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From Tupelo to Sam Phillips and Sun Records

Colonel tom parker and national celebrity, presley’s immediate influence and impact, military service, movies, and mainstreaming, marriage, reclusion at graceland, and death.

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Elvis Presley

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Producer Sam Phillips at Sun Records, a local blues label, was the first to record Elvis Presley. He responded to Presley's audition tape with a phone call, and several week's of recording sessions ensued with a band consisting of Presley, guitarist Scotty Moore, and bassist Bill Black. Their repertoire consisted of blues and country songs and gospel hymns.

What is the name of Elvis Presley’s estate?

Graceland is Elvis Presley's estate in Memphis, Tennessee, and remains one of the the U.S.'s top tourist attractions.

How did Elvis Presley die?

Elvis Presley died of a heart attack in 1977 brought on largely by drug abuse. He was 42 years old.

Was Elvis Presley drafted into the army?

In early 1958 Elvis Presley was drafted by the U.S. Army. Presley returned from the army in 1960, where he had served as a soldier in Germany rather than joining the Special Services entertainment division.

Who was Elvis Presley's manager?

Colonel Tom Parker was a Dutch-born American show business promoter who was best known for managing the career of Elvis Presley.

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Elvis Presley (born January 8, 1935, Tupelo , Mississippi , U.S.—died August 16, 1977, Memphis , Tennessee) was an American popular singer widely known as the “King of Rock and Roll” and one of rock music’s dominant performers from the mid-1950s until his death.

Presley grew up dirt-poor in Tupelo, Mississippi, moved to Memphis as a teenager, and, with his family, was off welfare for only a few weeks when producer Sam Phillips at Sun Records , a local blues label, responded to his audition tape with a phone call. Several weeks worth of recording sessions ensued with a band consisting of Presley, guitarist Scotty Moore, and bassist Bill Black . Their repertoire consisted of the kind of material for which Presley would become famous: blues and country songs, Tin Pan Alley ballads , and gospel hymns. Presley knew some of this music from the radio, some of it from his parents’ Pentecostal church and the group sings he attended at the Rev. H.W. Brewster’s Black Memphis church, and some of it from the Beale Street blues clubs he began frequenting as a teenager.

Presley was already a flamboyant personality, with relatively long greased-back hair and wild-colored clothing combinations, but his full musical personality did not emerge until he and the band began playing with blues singer Arthur (“Big Boy”) Crudup ’s song “That’s All Right Mama” in July 1954. They arrived at a startling synthesis, eventually dubbed rockabilly , retaining many of the original’s blues inflections but with Presley’s high tenor voice adding a lighter touch and with the basic rhythm striking a much more supple groove. This sound was the hallmark of the five singles Presley released on Sun over the next year. Although none of them became a national hit, by August 1955, when he released the fifth, “ Mystery Train,” arguably his greatest record ever, he had attracted a substantial Southern following for his recordings, his live appearances in regional roadhouses and clubs, and his radio performances on the nationally aired Louisiana Hayride . (A key musical change came when drummer D.J. Fontana was added, first for the Hayride shows but also on records beginning with “Mystery Train.”)

From 1956 through 1958 he completely dominated the pop music charts and ushered in the age of rock and roll , opening doors for both white and Black rock artists. His television appearances , especially those on Ed Sullivan ’s Sunday night variety show, set records for the size of the audiences. Even his films, a few slight vehicles, were box office smashes.

Presley became the teen idol of his decade, greeted everywhere by screaming hordes of young women, and, when it was announced in early 1958 that he had been drafted and would enter the U.S. Army, there was that rarest of all pop culture events, a moment of true grief. More important, he served as the great cultural catalyst of his period. Elvis projected a mixed vision of humility and self-confidence, of intense commitment and comic disbelief in his ability to inspire frenzy. He inspired literally thousands of musicians—initially those more or less like-minded Southerners, from Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins on down, who were the first generation of rockabillies, and, later, people who had far different combinations of musical and cultural influences and ambitions. From John Lennon to Bruce Springsteen , Bob Dylan to Prince , it was impossible to think of a rock star of any importance who did not owe an explicit debt to Presley.

