at No. 1 on the charts, selling half a million copies in its first week. Having an album debut atop the U.S. charts was something Presley hadn't accomplished while he was alive.

It opened at No. 1 in 16 other countries, including Canada, France, the United Kingdom, Argentina, and the United Arab Emirates .

• " Forever Elvis ." Legacy.com.
• " The Legacy of Elvis Presley ." HowStuffWorks.
• Kreps, Daniel. “ Scotty Moore, Elvis Presley Guitarist, Dead at 84 .” Rolling Stone, 25 June 2018.
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Elvis Presley

• Born January 8 , 1935 · Tupelo, Mississippi, USA
• Died August 16 , 1977 · Memphis, Tennessee, USA (cardiac arrhythmia)
• Birth name Elvis Aaron Presley
• Elvis the Pelvis
• The King of Rock 'n' Roll
• Height 5′ 11¾″ (1.82 m)
• Elvis Aaron Presley was born on January 8, 1935 in East Tupelo, Mississippi, to Gladys Presley (née Gladys Love Smith) and Vernon Presley (Vernon Elvis Presley). He had a twin brother who was stillborn. In 1948, Elvis and his parents moved to Memphis, Tennessee where he attended Humes High School. In 1953, he attended the senior prom with the current girl he was courting, Regis Wilson. After graduating from high school in Memphis, Elvis took odd jobs working as a movie theater usher and a truck driver for Crown Electric Company. He began singing locally as "The Hillbilly Cat", then signed with a local recording company, and then with RCA in 1955. Elvis did much to establish early rock and roll music. He began his career as a performer of rockabilly, an up-tempo fusion of country music and rhythm and blues, with a strong backbeat. His novel versions of existing songs, mixing 'black' and 'white' sounds, made him popular - and controversial - as did his uninhibited stage and television performances. He recorded songs in the rock and roll genre, with tracks like "Jailhouse Rock" and "Hound Dog" later embodying the style. Presley had a versatile voice and had unusually wide success encompassing other genres, including gospel, blues, ballads and pop music. Teenage girls became hysterical over his blatantly sexual gyrations, particularly the one that got him nicknamed "Elvis the Pelvis" (television cameras were not permitted to film below his waist). In 1956, following his six television appearances on The Dorsey Brothers' "Stage Show", Elvis was cast in his first acting role, in a supporting part in Love Me Tender (1956) , the first of 33 movies he starred in. In 1958, Elvis was drafted into the military, and relocated to Bad Nauheim, Germany. There he met 14-year old army damsel Priscilla Ann Wagner ( Priscilla Presley ), whom he would eventually marry after an eight-year courtship, and by whom he had his only child, Lisa Marie Presley . Elvis' military service and the "British Invasion" of the 1960s reduced his concerts, though not his movie/recording income. Through the 1960s, Elvis settled in Hollywood, where he starred in the majority of his thirty-three movies, mainly musicals, acting alongside some of the most well known actors in Hollywood. Critics panned most of his films, but they did very well at the box office, earning upwards of $150 million total. His last fiction film, Change of Habit (1969) , deals with several social issues; romance within the clergy, an autistic child, almost unheard of in 1969, rape, and mob violence. It has recently received critical acclaim. Elvis made a comeback in the 1970s with live concert appearances starting in early 1970 in Las Vegas with over 57 sold-out shows. He toured throughout the United States, appearing on-stage in over 500 live appearances, many of them sold out shows. His marriage ended in divorce, and the stress of constantly traveling as well as his increasing weight gain and dependence upon stimulants and depressants took their toll. Elvis Presley died at age 42 on August 16, 1977 at his mansion in Graceland, near Memphis, shocking his fans worldwide. At the time of his death, he had sold more than 600 million singles and albums. Since his death, Graceland has become a shrine for millions of followers worldwide. Elvis impersonators and purported sightings have become stock subjects for humorists. To date, Elvis Presley is the only performer to have been inducted into three separate music 'Halls of Fame'. Throughout his career, he set records for concert attendance, television ratings and recordings sales, and remains one of the best-selling and most influential artists in the history of popular music. - IMDb Mini Biography By: Ed Stephan and Chris Holland
• Spouse Priscilla Presley (May 1, 1967 - October 9, 1973) (divorced, 1 child)
• Children Lisa Marie Presley
• Parents Gladys Presley Vernon Presley
• Relatives Harper Lockwood (Grandchild) Finley Lockwood (Grandchild) Minnie Mae Presley (Grandparent) Vester Presley (Aunt or Uncle) Patsy Presley Geranen (Cousin) Billy Smith (Cousin) Riley Keough (Grandchild) Benjamin Keough (Grandchild) Nylon Keies (Cousin)
• The famous left-sided grin
• His movements, with his pelvis, that gave him the nickname, "Elvis, the pelvis", which he strongly disliked
• Longer and slightly deeper sideburns
• White sequined jumpsuits with rhinestones
• Onstage karate moves
• When The Beatles came to America in 1965 there was only one person they wanted to meet: Elvis. On 8/27/65 they got their wish and, according to John Lennon , spent an enjoyable evening at the Presley home in Bel Air, CA, talking, singing and laughing with each other.
• From the time they met until his death, he always sent a roomful of flowers to Ann-Margret whenever she opened a show in Las Vegas.
• His personal entourage were known as the "Memphis Mafia", and were given matching rings by Elvis. The diamond and gold rings sported a thunderbolt and the letters "TCB" (reportedly standing for "Take Care of Business"). Elvis was buried wearing one of the rings.
• Once an opera singer attended one of his 1950s concerts and met him backstage. The singer told Elvis that he sang like a hillbilly and needed singing lessons. Elvis replied, "Thanks for the advice, but how many of the thousands of people out there tonight came to hear you sing?".
• He tried to get a print of Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977) to show his daughter, Lisa Marie Presley on Monday, August 15th, 1977, his last full day of life.
• [asked who he sounded like] I don't sound like nobody.
• [asked what kind of music he sings] I sing all kinds.
• I don't like being called Elvis The Pelvis. That's gotta be one of the most childish expressions I've ever heard coming from an adult.
• Some people tap their feet, some people snap their fingers, and some people sway back and forth. I just sorta do 'em all together, I guess.
• [his acceptance speech from the 1970 Ten Outstanding Young Men of the Nation Awards] When I was a child, ladies and gentlemen, I was a dreamer. I read comic books, and I was the hero of the comic book. I saw movies, and I was the hero in the movie. So every dream I ever dreamed has come true a hundred times . . . I learned very early in life that "Without a song, the day would never end; without a song, a man ain't got a friend; without a song, the road would never bend - without a song". So I keep singing a song. Goodnight. Thank you.
• Elvis: Aloha from Hawaii (1973) - $450,000
• Elvis: That's the Way It Is (1970) - $500,000 + 60% of profits
• The Trouble with Girls (1969) - $850,000 + 50% of the profits
• Charro! (1969) - $850,000 + 50% of profits
• Live a Little, Love a Little (1968) - $850,000 + 50% of the profits

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Biography Online

Elvis Presley Biography

Elvis Presley became one of the most influential cultural icons of a generation. He is commonly referred to as the “The King of Rock ‘n’ Roll” and epitomises the post-war pop generation.

Elvis was born in Tupelo, Mississippi. When he was 13, his family moved to Memphis, Tennessee. Elvis was relatively shy and as a youngster was not keen on performing in public. However, he received a guitar as a present and learnt to play and sing; he gained no formal musical training, but had an innate natural talent and could easily pick up music. As a teenager, he was uninterested in school – but become absorbed in music, listening to a huge range of contemporary American music. He also started to sport a distinctive look with sideburns and styled hair. This image would later become an ‘Elvis’ trademark.

In 1953, he went to Sun recording studio – to record a song for his mother, but also with the hope he may get noticed and offered a recording deal. However, it didn’t come to anything; he was also turned down for auditions to other groups. In April 1954, he took a job as a truck driver.

However, later on in the year, the Sun boss Sam Phillips invited Elvis to come in for a recording session. Initially, the recording session was unpromising, but towards the end of the allotted time, Elvis started to play a song he had composed himself. Phillips was immediately impressed by the verve, enthusiasm and dynamism of Elvis’s music. Phillips believed that Elvis had a unique voice and talent which could capture the interest of Americans.

For his first studio recording, Elvis performed the 1946 blues number, Arthur Crudup’s “That’s All Right”; it was well received on local radio stations.

This initial success launched Presley into a lucrative pop music career.

His performances were a fusion of country, gospel, pop and rhythm and blues. His unique gravelly voice gave the impression Presley combined both ‘black’ and ‘white’ sounds, something which was an issue during an era of tense civil rights campaigns. Elvis’s on stage routines were also criticised for their flamboyance and provocativeness; he was criticised for the idea that rock ‘n ‘roll music was having a negative effect on American teenagers, making them more rebellious. As the leading figure of pop music, Presley was often the target of these criticisms. However, he defended his music saying:

“No, I haven’t, I don’t feel like I’m doing anything wrong. … I don’t see how any type of music would have any bad influence on people when it’s only music. … I mean, how would rock ‘n’ roll music make anyone rebel against their parents?”

“Nothing really affected me until Elvis. Before Elvis there was nothing. When I first heard “Heartbreak Hotel,” I could hardly make out what was being said. It was just the experience of hearing it and having my hair stand on end. We’d never heard American voices singing like that.”

Ironically, Elvis was never keen to meet the Beatles and when they did meet on one occasion – 27 August 1965 – it was a mutual disappointment. But, Lennon always maintained without Elvis, there would have been no Beatles.

At live concerts, his crowds increasingly became overly exuberant. When Presley began playing hits like “You ain’t nothin’ but a Hound Dog” the crowd would go wild. This led Presley to take a break from live performances.

“I didn’t know what I wanted to do as a kid. But I used to pray to God that I’d amount to something some day. I never dreamed that something like this would happen.”

– Elvis Presley

In 1958-60, Presley was called up for national service in the American army. He was stationed in Germany and served in the regular army, and was keen to be seen as an ordinary soldier doing his duty. He could have signed up for Special Services, which would have enabled him to perform live music, but he preferred to stay in the regular army. During his stay in Freiburg, Germany he met Priscilla Beaulieu, who he would marry after a seven-year courtship. They married in 1967 and, in 1968, Priscilla gave birth to Elvis’s only child – Lisa Marie.

However, from 1973, Presley began to increasingly suffer health problems – related to his obesity and drug dependency. He continued to try and maintain a hectic touring schedule, but his performances were negatively affected by his obvious health problems. In 1976, aged only 42, he died from multiple causes; fourteen different drugs were found in his bloodstream.

His early death only cemented his legendary status, and Elvis Presley has become deeply ingrained in popular culture.

Presley’s home Graceland was opened to the public in the 1980s and attracts over half a million visitors annually. It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 2006.

Citation: Pettinger, Tejvan . “Biography of Elvis Presley”, Oxford, UK.  www.biographyonline.net , 1st Jan. 2013. Updated 10th January 2018.

Last Train to Memphis: The Rise of Elvis Presley

Last Train to Memphis: The Rise of Elvis Presley at Amazon

Elvis Presley – The 50 Greatest Hits

Elvis Presley – The 50 Greatest Hits at Amazon

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Presley, Elvis

Elvis presley.

Singer, songwriter, guitarist

For the Record …

Compositions, selected discography.

Admired as one of the most successful recording artists of all time, American singer and guitarist Elvis Presley exploded onto the music scene in the mid-1950s. With a sound rooted in rockabilly and rhythm-and-blues, a daringly sexual performing style, and a magnetic charm, the pioneer rock ‘ n ’ roller became an idol for an entire generation of music enthusiasts. Adoring fans remember him as The Father of Rock ‘ n ’ Roll, The King, and Elvis the Pelvis, and he is widely credited with introducing a new era in popular culture. Writing for Newsweek , Jim Miller reported that Presley himself has become “ a complex figure of American myth: as improbably successful as a Horatio Alger hero, as endearing as Mickey Mouse, as tragically self-destructive as Marilyn Monroe . ”

Indeed, neither critics nor biographers can find much in the Mississippi-born star ’ s background to presage his rise to fame. The boy spent his earliest years in his hometown of Tupelo, where he and his family shared a two-room house, and as a teen he lived in Memphis , Tennessee , where his family relocated when he was in the eighth grade. Shortly after finishing high school in 1953, the unknown artist began driving a delivery truck for the Crown Electric Company. He fooled around with the guitar in his free time.

The year he graduated, however, the young hopeful also made an amateur recording at the Memphis Recording Studio. He followed it with a second in 1954 and captured the attention of Sam Phillips at Sun Records. As a result, Presley created the now-legendary Sun recordings, hailed by many as among his finest. With a musical career in the offing, the future star quit his truck-driving job in 1954 and began performing professionally, mostly in rural areas where he was billed as The Hillbilly Cat. He also saw his first Sun recording, “ That ’ s All Right Mama, ” rise to number three on the Memphis country-and-western charts. Thus, despite some disappointments, including discouraging words from the Grand Ole Opry and rejection by New York City ’ s Arthur Godfrey Talent Scouts, Presley persisted. By the end of 1955, after making a six-state Southern tour with Hank Snow ’ s Jamboree that piqued considerable interest, the up-and-comer had negotiated the agreement with RCA that would bring him stardom.

Presley ’ s very first RCA single, “ Heartbreak Hotel ” (co-written by Presley, Tommy Durden, and Mae Boren Axton, mother of country star Hoyt Axton), was wildly succesful and became his first Gold Record. “ From the opening notes of the song, ” opined Miller in another Newsweek review, “ the air is electric. ” The air remained electric as the singer scored hit after hit with such tunes as “ Don ’ t Be Cruel, ” “ Hound Dog, ” “ Blue Suede Shoes, ” and “ Love Me Tender. ” His sound, which evolved from his roots in the deep South and combined elements of

Full name, Elvis Aaron (some sources say Aron) Presley; born January 8, 1935, in Tupelo, Miss.; died of heart failure, August 16, 1977, in Memphis, Tenn.; buried at Forest Hill Cemetery, Memphis, Tenn., August 18, 1977; body moved to private graveyard at Graceland, Memphis, October, 1977; son of Vernon Elvis and Gladys Love (Smith) Presley; married Priscilla Ann Beaulieu (an actress), May 1, 1967 (divorced, 1973); children: Lisa Marie. Education: Graduated from Humes High School, Memphis, 1953.

Worked as an usher in a movie theater while in high school; employed by the Precision Tool Plant, Memphis, for three months following graduation from high school; worked for Crown Electric Company, Memphis, in the stockroom and as a delivery truck driver, 1953-54.

Recording artist and musical performer, 1953-77. Made first amateur recording, 1953; signed to Sun Records, 1954, made first professional recordings; made first professional appearance, July, 1954; performed in the rural South with back-up musicians Scotty Moore and Bill Black, 1954; acquired manager Bob Neal, 1955; made six-state Southern tour with Hank Snow ’ s Jamboree, 1955; signed recording contract with RCA, 1955; released first record for RCA, “ Heartbreak Hotel, ” 1956; signed Colonel Tom Parker as manager, 1956; made first television appearance on CBS-TV ’ s “ The Jackie Gleason Stage Show Starring Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey , ” January 25, 1956; made first Las Vegas appearance, April 23, 1956; appeared in “ Love Me Tender, ” the first of more than 30 feature films, 1956; served in U.S. Army, 1958-60; became sergeant; continued recording and film careers during 1960s with some personal and benefit appearances, but no road tours; limited road touring during 1970s, concentrated on Las Vegas and nightclubs.

Awards: Winner of numerous awards, including three Grammy Awards; earned Billboard magazine ’ s “ Vocal Single of the Year Award, ” 1961, for “ It ’ s Now or Never ” ; named Las Vegas entertainer of the year, 1969; honored by RCA for highest record sales in the company ’ s history (275 million), 1970; Elvis Presley Boulevard named for him by city of Memphis, Tenn., 1971; received Bing Crosby Award from the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, 1971; posthumously named “ Male Musical Star of the Year, ” 1977, by the Academy of Variety and Cabaret Artists.

country-and-western, rhythm-and-blues, and gospel, was new, and it was instantly popular. Though not the inventor of rock and roll , Presley, reflected John Rockwell in the New York Times , “ defined the style and gave it an indelible image. ”

Voice alone did not comprise the star ’ s appeal. He was also a remarkable showman. Advised by Colonel Tom Parker, whom he signed as his manager early in 1956, Presley began making films, appearing on television, and otherwise keeping himself in the public eye. Though reportedly shy and disinclined to be interviewed, the upstart musician gave performances that drove audiences mad. His captivating smile, coupled with the pelvic “ bump-and-grind ” rhythm that earned him the appellation Elvis the Pelvis, projected an exciting sexuality that was unprecedented in the music world. He prompted moral outrage from the older generation and hero worship from the younger to become, in Rockwell ’ s words, an entertainer “ parents abhorred, young women adored and young men instantly imitated. ”

Presley was already a legend by the time he was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1958, and during his two-year hitch, most of it spent in West Germany, his recordings continued to sell well. But by the time he returned from his tour of duty, the music climate in the United States had changed. There was a notable downturn in his career, and The King of Rock and Roll devoted most of the 1960s to making movies that were entertaining but undistinguished. In 1968 the rocker staged a successful, if short-lived, comeback, and during the seventies he concentrated on playing nightclubs.

At approximately 2:30 p.m. on August 16, 1977, Presley ’ s body was found in the bathroom at Graceland, his Memphis, Tennessee, home. Although the medical examiner reported that Presley died of heart failure, rumors of the star ’ s amphetamine use flourished. For a number of years prior to his death, in fact, Presley looked as if he had passed his prime. Apparently, though neither a drinker nor a smoker, The King was known as a junk-food addict (reputed to favor fried peanut butter and banana sandwiches) and had gained considerable weight. He also had a history of mild hypertension. As Miller summed it up, Presley, formerly “ an icon of glowing youth … died tallow-faced and tubby, the victim of too many Dreamsicles and Nutty Buddies, too much Dexedrine, Dilaudid, Demerol, Quaalude, [and] Percodan. ”

Despite the circumstances, The King continued to grow in stature after his death. Indeed, in a piece for the Saturday Evening Post , Jay Stuller even suggested that death “ lent [him] a tragic aura. ” Whatever the reasons, grief-stricken fans remained fiercely devoted and scrambled to preserve their idol ’ s memory. In the process, they spawned an entire industry. More than ten years later, memorabilia abounds and hundreds of new products pay tribute to the Presley legend — everything from slippers and shampoo to porcelain dolls and grandfather clocks. There are some two hundred-odd active Elvis fan clubs, the city of Memphis hosts an annual Elvis Week, and at one time a bill was put before the U.S. Congress that advocated making the recording giant ’ s birthday a national holiday.

The King ’ s achievement has yet to be duplicated. He racked up more than one hundred Top Forty hits as well as more than forty Gold Records, and sales of his recordings exceed one billion copies. He also influenced an entire generation of rock musicians, including Bob Dylan , John Lennon , and Bruce Springsteen . Trying to unravel the mystique, Stuller quoted Graceland Enterprises marketing director, Ken Brixey: “ I guess the best answer is that he was a blue-collar worker who in spirit never tried to rise above his roots. He ’ s the epitome of a man who started out with nothing, became something and never lost his attraction to the masses. He ’ s a true folk hero. ”

Composer and co-composer of songs, including “ All Shook Up, ” “ Don ’ t Be Cruel (To a Heart That ’ s True), ” “ Heartbreak Hotel, ” and “ Love Me Tender. ”

45 & 78 RPM Recordings; Released by Sun

That ’ s All Right Mama , 1954.

Blue Moon of Kentucky , 1954.

Good Rockin ’ Tonight , 1954.

You ’ re a Heartbreaker , 1954.

Baby, Let ’ s Play House , 1955.

I ’ m Left, You ’ re Right, She ’ s Gone , 1955.

Mystery Train , 1955.

I Forgot to Remember to Forget , 1955.

Major hit singles; Released by RCA

“ Heartbreak Hotel, ” February, 1956.

“ Blue Suede Shoes, ” March, 1956.

“ I Want You, I Need You, I Love You, ” May, 1956.

“ Hound Dog, ” July, 1956.

“ Don ’ t Be Cruel, ” July, 1956.

“ Love Me Tender, ” October, 1956.

“ All Shook Up, ” March, 1957.

“ Let Me Be Your Teddy Bear , ” June, 1957.

“ Jailhouse Rock, ” October, 1957.

“ Wear My Ring Around Your Neck, ” April, 1958.

“ Hard Headed Woman, ” June, 1958.

“ Stuck On You, ” April, 1960.

“ It ’ s Now or Never, ” July, 1960.

“ Are You Lonesome Tonight?, ” November, 1960.

“ Surrender, ” February, 1961.

“ Can ’ t Help Falling In Love, ” December, 1961.

“ Return To Sender, ” October, 1962.

“ (You ’ re the) Devil In Disguise, ” June, 1963.

“ Crying In the Chapel, ” April, 1965.

“ In the Ghetto, ” May, 1969.

“ Suspicious Minds, ” September, 1969.

“ Burning Love, ” August, 1972.

LP Albums; Released by RCA

Elvis Presley , 1956.

Elvis , 1956.

Loving You , 1957.

Elvis ’ s Christmas Album , 1957.

Elvis ’ s Golden Record , 1958.

King Creole , 1958.

For LP Fans Only , 1959.

A Date With Elvis , 1959.

50, 000, 000 Fans Can ’ t Be Wrong , 1959.

Elvis Is Back , 1960.

G.I. Blues , 1960.