Beyond even that, Presley inspired his audience. “It was like he whispered his dream in all our ears and then we dreamed it,” said Springsteen at the time of Presley’s death. You did not have to want to be a rock and roll star or even a musician to want to be like Elvis—which meant, ultimately, to be free and uninhibited and yet still a part of the everyday. Literally millions of people—an entire generation or two—defined their sense of personal style and ambition in terms that Elvis first personified.

As a result, he was anything but universally adored. Those who did not worship him found him despicable (no one found him ignorable). Preachers and pundits declared him an anathema , his Pentecostally derived hip-swinging stage style and breathy vocal asides obscene. Racists denounced him for mingling Black music with white (and Presley was always scrupulous in crediting his Black sources, one of the things that made him different from the Tin Pan Alley writers and singers who had for decades lifted Black musical styles without credit). He was pronounced responsible for all teenage hooliganism and juvenile delinquency . Yet, in every appearance on television, he appeared affable , polite, and soft-spoken, almost shy. It was only with a band at his back and a beat in his ear that he became “Elvis the Pelvis.”

In 1959, while stationed in West Germany —where he served as a soldier rather than joining the Special Services entertainment division—Presley met Priscilla Beaulieu , who was 14 years old at the time (Presley was 24). They started a romantic relationship that continued after Presley returned to the United States in 1960. When he resumed his musical career, those who regarded him as commercial hype without talent expected him to fade away. Instead, he continued to have hits from recordings stockpiled just before he entered the army.

By 1968 the changes in the music world had overtaken Presley—both movie grosses and record sales had fallen. In December his one-man Christmas TV special aired: a tour de force of rock and roll and rhythm and blues , it restored much of his dissipated credibility. In 1969 he released a single having nothing to do with a film, “ Suspicious Minds”; it went to number one. He also began doing concerts again and quickly won back a sizable following, although it was not nearly as universal as his audience in the 1950s; in the main, it was Southern and Midwestern, working-class, and overwhelmingly female. For much of the next decade, he was again one of the top live attractions in the United States. (For a variety of reasons, he never performed outside North America.) Presley was now a mainstream American entertainer, an icon but not so much an idol.

In 1967 he married Priscilla Beaulieu without much furor. The next year he became a parent with the birth of their daughter, Lisa Marie Presley . Elvis Presley and Priscilla Presley eventually grew apart separating in 1972 and divorcing the following year.

Presley made no more movies, although there was a good concert film, Elvis on Tour (1972). His recordings were of uneven quality, but on each album he included a song or two that had focus and energy. Hit songs were harder to come by—“Suspicious Minds” was his last number one and “ Burning Love” (1972) his final Top Ten entry. But, thanks to concerts, spectaculars best described by critic Jon Landau as an apotheosis of American musical comedy , he remained a big money earner. He now lacked the ambition and power of his early work, but that may have been a good thing: he never seemed a dated relic of the 1950s trying to catch up to trends but was just a performer, unrelentingly himself.

However, Presley had also developed a lethal lifestyle. Spending almost all his time when not on the road in Graceland , his Memphis estate (actually just a big Southern colonial house decorated somewhere between banal modernity and garish faux-Vegas opulence), he lived nocturnally, surrounded by sycophants and stuffed with greasy foods and a variety of prescription drugs. His shows deteriorated in the final two years of his life, and his recording career came to a virtual standstill. Presley never seemed confident in his status, never entirely certain that he would not collapse back into sharecropper poverty, and, as a result, he seems to have become immobilized; the man who had risked everything, including potential ridicule, to make himself a success now lived in the lockstep regimen of an addict and recluse. Finally, in the summer of 1977, the night before he was to begin yet another concert tour, he died of a heart attack brought on largely by drug abuse . He was 42 years old.

Almost immediately upon hearing of his death, mourners from around the world gathered at Graceland to say farewell to the poor boy who had lived out the American dream. In a way, that mourning has never ceased: Graceland remains one of the country’s top tourist attractions, and Presley’s albums and other artifacts continue to sell briskly. Each August crowds flock to Graceland—which, under the direction of Priscilla Presley, first opened to the public in 1982—to honor him on the anniversary not of his birth but of his death. From time to time, rumors cropped up that he did not really die, that his death was a fake designed to free him from fame. Elvis impersonators are legion. His biggest fans—working-class white women, almost exclusively—passed their fanaticism on to their children, or at least to a surprising number of daughters. “Elvis has left the building,” but those who are still inside have decided to carry on regardless. Once more, Elvis Presley is triumphant, although this triumph is shadowed by something far less than happiness.

Elvis Presley

Musician and actor Elvis Presley rose to fame in the mid-1950s—on the radio, TV, and the silver screen—and is one of the biggest names in rock ’n’ roll history.

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Who Was Elvis Presley?

Quick facts, presley’s music career, military service and marriage, movies and soundtracks, daughter, divorce, and drug addiction, death and legacy, how tall was elvis, elvis’ favorite foods, elvis’ pets, movies about elvis, elvis memorabilia at auctions, elvis impersonators, elvis presley today: ’reinventing elvis’ on paramount+.

Elvis Presley’s famous 1968 television special , which reignited the music icon’s career, is the subject of the new Paramount+ documentary Reinventing Elvis: The ’68 Comeback . Streaming August 15 in the U.S. and Canada, the movie provides a behind-the-scenes look at Presley’s legendary performance, which became the most-watched television event of that year. It will also feature updated versions of classic Elvis hits performed by Darius Rucker , Latin Grammy winner Maffio, and more.

Elvis Presley came from very humble beginnings and grew up to become one of the biggest names in rock ’n’ roll—commonly referred to as “The King” of the genre. By the mid-1950s, he appeared on the radio, television, and the silver screen. On August 16, 1977, the 42-year-old died of heart failure, which was related to his drug addiction. Since his death, Presley has remained one of the world’s most popular music icons.

FULL NAME: Elvis Aaron Presley BORN: January 8, 1935 DIED: August 16, 1977 BIRTHPLACE: Tupelo, Mississippi SPOUSE: Priscilla Presley (1967-1973) CHILD: Lisa Marie Presley ASTROLOGICAL SIGN: Capricorn

Elvis Aron Presley was born on January 8, 1935, in Tupelo, Mississippi. (He later changed the spelling of his middle name to the biblical form of Aaron.) Presley was supposed to be a twin, but his brother, Jesse Garon (sometimes spelled Jessie), was stillborn. From very humble beginnings, Presley grew up to become one of the biggest names in rock ’n’ roll.

Raised by loving, working-class parents, Vernon and Gladys, Presley and his family had little money, and they moved from place to place frequently. He was deeply devoted to his parents, especially his mother, and was raised to have a strong faith in God. Presley attended the Assembly of God Church with his parents, where gospel music became an important influence for him.

Presley received his first guitar as a gift from his mother on his 11 th birthday in 1946 and had his first taste of musical success a few years later when he won a talent show at Humes High School in Memphis. After graduating in 1953, he worked a number of jobs while pursuing his musical dream. He cut his first demo record at what later became known as Sun Studio that year, and before long, Sam Phillips, the record label owner, decided to take the young performer under his wing. Presley soon began touring and recording, trying to catch his first big break. “That’s All Right” was Presley’s first single in 1954.

In 1955, Presley began to develop a following with fans being drawn to his unusual musical style, provocative gyrating hips, and good looks. That same year, he signed with RCA Records, a deal worked out by his manager, Colonel Tom Parker . Presley was on a roll, scoring his first No. 1 single with “Heartbreak Hotel,” as well as his first No. 1 album, Elvis Presley , and signing a movie contract with Paramount Pictures—all in 1956. Despite the uproar that his sexy dance moves caused, he also became a popular guest on a number of television variety shows.

Soon, Presley was everywhere, working as a musician and actor. His first film, Love Me Tender (1956), was a box office hit.

Throughout his amazing career, Presley helped popularize rock ’n’ roll music in America, earning his nickname as the genre’s king. He also won three Grammy Awards for his gospel recordings. A major musical force, Presley had 18 No. 1 singles, including “Don’t Be Cruel,” “Good Luck Charm,” and “Suspicious Minds,” as well as countless gold and platinum albums.

His career launched into superstardom thanks to a September 9, 1956, appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show . Sixty million viewers tuned in to watch Presley, then 21, perform “Don’t Be Cruel” as well as “Hound Dog” and “Love Me Tender” complete with the hip gyrations many found vulgar. He appeared two more times on the show over the next year, with the third censored from the waist down.