His Hand in Mine , 1960.

Something for Everybody , 1961.

Blue Hawaii , 1961.

Pot Luck , 1962.

Girls, Girls, Girls , 1962.

It Happened at the World ’ s Fair , 1963.

Fun in Acapulco , 1963.

Kissin ’ Cousins , 1964.

Roustabout , 1964.

Girl Happy , 1965.

Elvis for Everyone , 1965.

Harum Scarum , 1965.

Frankie and Johnnie , 1966.

Paradise Hawaiian Style , 1966.

Spinout , 1966.

How Great Thou Art , 1967.

Special Palm Sunday Programming , 1967.

Double Trouble , 1967.

Clambake , 1967.

Elvis ’ s Gold Records , Volume 4, 1968.

Speedway , 1968.

Elvis Sings Flaming Star and Others , 1968.

Elvis: TV Special , 1968.

From Elvis in Memphis , 1969.

From Elvis to Vegas/Vegas to Memphis , 1969.

On Stage, February 1970 , 1970.

Worldwide Fifty Gold Award Hits , 1970.

Elvis in Person at the International Hotel , 1970.

Elvis: Back in Memphis , 1970.

Elvis: That ’ s the Way it Is , 1970.

Elvis Country , 1971.

Love Letters From Elvis , 1971.

Worldwide Fifty Gold Award Hits , Volume 2: Elvis The Other

Sides , 1971. Elvis Sings the Wonderful World of Christmas , 1971.

Elvis Now , 1972.

He Touched Me , 1972.

Elvis Recorded Live at Madison Square Garden , 1972.

Elvis: Aloha From Hawaii Via Satellite , 1973.

Elvis , 1973.

Raised on Rock , 1973.

Elvis , Volume 1: A Legendary Performer , 1974.

Elvis Forever , 1974.

Good Times , 1974.

Elvis Recorded Live on Stage in Memphis , 1974.

Having Fun With Elvis on Stage , 1974.

Promised Land , 1975.

Pure Gold , 1975.

Elvis Today , 1975.

Elvis , Volume 2: A Legendary Performer , 1976.

The Sun Sessions , 1976.

From Elvis Presley Boulevard, Memphis, Tennessee , 1976.

Elvis in Hollywood , 1976.

Welcome to My World , 1977.

Moody Blue , 1977.

RCA Victor also released more than thirty Elvis EPs between 1956 and 1973.

Albums; Released by Camden

Let ’ s Be Friends , 1970.

Almost in Love , 1970.

Elvis ’ s Christmas Album , 1970.

You ’ ll Never Walk Alone , 1971.

C ’ mon Everybody , 1971.

I Got Lucky , 1971.

Elvis Sings Hits From His Movies , Volume 1, 1972.

Burning Love and Hits From His Movies , Volume 2, 1972.

Separate Ways , 1973.

Almost in Love , 1973.

Double Dynamite , 1975.

Frankie & Johnny , 1976.

Posthumously released albums

RCA has issued numerous Elvis recordings since his death, including the six-record set Elvis Presley: A Golden Celebration , commemorating what would have been his fiftieth birthday.

“ Love Me Tender, ” Twentieth Century Fox, 1956.

“ Loving You, ” Paramount, 1957.

“ Jailhouse Rock, ” MGM, 1957.

“ King Creole, ” Paramount, 1958.

“ G.I. Blues, ” Paramount, 1960.

“ Flaming Star, ” Paramount, 1960.

“ Wild in the Country, ” Twentieth Century Fox, 1961.

“ Blue Hawaii, ” Paramount, 1961.

“ Follow That Dream, ” United Artists, 1962.

“ Kid Galahad, ” United Artists, 1962.

“ Girls, Girls, Girls, ” Paramount, 1962.

“ It Happened at the World ’ s Fair, ” MGM, 1963.

“ Fun in Acapulco, ” Paramount, 1963.

“ Kissin ’ Cousins, ” MGM, 1964.

“ Viva Las Vegas, ” MGM, 1964.

“ Roustabout, ” Paramount, 1964.

“ Girl Happy, ” MGM, 1965.

“ Tickle Me, ” Allied Artists, 1965.

“ Harum Scarum, ” MGM, 1965.

“ Frankie & Johnny, ” United Artists, 1966.

“ Paradise, Hawaiian Style, ” Paramount, 1966.

“ Spinout, ” MGM, 1966.

“ Easy Come, Easy Go, ” Paramount, 1966.

“ Double Trouble, ” MGM, 1967.

“ Clambake, ” United Artists, 1967.

“ Stay Away, Joe, ” MGM, 1968.

“ Speedway, ” MGM, 1968.

“ Live a Little, Love a Little, ” MGM, 1968.

“ Charro, ” National General Pictures, 1969.

“ The Trouble With Girls, ” MGM, 1969.

“ Change of Habit, ” NBC/Universal, 1970.

“ Elvis, That ’ s the Way it Is, ” MGM, 1970.

“ Elvis on Tour, ” MGM, 1972.

Dunleavy, Steve, Red West, Sonny West, and Dave Hebler, Elvis, What Happened?, (expose) Ballantine Books, 1977 .

Escott, Colin and Martin Hawkins, Catalyst: The Sun Records Story , Aquarius Books, 1975.

Goldman, Albert, Elvis (expose), Avon Books, 1981.

Gregory, Neal, and Janice Gregory, When Elvis Died , Communications Press, 1980.

Hammontree, Patsy Guy, Elvis Presley: A Bio-Bibliography , Greenwood Press, 1985.

Hemphill, Paul, The Nashville Sound: Bright Lights and Country Music , Simon & Schuster, 1970.

Hopkins, Jerry, Elvis: A Biography , Warner Books, 1971.

Hopkins, Jerry, Elvis: The Final Years , Playboy Publishers, 1981.

Marcus, Greil, Mystery Train: Images of America in Rock ‘ N ’ Roll , Dutton, 1976.

Marsh, Dave, Elvis (photo essay), Rolling Stone Press, 1982.

Parish, James Robert, The Elvis Presley Scrapbook , Ballantine Books, 1975.

Pleasants, Henry, The Great American Popular Singers , Simon & Schuster, 1974.

Presley, Priscilla Beaulieu with Sandra Harmon, Elvis and Me , Putnam ’ s 1985.

Tharpe, Jac L, editor, Elvis: Images and Fancies , University Press of Mississippi, 1979.

Periodicals

Esquire , December, 1987.

New York Times , August 17, 1977.

Newsweek , November 12, 1984; August 3, 1987; June 6, 1988.

Saturday Evening Post , July-August, 1985.

People , March 4, 1985; January 14, 1985; August 17, 1987.

Time , July 20, 1987.

— Nancy H. Evans

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Presley, Elvis , the “King of Rock and Roll,” perhaps the most popular vocalist of the 20th century and the man who brought rock and roll to the masses; b. East Tupelo, Miss., Jan. 8, 1935; d. Memphis, Term., Aug. 16, 1977. Elvis Presley began singing with his parents at the First Assembly of God Church in Tupelo, Miss., as a child and later accompanied them to camp meetings and revivals. He obtained his first guitar for his 11th birthday and moved with his family to Memphis, Tenn., in September 1948. He sang at a high school variety show in late 1952 and became a truck driver after graduating in June 1953. The next month, in the often told story, he went to the small local Sun Records studio to make a private recording of “My Happiness” for his mother. Noticed by secretary Marion Keisker, Presley was later teamed with guitarist Scotty Moore and standup bassist Bill Black by Sun Records president Sam Phillips . The three rehearsed for several months, returning to the Sun studios on July 6, 1954 to record Bill Monroe ’s “Blue Moon of Kentucky” and Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup’s “That’s All Right (Mama).” Local disc jockey Dewey Phillips (no relation to Sam) played the latter song on his radio show and the single became a regional hit. Presley made his professional performing debut at Memphis’s Overton Park on Aug. 10, 1954, and was greeted ecstatically by an audience enthralled with his rough, passionate vocals and sexually charged persona.

Elvis Presley soon began touring the South with Scotty Moore and Bill Black, billed as “The Hillbilly Cat,” as his second and third Sun singles became regional hits. In October 1954 they performed on Shreveport’s Louisiana Hatyride radio show (and would continue to do so until December 1956), appearing on the show’s television edition the following March. Released in April 1955, “Baby Let’s Play House” became a smash country-and-western hit that summer, followed in September by the top country hit “I Forgot to Remember to Forget,” backed with Junior Parker’s “Mystery Train.” Spotted by “Colonel” Tom Parker, a former carnival barker and erstwhile manager of Eddy Arnold and Hank Snow, Presley signed a new management deal with Parker in November 1955.

Elvis Presley’s potent style and raw potential created a bidding war amongst major record labels and RCA won out with an offer of $35, 000, an astoundingly high figure for 1955. In January 1956, backed by guitarists Scotty Moore and Chet Atkins , bassist Bill Black and drummer D.J. Fontana (who had joined the trio in July 1955), he completed his first recording sessions in Nashville. Presley made his national television debut on the CBS network Dorsey Brothers Show on Jan. 28, 1956, and, within weeks, his first RCA release, “Heartbreak Hotel,” became a top pop and country-and- western and smash R&B hit. On June 5, as “I Want You, I Need You, I Love You” was becoming another three-way crossover smash, Presley appeared on The Milton Berle Show to an estimated audience of 40 million. Soon, his first recording with The Jordanaires, “Don’t Be Cruel”/“Hound Dog,” both became top hits in all three fields. Appearing on television’s Ed Sullivan Show to an estimated audience of 54 million on Sept. 9, Elvis was shown from the waist up only.

Elvis Presley’s success was phenomenal, and the three-way crossover smashes continued with “Love Me Tender,” “Love Me,” “Too Much” and “All Shook Up.” During 1956 his first movie, Love Me Tender , was released, followed in 1957 by Loving You and Jailhouse Rock . On Dec. 4, 1956, Presley returned to the Memphis Sun studio to join Sun stalwarts Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis and Johnny Cash in informally singing and playing a number of gospel songs. Unknown to them, the performance was recorded. Those recordings by the so-called “Million Dollar Quartet” were bootlegged and available in Europe for years before their eventual release in the U.S. in 1990. In January 1957 Elvis recorded the four-song gospel E.P. Peace in the Valley . The songs were later included on Elvis’ Christmas Album , which also contained the secular songs “Blue Christmas,” “Santa Bring My Baby Back to Me” and “ Santa Claus Is Back in Town.”

Elvis Presley’s three-way crossover smashes continued with “ Teddy Bear ,” “Jailhouse Rock”/“Treat Me Nice” and “Don’t”/“I Beg of You.” He was allowed a two-month deferment to complete the movie King Creole , but, on March 24, 1958, he was drafted into the Army. Although he was to record only once during the next two years, the hits did not stop. However, after the three-way crossover smashes “Wear My Ring around Your Neck” and “Hard Headed Woman,” his subsequent crossover smashes were restricted to two fields, pop and R&B. These included “One Night”/“I Got Stung,” “(Now and Then There’s) A Fool Such As I”/“I Need Your Love Tonight” and “A Big Hunk of Love,” the last four being his only new recordings during his Army stint.

Discharged on March 5, 1960, Elvis Presley subsequently assembled the so-called “Memphis Mafia” entourage that served to protect and insulate him from the public until July 1976. He began recording far less exuberant and vital material with extra musicians to produce a fuller sound. Nonetheless, “Stuck on You,” “It’s Now or Never” and “Are You Lonesome Tonight” became smash pop and R&B hits. His ABC-TV television show Welcome Home Elvis , aired May 12, 1960, featured six minutes of Elvis, for which he was paid $125, 000. The show was hosted by Frank Sinatra , a man who had earlier denounced rock ‘n’ roll as “the most brutal, ugly, desperate, vicious form of expression.”

After making his first full album of gospel material, His Hand in Mine , in 1960, Elvis Presley appeared at his last public performance for eight years in Honolulu on March 25, 1961. He spent the 1960s making a series of lucrative but mindless movies usually staged in exotic locations featuring numerous fleshy but virginal women and only the bare semblance of a plot. He also recorded a few non-soundtrack albums as the pop-only smash hits continued with “Surrender,” “I Feel So Bad,” “(Marie’s The Name) His Latest Flame”/“Little Sister,” “Can’t Help Falling in Love,” “Good Luck Charm” and “She’s Not You.” “Return to Sender” and “(You’re the) Devil in Disguise” became his final pop and R&B smashes, with the pop-only major hits “Bossa Nova Baby,” “Kissin’ Cousins,” “Viva Las Vegas ,” and “Crying in the Chapel” (rec. in 1960) ensuing. To his credit, Elvis Presley recorded perhaps the finest gospel album of his career, How Great Thou Art , for 1967 release. He married Priscilla Beaulieu on May 1, 1967, and his only child, daughter Lisa Marie, was born on Feb. 1, 1968.

In 1968, with the first inkling of a revival of interest in 1950s rock ‘n’ roll, Elvis Presley returned to television for an attempted come-back. Less than a week before the airing of his special, one of his finer later-day singles, “If I Can Dream,” became a near-smash pop hit. The special, televised on NBC on Dec. 3, 1968, featured large-scale production numbers and Presley performing in front of a small audience with old associates Scotty Moore and D.J. Fontana (Bill Black had died on Oct. 21, 1965). The special was one of the five highest-rated shows of the television year and included both “If I Can Dream” and the haunting hit “Memories.” It represented, in many ways, the peak of Elvis Presley’s career.

Elvis Presley returned to Memphis for the first time in 14 years to record his next album, From Elvis in Memphis , for which he personally chose the songs. Generally regarded as one of his finest later-day albums, it yielded a smash hit with Mac Davis’s socially conscious “In the Ghetto” and included “Power of Love,” “Any Day Now” and “Long Black Limousine.” Elvis returned to live performance on July 31, 1969 with a month-long engagement at the International Hotel (later the Hilton) in Las Vegas , backed by a 30-piece orchestra, chorus, and a five man combo featuring guitarist James Burton and keyboardist Glen D. Hardin, two of the better instrumentalists in the country. Recordings from the stand comprised the first record of From Memphis to Vegas/From Vegas to Memphis , while the second record (later issued as Elvis Back in Memphis ) was taken from the Memphis sessions. The latter record included “Without Love (There Is Nothing),” “Do You Know Who I Am” and “Stranger in My Own Home.” In the meantime, Presley scored a top hit with “Suspicious Minds,” a smash hit with Mac Davis’s “Don’t Cry Daddy,” and a major hit with Eddie Rabbit’s “Kentucky Minds,”

After a month-long appearance at the International Hotel in February 1970, Elvis Presley again toured selected venues across the U.S. until his death in 1977, although he infrequently performed in Las Vegas after 1975. He scored a near-smash country hit with “There Goes My Everything” in 1971 and a smash pop hit with “Burning Love” in 1972. On Jan. 14, 1973, Presley performed at a Honolulu benefit that produced his last major hit album, Aloha from Hawaii . Broadcast on NBC-TV and relayed via satellite to 40 countries, the special was viewed by an estimated audience of one billion.

Elvis Presley’s fortunes again began to fade. He and Priscilla divorced on Oct. 11, 1973, and his subsequent live performances became careless and mechanical, as rumors of drug abuse and erratic personal behavior began to circulate. Most of his subsequent successes came in the country field, where he had smash hits with “I’ve Got a Thing about You,” “Help Me,” It’s Midnight,” “Hurt,” “Moody Blue” and “Way Down.” His last live performance took place in Indianapolis on June 26, 1977. On Aug. 16, 1977, Elvis Presley died in his Graceland mansion in Memphis of heart failure due to prescription drug abuse at the age of 42.

Within three months of Elvis Presley’s death, his rendition of “My Way,” Frank Sinatra ’s theme song, became a major pop and smash country hit. The spate of Elvis-related books began the month of his death with Elvis: What Happened? , by three former members of the “Memphis Mafia.” In 1981 Albert Goldman’s contemptuous biography Elvis was published by McGraw-Hill. The Elvis Presley estate opened Graceland to public viewing in 1982, and the mansion became the second most-visited home in America. In 1983, by means of an out-of-court settlement, “Colonel” Tom Parker severed his connection with the estate, which was overseen by ex-wife Priscilla. Through shrewd merchandising and licensing, Priscilla Presley increased the value of the Presley estate from $5 million to $100 million. In 1992, heir Lisa Marie Presley signed an agreement giving her mother the authority to run the estate for an additional five years (until 1998). “Colonel” Tom Parker died in Las Vegas on Jan. 21, 1997, at the age of 87 of complications from a stroke.

On Elvis’s 50th birthday, RCA issued the six-record compilation set of live performances, A Golden Celebration . In 1985 Macmillan published Elvis and Gladys by Elaine Dundy and Putnam published Priscilla Presley’s Elvis and Me . Elvis Presley was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in its inaugural year, 1986. In 1987 the Cinemax cable network broadcast Elvis ’56 perhaps the most telling of all filmic biographies. In 1988 Elvis and Me , based on Priscilla’s book, became the top-rated miniseries of the television season and the lavish multimedia production Elvis: An American Musical ran in Las Vegas for two months. An Elvis television series ran on ABC television in 1990 and, in 1992, RCA released the five-CD set The Complete 50s Masters , arguably the single most important body of work in the history of rock ‘n’ roll. On Elvis’s 58th birthday the U.S. Postal Service issued 500 million Elvis stamps, of which an estimated 60% were never used. During 1994 longtime Elvis friend Joe Esposito’s Good Rockin’ Tonight: Twenty Years on the Road and on the Town with Elvis was published by Simon and Schuster, and Peter Guralnick’s Last Train to Memphis: The Rise of Elvis Presley was published by Little, Brown. In 1996 the first ballet based on the music of Elvis Presley, Blue Suede Shoes , premiered in Cleveland, and the production made its West Coast debut in San Jose , Calif., in 1997.

Discography

EARLY RECORDINGS : Elvis Presley (1956); Elvis (1956); Elvis’ Christmas Album (1957); For LP Fans Only (1959); A Date with Elvis (1959/1989); Elvis Is Back (1960/1989); I Was the One (rec. 1956–60; rel. 1983); The First Live Recordings (rec. 1955–56; rel. 1984); Rocker (rec. 1956–57; rel. 1984); The Complete Sun Sessions (rec. 1954–55; rel. 1987); Stereo ’57 (1989); The Million Dollar Quartet (rec. Dec. 4, 1956; rel. 1990); The Complete ’50s Masters (1992); Elvis ’56 (1996); The Elvis Tapes (interviews recorded in 1957; 1977). SOUNDTRACKS : Loving You (1957/1988); King Creole (1958); G. I. Blues (1960); Blue Hawaii (1961); Girls! Girls! Girls! (1962); It Happened at the World’s Fair (1963); Fun in Acapulco (1963); Kissin’ Cousins (1964); Roustabout (1964); Girl Happy (1965); Hamm Scarum (1965); Frankie and Johnny (1966); Paradise Hawaiian Style (1966); Spinout (1966); Double Trouble (1967); Clambake (1967); Speedway (1968); That’s the Way It Is (1970); This Is Elvis (selections; 1981); Jailhouse Rock (1997). GOSPEL ALBUMS : His Hand in Mind (1960); How Great Thou Art (1967); You’ll Never Walk Alone (1971); He Touched Me (1972); He Walks Beside Me (1978); Elvis Gospel, 1957–1971 (1989). CHRISTMAS ALBUM : Elvis’s Christmas Album (1957); Elvis Sings “The Wonderful World of Christmas” (1971). OTHER RCA ALBUMS 1960–77 : Something for Everybody (1961); Pot Luck (1962); Elvis for Everyone (1965/1990); Elvis (TV Special) (1968); From Elvis in Memphis (1969); From Memphis to Vegas/From Vegas to Memphis (1969); On Stage (February 1970) (1970); Back in Memphis (1970); Elvis Country (1971); Love Letters from Elvis (1971); Elvis Now (1972); Live at Madison Square Garden (1972); Aloha from Hawaii (1973); Elvis (1973); Raised on Rock (1973); Good Times (1974); Live on Stage in Memphis (1974); Having Fun with Elvis on Stage (1974); Promised Land (1975); Today (1975); From Elvis Presley Boulevard (1976); Welcome to My World (1977); Moody Blue (1977); In Concert (1977); The Alternate Aloha (1988); The Lost Album (rec. in Nashville in 1963–64; rel. 1991); I’m 10, 000 Years Old/Elvis Country (1993).

Bibliography

J. Hopkins, E.: A Biography (N.Y., 1971); P. Lichter, E. In Hollywood (N.Y., 1975); M. Mann, E. and The Colonel: From the Intimate Diaries of May Mann (N.Y., 1975); R. Barry, The E. P. American Discography (Phillipsburg, N.J., 1976); W. A. Harbinson, The Illustrated E . (N.Y., 1976); P. Jones. E. (London, 1976); S. Zmijewsky, The Films and Career of E. P . (Secaucus, N.J., 1976); M. Farren, compiler, E. In His Own Words (N.Y., 1977); R. West, S. West, and D. Hebler, as told to S. Dunleavy, E.: What Happened? (N.Y., 1977); P. Lichter, The Boy Who Dared to Rock: The Definitive E . (Garden City, N.Y., 1978; N.Y., 1982); J. Roggero, E. In Concert (N.Y., 1979); J. Hopkins, E.: The Final Years (N.Y., 1980; 1983); M. Crumbaker with G. Tucker, Up and Doum with E. P. (N.Y., 1981); A. Goldman, E. (N.Y., 1981); M. Hawkins and C. Escott, The Illustrated Discography (London, 1981); J. A. Whisler, E. P. Reference Guide and Discography (Metuchen, N.J., 1981); F. L. Worth and S. D. Tamerius, All about E . (N.Y., 1981); R. Carr, E. P.: An Illustrated Record (N.Y., 1982); D. Marsh, E. (N.Y., 1982, 1992); M. Torgoff, ed., The Complete E. (N.Y., 1982); L. Cotten and H. A. DeWitt, Jailhouse Rock: The Bootleg Records of E. P., 1970–1983 ( Ann Arbor , Mich., 1983); J. Tobler and R. Wootton, E.: The Legend and the Music (N.Y., 1983); W. Sauers. E. P., A Complete Reference (Jefferson, N.C., 1984); P. G. Hammontree, E. P., A Bio-Bibliography (Westport, Conn., 1985); P. Presley with S. Harmon, E. and Me (N.Y., 1985); L. Cotton, All Shook Up: E. Day-By-Day, 1954–1977 ( Ann Arbor , Mich., 1985); L. Cotton, The E. Catalog (Garden City, N.Y., 1987); A. Goldman, E. P. (London, 1987); D. Vellenga, E. and The Colonel (N.Y., 1988); F. L. Worth and S. D. Tamerius, E.: His Life from A to Z (Chicago, Ill., 1988; N.Y., 1992); L. Geller and J. Spector with P. Romanowski, If I Can Dream: E.’s Own Story (N.Y., 1989); G. McLafferty, E. P. in Hollywood: Celluloid Sell-Out (London, 1989); E. Greenwood and K. Tracy, The Boy Who Would Be King: An Intimate Portrait of E. P. (N.Y., 1990); C. Latham and J. Sakol, “E” Is for E.: An A-to-Z Illustrated Guide to the King of Rock and Roll (N.Y., 1990); G. Marcus, Dead E.: A Chronicle of a Cultural Obsession (N.Y., 1991); C. C. Thompson II and J. P. Cale, The Death of E.: What Really Happened (N.Y., 1991); K. Quain, ed., The E. Reader: Texts and Sources on the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll (N.Y., 1992); H. A. DeWitt, E., The Sun Years: The Story of E. P. in the 1950s (Ann Arbor, Mich., 1993); A. Schroer, Private E.: The Missing Years , E. in Germany (N.Y., 1993); W. Allen, E. (N.Y., 1994); J. Esposito and E. Oumano, Good Rockin’ Tonight: Twenty Years on the Road and on the Town with E . (N.Y., 1994); P. Guralnick, Last Train to Memphis: The Rise of E. P. (Boston, Mass., 1994); P. J. Pierce, The Ultimate E.: E. P. Day by Day (N.Y., 1994); D. Stanley, The E. Encyclopedia ( Los Angeles , Calif., 1994); A. Nash, E. Aaron P.: Revelations from the Memphis Mafia (N.Y., 1995); R. Gordon, The King on the Road: E. on Tour, 1954–1977 (N.Y., 1996); G. B. Rodman, E. after E.: The Posthumous Career of a Living Legend (London, N.Y., 1996); P. O. Whitman, The Inner E.: A Psychological Biography of E. Aaron P . (N.Y., 1996); S. Moore and J. Dickerson, That’s Alright, E.: The Untold Story of E.’s First Guitarist and Manager (N.Y., 1997); P. Guralnick, Careless Love (Boston, Mass., 1998).

—Brock Helander

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"Presley, Elvis ." Baker’s Biographical Dictionary of Musicians . . Retrieved January 08, 2025 from Encyclopedia.com: https://www.encyclopedia.com/arts/dictionaries-thesauruses-pictures-and-press-releases/presley-elvis

PRESLEY, Elvis

Nationality: American. Born: Elvis Aron Presley in Tupelo, Mississippi, 8 January 1935. Education: Attended L. C. Humes High School, Memphis, Tennessee, graduated 1953. Family: Married Priscilla Beaulieu, 1967 (divorced 1973), daughter: Lisa Marie. Career: Worked as truck driver; 1954—first recording: by 1956, the center of tremendous publicity based on his records and appearances on television and stage; 1956—contract with Hal Wallis: film debut in Love Me Tender , followed by a series of successful films until 1969; 1958–60—served in the U.S. Army in West Germany; returned to singing and moviemaking; occasional cabaret engagements. Died: In Memphis, 16 August 1977.

Films as Actor:

Love Me Tender (Webb)

Loving You (Kanter); Jailhouse Rock (Thorpe)

King Creole (Curtiz)

G.I. Blues (Taurog); Flaming Star (Siegel)

Wild in the Country (Dunne); Blue Hawaii (Taurog)

Follow That Dream (Douglas); Kid Galahad (Karlson); Girls! Girls! Girls! (Taurog)

It Happened at the World's Fair (Taurog); Fun in Acapulco (Thorpe)

Kissin' Cousins (Nelson); Viva Las Vegas (Sidney); Roustabout (Rich)

Girl Happy (Sagal); Tickle Me (Taurog); Harum Scarum (Nelson)

Frankie and Johnny (de Cordova); Paradise, Hawaiian Style (Moore); Spinout (Taurog)

Easy Come, Easy Go (Rich); Double Trouble (Taurog); Clambake (Nadel)

Stay Away Joe (Tewksbury); Speedway (Taurog); Live a Little, Love a Little (Taurog)

Charro! (Warren); The Trouble with Girls (Tewksbury); Change of Habit (Moore)

Elvis—That's the Way It Is (Sanders—doc)

Elvis on Tour (Adidge and Abel—doc)

Publications

On presley: books—.

Wallis, Hal, and Charles Higham, Starmaker , New York , 1980.

Crumbaker, Marge, and Gabe Tucker, Up and Down with Elvis Presley , New York , 1981.

Hawkins, Martin, and Colin Escott, Elvis: The Illustrated Discography , London, 1981.

Hopkins, Jerry, Elvis: The Final Years , London, 1981.

Rogale, Jean-Yves, Le Roi Elvis , Paris, 1981.

Whisler, John, Elvis Presley —a Reference Guide and Discography , Metuchen, New Jersey , 1981.

Sauers, Wendy, Elvis Presley: A Complete Reference , Jefferson, North Carolina , 1984.

McLafferty, Gerry, Elvis in Hollywood: Celluloid Sell Out , New York, 1989.

Schuster, Hal, The Films of Elvis Presley , Las Vegas , Nevada, 1989.

Bartel, Pauline C., Reel Elvis: The Ultimate Trivia Guide to the King's Movies , Dallas, 1994.

Esposito, Joe, Good Rockin' Tonight: Twenty Years on the Road and on the Town with Elvis , New York, 1994.

Hazen, Cindy, The Best of Elvis: Recollections of a Great Humanitarian , New York, 1994.

Stanley, David, The Elvis Encyclopedia , Los Angeles , 1994.

Nash, Bruce M., Amazing but True Elvis Facts , Kansas City , Missouri, 1995.

Carman, Wayne, Elvis's Karate Legacy: The Untold Story of Elvis Presley's Faith, Spirit & Discipline , Branson, 1998.

Gould, Jay, Elvis 2000: The King Returns , London, 1999.

Kirchberg, Connie, Elvis Presley, Richard Nixon & the American Dream , Jefferson, 1999.

Levinson, Robert S., The Elvis & Marilyn Affair , New York, 1999.

Opdyke, Steven, The Printed Elvis: The Complete Guide to Books About the King , Westport, 1999.

On PRESLEY: articles—

Meltzer, R., "The Films of Elvis Presley," in Take One (Montreal), March 1974.

Marill, Alvin H., in Films in Review (New York), December 1977.

Braun, Eric, "Elvis: In Search of Satisfaction," in Films (London), September 1982.

Barron, M., and F. Barron, "Elvis! A Personal View," in Hollywood: Then and Now , no. 8, 1992.

Joyrich, L., "Elvisophilia: Knowledge Pleasure, and the Cult of Elvis," in Differences , no. 1, 1993.

Hampton, Howard, "Elvis Dorado: The True Romance of Viva Las Vegas , in Film Comment (New York), July/August 1994.

Norman, Barry, in Radio Times (London), 7 January 1995.

Okuda, Ted, "Who Was That Masked Batgirl?" in Filmfax (Evanston), July-August 1995.

Cambor, K., "The King Lives On," in Newsweek , 18 August 1997.

Gates, D., "Good Rockin,"' in Newsweek , 18 August 1997.

Schoemer, K., "Burning Love," in Newsweek , 18 August 1997.

No major star suffered through more bad movies than Elvis Presley. Of the 31 he made in his decade-and-a-half as a movie star, arguably only Don Siegel's Flaming Star , in which he played Pacer, a half-breed torn between loyalty to his Kiowa mother and his white father and stepbrother—a nonsinging role for Presley—has any redeeming value beyond the star's appearance. That he continued to make films for 13 years is testament to the durability of his star quality.

In 1956 Presley rose from obscurity to become a national figure as rock and roll 's first superstar. Within months of his first national recording success Presley began making films; Love Me Tender , released before the year's end, recouped its $1 million cost in the first three days of release.

Presley's next three films featured some of his best work as both singer and actor. In Loving You , he played Deke Rivers, a sensitive, small town teenager who makes a rapid rise to national prominence as a rock 'n' roll singer. Among the many great performance pieces is the finale, "Got a Lot of Living to Do," which features Elvis in a thigh-slapping, hip-shaking performance. In his next film, Jailhouse Rock , Elvis was shown at his singular rockin' best: as inmate Vince Everett, he leads his fellow prisoners through a volcanic, snarling rendition of the title song. This film, like Elvis's other early movies, allowed him to create a more well-rounded character than in his later efforts. The final scene where he faces the possibility of losing his voice and realizes the importance of his friends is touching.

As with Loving You and Jailhouse Rock , Elvis's next film, King Creole , was a narrative about the complications of a rapid rise to stardom. Set in New Orleans , Presley played high school student Danny Fisher, an insolent punk who is "discovered" and becomes the toast of Bourbon Street. Similar to Loving You , King Creole contained autobiographical overtones: like Elvis, Danny Fisher's music was based in black culture—in the film's opening, Elvis and several black street vendors sing "Crawfish," while at the King Creole, Danny rocks in a Dixieland style with a call/response format. In Loving You , Presley had paid homage to his other major musical influence—country music—with his performance of "Lonesome Cowboy."

Considering his substantial following, it is curious that he was continually saddled with mediocre scripts and second-rate directors, particularly after his 1960 return from Army service. It was as if Hollywood knew he would bring in the customers despite the narratives. Loyal fans continued to see his films and eventually contributed in excess of $180 million to the Hollywood coffers. In addition they gave gold status to nine soundtrack albums.

While the early films featured Presley as a rock star, many of his 1960s vehicles had him in any number of improbable guises from which he broke into improbable song: as the rebellious Glen Tyler in Wild in the Country , he develops a relationship with a psychiatric counselor (Hope Lange) who encourages his flair for writing and arranges for him to receive a scholarship to college; as race car driver Lucky Jackson in Viva Las Vegas he uses his singing talents to woo a swimming instructor played by Ann-Margret; as American movie star Johnny Tyrone in Harum Scarum , he is kidnapped in the Middle East , escapes, and falls in love with Princess Shalimar (played by Miss America, Mary Ann Mobley). Of the 1960s films, Roustabout is arguably the most interesting. Here Elvis plays Charlie Rogers, an insolent, parentless entertainer who finds a new home with a carnival show operated by Barbara Stanwyck. His performances light up the midway and save the carnival from bankruptcy. The experience of working with the pop idol was a positive one for the screen veteran; as Stanwyck stated, "The idea of working with Mr. Presley intrigued me . . . . Mr. Wallis said he was a wonderful person to work with . . . and he is. His manners are impeccable, he is on time, he knows his lines, he asks for nothing outside of what any other actor or actress wants."

Throughout the 1960s Presley avoided the concert and public appearance route, opting for visibility through films. By the end of the decade this strategy had begun to fail, neither movies nor records selling at previous high levels. With the failure of Change of Habit —with Mary Tyler Moore as a nun—Elvis stopped making films. No one seemed interested in Presley, who at the height of his film career was earning $1 million per movie plus a substantial percentage of the gross.

Presley was able to break out of the confines of his now-dated image by leaving the silver screen for the small screen. In a 1968 television special that combined the hokey musical numbers familiar from his movies with leather-clad, bare-bones rocking and rolling (in front of a live audience), Elvis reintroduced himself to the public. His career was reinvigorated, with a return to concert tours and rootsier, bluesier recordings (his records of the 1960s generally having consisted of substandard movie soundtrack songs, which bore little resemblance to his seminal 1950s rockabilly style). To capitalize on Presley's change of direction, a movie was again considered, but this time it was to be a documentary of an Elvis concert tour. Elvis, That's the Way It Is brought forth Presley's charisma and musical talent far better than the mundane, studio-concocted fluff he had been forced to wade through for the previous decade. In typical Presley fashion, however, once was not enough. Two years later Elvis on Tour gave us another look at "the King" on-and off-stage, but the magic was wearing thin for both Elvis and his audiences. It was to be Elvis's last movie.

Presley's importance to film history is less for his continued popularity than for the trend he set within the musical genre. With the success of his vehicles, other recording stars were signed to movie roles and throughout the 1960s there continued a never-ending stream of jukebox musicals: minimal narratives with lots of hit tunes.

In the first scene of his movie debut, Elvis was seen deep in the frame laboriously dragging a plow. In retrospect we can only marvel at how prophetic that shot was considering the material he was made to drag through movie theaters for the next 14 years.

—Doug Tomlinson, updated by Frank Uhle

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Born: August 8, 1935 Tupelo, Mississippi Died: August 16, 1977 Memphis , Tennessee American singer

Elvis Presley , the "King of Rock 'n' Roll," was the leading American singer for two decades and the most popular singer of the entire early rock 'n' roll era.

Young Elvis and Sun Records

Elvis Aron Presley was born in Tupelo, Mississippi, on January 8, 1935, to Gladys and Vernon Presley. His twin brother, Jesse Garon Presley, died shortly after birth. His father worked as a carpenter, farmer, and factory worker to support the family but was not successful in any of his jobs. Raised in a poor and religious environment, Elvis grew especially close to his mother. Elvis's singing ability was discovered when he was an elementary school student in Tupelo, and he first started singing with the choir of his local church. He received his first guitar as a birthday present when he was about twelve and taught himself how to play, although he could not read music. He went on to participate in numerous talent contests in Tupelo and in Memphis, Tennessee, where the family moved when Elvis was thirteen.

In 1953, after Elvis graduated from L. C. Humes High School in Memphis, he began working as a truck driver to pay his way into the Memphis Recording Services studio to cut his own records. Less than a year later he recorded "That's All Right Mama" for Sun Records. It became his first commercial release, selling twenty thousand copies.

The birth of rock 'n' roll

Elvis reached the top of the country charts with "Mystery Train" in 1955. His first number one song on the so-called "Hot 100" was "Heartbreak Hotel" (1956), which held that position for seven of the twenty-seven weeks it was on the chart. This song also reached the top of the country charts, and it became a symbol of his ability to combine country singing with rhythm-and-blues, as well as with the new rage that had grown out of rhythm-and-blues: rock 'n' roll. The rest of the 1950s brought Elvis "living legend" status with records that included "Hound Dog" (1956), "Don't Be Cruel" (1956), "Blue Suede Shoes" (1956), "Love Me Tender" (1956), "All Shook Up" (1957), and "Jailhouse Rock" (1957). He started the 1960s in similar fashion with "It's Now or Never" (1960) and "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" (1960).

Elvis was universally dubbed the "King of Rock 'n' Roll" and led the new music from its beginnings in the 1950s to its peak in the 1960s and on to its permanent place in the music of the 1970s and the 1980s. His impact on American popular culture was tremendous, as he seemed to affect manner of dress, hairstyles, and even behavior. John Lennon (1940 – 1980) would later note Elvis as one of the most important influences on the Beatles. Even his spinning hip movements became legendary as he continued his rock 'n' roll conquest to the extent of 136 gold records (500,000 sold) and 10 platinum records (1 million sold). Ultimately he had the most records to make the rating charts and was the top recording artist for two straight decades, the 1950s and the 1960s.

Elvis in the movies

Elvis was an instant success in television and movies as well. Millions watched his television appearances on The Steve Allen Show, The Milton Berle Show, The Toast of the Town, and a controversial (open to dispute) appearance on the The Ed Sullivan Show, in which cameras were instructed to stay above the hips of "Elvis the Pelvis." He was an even bigger box office smash, beginning with Love Me Tender in 1956. Thirty-two movies later, Elvis had become the top box-office draw for two decades, with ticket sales over $150 million.

Although few of Elvis's motion pictures were well-received by the critics, they showcased his music and extended his image and fame. His movies included Jailhouse Rock (1957), King Creole (1958), G. I. Blues (1960), Blue Hawaii (1961), Girls! Girls! Girls! (1962), Viva Las Vegas (1964), and Spinout (1966). Wild in the Country (1961), based on the J. R. Salamanca novel The Lost Country, marked his debut in a straight dramatic role.

Controversy

Elvis began a well-publicized stint in the army in 1958. That year, while he was stationed in Fort Hood, Texas , his mother died. The remainder of his military service was spent stationed in Germany , until his discharge (release) in 1960. It was in Germany that he met Priscilla Beaulieu (1945 – ), his future wife.

Elvis's success in the entertainment industry was accompanied by numerous failures in his personal life. He arranged to have Priscilla, still a teenager, live at his new Memphis home, Graceland Mansion, while she finished high school there. He married her in 1967, and she bore him his only child, Lisa Marie Presley, in 1968. In 1973 he and Priscilla were divorced. During this time, and for his entire career, his personal manager, Tom Parker, controlled his finances. As Elvis's millions grew, so too did the mismanagement of Parker, a known gambler. Parker was later prosecuted for his financial dealings, but he was acquitted (proven innocent). Elvis made an estimated $4.3 billion in earnings during his lifetime, but he never acquired a concept of financial responsibility. This caused frequent legal battles during and after his lifetime among his management people and several record companies. Elvis had similar luck with his friendships, and frequently surrounded himself with a gang of thugs to shield him from an adoring public.

Beginning of the end

A weight problem became evident in the late 1960s, and in private Elvis became increasingly dependent on drugs, particularly amphetamines and sedatives. His personal doctor, George Nichopoulos, would later be prosecuted, but acquitted, for prescribing and dispensing thousands of pills and narcotics (illegal drugs) to him.

Though Elvis's weight and drug dependency were increasing, Elvis continued a steady flow of concert performances in sold-out arenas well into the 1970s. On August 16, 1977, the day before another concert tour was about to begin, Elvis was found dead in Graceland Mansion by his fianc é e, Ginger Alden. The official cause of death was heart disease , although information revealed after his death about his drug dependency created a media event. His death caused worldwide scenes of mourning.

Elvis continues to be celebrated as superstar and legend as much in death as he was in life. Graceland Mansion, which he had purchased in 1957 for $102,500, is the top tourist attraction in Memphis and has attracted millions of visitors from both America and around the world.

Presley became the first-ever inductee into three music halls of fame when it was announced that he would be inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame on November 27, 2001, in Nashville , Tennessee. He was already a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Country Hall of Fame.

For More Information

Gordon, Robert. The Elvis Treasures. New York : Villard, 2001.

Jenkins, Mary. Memories Beyond Graceland Gates. Buena Park, CA: West Coast Publishers, 1989.

Lichter, Paul. The Boy Who Dared to Rock: The Definitive Elvis. Garden City, NY: Dolphin Books, 1978.

Parish, James Robert. The Elvis Presley Scrapbook. New York : Ballantine Books, 1977.

Sauer, Wendy. Elvis Presley: A Complete Reference. Jefferson, NC: McFarland, 1984.

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Elvis Presley was known as the King of Rock and Roll even before his early death at the age of forty-two. His impact on American popular culture has never before or since been duplicated.

Early talent

Presley was born a twin on January 8, 1935, in Tupelo, Mississippi . His brother, Jesse, died shortly after birth. Elvis's singing ability became obvious when he was still in elementary school . At thirteen, he and his parents moved to Memphis, Tennessee .

After graduating from high school in 1953, Presley worked as a truck driver to earn money to record his own records. Before the end of 1954, he recorded his first commercial release, “That's All Right (Mama).” It sold twenty thousand copies.

Presley's first number one song on the Hot 100 charts was “Heartbreak Hotel” (1956), and it was that song that brought him to the attention of the nation. The tune spent twenty-seven weeks on the chart, seven of them in first place. It also reached the top of country charts, testament to the musician's ability to combine country with rhythm and blues to appeal to a crossover audience.

Presley spent the rest of the decade turning out one hit after another, all under the new label of rock and roll . “Don’t Be Cruel” (1956) was followed by “Blue Suede Shoes” (1956), “Love Me Tender” (1956), “All Shook Up,” (1957), and “Jailhouse Rock” (1957). He was the top recording artist throughout the 1950s and 1960s, and before his life ended, he had 136 gold records and 10 platinum albums.

Cultural impact

Presley not only influenced and pioneered the music scene of his era, he shaped American culture with his manner of dress, hairstyle, and dance. Never before had anyone seen a performer gyrate his hips as Presley did, and he shocked and frightened parents and more conservative Americans across the nation. Teens and young adults loved him, though, and John Lennon (1940–1980) credited Presley as one of the most important influences on his own band, the Beatles.

As television became a major entertainment medium, Presley made guest appearances on the many variety shows of the era, including The Milton Berle Show and The Ed Sullivan Show . Cameramen were instructed to show the performer from the waist up only, to avoid controversy caused by his gyrating hip movements.