Presley’s 1957 album Elvis’ Christmas Album topped the Billboard charts for four weeks and would go on to sell more than 20 million copies in various editions, becoming the most popular holiday album of all time.

Also in 1957, Presley’s song for the film Jailhouse Rock of the same name reached No. 1. Rolling Stone ranked it 216 th on its list of the 500 best songs of all time in 2021.

Other notable Presley hits include “Blue Suede Shoes,” “Can’t Help Falling in Love,” “All Shook Up,” “(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear,” and “Are You Lonesome Tonight?”

In 1986, Presley was one of the first performers inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. But he has been recognized for his contributions to several musical genres, most notably rock, country , and gospel. In 1998, Presley was posthumously inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame; three years later, he was posthumously inducted into the Gospel Music Association’s Gospel Music Hall of Fame.

Even a stint in the U.S. military couldn’t put a damper on Presley’s thriving career. He received his draft notice in 1957 and was inducted into the Army the following March. He eventually served in Germany for about a year and a half.

Shortly before Presley left for Europe, his beloved mother, Gladys, died. He was granted a leave and returned to Memphis for the funeral. Deeply saddened by her death, Presley returned to duty.

While in Germany, his spirits were lifted slightly when he met a young teenager named Priscilla Beaulieu . The pair fell in love and married on May 1, 1967, in Las Vegas, Nevada.

After leaving the Army in 1960, Presley resumed his career and was soon back at the top of the charts with the soundtrack for his film GI Blues . He continued recording music and acting in such films as Blue Hawaii (1961), Girls! Girls! Girls! (1962), and Viva Las Vegas (1964). Although his films were often hit or miss with both critics and audiences, they brought in a profit, and the soundtracks usually sold well.

By the late 1960s, however, the enigmatic performer appeared to be losing his box office appeal. Proving he was still The King, he recorded his first TV special in 1968, often referred to as the ’68 Comeback Special . He wowed audiences with his performance, which showcased his talents as a singer and a guitarist.

Around this time, Presley’s personal life also seemed to be on an upswing. A year after he and Priscilla married, they had a daughter, Lisa Marie Presley , in 1968. Unfortunately, this joyous time would not last. By the early 1970s, Presley’s marriage was falling apart. The couple divorced in 1973, and Priscilla received custody of Lisa Marie.

Presley was also wrestling with other personal problems, including a growing addiction to prescription drugs. The once-thin rock star was battling a weight problem, and his destructive lifestyle caught up with him that fall when he was hospitalized for drug-related health problems.

Despite his personal obstacles, Presley remained a popular draw in Las Vegas and on tour. He performed at his last concert in June 1977, in Indianapolis, Indiana. After the concert, he returned home to his Memphis mansion, Graceland , to prepare for another tour.

On the morning of August 16, 1977, Presley died of heart failure at the age of 42. It was later ruled that his death was related to his prescription drug abuse. Presley was buried on the Graceland property, near the gravesites of his mother, father, and grandmother Minnie Mae Hood Presley.

Presley’s passing brought sadness to many. The FTD flower delivery service reported that more than 3,100 floral arrangements were ordered the day of his death, setting a one-day record in the United States.

An estimated 18,000 people with signs, flowers, and memorabilia lined Elvis Presley Boulevard in Memphis to catch a glimpse of his funeral procession on August 18. According to The Washington Post , a white Cadillac hearse transported Presley’s body, which laid inside a rose-covered coffin. About 200 family members attended a private ceremony at Graceland. Celebrities and notable figures like John Wayne , Burt Reynolds , Ann-Margret , and Caroline Kennedy were also there.

Presley was survived by his only daughter, Lisa Marie, and four grandchildren, who were all born after his death. Lisa Marie and her first husband, Danny Keough , had two children: daughter Danielle Riley Keough in 1989 and son Benjamin Storm Presley Keough in 1992. Now an actor, Danielle goes by her middle and last names— Riley Keough . She has had credited roles since the 2010s and recently starred in the series Daisy Jones & The Six . In 2008, Lisa Marie and her fourth husband, Michael Lockwood, had twin daughters: Harper Vivienne Anne and Finley Aaron Love.

Presley’s height varies by source, but he is generally believed to be around 6 feet tall.

Army records have listed him at an even 6 feet, but an authenticated paper driver’s license that sold at auction in 2015 said Presley was 5-foot-11. A costume designer that worked with him has also claimed he is slightly under 6 feet tall.