The entertainer made his mark in films as well. His first movie, Love Me Tender , was released in 1956. By the time he made his thirty-third and last movie, Presley had become the top box office draw during the previous two decades and had grossed over $150 million. His movies were nothing more than vehicles to showcase his singing and dancing abilities, and all of them included young, beautiful women. Critics agree that Presley's films did as much as his songs to cement his place in cultural history. Some of his more successful movies include Jailhouse Rock (1957), King Creole (1958), G. I. Blues (1960), Blue Hawaii (1961), Girls! Girls! Girls! (1962), and Viva Las Vegas (1964).

Presley served in the U.S. Army from 1958 until his discharge in 1960. While in Germany, he met Priscilla Beaulieu, who later became his wife.

Personal drama

As successful as Presley was in his professional life, his personal life was a succession of failure and struggles. Before Priscilla had even graduated from high school, he had arranged to have her live in his new mansion, Graceland, in Memphis. In 1967, they married, and their only child, Lisa Marie Presley, was born the following year. The couple divorced in 1973.

For Presley's entire career, his personal manager, Colonel Tom Parker (1909–1997), controlled and mismanaged the star's finances. Because of Parker's manipulation, Presley never learned how to manage his own money, and this caused many problems for him. Although Parker was eventually tried for his unethical management dealings, he was found not guilty.

Presley fared little better when it came to managing his own health. Beginning in the late 1960s, he battled with his weight and became increasingly dependent on drugs, mostly amphetamines and sedatives. His doctor, George Nichopoulos, prescribed and dispensed thousands of pills and narcotics to the star.

Weight and drug problems notwithstanding, Presley continued to perform to sell-out audiences well into the 1970s. On August 16, 1977, he was found dead in his home. The official cause of death was heart disease , but when the public learned of his drug addiction , many speculated that drugs led to the heart attack . The world mourned for weeks.

Presley's home, Graceland mansion, remains the top tourist attraction in Memphis in the twenty-first century. Millions of visitors have entered the gates. Presley is the only star to be honored with membership in three music halls of fame: the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Country Music Hall of Fame, and the Gospel Music Hall of Fame. In 2004, he was inducted into the first U.K. Hall of Fame as an honorary member. That same year, to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the song's release, “That's All Right (Mama)” was played simultaneously on more than one thousand radio stations across the nation.

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Following the death of Elvis Presley on August 16, 1977, numerous reports of contact with him began to surface. One set of these reports concluded that he was still alive and for whatever reason had made some random contact with different individuals. The exploration of that hypothesis even became the subject of a prime-time television special on United States television.

At the same time, a number of mediums and other people with some psychic abilities claimed to have contacted Elvis and to have received messages from him in the spirit world. (It is not unusual for mediums to claim contact with famous people who have recently died.) Among the first to claim contact was Milwaukee medium June Young, who claims to have begun receiving messages within days of Elvis's death. She published a magazine, Elvis Still Lives, which included texts of her ongoing contacts.

Journalist Hans Holzer received information on a variety of people with messages, but was most impressed with those received by Dorothy Sherry, who seems to have begun contact in January 1978. The account became the basic story of his recent book Elvis Speaks from the Beyond and other Celebrity Ghost Stories (1993).

Such stories have appeared regularly in the weekly tabloids, among the most recent being a 1995 account of a woman who claimed that she was cured by the ghost of Elvis.

Holzer, Hans. Elvis Speaks from the Beyond and other Celebrity Ghost Stories. New York : Dorset Press, 1993.

"I Was Cured by Ghost of Elvis." Sun (January 24, 1995).

" Elvis . " Encyclopedia of Occultism and Parapsychology . . Encyclopedia.com. 8 Jan. 2025 < https://www.encyclopedia.com > .

"Elvis ." Encyclopedia of Occultism and Parapsychology . . Encyclopedia.com. (January 8, 2025). https://www.encyclopedia.com/science/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/elvis

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The Death of Elvis Presley

The world went into mourning on August 16, 1977, when the King of Rock ’n’ Roll died at the age of 42.

The news headlines from August 16, 1977, presented a surreal impression of what was almost an alternative universe:

“ELVIS IS DEAD”

“ELVIS, KING OF ROCK, DIES AT 42”

“ELVIS PRESLEY DIES OF HEART ATTACK”

It almost seemed unbelievable. Early news reports were short, incomplete and confused. Almost five decades later, it’s still not entirely clear what happened to the “King of Rock ’n’ Roll.”

But what was unmistakably clear was that Elvis Presley , the “greatest rock and roll performer in the world,” had died that day at the relatively young age of 42—leaving fans around the world to ponder what the rest of his life and career might have looked like. Had he lived, Wednesday marks what would have been Presley’s 90 th birthday.

Although his cause of death was originally claimed to be a heart attack, later toxicology reports identified high levels of several pharmaceutical drugs in the musician’s system. Many doubted it. After all, President Richard Nixon had met with Elvis and given him a badge from the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs. There’s even a photo to prove it .

Others just accepted the story as another drug-related death of a rock ’n’ roll star. How the cause of death changed from heart attack to prescription-drug poisoning typified the pattern of a celebrity’s fall from grace.

Presley’s fiancée discovered him incapacitated

On the day he died, Elvis Presley was at his Graceland mansion in Memphis, Tennessee, resting between concert appearances. Sometime around 2:30 p.m., his fiancée, Ginger Alden, found him lying face down on the floor of his spacious bathroom. At 2:33 p.m., a call came into Memphis Fire Station No. 29 indicating that someone at 3754 Elvis Presley Blvd. was having difficulty breathing. Ambulance Unit No. 6 sped out of the station and headed south.

While not a routine trip, local ambulances had made numerous visits to Graceland over the years to take care of fainting fans or pedestrians hit by cars along the crowded sidewalks in front of the mansion. From time to time, the mansion’s owner has also sped away in an ambulance to receive emergency medical treatment.

Within a few minutes, the ambulance neared Graceland. The vehicle made a hard left through the opened iron gates and up the curved driveway to the white-columned portico. One of Presley’s bodyguards allowed the two medics to enter the mansion. With equipment in hand, they rushed up the stairs to the bathroom where they encountered nearly a dozen people huddled over a man in his pajamas, lying prostrate on his back. The medics quickly moved in. Initially, they didn’t recognize the victim, but then noticed the thick, graying sideburns and the large medallion around the neck and realized it was Presley.

Presley was pronounced dead at the hospital

Presley’s skin was dark blue and cold to the touch. Checking for vital signs, the medics detected no pulse and no response to light from his pupils. They quickly prepped him for transport.

It took several men to lift Presley onto the stretcher. He was obese, almost bloated. The unbalanced distribution of weight made navigation difficult around corners and down the stairs. As the medics loaded Presley into the ambulance, a stocky man with white hair leaped into the back just as the doors closed. Dr. George Nichopoulos, Presley’s doctor, affectionately known as Dr. Nick, ordered the driver to take Elvis to Baptist Memorial Hospital, 21 minutes from Graceland. There was a closer option in Methodist South Hospital, which was only 5 minutes away, but Nichopoulos knew the staff at Baptist Hospital was discreet.

At the hospital, emergency personnel made efforts to revive Presley without success. He was pronounced dead at 3:30 p.m. Hospital officials understood that their actions over the next few hours would be crucially important in preparing an official announcement.

Presley’s autopsy led to an investigation into the singer’s doctor

Dr. E. Eric Muirhead, the hospital’s chief of pathology, led a highly skilled team of nine doctors as it conducted the autopsy. During the procedure, doctors found no signs of stroke, heart failure, or lung disease. They saw evidence that Presley was chronically ill with diabetes and constipation. Physical evidence indicated possible long-term use of drugs, but toxicology tests would have to confirm that. After the autopsy, Elvis’ body was released to the funeral home.

At 8:00 p.m. that same day, a news conference was held. Medical examiner Dr. Jerry Francisco took control as spokesperson for the autopsy team, even though he had only witnessed the procedure. He announced that early tests indicated Presley’s cause of death was a cardiac arrhythmia due to undetermined heartbeat—or, more simply, heart failure.

Muirhead and the other members of the autopsy team were stunned. Not only had Francisco presumed to speak for the hospital, but his conclusion didn’t match their findings. They still hadn’t made a conclusion as to the cause of death but believed drug addiction was a probable culprit. Francisco went on to say that determining the official cause of death would take days or even weeks, but that drugs were absolutely not a factor and that there was no evidence of drug abuse, which most people at the time believed meant illegal street drugs.

For a time, most people accepted this finding. But the toxicology report that came out weeks later revealed high levels of pharmaceutical painkillers such as Dilaudid, Quaalude, Percodan, Demerol, and codeine in Elvis’ body. The Tennessee Board of Health began an investigation into Presley’s death and initiated proceedings against Nichopoulos.

During the hearings, evidence was presented that Nichopoulos had written prescriptions for more than 8,000 doses of medication since 1975 and that the pattern had been escalating since then. During the hearings, Nichopoulos admitted to writing the prescriptions. In his defense, he claimed that Elvis was so addicted to pain killers that he prescribed the medications to keep Elvis away from dangerous and illegal street drugs, trying to control his addiction. The jury agreed with the doctor’s rationale and absolved him of negligence in causing Presley’s death.

In 1980, Dr. Nichopoulos was indicted again for overprescribing drugs to Presley and singer Jerry Lee Lewis but was acquitted. However, his questionable medical practice caught up with him and, in 1995, the Tennessee Board of Medical Examiners permanently suspended his medical license for overprescribing drugs to his patients.

An Elvis expert believes genetics were a factor

While overdose continues to linger as a popular theory explaining Presley’s death, a contemporary researcher believes genetics were the primary cause, rather than drug use or the singer’s lifestyle choices.

In a 2025 interview with The Mirror , author Sally A. Hoedel, who published the 2020 book Destined to Die Young , argued Presley “did not die from a drug overdose, as many people believe,” but a cardiac event. According to Hoedel, this is notable because Presley had four relatives that died of heart- or liver-related ailments in their 40s or 50s. One was his mother, Gladys, who underwent a similar four-year period of declining health before her death in August 1958.

“The fact is that much of his poor health was out of his control,” Hoedel explained . “There is a long history of premature death in his family tree. Elvis had disease or disorder in nine of the eleven systems of the body. At least five of those were present prior to fame and most likely since birth as they’re genetic in nature.

“Therefore, they could not have been caused by the stress of fame or his problem with prescription medication. In large part, he was self-medicating through a great deal of illness.”

In any case, Presley was gone and fans rushed to pay their respects.

Mourning fans converged on Graceland

On August 17, the day after Elvis died, the doors of Graceland were opened for a public viewing of Presley’s body. Crowds had gathered early that day and quickly grew to an estimated 100,000. The mourners ranged from pre-teens to middle-aged and older men and women. Many expressed genuine, open sorrow over his death. Others were more upbeat, almost festive, and eager to be part of the cultural history. Due to the extreme temperatures that day, the showing was cut short for fear the heat and humidity would disfigure Elvis’ body.

The following day, a funeral procession of 17 white Cadillacs and a hearse carrying Presley slowly made its way from Graceland to Forrest Hill Cemetery. Under heavy guard, a simple ceremony was conducted. Present were Elvis’ ex-wife, Priscilla ; his daughter, Lisa Marie ; his father, Vernon; and his paternal grandmother, Minnie Mae Presley. Several celebrities, including Chet Atkins, Ann-Margret , Caroline Kennedy , James Brown , Sammy Davis Jr. , and of course Colonel Tom Parker , who had guided and gilded Presley’s career from the start. Elvis was laid to rest in a mausoleum alongside his mother.

After authorities thwarted an attempt to steal Presley’s coffin, his remains and his mother’s were moved to Graceland. He is now buried in the property’s Meditation Garden along with Gladys, Vernon, Minnie Mae, Lisa Marie, and his grandson, Benjamin Keough.

In his 20-plus years as an entertainer, Presley became a defining force of the times. Even today, on what could have been an important birthday milestone, Elvis remains the King to many.

Tyler Piccotti joined the Biography.com staff as an Associate News Editor and is now the News and Culture Editor. He previously worked as a reporter and copy editor for a daily newspaper recognized by the Associated Press Sports Editors. In his current role, he shares the true stories behind your favorite movies and TV shows and profiles rising musicians, actors, and athletes. When he's not working, you can find him at the nearest amusement park or movie theater and cheering on his favorite teams.

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Elvis Presley Biography

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From his birth in a shotgun shack in East Tupelo, Mississippi, to his death in a mansion in Memphis, Tennessee, and through all the struggles and triumphs in between, the life of Elvis Presley is a fascinating story. Even now, thirty years after his death, there's still so much to learn about this man who touched so many lives.

Perhaps because of his humble beginnings, Elvis was always accepted by his fans as "one of them," an honor that no amount of fame, riches, or celebrity could change. Elvis gave unprecedented access and sincere thanks to his fans throughout his life, even when those same fans made it impossible for him to live a normal life.

In the pages of this article, you can explore the life of Elvis Presley, starting with his birth and early life, and the heady first days of fame as a musician. Follow along as he serves his country in the army, then returns to the United States to embark on a new phase of his career, this time as a film idol. Experience again the flamboyant spectacle of the 1970s concert years, and explore the lasting fan phenomenon that continues to surround Elvis to this day.

Start at the beginning, with the birth of Elvis Presley. Learn more about the boy who would grow up to be King in the next section.

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Elvis Presley Biography | A Comprehensive history of Elvis Presley's dynamic life

In the links below we have the important separate articles focusing on each of these individual topics and more and then following that, as much of an overview as one could reasonably be expected to want to read as a basic summary of the life of the one and only King Of Rock 'N' Roll ... Elvis Presley ...

• Elvis Presley Biography

Elvis Aaron Presley was born to Vernon and Gladys Presley in a two-room house in Tupelo, Mississippi, on January 8, 1935. His twin brother, Jessie Garon, was stillborn, leaving Elvis to grow up as an only child.

Elvis and his parents moved to Memphis, Tennessee, in 1948, and Elvis graduated from Humes High School there in 1953. Elvis' musical influences were the pop and country music of the time, the gospel music he heard in church and at the all-night gospel sings he frequently attended, and the black R&B he absorbed on historic Beale Street as a Memphis teenager. In 1954, Elvis began his singing career with the legendary Sun Records label in Memphis. In late 1955, his recording contract was sold to RCA Victor. By 1956, he was an international sensation. With a sound and style that uniquely combined Elvis' diverse musical influences and blurred and challenged the social and racial barriers of the time, he ushered in a whole new era of American music and popular culture. Elvis Presley's dynamic life story from his humble beginnings through his rise to stardom is a fascinating journey that has earned Elvis his still undefeated title of the ' King of Rock 'N Roll '.

His songs are unforgettable - they have stood the test of time, especially his singles of the 1950s, a decade in which he had a song at No. 1. for a full 6 months of that year. An even more incredible statistic is Elvis only started at RCA in January of 1956, there is only two years until he is drafted into the U.S. Army , he made 4 movies during this time. A testament to his incredible breakthrough is the fact that he managed to sell twice as many records in the entire decade of the 1950s with only these two years of recording than any other performer. (There were also the SUN years 1954-1955 but these were not huge for record sales like when he became a national sensation in 1956).

 Dixie Locke Emmons | Elvis' girlfriend

They were also unpredictable. Who could know what the next one would be like? Elvis liberally altered his style to suit each song. There were the early country-boy rockabillies sung in a breathless high pitch, of which My Baby Left Me , Milkcow Blues Boogie and Money Honey are examples. His more mature, aggressive rock 'n' roll stance came out with songs such as Blue Suede Shoes , One Night and A Big Hunk O' Love . his approach to ballads ranged from the ethereal vocal effects on the guitar-tapping version of Blue Moon to smooth crooning on As Long As I Have You , Can't Help Falling In Love and many other slow numbers and movie songs.

January 8, 1935

Elvis Aaron Presley , in the humblest of circumstances, was born to Vernon and Gladys Presley in a two-room house in Tupelo, Mississippi on January 8, 1935. His twin brother, Jessie Garon, was stillborn, leaving Elvis to grow up as an only child. He and his parents moved to Memphis, Tennessee in 1948, and Elvis graduated from Humes High School there in 1953.

His First Guitar

On Elvis' eleventh birthday, his parents bought him a guitar. With the help of his uncle Johnny (Smith) and pastor Frank Smith of the Assembly of God Church, which the Presleys were now attending, he learned some basic cords. However while Elvis did play rhythm in the 1950's he never progressed further as a guitar player, content to let the guitar become more of a prop as time went on. When you have a voice as good as Elvis Presley's, you are not motivated to learn more, instead, he concentrated on improving his voice to get it where he wanted, to be able to sing the bigger songs, like Are You Lonesome Tonight? , It's Now Or Never , both from 1960 and songs such as My Way in the 1970s just to name but a few.

Getting to SUN

Soon after Elvis graduated in June of 1953, he began to explore the possibilities of singing professionally. In July, he went to 706 Union Avenue, a facility owned and run by Sam Phillips , where you could walk in and, for the amount of $3.98, record a two-sided record of your own performance. Elvis chose My Happiness and That's When Your Heartaches Begin . Amazingly both tracks and his follow-up recording in July 1954 of I'll Never Stand In Your Way / It Wouldn't Be The Same (Without You) survived and are available on CD to this day. Biographer Peter Guralnick argues that he chose SUN in the hope of being discovered. Asked by receptionist Marion Keisker what kind of singer he was, Elvis responded, 'I sing all kinds'.

When she pressed him on whom he sounded like, he repeatedly answered, 'I don't sound like nobody'. After he recorded, Sun boss Sam Phillips asked Keisker to note down the young man's name, which she did along with her own commentary: 'Good ballad singer. Hold'. Elvis cut a second acetate in January 1954 - I'll Never Stand In Your Way and It Wouldn't Be the Same Without You - but again nothing came of it.

Not long after, he failed an audition for a local vocal quartet, the 'Songfellows'. He explained to his father, 'They told me I couldn't sing'. Songfellow Jim Hamill later claimed that he was turned down because he did not demonstrate an ear for harmony at the time. In April, Elvis began working for the Crown Electric company as a truck driver. His friend Ronnie Smith, after playing a few local gigs with him, suggested he contact Eddie Bond, leader of Smith's professional band, which had an opening for a vocalist. Bond allegedly rejected him after a tryout, advising Elvis to stick to truck driving 'because you're never going to make it as a singer'.

Then Sam Phillips received a song from Nashville music publisher Sam Wortham, the same person who had delivered Just Walking In The Rain , SUN's first big hit record (The Prisonaires (Sun 186)). Phillips heard something in this new song, but he couldn't find the singer on the demo, so he finally decided that it just might fit the young man that Marion had kept reminding him about. The song was called Without You , a heartfelt, but an unexceptional ballad. The date, June 26, 1954, Marion phoned Elvis asking if he could come down to the studio. Elvis later said he ran all the way. But Elvis just couldn't get it right. This could have been the final rejection, the ultimate disappointment, if not for Sam's belief in raw talent and how to uncover it. He invited Elvis to sing everything he knew. Although just shop-worn ballads were presented to him, Phillips did not make a final decision on 'the boy'. Sam talked about it with Scotty Moore , guitarist in the group 'The Starlite Ranglers'. Sam told Scotty to check Elvis out and gave him Elvis' phone number.

On July 4, 1956 Elvis went over to Scotty Moore's house to sing with Scotty and Bill Black to see what Elvis could do. Bobbie Moore, Scotty's wife says he had a good voice and they sang a lot of songs like ' I Love You Because ' (Eventually it become the second song professionally recorded and released on Elvis' first RCA LP, Elvis Presley ). When Elvis left, Scotty and Bill discussed the proceedings, Bill turned to Scotty and looked at him kinda funny, 'What do you think of him?' Scotty said, 'Well, he's got a good voice, good singer, if we can find the right material'. So he called Sam and Sam said, You got the next night to rehearse' (At SUN).

July 5, 1954 : Rockabilly and Rock 'N' Roll are Born

July 5, as agreed, Elvis, Scotty, and Bill arrived at the SUN Studio after work. Sam went into the control room. The threesome continued, as they had done at Scotty's house, with what was basically a recap of artists like Eddy Arnold, Hank Snow and 'The Ink Spots'. The first documented song was Harbor Lights , a #1 hit in 1950 for Sammy Kaye and his Orchestra, but covered instantly by Bing Crosby .

The evening's defining moment came after four shaky attempts at Leon Payne's 1949 country hit, I Love You Because . It was during a break that Arthur 'Big Boy' Crudup's That's All Right materialized.

That's All Right

Scotty Moore: 'All of a sudden, Elvis just got started singing this song, jumping around and acting the fool, and then Bill picked up his bass and started acting the fool, too, and I started playing with them. Sam had the door to the control room open and stuck his neck out. 'What are you doing?' he asked. 'We don't know', we said. 'Well, back up, try to find a place to start, and do it again'.

Elvis: 'I never sang like that in my life, until I made that first record ... I remembered that song because I heard Arthur sing it, and I thought I would like to try it. That was it'.

The DJ : Dewey Phillips

Interviewing Elvis on-air, Phillips asked him what high school he attended in order to clarify his color for the many callers who had assumed he was black.

Blue Moon Of Kentucky: The 'B' Side

A B-side was needed so on July 7 the trio again gathered at SUN with nothing prepared. Scotty Moore: 'Bill was the one who started to clown around singing the Bill Monroe song, Blue Moon Of Kentucky , imitating Bill Monroe in a high falsetto voice, but at a fast tempo, whereas the original was done real slow. (But it can be said he was no imitating Elvis' performance on That's All Right ). Elvis started singing along, with both singing high tenor. Things started to happen real fast. Two-sided dubs were sent to nearby radio stations, including Bob Neal at WMPS and 'Sleepy-Eyed' John at WHHM. Concerned about control, Sam convinced Scotty Moore to take on Elvis' management, ensuring that the teenager would be insulated from opportunists.

It is interesting that Bill Monroe who wrote Blue Moon of Kentucky and recorded it with his Bluegrass Boys in 1946 re-recorded it himself in 4/4 time rather than the original 3/4 after hearing--and seeing--Elvis perform it and at the Louisiana Hayride . (See Peter Guralnick's Last Train to Memphis , pages 121-129, for a more detailed account of this interesting collision of musical worlds.) Sam Phillips was relieved when the country legend and 'founder' of Bluegrass offered praises rather than the anticipated scorn for Presley's version of his tune. At 19, Elvis somehow had the instinct to sing the song perfectly. Even the songwriter admitted it.

The First Live performances

The trio played publicly for the first time on July 17 at the Bon Air club - Elvis still sporting his child-size guitar.

At the end of the month, they appeared at the Overton Park Shell, with Slim Whitman headlining. A combination of his strong response to rhythm and nervousness at playing before a large crowd led Elvis to shake his legs as he performed: his wide-cut pants emphasized his movements, causing young women in the audience to start screaming. Moore recalled, 'During the instrumental parts he would back off from the mike and be playing and shaking, and the crowd would just go wild'. Black, a natural showman, whooped and rode his bass, hitting double licks that Elvis would later remember as 'really a wild sound, like a jungle drum or something'. Soon after, Moore and Black quit their old band to play with Elvis regularly, and promoter Bob Neal became the trio's manager. From August through October, they played frequently at the Eagle's Nest club and returned to Sun Studio for more recording sessions, and Elvis quickly grew more confident on stage. According to Moore, 'His movement was a natural thing, but he was also very conscious of what got a reaction. He'd do something one time and then he would expand on it real quick'. Elvis made what would be his only appearance on Nashville's Grand Ole Opry on October 2; after a polite audience response, Opry manager Jim Denny told Phillips that his singer was 'not bad' but did not suit the program. Two weeks later, Elvis was booked on Louisiana Hayride, the Opry's chief, and more adventurous, rival. The Shreveport-based show was broadcast to 198 radio stations in 28 states. Elvis had another attack of nerves during the first set, which drew a muted reaction. A more composed and energetic second set inspired an enthusiastic response.

House drummer D.J. Fontana brought a new element, complementing Elvis' movements with accented beats that he had mastered playing in strip clubs. Soon after the show, the Hayride engaged Elvis for a year's worth of Saturday-night appearances. Trading in his old guitar for $8 (and seeing it promptly dispatched to the garbage), he purchased a Martin instrument for $175, and his trio began playing in new locales including Houston, Texas, and Texarkana, Arkansas. In October D.J. Fontana was hired to play drums for Elvis.

Using a very bare-bones drum kit, D.J. sat behind a curtain, unseen by the audience, and played behind Elvis and the boys as they performed the two songs allotted them, which were That's Alright Mama , and possibly (D.J.'s memory was a little sketchy) Blue Moon of Kentucky .

By early 1955, Elvis' regular Hayride appearances, constant touring, and well-received record releases had made him a substantial regional star, from Tennessee to West Texas. In January, Neal signed a formal management contract with Elvis and brought the singer to the attention of Colonel Tom Parker , whom he considered the best promoter in the music business. Parker, Dutch-born, though he claimed to be from West Virginia - had acquired an honorary colonel's commission from country singer turned Louisiana governor Jimmie Davis. Having successfully managed top country star Eddy Arnold, he was now working with the new number one country singer, Hank Snow. Parker booked Elvis on Snow's February tour. When the tour reached Odessa, Texas, a 19-year-old Roy Orbison saw Elvis for the first time: 'His energy was incredible, his instinct was just amazing, I just didn't know what to make of it. There was just no reference point in the culture to compare it'.

RCA and The Colonel

RCA Victor acquired Elvis' contract in a deal arranged by Colonel Tom Parker , who would go on to be his famous manager. Parker arranged with the owners of Hill and Range Publishing, Jean and Julian Aberbach, to create two entities, Elvis Presley Music and Gladys Music, to handle all of the new material recorded by Elvis. Songwriters were obliged to forego one-third of their customary royalties in exchange for having him perform their compositions. By December, RCA had begun to heavily promote its new singer, and before month's end had reissued many of his Sun recordings. Elvis, at 20, was still a minor, so his father signed the contract.

Commercial breakout and controversy (1956-58) : First national TV appearances

On January 10, 1956, Elvis made his first recordings for RCA in Nashville. Extending the singer's by now customary backup of Scotty Moore, Bill Black, and D.J. Fontana, RCA enlisted pianist Floyd Cramer, guitarist Chet Atkins, and three background singers, including Gordon Stoker of the popular Jordanaires quartet, to fill out the sound. The session produced the moody, unusual Heartbreak Hotel , released as a single on January 27. Colonel Parker finally brought Elvis to national television, booking him on CBS's Stage Show for six appearances over two months. The program, produced in New York, was hosted on alternate weeks by big band leaders and brothers Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey. After his first appearance, on January 28, Elvis stayed in town to record at RCA's New York studio . The sessions yielded eight songs, including a cover of Carl Perkins' rockabilly anthem Blue Suede Shoes . In February, Elvis' I Forgot to Remember to Forget , a Sun recording initially released the previous August, reached the top of the Billboard country chart. Neal's contract was terminated and, on March 2, Parker became Elvis' manager. RCA Victor released Elvis' self-titled debut album on March 23. Joined by five previously unreleased Sun recordings, its seven recently recorded tracks were of a broad variety. There were two country songs and a bouncy pop tune. The others would centrally define the evolving sound of rock and roll: Blue Suede Shoes - 'an improvement over Carl Perkins ' in almost every way', according to critic Robert Hilburn - and three R&B numbers that had been part of Elvis' stage repertoire for some time, covers of Little Richard, Ray Charles, and The Drifters. As described by Hilburn, these 'were the most revealing of all. Unlike many white artists, who watered down the gritty edges of the original R&B versions of songs in the '50s, Elvis reshaped them. He not only injected the tunes with his own vocal character but also made guitar, not piano, the lead instrument in all three cases'. It became the first rock and roll album to top the Billboard chart, a position it held for 10 weeks. While Elvis was not an innovative instrumentalist like Moore or contemporary African American rockers Bo Diddley and Chuck Berry , cultural historian Gilbert B. Rodman argues that the album's cover image, 'of Elvis having the time of his life on stage with a guitar in his hands played a crucial role in positioning the guitar, as the instrument that best captured the style and spirit of this new music'.

Historic Television Guest Appearances

In 1956, Elvis made his network television debut.

The first of his six appearances on Stage Show, a weekly variety program hosted by Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey. He followed these with two appearances on The Milton Berle Show , the second of which included a performance of Hound Dog that was so provocative (for that time, anyway) that it caused a national scandal. Elvis next appeared on The Steve Allen Show , with Allen mocking the sensation of the Berle appearance by having Elvis dress in a tuxedo, eliminate his usual physical gyrations, and sing Hound Dog to a Basset Hound.

Ed Sullivan had once said he would never have the controversial singer on his top-rated show, but that was before the week that Elvis' appearance on Steve Allen had surpassed Sullivan's ratings. After negotiating with Elvis' manager, Ed Sullivan paid Elvis the huge sum of $50,000 for appearing on three of his shows: September 9, 1956 , October 28, 1956 , and then on January 6, 1957 . $50,000 was, at the time, more money than any performer had ever been paid to appear on a network variety program. Elvis' first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show was a major success. Over 60 million people, both young and old, watched the show and many people believe it helped bridge the generation gap for Elvis' acceptance into the mainstream. Elvis performed, Don't Be Cruel, Love Me Tender, Ready Teddy and Hound Dog . When Elvis made his third Sullivan appearance in January of 1957, Ed Sullivan surprised Elvis by telling him on camera that his show had never had a better experience with a name act, and said 'I wanted to say to Elvis and the country that this is a real decent, fine boy'.

It was on this very same Sullivan appearance that Elvis was shown on camera from the waist up only, one of early television history's most memorable moments. Elvis' next network television appearance was in 1960 when Frank Sinatra gave his variety show a 'Welcome Home, Elvis' theme to herald Elvis' return from the army. Elvis was paid $125,000 to appear - again, making history.

 Barbara Gray reveals a secret

Milton Berle Show and 'Hound Dog'

Elvis made the first of two appearances on NBC's Milton Berle Show on April 3. His performance, on the deck of the USS Hancock in San Diego, prompted cheers and screams from an audience of sailors and their dates. A few days later, a flight taking Elvis and his band to Nashville for a recording session left all three badly shaken when an engine died and the plane almost went down over Arkansas. Twelve weeks after its original release, Heartbreak Hotel became Elvis' first number one pop hit. In late April, Elvis began a two-week residency at the New Frontier Hotel and Casino on the Las Vegas Strip. The shows were poorly received by the conservative, middle-aged hotel guests - 'like a jug of corn liquor at a champagne party', wrote a critic for Newsweek. Amid his Vegas tenure, Elvis, who had serious acting ambitions, signed a seven-year contract with Paramount Pictures. He began a tour of the Midwest in mid-May, taking in 15 cities in as many days. He had attended several shows by Freddie Bell and the Bellboys in Vegas and was struck by their cover of Hound Dog , a hit in 1952 for blues singer Big Mama Thornton. It became the new closing number of his act. After a show in La Crosse, Wisconsin, an urgent message on the letterhead of the local Catholic diocese newspaper was sent to FBI director J. Edgar Hoover. It warned that 'Elvis is a definite danger to the security of the United States, (His) actions and motions were such as to arouse the sexual passions of teenaged youth, After the show, more than 1,000 teenagers tried to gang into Elvis' room at the auditorium, Indications of the harm Elvis did just in La Crosse were the two high school girls, whose abdomen and thigh had Elvis' autograph'.

The second Milton Berle Show appearance came on June 5 at NBC's Hollywood studio, amid another hectic tour. Berle persuaded the singer to leave his guitar backstage, advising, 'Let 'em see you, son'. During the performance, Elvis abruptly halted an uptempo rendition of Hound Dog with a wave of his arm and launched into a slow, grinding version accentuated with energetic, exaggerated body movements.

Elvis' gyrations created a storm of controversy. Television critics were outraged: Jack Gould of The New York Times wrote, 'Mr. Elvis has no discernible singing ability, His phrasing if it can be called that, consists of the stereotyped variations that go with a beginner's aria in a bathtub, His one specialty is an accented movement of the body, primarily identified with the repertoire of the blond bombshells of the burlesque runway'. Ben Gross of the New York Daily News opined that popular music 'has reached its lowest depths in the 'grunt and groin' antics of one Elvis Presley, Elvis, who rotates his pelvis, gave an exhibition that was suggestive and vulgar, tinged with the kind of animalism that should be confined to dives and bordellos'. Ed Sullivan, whose own variety show was the nation's most popular, declared him 'unfit for family viewing'.

To Elvis' displeasure, he soon found himself being referred to as 'Elvis the Pelvis', which he called 'one of the most childish expressions I ever heard, comin' from an adult'.

Steve Allen Show and first Sullivan appearance

The Berle shows drew such high ratings that Elvis was booked for a July 1 appearance on NBC's The Steve Allen Show in New York. Allen, no fan of rock and roll, introduced a 'new Elvis' in a white bow tie and black tails. Elvis sang 'Hound Dog' for less than a minute to a basset hound wearing a top hat and bow tie.

As described by television historian Jake Austen, 'Allen thought Elvis was talentless and absurd, (he) set things up so that Elvis would show his contrition'. Allen, for his part, later wrote that he found Elvis' strange, gangly, country-boy charisma, his hard-to-define cuteness, and his charming eccentricity intriguing' and simply worked the singer into the customary 'comedy fabric' of his program.

Elvis would refer back to the Allen show as the most ridiculous performance of his career. Later that night, he appeared on Elvis Hy Gardner Calling a popular local TV show. Pressed on whether he had learned anything from the criticism to which he was being subjected, Elvis responded, 'No, I haven't, I don't feel like I'm doing anything wrong, I don't see how any type of music would have any bad influence on people when it's only music, I mean, how would rock 'n' roll music make anyone rebel against their parents?' The next day, Elvis recorded Hound Dog , along with Any Way You Want Me and Don't Be Cruel . The Jordanaires sang harmony, as they had on The Steve Allen Show; they would work with Elvis through the 1960s. A few days later, the singer made an outdoor concert appearance in Memphis at which he announced, 'You know, those people in New York are not gonna change me none. I'm gonna show you what the real Elvis is like tonight'. In August, a judge in Jacksonville, Florida, ordered Elvis to tame his act. Throughout the following performance, he largely kept still, except for wiggling his little finger suggestively in mockery of the order. The single pairing Don't Be Cruel with Hound Dog ruled the top of the charts for 11 weeks - a mark that would not be surpassed for 36 years. Recording sessions for Elvis' second album took place in Hollywood during the first week of September. Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller , the writers of Hound Dog , contributed Love Me .

The Ed Sullivan Show

Allen's show with Elvis had, for the first time, beaten CBS's The Ed Sullivan Show in the ratings. Sullivan, despite his June pronouncement, booked the singer for three appearances for an unprecedented $50,000. The first, on September 9, 1956, was seen by approximately 60 million viewers - a record 82.6 percent of the television audience. Actor Charles Laughton hosted the show, filling in while Sullivan recuperated from a car accident. Elvis appeared in two segments that night from CBS Television City in Hollywood. According to Elvis legend, Elvis was shot only from the waist up. Watching clips of the Allen and Berle shows with his producer, Sullivan had opined that Elvis 'got some kind of device hanging down below the crotch of his pants - so when he moves his legs back and forth you can see the outline of his cock, I think it's a Coke bottle, We just can't have this on a Sunday night. This is a family show!' Sullivan publicly told TV Guide, 'As for his gyrations, the whole thing can be controlled with camera shots'. In fact, Elvis was shown head-to-toe in the first and second shows. Though the camera work was relatively discreet during his debut, with leg-concealing close ups when he danced, the studio audience reacted in customary style: screaming. Elvis' performance of his forthcoming single, the ballad Love Me Tender , prompted a record-shattering million advance orders. More than any other single event, it was this first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show that made Elvis a national celebrity of barely precedented proportions. Accompanying Elvis' rise to fame, a cultural shift was taking place that he both helped inspire and came to symbolize. Igniting the 'biggest pop craze since Glenn Miller and Frank Sinatra, Elvis brought rock'n'roll into the mainstream of popular culture', writes historian Marty Jezer. 'As Elvis set the artistic pace, other artists followed, Elvis, more than anyone else, gave the young a belief in themselves as a distinct and somehow unified generation - the first in America ever to feel the power of an integrated youth culture'.

Elvis Presley's Graceland

Graceland , Elvis Presley's home and refuge for twenty years, is one of the most visited homes in America today, now attracting over 600,000 visitors annually. It is also the most famous home in America after the White House. In 1991, Graceland Mansion was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Military service and mother's death (1958-60)

On March 24, 1958 , Elvis was inducted into the U.S. Army as a private at Fort Chaffee, near Fort Smith, Arkansas. Captain Arlie Metheny, the information officer, was unprepared for the media attention drawn by the singer's arrival. Hundreds of people descended on Elvis as he stepped from the bus; photographers then accompanied him into the base. Elvis announced that he was looking forward to his military stint, saying he did not want to be treated any differently from anyone else: 'The Army can do anything it wants with me'. Later, at Fort Hood, Texas, Lieutenant Colonel Marjorie Schulten gave the media carte blanche for one day, after which she declared Elvis off-limits to the press. Soon after Elvis had commenced basic training at Fort Hood, he received a visit from Eddie Fadal, a businessman he had met when on tour in Texas. Fadal reported that Elvis had become convinced his career was finished - 'He firmly believed that'.

During a two-week leave in early June, Elvis cut five sides in Nashville. He returned to training, but in early August his mother was diagnosed with hepatitis and her condition worsened. Elvis was granted emergency leave to visit her, arriving in Memphis on August 12. Two days later, Gladys died of heart failure, aged 46 . Elvis was devastated; their relationship had remained extremely close - even into his adulthood, they would use baby talk with each other and Elvis would address her with pet names.

After training at Fort Hood, Elvis joined the 3rd Armored Division in Friedberg, Germany, on October 1. The Army also introduced Elvis to karate, which he studied seriously, later including it in his live performances. Fellow soldiers have attested to Elvis' wish to be seen as an able, ordinary soldier, despite his fame, and to his generosity while in the service. He donated his Army pay to charity, purchased TV sets for the base, and bought an extra set of fatigues for everyone in his outfit.

While in Friedberg, Elvis met 14-year-old Priscilla Beaulieu . They would eventually marry after a seven-and-a-half-year courtship. In her autobiography, Priscilla says that despite his worries that it would ruin his career, Parker convinced Elvis that to gain popular respect, he should serve his country as a regular soldier rather than in Special Services, where he would have been able to give some musical performances and remain in touch with the public. Media reports echoed Elvis' concerns about his career, but RCA producer Steve Sholes and Freddy Bienstock of Hill and Range had carefully prepared for his two-year hiatus. Armed with a substantial amount of unreleased material, they kept up a regular stream of successful releases. Between his induction and discharge, Elvis had ten top 40 hits, including Wear My Ring Around Your Neck , the best-selling Hard Headed Woman , and One Night in 1958, and (Now and Then There's) A Fool Such as I and the number one A Big Hunk O' Love in 1959. RCA also managed to generate four albums compiling old material during this period, most successfully Elvis' Golden Records (1958), which hit number three on the LP chart.

Focus on movies (1960-67) : Elvis Is Back

Elvis returned to the United States on March 2, 1960 , and was honorably discharged with the rank of sergeant on March 5 . The train that carried him from New Jersey to Tennessee was mobbed all the way, and Elvis was called upon to appear at scheduled stops to please his fans. Back in Memphis, he wasted no time in returning to the studio. Sessions in March and April yielded two of his best-selling singles, the ballads It's Now or Never and Are You Lonesome Tonight? , and Elvis Is Back! The album features several songs described by Greil Marcus as full of Chicago blues 'menace, driven by Elvis' own super-miked acoustic guitar, brilliant playing by Scotty Moore, and demonic sax work from Boots Randolph. Elvis' singing wasn't sexy, it was pornographic'.

As a whole, the record 'conjured up the vision of a performer who could be all things', in the words of music historian John Robertson: 'a flirtatious teenage idol with a heart of gold; a tempestuous, dangerous lover; a gutbucket blues singer; a sophisticated nightclub entertainer; (a) raucous rocker'. Released only days after recording was complete, it reached number two on the album chart.

Elvis returned to television on May 12 as a guest on The Frank Sinatra Timex Special - ironic for both stars, given Sinatra's not-so-distant excoriation of rock and roll. Also known as Welcome Home Elvis, the show had been taped in late March, the only time all year Elvis performed in front of an audience. Parker secured an unheard-of $125,000 fee for eight minutes of singing. The broadcast drew an enormous viewership.

It is important to note that at the time Elvis came to prominence it was the normal thing for a big star in the music field to cross over to movies. They did not have the technology nor music videos, MTV etc. So Hollywood it was, and it was Elvis' dream to be a good actor, he held out hope for years that he would be given a good script and succeed in the movie business, eventually accepting this was not to be ...

 Ann-Margret talks about Elvis

Elvis Presley starred in 31 feature films as an actor and two theatrically released concert documentary films , all of which enjoyed financial success. For a number of years he was one of Hollywood's top box office draws and one of its highest-paid actors. His two most critically acclaimed films, Jailhouse Rock (1957) and King Creole (1958) have become classics of their era. His movies and concert films enjoy a healthy life today in television syndication and home video sales and rentals. Some of his top-selling music came from his movies. Eleven of his movie soundtrack albums went to the top ten, and of those, four went to number one.

The soundtrack for G.I. Blues (1960), was number one on the Billboard Top 100 album chart for 10 weeks and remained on the chart for 111 weeks. The album from Blue Hawaii was number one for 20 weeks and was on the chart for 79 weeks G.I. Blues , the soundtrack to Elvis' first film since his return, was a number one album in October. His first LP of sacred material, His Hand in Mine , followed two months later. It reached number 13 on the U.S. pop chart and number 3 in Great Britain, remarkable figures for a gospel album. In February 1961, Elvis performed two shows for a benefit event in Memphis, on behalf of 24 local charities. During a luncheon preceding the event, RCA presented him with a plaque certifying worldwide sales of over 75 million records . A 12-hour Nashville session in mid-March yielded nearly all of Elvis' next studio album, Something for Everybody. As described by John Robertson, it exemplifies the Nashville sound, the restrained, cosmopolitan style that would define country music in the 1960s. Presaging much of what was to come from Elvis himself over the next half-decade, the album is largely 'a pleasant, unthreatening pastiche of the music that had once been Elvis' birthright'. It would be his sixth number one LP. Another benefit concert, raising money for a Pearl Harbor memorial, was staged on March 25, in Hawaii. It was to be Elvis' last public performance for seven years.