Presley’s go-to snack was a fried peanut butter and banana sandwich. His former cook Mary Jenkins Langston detailed the process of finding the perfect recipe in a 1996 BBC documentary The Burger & the King .

According to Priscilla Presley, Elvis rejected Langston’s first five attempts at making the sandwich before his father suggested toasting the bread first. It worked, but Langston had to use two sticks of butter for every three sandwiches Presley requested. She said he would ask for the delicacy at all times of the day, including the middle of the night.

The same documentary said Presley’s love of food went back to his childhood in Mississippi. His family sometimes ate squirrel, but he was most fond of pig feet, collard greens, and chitlins.

Among the other foods Langston cooked for Presley—often in large portions—were meatloaf, cheeseburgers, chicken-fried steaks, caramel cakes, and banana pudding. “He said that the only thing in life he got any enjoyment out of was eating,” Langston said .

Presley and his family owned a variety of different pets and animals. Elvis had a turkey named Bowtie, and his mother and father raised chickens and hogs on the land surrounding Graceland.

At one point, Elvis had a mynah bird that was trained to repeat excuses for why the singer couldn’t come to the telephone. Presley also owned several horses and dogs throughout his lifetime.

Presley also bought a chimpanzee named Scatter in 1961. The chimp wore human clothes and often hung out with Elvis and his friends but eventually became difficult to control. He was known to drink alcohol and trash dressing rooms on film sets. It is alleged that Graceland servants became so tired of dealing with Scatter’s antics that they poisoned him.

Presley’s Memphis home, Graceland , is open to the public, and numerous fans from around the world visit the legendary residence annually, especially around Presley’s birthday and the anniversary of his death.

Thousands of fans traveled to Graceland on August 16, 2012—the 35 th anniversary of Presley’s death—for a special vigil in honor of the King of Rock ’n’ Roll. During the gathering, fans held lit candles and stood outside of Presley’s home. Although the Presley family holds a tribute event each year to mark the anniversary of Presley’s death, the 2012 gathering was unique: Presley’s ex-wife, Priscilla, and daughter Lisa Marie appeared together for the first time at the annual event.

“You should see this from our point-of-view. It’s amazing,” Priscilla said during the event, according to the Washington Post . “The candles are lit. It’s truly a sight to behold... This is something that Elvis would never, ever have believed could have taken place here.”

Lisa Marie became the sole heir to Graceland following the deaths of her grandfather Vernon and great-grandmother Minnie May in 1979 and 1980, respectively. She took ownership of the estate on her 25 th birthday in 1993.

Lisa Marie passed control of Graceland to her children upon her death in January 2023. However, Priscilla quickly challenged her daughter’s will in court, claiming a 2016 amendment that replaced her as a co-trustee of Lisa Marie’s trust was invalid. Ultimately, the dispute between Priscilla and her granddaughter Riley Keough resolved in an August 2023 settlement that passed Elvis’ estate to Keough and her twin sisters.

Since his death, Presley has remained one of the world’s most popular music icons. Over the years, several documentaries and films have explored the enigmatic performer.

In 1979, John Carpenter directed the made-for-TV biopic Elvis , which starred Kurt Russell as Presley. However, Russell didn’t sing for the part; he lip-synced to country singer Ronnie McDowell. The film omits much of Presley’s life, including his death, but received three Primetime Emmy Award nominations.

Two movies have been made about Presley’s famous visit with President Richard Nixon at the White House in 1970. Rick Peters played The King in the 1996 mockumentary Elvis Meets Nixon , while Michael Shannon took the role in 2016’s Elvis & Nixon . According to a 2020 Washingtonian article , a picture from the actual visit is the most-requested photograph from the U.S. National Archives.

A 2005 CBS television miniseries starred Jonathan Rhys Meyers as Presley, with Meyers winning a Golden Globe for his performance.

In 2018, a two-part documentary, Elvis Presley: The Searcher , was released; it explored his early life, rise to fame, and his myriad musical influences.

Austin Butler played Presley in the stylish 2022 biographical drama Elvis , directed by Baz Luhrmann. Tom Hanks played Colonel Tom Parker . The film received eight Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture and Best Actor for Butler’s performance. Presley’s daughter Lisa Marie called the film “absolutely exquisite” and praised Butler, who “channeled and embodied my father’s heart and soul beautifully.”