Lost in Hollywood

Parker had by now pushed Elvis into a heavy movie making schedule, focused on formulaic, modestly budgeted musical-comedies. Elvis at first insisted on pursuing more serious roles, but when two films in a more dramatic vein - Flaming Star (1960) and Wild in the Country (1961) - were less commercially successful, he reverted to the formula. For the remainder of the decade, during which he made 27 movies, there were few further exceptions. His films were almost universally panned; one critic dismissed them as a 'pantheon of bad taste'. Nonetheless, they were virtually all profitable. Hal Wallis , who produced nine of them, declared, 'An Elvis picture is the only sure thing in Hollywood'. Of Elvis' films in the 1960s, 15 were accompanied by soundtrack albums and another 5 by soundtrack EPs. The movies' rapid production and release schedules - he frequently starred in three a year - affected his music.

According to Jerry Leiber , the soundtrack formula was already evident before Elvis left for the Army: 'three ballads, one medium-tempo (number), one up-tempo, and one break blues boogie'. As the decade wore on, the quality of the soundtrack songs grew 'progressively worse'. Julie Parrish, who appeared in Paradise, Hawaiian Style (1966), says that he hated many of the songs chosen for his films. The Jordanaires ' Gordon Stoker describes how Elvis would retreat from the studio microphone: 'The material was so bad that he felt like he couldn't sing it'. Most of the movie albums featured a song or two from respected writers such as the team of Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman . But by and large, according to biographer Jerry Hopkins, the numbers seemed to be 'written on order by men who never really understood Elvis or rock and roll'. Regardless of the songs' quality, it has been argued that Elvis generally sang them well, with commitment. Critic Dave Marsh heard the opposite: 'Elvis isn't trying, probably the wisest course in the face of material like No Room to Rumba in a Sports Car and Rock-a-Hula Baby .

In the first half of the decade, three of Elvis' soundtrack albums hit number one on the pop charts, and a few of his most popular songs came from his films, such as Can't Help Falling in Love (1961) and Return to Sender (1962). Viva Las Vegas , the title track to the 1964 film, was a minor hit as a B-side, and became truly popular only later.) But, as with artistic merit, the commercial returns steadily diminished.

During a five-year span - 1964 through 1968 - Elvis had only one top ten hit: Crying in the Chapel (1965), a gospel number recorded back in 1960. As for non-movie albums, between the June 1962 release of Pot Luck and the November 1968 release of the soundtrack to the television special that signaled his comeback, only one LP of new material by Elvis was issued: the gospel album How Great Thou Art (1967). It won him his first Grammy Award, for Best Sacred Performance. As described in The New Rolling Stone Album Guide, Elvis was 'arguably the greatest white gospel singer of his time (and) really the last rock & roll artist to make gospel as vital a component of his musical personality as his secular songs'.

 Elvis Presley and Priscilla | Getting Married

 Lisa Marie growing up, Graceland

Comeback (1968-73) : Elvis: the '68 Comeback Special

Elvis' only child, Lisa Marie , was born on February 1, 1968, during a period when he had grown deeply unhappy with his career. Of the eight Elvis singles released between January 1967 and May 1968, only two charted in the top 40, and none higher than number 28. His forthcoming soundtrack album, Speedway, would die at number 82 on the Billboard chart. Parker had already shifted his plans to television, where Elvis had not appeared since the Sinatra Timex show in 1960. He maneuvered a deal with NBC that committed the network to both finance a theatrical feature and broadcast a Christmas special.

Later known as the '68 Comeback Special , the show featured lavishly staged studio productions as well as songs performed with a band in front of a small audience - Elvis' first live performances since 1961. The live segments saw Elvis clad in tight black leather, singing and playing guitar in an uninhibited style reminiscent of his early rock and roll days. Director and co producer Steve Binder had worked hard to reassure the nervous singer and to produce a show that was far from the hour of Christmas songs Parker had originally planned. The show, NBC's highest rated that season, captured 42 percent of the total viewing audience. Jon Landau of Eye magazine remarked, 'There is something magical about watching a man who has lost himself find his way back home. He sang with the kind of power people no longer expect of rock 'n' roll singers. He moved his body with a lack of pretension and effort that must have made Jim Morrison green with envy'.

From Elvis In Memphis and the International

Buoyed by the experience of the Comeback Special, Elvis engaged in a prolific series of recording sessions at American Sound Studio , which led to the acclaimed From Elvis in Memphis . Released in June 1969, it was his first secular, non-soundtrack album from a dedicated period in the studio in eight years. As described by Dave Marsh, it is 'a masterpiece in which Elvis immediately catches up with pop music trends that had seemed to pass him by during the movie years. He sings country songs, soul songs and rockers with real conviction, a stunning achievement'. The album featured the hit single In the Ghetto , issued in April, which reached number three on the pop chart - Elvis' first non-gospel top ten hit since Bossa Nova Baby in 1963. Further hit singles were culled from the American Sound sessions : Suspicious Minds , Don't Cry Daddy , and Kentucky Rain .

Elvis was keen to resume regular live performing. Following the success of the Comeback Special, offers came in from around the world. The London Palladium offered Parker $28,000 for a one-week engagement. He responded, 'That's fine for me, now how much can you get for Elvis?' In May, the brand new International Hotel in Las Vegas, boasting the largest showroom in the city, announced that it had booked Elvis. He was scheduled to perform 57 shows over four weeks beginning July 31. Moore, Fontana, and the Jordanaires declined to participate, afraid of losing the lucrative session work they had in Nashville.

Elvis assembled new, top-notch accompaniment, led by guitarist James Burton and including two gospel groups, The Imperials and Sweet Inspirations . Nonetheless, he was nervous: his only previous Las Vegas engagement, in 1956, had been dismal. Parker, who intended to make Elvis' return the show business event of the year, oversaw a major promotional push. For his part, hotel owner Kirk Kerkorian arranged to send his own plane to New York to fly in rock journalists for the debut performance.

Elvis took to the stage without introduction. The audience of 2,200, including many celebrities, gave him a standing ovation before he sang a note and another after his performance. A third followed his encore, Can't Help Falling in Love (a song that would be his closing number for much of the 1970s).

At a press conference after the show , when a journalist referred to him as 'The King', Elvis gestured toward Fats Domino, who was taking in the scene. 'No', Elvis said, 'that's the real king of rock and roll'. The next day, Parker's negotiations with the hotel resulted in a five-year contract for Elvis to play each February and August, at an annual salary of $1 million. Newsweek commented, 'There are several unbelievable things about Elvis, but the most incredible is his staying power in a world where meteoric careers fade like shooting stars'. Rolling Stone called Elvis' upernatural, his own resurrection'. In November, Elvis' final non-concert movie, Change Of Habit , opened.

The double album From Memphis To Vegas/From Vegas To Memphis came out the same month; the first LP consisted of live performances from the International, the second of more cuts from the American Sound sessions. Suspicious Minds reached the top of the charts - Elvis' first U.S. pop number one in over seven years, and his last. Cassandra Peterson, later television's Elvira, met Elvis during this period in Las Vegas, where she was working as showgirl. She recalls of their encounter, 'He was so anti-drug when I met him. I mentioned to him that I smoked marijuana, and he was just appalled'.

He said, 'Don't ever do that again'. Elvis was not only deeply opposed to recreational drugs, he also rarely drank. Several of his family members had been alcoholics, a fate he intended to avoid.

Back on tour and meeting Nixon

Elvis returned to the International early in 1970 for the first of the year's two month-long engagements, performing two shows a night. Recordings from these shows were issued on the album On Stage. In late February, Elvis performed six attendance-record - breaking shows at the Houston Astrodome . In April, the single The Wonder of You was issued - a number one hit in Great Britain, it topped the U.S. adult contemporary chart, as well.

The album That's the Way It Is , produced to accompany the documentary and featuring both studio and live recordings, marked a stylistic shift. As music historian John Robertson notes, 'The authority of Elvis' singing helped disguise the fact that the album stepped decisively away from the American-roots inspiration of the Memphis sessions towards a more middle-of-the-road sound.

With country put on the back burner, and soul and R&B left in Memphis, what was left was very classy, very clean white pop - perfect for the Las Vegas crowd, but a definite retrograde step for Elvis'. After the end of his International engagement on September 7, Elvis embarked on a week-long concert tour, largely of the South, his first since 1958. Another week-long tour, of the West Coast, followed in November.

On December 21, 1970 , Elvis engineered a bizarre meeting with President Richard Nixon at the White House, where he expressed his patriotism and his contempt for the hippie drug culture. He asked Nixon for a Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs badge , to add to similar items he had begun collecting and to signify official sanction of his patriotic efforts. Nixon, who apparently found the encounter awkward, expressed a belief that Elvis could send a positive message to young people and that it was therefore important he 'retain his credibility'. Elvis told Nixon that The Beatles , whose songs he regularly performed in concert during the era, exemplified what he saw as a trend of anti-Americanism and drug abuse in popular culture. (Elvis and his friends had had a four-hour get-together with The Beatles five years earlier.)

The U.S. Junior Chamber of Commerce named Elvis one of its annual Ten Most Outstanding Young Men of the Nation on January 16, 1971. Not long after, the City of Memphis named the stretch of Highway 51 South on which Graceland is located 'Elvis Presley Boulevard'. The same year, Elvis became the first rock and roll singer to be awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award (then known as the Bing Crosby Award ) by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, the Grammy Award organization. Three new, non-movie Elvis studio albums were released in 1971, as many as had come out over the previous eight years. Best received by critics was Elvis Country , a concept record that focused on genre standards. The biggest seller was Elvis Sings the Wonderful World of Christmas , 'the truest statement of all', according to Greil Marcus. 'In the midst of ten painfully genteel Christmas songs, every one sung with appalling sincerity and humility, one could find Elvis tom-catting his way through six blazing minutes of Merry Christmas, Baby , a raunchy old Charles Brown blues, If (Elvis') sin was his lifelessness, it was his sinfulness that brought him to life'.

Marriage breakdown and Aloha from Hawaii

MGM again filmed Elvis in April 1972, this time for Elvis on Tour , which went on to win the Golden Globe Award for Best Documentary Film that year. His gospel album He Touched Me , released that month, would earn him his second Grammy Award, for Best Inspirational Performance. A 14-date tour commenced with an unprecedented four consecutive sold-out shows at New York's Madison Square Garden.

The evening concert on July 10 was recorded and issued in LP form a week later. Elvis: As Recorded at Madison Square Garden became one of Elvis' biggest-selling albums. After the tour, the single Burning Love was released - Elvis' last top ten hit on the U.S. pop chart. 'The most exciting single Elvis has made since All Shook Up , wrote rock critic Robert Christgau. 'Who else could make 'It's coming closer, the flames are now licking my body' sound like an assignation with James Brown's backup band?' Elvis and his wife, meanwhile, had become increasingly distant, barely cohabiting. The Presleys separated on February 23, 1972, after Priscilla disclosed her relationship with Mike Stone, a karate instructor Elvis had recommended to her. Five months later, Elvis' new girlfriend, Linda Thompson , a songwriter and one-time Memphis beauty queen, moved in with him. Elvis and his wife filed for divorce on August 18. In January 1973, Elvis performed two benefit concerts for the Kui Lee Cancer Fund in connection with a groundbreaking TV special, Aloha from Hawaii . The first show served as a practice run and backup should technical problems affect the live broadcast two days later.

Aired as scheduled on January 14, 'Aloha from Hawaii' was the first global concert satellite broadcast, reaching approximately 1.5 billion viewers live and on tape delay.

Elvis' costume became the most recognized example of the elaborate concert garb with which his latter-day persona became closely associated. As described by Bobbie Ann Mason, 'At the end of the show, when he spreads out his American Eagle cape , with the full stretched wings of the eagle studded on the back, he becomes a god figure'. The accompanying double album, released in February, went to number one and eventually sold over 5 million copies in the United States. It proved to be Elvis' last U.S. number one pop album during his lifetime. At a midnight show the same month, four men rushed onto the stage in an apparent attack. Security men leapt to Elvis' defense, and the singer's karate instinct took over as he ejected one invader from the stage himself.

Health deterioration and death (1973-77)

Elvis' divorce took effect on October 9, 1973. He was now becoming increasingly unwell.

On July 13, 1976, Vernon Presley - who had become deeply involved in his son's financial affairs - fired ' Memphis Mafia ' bodyguards Red West (Elvis' friend since the 1950s), Sonny West , and David Hebler, citing the need to 'cut back on expenses'. Elvis was in Palm Springs at the time. An associate of Elvis', John O'Grady, argued that the bodyguards were dropped because their rough treatment of fans had prompted too many lawsuits. Elvis and Linda Thompson split in November, and he took up with a new girlfriend, Ginger Alden . He proposed to Alden and gave her an engagement ring two months later, though several of his friends later claimed that he had no serious intention of marrying again.

RCA, which had enjoyed a steady stream of product from Elvis for over a decade, grew anxious as his interest in spending time in the studio waned. After a December 1973 session that produced 18 songs, enough for almost two albums, he did not enter the studio in 1974. Parker sold RCA on another concert record, Elvis: As Recorded Live on Stage in Memphis . Recorded on March 20, it included a version of How Great Thou Art that would win Elvis his third and final competitive Grammy Award. (All three of his competitive Grammy wins - out of 14 total nominations - were for gospel recordings.) Elvis returned to the studio in Hollywood in March 1975, recording 10 songs that would form the Elvis Today album, (his last studio album). but Parker's attempts to arrange another session toward the end of the year were unsuccessful. In 1976, RCA sent a mobile studio to Graceland that made possible two full-scale recording sessions at Elvis' home. Even in that comfortable context, the recording process was now a struggle for him.

For all the concerns of his label and manager, in studio sessions between July 1973 and October 1976, Elvis recorded virtually the entire contents of six albums. Though he was no longer a major presence on the pop charts, five of those albums entered the top five of the country chart, and three went to number one: Promised Land (1975), From Elvis Presley Boulevard, Memphis, Tennessee (1976), and Moody Blue (1977).

'The Lisa Marie' : Elvis Presley's Convair 880 Jet

On April 17, 1975 Elvis bought a Convair 880 Jet recently taken out of service by Delta Airlines for the then-substantial sum of $250,000. With complete refurbishing the total exceeded $600,000. He immediately rechristened it the Lisa Marie . But this wasn't just an impulse purchase of some sort of ultimate flying Cadillac.

The Death Of Elvis Presley

Elvis Presley died at Graceland on August 16, 1977. He was 42 years old. Through the early morning of the 16th Elvis took care of last minute tour details and relaxed with family and staff. He was to fly to Portland, Maine that night and do a show there on the 17th, then continue the scheduled tour. Elvis retired to his master suite at Graceland around 7:00 AM to rest for his evening flight. By late morning, Elvis Presley had died of heart failure. In a matter of hours the shock registered around the world. Read more .

Overview of Elvis Presley's Achievements

Elvis starred in 33 movies , made history with his television appearances and specials, and knew great acclaim through his many, often record-breaking, live concert performances on tour and in Las Vegas.

Globally, he has sold over one billion records , more than any other artist. His American sales have earned him gold, platinum or multi-platinum awards for 131 different albums and singles, far more than any other artist. Among his many awards and accolades were 14 Grammy nominations (3 wins) from the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences, the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, which he received at age 36, and his being named One of the Ten Outstanding Young Men of the Nation for 1970 by the United States Jaycees. Without any of the special privileges his celebrity status might have afforded him, he honorably served his country in the U.S. Army .

His talent, good looks, sensuality, charisma, and good humor endeared him to millions, as did the humility and human kindness he demonstrated throughout his life. Known the world over by his first name, he is regarded as one of the most important figures of twentieth century popular culture. Elvis died at his Memphis home, Graceland, on August 16, 1977.

Record Sales

It is estimated that Elvis Presley has sold over one billion record units worldwide , more than anyone in record industry history. In America alone, Elvis has had 141 different albums and singles that have been certified gold, platinum or multi-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), with more certifications expected as research into his past record sales continues and as current sales go on.

Research is also underway to document his record sales achievements in other countries. It is estimated that 40% of Elvis' total record sales have been outside the United States.

International Acclaim

Elvis Presley's trophy room at Graceland is filled with gold and platinum records and awards of all kinds from around the world. Some of the countries represented are Norway, Yugoslavia, Japan, Australia , South Africa, England, Sweden, Germany, France, Canada, Belgium, and the Netherlands.

It is interesting to note that, except for a handful of movie soundtrack songs, Elvis did not record in other languages, and, except for five shows in three Canadian cities in 1957, he did not perform in concert outside the United States. Still, his recordings and films enjoyed, and continue to enjoy, popularity all over the globe, and he is known throughout the world by his first name.

Record Chart Statistics

Elvis Presley has had no less than 149 songs to appear on Billboard's Hot 100 Pop Chart in America. Of these, 114 were in the top forty, 40 were in the top ten, and 18 went to number one. His number one singles spent a total of 80 weeks at number one. He has also had over 90 charted albums with ten of them reaching number one. These figures are only for the pop charts, and only in America. He was also a leading artist in the American country, R&B, and gospel fields, and his chart success in other countries was substantial.

Television Specials

Elvis Presley's three network television specials : Elvis (1968), Elvis: Aloha from Hawaii, via Satellite (1973), and Elvis in Concert (1977) - stand among the most highly rated specials of their time. His 1968 special, Elvis, is one of the most critically acclaimed music specials of all time. His 1973 special, Elvis: Aloha from Hawaii, via Satellite , was seen in 40 countries by 1 billion to 1.5 billion people and made television history. It was seen on television in more American homes than man's first walk on the moon.

 Mindy Campbell flight attendant

The Concert Stage

When Elvis returned to the live stage after the success of his 1968 television special and the wrap-up of his Hollywood movie contract obligations, he opened at the International Hotel in Las Vegas in the summer of 1969 for a 4-week, 57-show engagement that broke all existing Las Vegas attendance records.

He returned to the International a few months later in early 1970, during the slow winter season in Vegas, and broke his own attendance record. Right after that came a record-breaking six-show engagement at the Astrodome in Houston, where Elvis played to a total of 207,494 people.

Elvis took his elaborate live show on the road in the latter part of 1970 for his first concert tour since 1957. Throughout the 1970's Elvis toured America, breaking box office records right and left, and continued to play an engagement or two per year in Las Vegas and Lake Tahoe. Among the outstanding highlights of this period was in 1972, when Elvis performed four sold-out shows at Madison Square Garden . During his 'concert years' from 1969 to 1977 , Elvis gave nearly 1,100 concert performances.

Elvis Presley's Grammy Awards

Elvis received 14 Grammy nominations from the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS). His three wins were for gospel recordings - the album How Great Thou Art (1967), the album He Touched Me (1972) and his live Memphis concert recording of the song How Great Thou Art (1974). In 1971, NARAS also recognized him with their Lifetime Achievement Award (known then as the Bing Crosby Award ... in honor of its first recipient). Elvis was 36 years old at the time. Five of Elvis' recordings have been inducted into the NARAS Hall of Fame - his original 1956 recordings of Hound Dog (inducted 1988) and Heartbreak Hotel (inducted 1995), his original 1954 recording of That's All Right (inducted 1998), his original 1969 recording of Suspicious Minds (inducted 1999), and his original 1956 recording of Don't Be Cruel (inducted 2002). The Hall of Fame recognizes 'early recordings of lasting, qualitative or historical significance, with many inductees being recordings that were created and released before the 1958 inception of NARAS and the Grammy Awards.

One of the Ten Outstanding Young Men of the Nation

The United States Junior Chamber of Commerce (the Jaycees) named Elvis Presley One of the Ten Outstanding Young Men of the Nation for 1970 in a ceremony on January 16, 1971, one of Elvis' proudest moments. This award has been given since 1938 and has honored men of achievement in all areas of endeavor - sports, government, science, medicine, entertainment, etc. It recognizes outstanding personal achievement and the exemplification of the opportunities available in the free enterprise system, along with patriotism, humanitarianism, and community service. (In the 1980s, eligibility was opened to women as well as men, and the award has since been presented to the year's Ten Outstanding Young Americans.)

Charitable Endeavors

Elvis Presley was famous for giving away Cadillacs , cash, and jewelry, often on the spur of the moment. But, the true depth and breadth of his generosity and community involvement is not so widely known.

In 1961, Elvis gave a benefit concert at Bloch Arena in Hawaii that raised over $65,000 toward the building of the U.S.S. Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor. The resulting publicity gave new life to the fund-raising effort, which had, by then, lost its momentum. The memorial opened a year later.

Audience tickets for his 1973 Aloha from Hawaii television special and its pre-broadcast rehearsal show carried no price, as each audience member was asked to pay whatever he or she could. The performances and concert merchandise sales were a benefit raising $75,000 for the Kui Lee Cancer Fund in Hawaii.

Each year, for many years, Elvis gave $1,000 or more to each of fifty Memphis-area charities, but also continually made many other charitable donations in Memphis and around the country. Most of Elvis' philanthropic endeavors received no publicity at all. Throughout his adult life, for friends, for family, and for total strangers, he quietly paid hospital bills, bought homes, supported families, paid off debts, and much more.

Elvis' legacy of generosity continues through the work of the Elvis Presley Charitable Foundation, which is the philanthropic branch of Elvis Presley Enterprises , Inc. and the creator of the Elvis Presley Endowed Scholarship Fund at the University of Memphis. The tradition of giving also continues through the work of the Elvis fan clubs worldwide, most of which are heavily involved in charitable endeavors in Elvis' memory.