In 2023, Paramount+ announced it would stream a documentary, Reinventing Elvis: The ’68 Comeback , starting August 15 about Presley’s famous December 1968 television special. “I’m so proud of this film, because it presents Elvis as he really was, and looks at a specific moment in time—when Elvis took control of his life, his career, and his legacy,” said Steve Binder , who directed the 1968 special and serves as an executive producer.

Items from Presley’s career are coveted at auctions and have brought in big bucks.

His first record , an acetate recording of “My Happiness” from 1953, sold for $300,000 at Graceland in 2015. Presley originally paid $4 for the recording.

In 2018, an Omega watch gifted to Presley by RCA Records in 1961 sold in Geneva for more than $1.8 million. The watch is 18K white gold and has 44 diamonds around the bezel.

Another 2018 auction, held at the Guest House at Graceland and online, featured more than 200 keepsakes from third-party collectors which were all once owned, used, and signed by the King himself. The highest-priced item, a 1942 Beretta M1934 pistol given to Presley by General Omar Bradley, sold for more than $51,000.

Presley’s white jumpsuit from his first live performance at New York’s Madison Square Garden in 1972 sold for $1,012,500 at the 2021 Artifacts of Hollywood and Music auction. Other Presley items sold included a jar of his hair for $72,500 and his racing helmet from Viva Las Vegas for $23,750.

In January 2023, Presley’s 1962 Lockheed JetStar airplane sold for $286,000 in Florida. The plane was in poor shape after sitting at the Roswell International Air Center in New Mexico for decades but featured red velvet upholstery and gold-finish hardware.

Because of the popularity of his music and his status as an iconic celebrity, Presley impersonators and tribute acts remain in high demand. They range from parodists and amateurs to actual part- and full-time professionals. One of the most famous was comedian Andy Kaufman , who made impersonating Presley part of his act in the 1970s.

In 2007, the BBC hosted a televised competition called The World’s Greatest Elvis that featured 30 of the top Presley tribute artists from around the world. Shawn Klush from Pittston, Pennsylvania—known as the “closest thing to the King”— won the title.

Since 2007, Memphis has hosted the Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest during an annual Elvis Week celebration. The winner receives a $20,000 prize.

On July 12, 2014, Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort in North Carolina hosted a Guinness World Record for the largest gathering of Elvis impersonators with 895 in attendance.

• Fingerprints are like values—you leave them all over everything you do.
• After a hard day of basic training, you could eat a rattlesnake.
• Ambition is a dream with a V8 engine.
• Animals don’t hate, and we’re supposed to be better than them.
• Thank you, thank you very much.
• When things goes wrong, don’t go with them.
• Truth is like the sun. You can shut it out for a while, but it ain’t going away.
• Man, I really like Vegas.
• 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 of the movie. So every dream I ever had has come true a hundred times... I learned early in life that without a song, the day would never end. Without a song, a man ain’t got no friend. Without a song, the road would never bend—without a song. So I keep singing a song.
• Some people tap their feet, some snap their fingers, and some sway back and forth. I just sorta do them all together, I guess.
• Man, I was tame compared to what they do now. Are you kidding? I didn’t do anything but just jiggle.

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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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What was Elvis Presley’s cause of death? A look back at the King's 1977 death in Memphis

"Death Captures Crown of Rock and Roll — Elvis Dies Apparently After Heart Attack."

That was the headline stripped across the front page of the Wednesday, Aug. 17, 1977, edition of The Commercial Appeal, relaying the shocking news from the previous day.

Elvis Presley was pronounced dead at Baptist Hospital on Union Avenue in Memphis at 3:30 p.m. Aug. 16, 1977.

He had been transported to the hospital by Memphis Fire Department ambulance after he was found on the floor of his upstairs bathroom at Graceland. He was 42 .

Here is a closer look at what to know about Elvis' 1977 death .

What did autopsy determine was Elvis' cause of death?

Dr. Jerry Francisco, the Shelby County Medical Examiner, who conducted an autopsy that day with a team of six pathologists, said Elvis' death was due to cardiac arrest. (The family had a history of heart trouble:  Gladys Presley, Elvis' mother, had died of a heart attack on Aug. 14, 1958, at 46 .) Francisco noted that preliminary autopsy findings suggested the cause of death was either "cardiac arrhythmia" or “an irregular and ineffective” heartbeat.