The Elvis Presley Stamp

In 1992, the U.S. Postal Service announced that Elvis' image would be used for a commemorative postage stamp. The Postal Service narrowed the artwork choices down to two images - one of Elvis in the 1950s as a sizzling young rocker, and one of him as a still-svelte concert superstar in his 1973 Aloha from Hawaii special. In an unprecedented move, the USPS put the decision to the American people and distributed ballots coast to coast. Over 1.2 million votes were cast, and the image of the young rocker won. The stamp was released on January 8, 1993, with extravagant first day of issue ceremonies at Graceland. The Elvis stamp is the most widely publicized stamp issue in the history of the U.S. Postal Service, and it is the top-selling commemorative postage stamp of all time. The USPS printed 500 million of them, three times the usual print run for a commemorative stamp. Several countries outside the USA also have issued Elvis stamps over the years.

Special Posthumous Honors

The 1984 W.C. Handy Award from the Blues Foundation in Memphis recognized Elvis for 'keeping the blues alive in his music - rock and roll'. The Academy of Country Music's first Golden Hat Award presented in 1984 recognized Elvis' influence on country music. In 1986, Elvis was among the first group of inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 1987, Elvis was honored with the first posthumous presentation of the Award of Merit by the American Music Awards, 1987. In 1998, Elvis received the Country Music Association's highest honor, induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame. In 2001, Elvis was inducted into the Gospel Music Association's Gospel Music Hall of Fame. With that honor, Elvis is the only person, so far, to become a member of all three of these halls of fame - Rock and Roll, Country and Gospel .

Generations of Fans

Currently, there are over 625 active Elvis Presley fan clubs worldwide. Elvis' popularity is at an all-time high, and his legacy continues to reach new audiences. Half of Graceland's visitorship is age 35 and under.

A New Concert Career

On August 16, 1997, Elvis Presley, via video, starred in an extravagant concert production titled Elvis in Concert '97 at the Mid-South Coliseum in Memphis, Tennessee, accompanied live on stage by over thirty of his former bandmates and the Memphis Symphony Orchestra. The show played before a capacity crowd of fans who had come to Memphis from around the world to commemorate the twentieth anniversary of Elvis' death. Elvis broke the Mid-South Coliseum's all-time record dollar figure for box office sales. This concert was the prototype for the 1998/99 touring production Elvis Presley In Concert (On DVD as Elvis Lives ). By being the first performer ever to headline a live concert tour while no longer living, Elvis made history again. The March 1998 tour included a three-show smash engagement at Radio City Music Hall in New York. The August 1998 tour included the excitement of Elvis' 'return' to the Las Vegas Hilton with an eight-show engagement. The January/ February 1999 European tour opened with a sell-out at London's Wembley Arena and, in effect, marked Elvis Presley's first-ever concerts outside of North America. The show continues to tour periodically.

Elvis Presley: A Musical Prodigy

Elvis was a genius. He didn't express himself the way the middle classes do, which is with wordplay and being able to explain his actions and reactions. He acted on gut instinct and expressed himself by the way he held the microphone, by the way he moved his hips, by the way that he sang down the microphone. That was his genius ... I believe the essence of any performer is gut instinct ... Because it's all in you, it's instinct.

Elvis' musical style, as a musician and impact as a vocalist and stage performer

'Elvis Presley has been described variously as a baritone and a tenor. An extraordinary compass- the so-called register-, and a very wide range of vocal color have something to do with this divergence of opinion. The voice covers two octaves and a third, from the baritone low-G to the tenor high B, with an upward extension in falsetto to at least a D flat. Presley's best octave is in the middle, D-flat to D-flat, granting an extra full step up or down. Call him a high baritone. In 'It's Now Or Never', (1960), he ends it in a full voice cadence (A, G, F), that has nothing to do with the vocal devices of R&B and Country. That A-note is hit right on the nose, and it is rendered less astonishing only by the number of tracks where he lands easy and accurate B-flats. Moreover, he has not been confined to one type of vocal production. In ballads and country songs he belts out full-voiced high G's and A's that an opera baritone might envy. He is a naturally assimilative stylist with a multiplicity of voices - in fact, Elvis' is an extraordinary voice or many voices.

The Fifty Voices of Elvis Presley

So different are Elvis' voices, that if one could find a person who has never heard his recordings and you put him or her on an island and then had them listen to these fifty songs, mixed with say, those of 12 other distinctive singers, and then you then ask him or her, to classify them, to separate the singers, I could bet a million dollars that the person will never say that there are 13 singers, as would be the case, but at least 25.

Elvis Presley and Racism: The Ultimate, Definitive Guide

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Elvis presley.

Elvis Presley's songs are unforgettable - they have stood the test of time, especially his singles of the 1950s, a decade in which he had a song at No. 1. for 59 weeks and 4 No. 1 albums ('56-'59). Read More .

Where do I go from here?

Elvis at 90: Decade-by-decade milestones in the life — and afterlife — of the King

When Graceland representatives slice into an elaborate cake in a public ceremony on Jan. 8, 2025, the cuts might be hashmarks counting down a noteworthy milestone in the chronology of Elvis Presley : the 90th anniversary of the birth of the man known as the King of Rock 'n' Roll .

Will the cake yield 90 slices? Who knows? "90" is a large number. That's why this look back at 90 years of Elvis is citing instead a more manageable 10 milestones: one Elvis highlight per decade, from the 1930s, when he was born, until our currently unfolding decennium, the 2020s.

Not many people could justify such a retrospective. A remarkable aspect of Elvis is that his afterlife, like his life, continues to produce news . Most of us will be little remembered a half-century after death, but Elvis Presley is still debated and celebrated.

Happy 90th birthday, Elvis! Fans from around the world celebrate the King at Graceland

So here, in recognition of 90 years of Elvis, is a decade-by-decade survey — some significant events from the continuing saga of the phenomenon of Elvis Presley.

1935 : Elvis Presley is born in Tupelo

On Jan. 8, 1935, Elvis Aron Presley ("Aron" on his state-issued birth certificate, "Aaron" on his gravestone) was born, in a shotgun shack in East Tupelo, Mississippi, the son of Vernon and Gladys Presley . He was preceded into the world by 35 minutes by his stillborn brother, Jesse Garon Presley, whose absence was a lifelong presence for Elvis.

"The dead twin... was never forgotten, either in the legend that accompanied his celebrated younger brother or in family memory," writes Peter Guralnick, in his definitive Elvis biography ("Last Train to Memphis: The Rise of Elvis Presley"). "As a child, Elvis was said to have frequently visited his brother's grave; as an adult he referred to his twin again and again..."

However triumphant, the Elvis Presley story — the singer died in Memphis on Aug. 16 1977, at 42 — was tinged with tragedy from the start.

1945: Elvis makes first public appearance as a singer

On Oct. 3, 1945, a 10-year-old Elvis dressed as a cowboy, stood on a chair, and sang "Old Shep" — Red Foley's lachrymose heart-squeezer about a boy's love for his faithful dog — at the Mississippi-Alabama Fair and Dairy Show in Tupelo.

It was Elvis' first public appearance as a singer, and the applause and validation must have fanned the embers of his desire to be a professional entertainer: Elvis earned the fifth-place prize of $5 and a free ticket to a fair ride. Nobody could have known how wild the ride actually would be.

ELVIS AT OVERTON PARK: Inside the historic 1954 concert in Memphis that launched the King's career

1953: Elvis visits Sam Phillips' Memphis Recording Service

Sometimes an active trailblazer, sometimes a seemingly passive passenger, Elvis moved through the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s as a pharaonic presence, his path marked by a sequence of cultural, commercial and artistic milestones: the Memphis recordings, the RCA contract, the seismic "Ed Sullivan" appearances, the movies, the Army service, the '68 "comeback special," the Vegas and concert tours.

What to pick from the 1950s? Why not choose July 18, 1953? That's when young Elvis first entered the doors of Sam Phillips' Memphis Recording Service at 706 Union (home of Sun Records ) to croon two songs onto acetate disc: "My Happiness" and "That's When Your Heartaches Begin."

The results were inauspicious, but they lit the fuse that would ignite in the big bang of rock 'n' roll on July 5, 1954, when Elvis, guitarist Scotty Moore and bassist Bill Black recorded what would be Presley's first single, "That's All Right," with "Blue Moon of Kentucky" on the B-side.

1961: Elvis scores big hits with 'Blue Hawaii' movie and soundtrack

Elvis book-ended the decade with great records ("Little Sister" in 1961, "Rubberneckin'" in 1969), but his 1960s fate was essentially sealed on Nov. 22, 1961, when Paramount released Presley's eighth feature film, "Blue Hawaii."

Arriving about 20 months after the end of Presley's Army service (and only two years after Hawaii became the 50th state), the movie was a smash: It was the 10th top-grossing film of 1961 and the 14th of 1962, and — perhaps more to the point — its soundtrack held the No. 1 spot for an astonishing 20 of its 79 weeks on the Billboard Pop Albums chart.

ELVIS MOVIE TRIVIA: Can you answer these 22 questions about the rock King-turned-Hollywood star?

Elvis' sixth and seventh films, "Flaming Star" and "Wild in the Country," had emphasized drama over escapism, and contained no Top 10 hits; they also disappointed at the box office. "Blue Hawaii" reversed the trend and established a formula: In the wake of the movie's success, Elvis' manager, "Colonel" Tom Parker, kept Elvis busy with with an increasingly frivolous filmography that emphasized snappy songs, sexy girls, speedy cars and stunning locations.

1977: Elvis performs his last concert

On June 26, 1977, Elvis Presley delivered his final concert performance, before a sold-out crowd of about 18,000 people in Market Square Arena in Indianapolis. It was Elvis' 54th concert of the year, in 49 cities.

Resplendent in his "Aztec Sun" jumpsuit (the design sometimes is designated "Mexican Sundial"), Elvis took the stage at about 10 p.m., and he and the TCB Band performed 21 songs over some 80 minutes. The show started with a rocker, "C.C. Rider," and ended with a heartwarmer, "Can't Help Falling in Love."

Concluded a concert review in The Indianapolis Star: "At 42, Elvis is still carrying around some excess baggage on his midsection, but it doesn't stop him from giving a performance in true Presley style."

The tour was supposed to culminate with two "homecoming" dates in Memphis, on Aug. 27 and 28. Elvis died on Aug. 16 .

1982: Graceland opens to the public

The opening of Graceland to the public on June 7, 1982, has proved to be the most significant event, to date, in the long afterlife of the King of Rock 'n' Roll — an afterlife that has now exceeded Elvis' own 42-year mortal span by close to six years.

With its stained-glass peacocks, its leopardine "Jungle Room" and its TV-den porcelain monkey, the house is more than a simple tourist attraction : It has become a cultural monument; a mecca for the thousands of fans who congregate in August to commemorate the anniversary of Presley's passing ; and a "bucket list" destination for travelers from around the world.

In fact, some 25 million folks have entered the musical-note gates since 1982, making Graceland the most visited home in the U.S. outside the White House. It is now more central to the identity of Memphis and more important to the singer's appeal than when Elvis was alive.

1997 : 'Elvis: The Concert' makes successful debut at Mid-South Coliseum

Launched by Elvis Presley Enterprises following a successful debut show on Aug. 16, 1997, (the 20th anniversary of Elvis' death) at the Mid-South Coliseum, "Elvis: The Concert" — "the first live tour headlined by a performer who is no longer living" (to quote the Guinness Book of World Records) — gathered an all-star aggregate of veteran Elvis backing musicians (guitarist James Burton, drummer Ronnie Tutt, and others) for a series of shows in which the band performed live onstage to footage of Elvis in concert, projected onto a screen.

Not only did the disembodied Elvis prove to be a draw, but "The Concert" — which has continued ever since, in various permutations — paved the way for hologram tours showcasing such dead artists as Whitney Houston and Frank Zappa; it also established a precedent, for better or worse, for the current corporate enthusiasm for the digitally animated and artificial-intelligence-abetted onscreen resurrections of deceased celebrities (as in the recent gin commercial that paired Snoop Dogg with simulacra of Sammy Davis Jr. and Frank Sinatra).

2002: 'A Little Less Conversation' remix a No. 1 hit

Credited to Elvis and the Dutch musician Junkie XL, a funkified electronic dance remix of Presley's 1968 recording "A Little Less Conversation" became a No. 1 hit in the United Kingdom and topped the singles charts in 13 other countries after its June 10, 2002, release.

Junkie XL's remix did not fare as well in Elvis' home nation, peaking at No. 50 on the Billboard pop chart; but it proved that Elvis music could be repackaged, reworked and revitalized for new generations. The song was included on the 2002 compilation "Elvis: 30 #1 Hits," which sold 6 million copies, and it's never gone away, becoming a sports arena party-starter and a mainstay of movie soundtracks.

Prior to this posthumous collaboration, Elvis' last No. 1 single had been "Suspicious Minds," in 1969.

2017: Elvis Presley's Memphis opens

On March 2, 2017, "Elvis Presley's Memphis" — a 40-acre, $45 million complex of museums, restaurants, shops and exhibit spaces, plus a performance venue — opened across the street from the Graceland mansion. Credited in large part to the initiative of Joel Weinshanker, the gung-ho majority owner of Elvis Presley Enterprises since 2013, the complex replaced the street's longtime strip mall of mom-and-pop souvenir shops with handsomely arranged attractions worthy of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame or a Smithsonian museum.

The permanent exhibits showcase automobiles, costumes and other artifacts (for example, a bullet-riddled television) pulled from the Graceland archives; meanwhile, a large exhibition hall has hosted shows devoted to Walt Disney, Pompeii and other subjects, in hopes of transforming "Graceland" — the campus, not just the mansion — into a destination even for those disinterested in Elvis.

2024: Lisa Marie Presley's memoir released

An argument could be made that the 2022 release of Baz Luhrmann's hit biopic "Elvis" is the decade's defining Presley milestone; after all, the movie grossed about $289 million at the box office and earned eight Academy Award nominations, while presenting Elvis as a sympathetic, even tragic hero. But as its forward-thinking title suggests, the best-selling memoir "From Here to the Great Unknown," released Oct. 8 by publishing giant Random House, may be more significant.

Credited to Lisa Marie Presley (Elvis' daughter) and Riley Keough (Lisa Marie's daughter), the book was completed by Keough after the death of her mother , and launched with a series of high-profile public appearances, including a primetime CBS special devoted to an hourlong conversation between Keough and Oprah Winfrey.

Funny and sad in equal measure, the book closes a chapter on the original Elvis era while affirming the 35-year-old Keough — now, the sole owner of the Graceland mansion — as a proud, active and progressive steward of her grandfather's legacy.

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• Full Name Elvis Aaron Presley
• Birth Date January 8, 1935
• Birth Date Jan 08, 1935
• Age 90 Years, 0 Months
• Death Date 1977-08-16
• Age At Death 42
• Place Of Death Tupelo, Mississippi
• Ethnicity Western European mix
• Nationality American
• Birthplace Memphis, Tennessee
• Occupation Singer-Actor
• Parents Gladys Love and Vernon Presley
• Mother Gladys Love
• Father Vernon Presley

Elvis Presley | Biography

The documentary 'Reinventing Elvis: The ’68 Comeback' offers a behind-the-scenes look at Elvis Presley’s legendary performance and his impact on music and family.

• By Stone Palmer
• Original : December 06, 2024

Who is Elvis Presley?

Elvis Presley, known as “The King of Rock ’n’ Roll,” was born on January 8, 1935, in Tupelo, Mississippi. He emerged from humble beginnings, deeply influenced by gospel music from his childhood church. Despite facing financial hardships during his upbringing, Elvis’s passion for music led him to pursue a career that would eventually redefine the rock genre. He received his first guitar at age 11 and showcased his talent in high school talent shows. By the mid-1950s, he had captured the public's attention with his unique musical style and charismatic performances, quickly rising to fame.

Presley’s career skyrocketed in 1956 when he signed with RCA Records and released his first No. 1 single, “Heartbreak Hotel.” His appearances on television, particularly on The Ed Sullivan Show, drew millions of viewers and solidified his status as a cultural icon. Throughout his career, he produced a staggering number of hits, including “Can’t Help Falling in Love” and “Suspicious Minds,” and starred in numerous films. Elvis’s blend of rock, country, and gospel music earned him multiple awards, including three Grammy Awards, and he remains a significant influence in the music industry even decades after his passing on August 16, 1977.

Elvis's Early Life

Elvis Aaron Presley was born on January 8, 1935, in Tupelo, Mississippi, into a modest family. He was initially supposed to be a twin, but his brother Jesse Garon was stillborn. Raised in a loving household by his parents, Vernon and Gladys, Elvis experienced financial struggles that led to frequent relocations. Despite these challenges, he developed a deep devotion to his family, especially his mother, and was instilled with a strong faith in God. The family attended the Assembly of God Church together, where gospel music profoundly influenced Elvis's musical journey.

At the age of 11, Elvis received his first guitar from his mother, which sparked his passion for music. He began to showcase his talent during his school years, winning a talent show at Humes High School in Memphis. After graduating in 1953, Elvis pursued a career in music while juggling various jobs. His breakthrough came when he recorded his first demo at Sun Studio, leading to a partnership with Sam Phillips, who recognized his potential. By 1954, Elvis released his first single, "That's All Right," marking the beginning of his meteoric rise in the music industry.

Music Career Highlights

Elvis Presley, known as the "King of Rock ’n’ Roll," revolutionized the music industry with his unique sound and charismatic presence. His career took off in the mid-1950s when he signed with RCA Records, leading to a string of chart-topping hits. In 1956, he achieved his first No. 1 single with “Heartbreak Hotel,” and that same year, his self-titled debut album also reached the top of the charts. His provocative dance moves and good looks captivated audiences, making him a household name and a frequent guest on popular television shows like The Ed Sullivan Show, where he performed to an audience of 60 million viewers.

Throughout his illustrious career, Presley released 18 No. 1 singles, including classics like “Don’t Be Cruel,” “Suspicious Minds,” and “Can’t Help Falling in Love.” In addition to his music, he starred in numerous films, often performing the soundtracks, which contributed to his widespread fame. His 1957 album, Elvis’ Christmas Album, remains one of the best-selling holiday albums of all time. Despite facing challenges in his personal life, including a battle with drug addiction, Presley continued to perform and record music, solidifying his legacy as a pioneering force in rock and roll and earning multiple Grammy Awards for his gospel recordings.

Presley’s influence extended beyond his music; he helped popularize rock ’n’ roll in America, leaving an indelible mark on the genre. His 1968 television special, often referred to as the ’68 Comeback Special, marked a significant turning point in his career, showcasing his talents and reaffirming his status as a music icon. He remains a beloved figure in music history, with his songs and performances continuing to resonate with fans around the world. His legacy is celebrated through numerous documentaries, films, and tribute acts, ensuring that the King of Rock ’n’ Roll will never be forgotten.

Personal Info: Married Life, Wife and Daughter

Elvis Presley married Priscilla Beaulieu on May 1, 1967, in a lavish ceremony in Las Vegas, Nevada. Their relationship began when Elvis was stationed in Germany during his military service, where he met the young Priscilla, who was just 14 at the time. The couple quickly fell in love, and after a few years of dating, they decided to tie the knot. Their marriage was marked by both love and challenges, as Elvis's rising fame and hectic schedule often put a strain on their relationship. They welcomed their only daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, into the world in 1968, further solidifying their family unit.

However, the pressures of fame and personal struggles led to the couple's eventual separation. By the early 1970s, their marriage began to deteriorate, culminating in their divorce in 1973. Priscilla gained custody of Lisa Marie, and the split was amicable, with both parties committed to co-parenting. Despite their separation, Elvis remained a devoted father, often expressing his love for Lisa Marie in public and private. The legacy of their family life continues, as Lisa Marie grew up to have her own children, ensuring that the Presley name and influence would carry on for generations.

Death and Legacy

Elvis Presley, the King of Rock "n" Roll, passed away on August 16, 1977, at the age of 42 due to heart failure linked to prescription drug abuse. His untimely death shocked fans and the music world alike, leading to an outpouring of grief. On the day of his passing, over 3,100 floral arrangements were ordered, breaking a one-day record in the United States. Thousands of fans lined Elvis Presley Boulevard in Memphis to pay their respects during his funeral procession, highlighting the immense impact he had on popular culture and music. His burial site at Graceland, alongside family members, has since become a pilgrimage for fans.

Elvis's legacy extends far beyond his music. He is remembered as a pioneering figure who helped shape the landscape of rock music and popular culture. Over the years, he has been honored with numerous accolades, including being one of the first inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986 and posthumous inductions into the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Gospel Music Hall of Fame. His influence continues to resonate, inspiring countless artists and musicians. The annual Elvis Week and various tribute events keep his memory alive, ensuring that the King of Rock "n" Roll remains a significant figure in music history.

Elvis Presley's Net Worth and Legacy

Elvis Presley’s net worth stems from his incredible talent, hard work, and influence on music. Born in 1935 in a modest two-room house in Tupelo, Mississippi, he grew up in a close-knit, working-class family. He received his first guitar in 1946 and, by 1954, released his debut single, becoming a rock 'n' roll icon and movie star.

During his lifetime, Presley earned substantial sums, including $22 million in merchandise sales in late 1956 (equivalent to $236 million today). In 1973, he sold the royalties to over 1,000 songs for $5.4 million, or $35.5 million adjusted for inflation.

Despite his untimely death in 1977 at 42, his legacy thrives through Elvis Presley Enterprises, managing Graceland, music licensing, and ventures like the 2022 biopic Elvis .

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Elvis Presley Biography

Who Was Elvis Presley?

Elvis Presley came from humble beginnings to become one of the most well-known figures in the record rock 'n' roll. By the mid-1950s, he also appeared on the television, radio and the silver screen. On Aug 16, 1977, at just 42, he died of cardiac arrest, which was related to his addiction to drugs. Since his death, he has remained to be one of the most popular music icons in the world.

Let us look at the Elvis Presley biography and Elvis Presley Biography Movie in detail.

Elvis Presley Early Life

There are many obstacles, highs and lows in the Elvis Presley life story, Elvis Presley early life and the Elvis biography movie. Elvis Aron Presley was born in 1935, on Jan 8, in Tupelo, located in Mississippi. (He thereafter changed the middle name's spelling as the biblical form of Aaron.) Presley was actually supposed to be a twin, but his brother, named Jesse Garon (at times spelt Jessie), was stillborn. Presley has risen from humble beginnings to become one of rock 'n' roll's most recognizable figures. This is the Elvis biography movie.

He was raised by loving and working-class parents. The family of Presley had little money, and they moved from one place to another frequently. He was also reared with great faith in God and was very loyal to his parents, especially to his mother, named Gladys. Presley, with his parents, went to the Assembly of God Church, where gospel music had a big impact on him.

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Presley's mother offered him the first guitar in 1946, which is his eleventh birthday. And followed by it, a few years later, he won a talent contest, conducted at Memphis' Humes High School. After graduation in 1953, he worked a variety of jobs while following his musical ambitions. And, later he cut his first demo record at what later became called Sun Studio that year, and prior to long, Sam Phillips, who is a record label owner, under his wing, decided to take the young performer. Soon, Presley began touring and recording by trying to catch his first massive break. "That's All Right," which was said to be Presley's first single in the year 1954. This is the detailed Elvis Presley autobiography or the Priscilla Presley biography or the Lisa Marie Presley biography.

First No. 1 Hit: 'Heartbreak Hotel'

Presley began to gain a large following in 1955 (Elvis Presley life story movie or the Elvis Presley biography movie), with his fans lured to his provocative gyrating hips, unique musical style, and attractive looks. In that year itself, he signed with some of RCA Records, which is a deal that has been worked out by his manager, Colonel Tom Parker. At that particular time, Presley was on a roll, scoring his first No. 1 single with the name of "Heartbreak Hotel," including his first No. 1 album, named Elvis Presley as well, and also in signing a movie contract with the Paramount Pictures, which all happened in the year 1956. Despite the uproar, which his sexy dance moves have caused, he also became a popular guest on numerous television variety shows.

Military Service

Very soon, Presley was everywhere, working as an actor and musician. His first film, named Love Me Tender (1956), stood as a box office hit. Presley's booming career was unaffected by a term in the United States military. He received his draft notice in the year 1957 and was inducted into the Army the following March. Eventually, he served in Germany for up to a year and a half. Gladys, Presley's adored mother, died just before Elvis departed for Europe. He was granted a leave and he has returned to the Memphis region for the funeral. He was deeply saddened by her death, and he returned back to his duty. His emotions were marginally brightened while in Germany when he met a young adolescent called Priscilla Beaulieu. They married on May 1, 1967, in Las Vegas, Nevada, after falling in love.

Elvis in the Army

Movies and soundtracks.

After leaving the Army in 1960, Presley successfully resumed his music career and soon stood back at the top of the charts, including the soundtrack for his film named "GI Blues." After that, he started recording his songs and performing in the films such as Blue Hawaii (in the year 1961), Girls! Girls! Girls! (in the year 1962), and the Viva Las Vegas (in 1963).

Often, though, his films were either hit or miss with both audiences and critics, and they brought in a profit, including the soundtracks normally sold well. However, by the late 1960s, the enigmatic performer appeared to be an appeal, losing his box office. Still, proving that he was the "King of Rock' n' Roll," he recorded his first TV special in the year 1968 and is often referred to as the "'68 Comeback." He wowed audiences with his performance that showcased his talents as both a singer and a guitarist.

Daughter, Divorce From Priscilla and Drug Addiction

Around this particular time, the personal life of Presley also seemed to be on an upswing. He, including Priscilla, wed in 1967 and they had a daughter, Lisa Marie, the following year. And unfortunately, this joyous period would not last. By the time of the early-1970s, the marriage of Presley was falling apart. The couple got divorced in 1973, and Priscilla received custody of Lisa Marie.

Presley was also dealing with other personal issues, such as a growing addiction to various prescription medicines, as well as a weight problem, and his destructive lifestyle had caught up with him that fall when he was hospitalised for drug-related health issues. Presley has remained a big draw in Las Vegas and on tour despite his personal struggles and obstacles. And, he performed at his last concert in June 1977 in the Indianapolis region, Indiana. He returned to his home, the Memphis mansion at Graceland, after finishing this show to prepare for the next tour.

Pop Culture

Since Presley's death, he has remained to be one of the world's most popular music icons. Many documentaries and films have been made about the mysterious performer throughout the years, including a 2005 television miniseries starring Jonathan Rhys-Meyers as Elvis Presley. In 2018, a two-part documentary titled Elvis Presley: The Searcher was produced, which looked at his early life, rise to stardom, and musical influences.

The same year, the online auction site named IronPlanet announced that a private jet, which was once owned by Presley, including his father, was available on the market. Another, the crimson 1962 Lockheed Jetstar, which has been sitting dormant on the New Mexico runway for decades, has a red velvet cabin with gold-tone woodwork but no engine. The previous owner purchased that jet in the year 2017 for $ 430,000.

Over 200 keepsakes from third-party collectors were featured in another 2018 auction, which was held at the Guest House online and at Graceland, and were all formerly owned, used, and signed by him - the King. General Omar Bradley gave Presley a 1942 Beretta M1934 pistol, which sold for $ 51,000 more.

Graceland - Elvis Presley's Home

Graceland, Presley's Memphis home, which is one of the best Elvis biographies, is entirely open to the public, and a large number of fans from all over the world visit each year, especially around Presley's birthday and death anniversary.

Thousands of fans travelled to the Graceland region on Aug 16, 2012, on the 35th death ceremony of Presley — for a special vigil in the honor of the King of Rock' n' Roll. During that gathering, his fans held lit candles and stood outside of the home of Presley. Presley's family hosts a memorial event every year to commemorate Presley's death anniversary, but the 2012 gathering was believed to be special since it was the first time that Presley's estranged wife, Priscilla, and his daughter, Lisa Marie, appeared together in that yearly event.

"You must see this from our standpoint. According to the Washington Post, Priscilla commented at the time of the occurrence, "It's great." "The candles are very lit. It is truly a sight to behold. This is something which Elvis would never and ever have believed could have occurred here."

FAQs on Elvis Presley Biography

1. How does Elvis Presley's Death and Legacy Take Place?

Answer: One fine morning of Aug 16, 1977, Presley died because of cardiac arrest at the age of just 42. Later, it was ruled that his death was related to his prescription because of the use of drugs. Presley was then laid to rest near the gravesites of his mother, Gladys, father, Vernon, and grandmother, Minnie Mae Hood Presley, on the Graceland grounds.

Throughout his excelling career, Presley helped popularize rock 'n' roll music in the United States. In addition, he received three Grammy Awards for his gospel albums. Presley was a major musical force, with 18 No. 1 singles, including "Good Luck Charm," "Suspicious Minds," and "Don't Be Cruel," as well as numerous gold and platinum albums.

2. How did Presley Grow Up?

Answer: Presley has grown up dirt-poor in the Tupelo region and moved to Memphis as a teenager. Including his family, he was off welfare only some weeks when producer Sam Phillips at the Sun Records, at a local blues label, responded to his audition tape using a phone call. Many week's worth of recording sessions ensued with a band comprising Presley, bassist Bill Black and guitarist Scotty Moore. Their setlist included Tin Pan Alley ballads, blues and country music, as well as gospel hymns, for which Presley would become famous.

Elvis Presley – Biography, Facts & Life Story

Height, Weight & Physical Stats

Achievements.

The late, legendary actor, however, made his extensive career by working on a variety of acting projects for which he got lasting success. Also, he earned a huge fan following in his career life.

Check out exclusive ➡ facts about Elvis Presley .

Elvis Presley Education

Qualification: High School

School: Humes High School

Elvis Presley Career

Profession: Singer

Known For: His performances, style of singing, dancing and fashion

Net Worth: $300 million

Family & Relatives

Father: Gladys Love

Mother: Vernon Elvis

Brother: Jessie Garon Presley

Sister: None

Marital Status: Divorced

Divorced: Priscilla Presley (m. 1967- 1973)

No. of Children: 1

Daughter: Lisa Marie Presley

Who was Elvis Presley?

Elvis Presley was an American singer, born on 08 January, 1935 in Tupelo, Memphis, Tennessee, U.S..

When did Elvis Presley pass away?

Elvis Presley passed away on August 16, 1977.

How old was Elvis Presley at the time of death?

Elvis Presley was 47 years old when he passed away.

How tall was Elvis Presley?

Elvis Presley was 5 feet 11 inches (1.82 m).

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Elvis Presley is my Idol, I have several of his movies, the ones I like the most are his singing & dancing movies.

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The Profound Impact: Elvis Presley Died And His Enduring Legacy

Elvis Presley Celebrities who died young Photo (36058436) Fanpop

Elvis Presley, often hailed as the "King of Rock and Roll," left an indelible mark on the world of music and popular culture. His sudden and tragic death on August 16, 1977, shocked fans worldwide and marked the end of an era. The news that "Elvis Presley died" reverberated across the globe, leaving a legacy that continues to influence artists and captivate audiences to this day. Despite his passing, Elvis's music, charisma, and cultural contributions remain relevant, proving the timelessness of his talent and the profound impact he had on the world.

The story of Elvis Presley's death is not just about the loss of a legendary musician but also about the enduring fascination with his life and career. As fans mourned the loss of their idol, they also celebrated his achievements and the cultural revolution he spearheaded. Elvis's unique blend of rock, country, and gospel music, along with his charismatic stage presence, set him apart from his contemporaries and established him as a global icon. His influence can be seen in various aspects of popular culture, from music and fashion to film and television.

In the years since his passing, the phrase "Elvis Presley died" has become synonymous with the end of an era, yet his legacy continues to thrive. Fans from all walks of life, including younger generations, continue to discover and appreciate his music, ensuring that his contributions to the arts remain relevant and celebrated. This article delves into the life, career, and lasting impact of Elvis Presley, exploring the circumstances surrounding his death and the ways in which his legacy continues to shape the cultural landscape.

Table of Contents

Biography: elvis presley, elvis presley: personal details, early life and musical beginnings, rise to fame, elvis presley's cultural impact, elvis presley died: what happened, the aftermath of elvis presley's death, elvis presley's musical legacy, how did elvis presley change music, elvis presley's influence on fashion, elvis presley in film and television, elvis presley and philanthropy, elvis presley's enduring fanbase, frequently asked questions.

Elvis Aaron Presley was born on January 8, 1935, in Tupelo, Mississippi. The son of Vernon Elvis and Gladys Love Presley, Elvis grew up in a modest household, where music was an integral part of his upbringing. As a young boy, Elvis was exposed to a diverse array of musical influences, including gospel, country, and rhythm and blues, all of which would later shape his unique sound.

Elvis's early years were marked by a strong sense of family and community, with music playing a central role in his life. At the tender age of ten, he received his first guitar, a gift that would ignite his passion for music. His family moved to Memphis, Tennessee, in 1948, where Elvis attended Humes High School. It was during this time that he developed his distinctive style, blending various musical genres into something entirely new and exciting.

In 1953, Elvis walked into Sun Studio in Memphis to record a few songs as a gift for his mother. This seemingly innocuous event would change the course of music history. Sam Phillips, the owner of Sun Studio, recognized Elvis's talent and unique sound, leading to the young musician's first recording contract.

Elvis's rise to fame was meteoric. In 1956, he released "Heartbreak Hotel," which quickly climbed the charts and established him as a national sensation. His dynamic stage presence, combined with his powerful voice and good looks, captured the hearts of fans across the country. Elvis's performances on television shows like "The Ed Sullivan Show" further solidified his status as a cultural icon.

Throughout the late 1950s and early 1960s, Elvis continued to release hit after hit, including classics like "Hound Dog," "Don't Be Cruel," and "Jailhouse Rock." His ability to blend rock and roll with other musical styles set him apart from his contemporaries and helped shape the future of popular music.

Elvis Presley's influence extended far beyond the music charts. He played a pivotal role in breaking down racial barriers in the music industry by popularizing African American musical styles to mainstream audiences. His music and persona challenged societal norms and helped pave the way for future generations of artists.

Elvis's impact on fashion was equally profound. Known for his flamboyant style and iconic stage outfits, he set trends that continue to inspire fashion designers and musicians alike. His signature pompadour hairstyle and flashy jumpsuits became synonymous with his larger-than-life persona.

The news that "Elvis Presley died" on August 16, 1977, sent shockwaves around the world. He was found unresponsive in the bathroom of his Graceland mansion in Memphis, Tennessee. Despite efforts to revive him, Elvis was pronounced dead at the age of 42. The official cause of death was attributed to a heart attack, although it was widely believed that prescription drug abuse played a significant role.

Elvis's untimely death marked the end of an era, leaving fans and the music industry in mourning. Tributes poured in from around the world as people celebrated the life and career of a true musical legend.

In the wake of Elvis Presley's death, his legacy only grew stronger. Graceland, his Memphis home, became a pilgrimage site for fans, drawing millions of visitors each year. In 1982, it was opened to the public as a museum, allowing fans to explore the life and career of the "King of Rock and Roll."

Elvis's music continues to sell millions of copies worldwide, with his songs appearing in films, television shows, and commercials. His influence is evident in the work of countless artists who have cited him as an inspiration.

Elvis Presley's musical legacy is undeniable. With over a billion records sold worldwide, he remains one of the best-selling solo artists of all time. His impact on the music industry can be seen in the continued popularity of rock and roll and its various subgenres.

Elvis's ability to bridge the gap between different musical styles and cultures set him apart as a true innovator. His music continues to resonate with audiences of all ages, proving the timelessness of his artistry.

Elvis Presley's influence on music was transformative. He was instrumental in popularizing rock and roll, a genre that would go on to dominate the music landscape for decades. By blending elements of blues, country, and gospel, Elvis created a sound that was entirely his own, setting the stage for future musical innovations.

• He brought African American music styles to a wider audience.
• His energetic performances and stage presence redefined live music.
• Elvis's success paved the way for future rock and roll artists.

Elvis Presley was not just a musical icon; he was a fashion trendsetter. His bold and flamboyant style left a lasting impact on the fashion world. From his slicked-back hair to his rhinestone-studded jumpsuits, Elvis's fashion choices were as daring as his music.

His love for flashy clothing and accessories influenced generations of performers, establishing a legacy that continues to inspire fashion designers and musicians today.

Elvis's talents extended beyond music, as he also made a significant impact in film and television. Between 1956 and 1969, he starred in 31 feature films, showcasing his versatility as an entertainer. While some of his movies received mixed reviews, they were commercially successful and introduced Elvis to a broader audience.

His films, including classics like "Jailhouse Rock" and "Viva Las Vegas," remain popular with fans and continue to be celebrated for their musical performances and iconic dance sequences.

Elvis Presley was also known for his generosity and philanthropic efforts. Throughout his career, he donated to numerous charities and organizations, often without seeking recognition. He supported causes ranging from education and healthcare to veterans' services and disaster relief.

Elvis's commitment to giving back to his community further endeared him to fans and solidified his status as a beloved cultural icon.

Even decades after his death, Elvis Presley continues to have a devoted fanbase. Fans from all over the world gather annually at Graceland to commemorate his life and legacy during "Elvis Week," held in August to mark the anniversary of his passing.

Elvis fan clubs, tribute artists, and conventions keep his memory alive, ensuring that his music and influence remain a vibrant part of contemporary culture.

What was the official cause of Elvis Presley's death?

The official cause of Elvis Presley's death was a heart attack. However, it is widely believed that prescription drug abuse played a significant role in his untimely passing.

Where is Elvis Presley buried?

Elvis Presley is buried at Graceland, his Memphis home. His grave is located in the Meditation Garden, alongside the graves of his parents and grandmother.

How has Elvis Presley's music impacted modern artists?

Elvis's music has had a profound impact on modern artists across various genres. Many musicians cite him as a major influence on their work, and his pioneering blending of musical styles continues to inspire creativity and innovation in the industry.

What are some of Elvis Presley's most famous songs?

Some of Elvis Presley's most famous songs include "Heartbreak Hotel," "Hound Dog," "Jailhouse Rock," "Suspicious Minds," and "Can't Help Falling in Love," among many others.

How is Elvis Presley remembered today?

Elvis Presley is remembered as a cultural icon and a pioneer of rock and roll. His music, style, and charisma continue to captivate audiences worldwide, ensuring that his legacy remains vibrant and celebrated.

What is "Elvis Week" and why is it significant?

"Elvis Week" is an annual event held in Memphis, Tennessee, to celebrate the life and legacy of Elvis Presley. It takes place in August to coincide with the anniversary of his death and features concerts, tributes, and special events attended by fans from around the world.

The impact of Elvis Presley on the world of music and popular culture is immeasurable. Although "Elvis Presley died" in 1977, his influence continues to resonate with audiences around the globe. His pioneering contributions to music, fashion, and film have left a lasting legacy that transcends generations. As we remember the "King of Rock and Roll," we celebrate the enduring power of his artistry and the timeless appeal of his music.

For those who wish to explore further, you can find more about Elvis Presley's life and legacy on the official Elvis Presley website .

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30 facts about elvis presley.

Written by Owen Fairclough

Modified & Updated: 02 Nov 2024

• Celebrity Facts

Elvis Presley remains one of the most iconic figures in music history. Known as the "King of Rock 'n' Roll," his influence extends beyond music into fashion, film, and pop culture. But how much do you really know about this legendary performer? Did you know that Elvis never performed outside North America ? Or that he holds the record for the most songs charting on the Billboard Top 40? From his humble beginnings in Tupelo, Mississippi, to his rise to stardom, Elvis's life is filled with fascinating tidbits. Whether you're a die-hard fan or just curious, these 30 facts about Elvis Presley will give you a deeper appreciation for the man behind the legend.

Early Life and Family

Elvis Presley, the King of Rock 'n' Roll, had a fascinating life from the very beginning. Let's dive into some intriguing facts about his early years and family background.

• Elvis Aaron Presley was born on January 8, 1935, in Tupelo, Mississippi.
• He had a twin brother, Jesse Garon Presley , who was stillborn.
• His parents, Vernon and Gladys Presley , were of modest means, struggling financially throughout his childhood .
• Elvis received his first guitar at age 11 , a gift from his mother.
• The family moved to Memphis, Tennessee , in 1948, seeking better opportunities.

Rise to Fame

Elvis's journey to stardom was meteoric. Here are some key moments that catapulted him to fame.

• In 1953, Elvis recorded his first song, "My Happiness," at Sun Records as a gift for his mother.
• Sam Phillips , the owner of Sun Records, saw potential in Elvis and signed him in 1954.
• His first single, "That's All Right," was released in July 1954 and became a local hit.
• Elvis's unique blend of country, blues, and gospel music set him apart from other artists.
• By 1956 , he had his first number one hit with "Heartbreak Hotel."

Iconic Performances

Elvis's performances were legendary, filled with energy and charisma. Here are some memorable moments.

• His appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1956 drew an audience of over 60 million viewers.
• Elvis's "Jailhouse Rock" performance in the 1957 film of the same name became iconic.
• The '68 Comeback Special marked his return to live performances after years in Hollywood .
• His Aloha from Hawaii concert in 1973 was the first concert broadcast live via satellite.
• Elvis performed over 600 shows in Las Vegas from 1969 to 1976 .

Personal Life

Elvis's personal life was as captivating as his professional one. Here are some lesser-known facts.

• He married Priscilla Beaulieu on May 1, 1967.
• The couple had one daughter, Lisa Marie Presley , born in 1968.
• Elvis was a black belt in karate , earning his first-degree black belt in 1960.
• He had a deep love for horses and owned several, including his favorite, Rising Sun.
• Elvis was known for his generosity, often giving away cars, jewelry, and money to friends and strangers.

Later Years and Legacy

Even in his later years, Elvis continued to influence music and culture . Here are some facts about his enduring legacy .

• Elvis's last live performance was on June 26, 1977, in Indianapolis, Indiana .
• He passed away on August 16, 1977, at his Graceland estate in Memphis.
• Graceland, Elvis's home, is now a museum and a National Historic Landmark.
• Elvis has sold over 600 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling solo artists.
• He was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986.

Fun and Quirky Facts

Elvis's life was full of interesting and quirky tidbits. Here are a few fun facts .

• He had a penchant for peanut butter, banana, and bacon sandwiches .
• Elvis starred in 31 feature films throughout his career.
• He owned a collection of police badges from various departments across the U.S.
• Elvis's favorite board game was Monopoly .
• He once bought a presidential yacht named the Potomac, which had belonged to Franklin D. Roosevelt .

The King’s Legacy Lives On

Elvis Presley’s impact on music and pop culture remains undeniable. From his humble beginnings in Tupelo, Mississippi, to becoming a global icon , his journey is nothing short of legendary. His unique blend of rock, blues, and gospel created a sound that still resonates today. Beyond music, his influence extended to fashion, film, and even the way people danced.

Elvis wasn’t just a performer; he was a trendsetter. His charisma and stage presence set the bar for future generations of artists. Even decades after his passing, fans continue to celebrate his life and work, proving that his legacy is timeless.

Whether you’re a lifelong fan or new to his music, there’s no denying the mark Elvis left on the world . His story is a testament to the power of talent, determination , and a bit of rock 'n' roll magic.

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