Francisco also reported that Presley suffered from "mild hypertension" and "coronary disease that had gone undetected," and he "died in a matter of four short minutes of coronary arrhythmia, an irregular beating of the heart." Francisco concluded that "there was no evidence of any drug use contributing to his death."

The coroner was initially unable to uncover the cause of the arrhythmia. This caused considerable media speculation that Presley's death might have been the result of a drug overdose, as several different prescription drugs were found in his body.

In the fall of 1977, the Shelby County coroner's office ruled out drugs as the cause of Elvis' death. "Although prescription drugs were present in his body at the time of his death," Francisco noted, "The cause of death has been ascribed to hypertensive heart disease, with coronary artery heart disease as a contributing factor."

Prior to his passing, Presley had dealt with various health problems and had been hospitalized several times in the '70s for hypertension and issues with his colon. Presley also suffered from mild diabetes and liver problems.

Did drug use contribute to Elvis' death?

Beginning shortly after Presley's death and continuing over the next several years, various investigations and reports began to attribute Elvis' cardiac arrest to "polypharmacy" (the simultaneous use of multiple drugs), which adversely affected what medical personnel variously referred to as Presley's "enlarged" heart, his "clogged" arteries and his "hypertensive heart disease."

The Commercial Appeal later reported that lab reports indicated that 14 drugs were found in Presley's blood at the time of his death, including "near toxic levels" of codeine, morphine, Placidyl and other prescription drugs. The "overdose of depressants" likely caused him to pass out in a slumped "fetal" position, and "he died when the drugs, in combination with pressure from his body weight, brought his respiration to a halt," according to the evening newspaper, the Memphis Press-Scimitar.

Presley's drug habit is now generally accepted as a cause of death. The Encyclopedia Britannica states, simply: "Elvis Presley died of a heart attack in 1977 brought on largely by drug abuse."

The Cause of Elvis’ Death Is Still Debatable

The singer's last days have sparked new interest..

Both films have reignited interest in the Mississippi-born musical legend, who had a life rife with drug addiction and an unexpected death at 42. The musician and film star rose to fame in 1956 with his first number one single “Heartbreak Hotel.” From there, he became known for his performances (In 2011, The Guardian chronicled when he was known as “Elvis the Pelvis”) and the frantic crowds who would attend his shows. By the end of his life, according to CNN , Presley was nominated for 14 Grammys, winning three, as well as a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. As an actor, Elvis starred in 31 films and two concert documentaries.

That’s not to mention Presley’s home, Graceland, which sees thousands of visitors each year who seek to learn more about Presley’s legacy. It’s a National Historic Landmark, and according to PEOPLE, Presley is also buried on the property alongside his mother. During his lifetime, the place was known for Presley’s costly grocery list, his pet chimpanzee, and even a room that briefly became a recording studio for the musician.

With Elvis once again recounting the rock n’ roll legend’s life, there’s also a renewed interest in how the King died. Here’s what we know.

How Did Elvis Presley Die?

On August 16, 1977, Presley’s girlfriend Ginger Alden found the singer unresponsive on his bathroom floor in his home, Graceland. He was rushed to the hospital, but was then declared dead from cardiac arrest at 3:30pm.

Although the direct reason for his death is clear, there’s still questions over whether or not Elvis’s rampant drug use contributed to his death. According to Town and Country Magazine , in the last 20 months of the singer’s life he was prescribed 12,000 pills and carried three suitcases of drugs with him.

Controversy persists over his death though because of the Presley family’s understandable urge to keep details over Presley’s passing private, and Tennessee’s Medical Chief at the time, Jerry Francisco, who according to PEOPLE , stated the singer’s death was due to heart disease, and not pharmaceuticals. Francisco’s comments contradict that of other medical professionals, who believe drugs had to be a factor in the singer’s death.

Although Graceland is open to the public, to this day, Elvis' bedroom (and the entire upstairs) is not open to the public due to the intense interest in the singer's death. Only members of the Presley family and the Graceland curator are allowed in, and since the home opened up to visitors in 1982, celebrities and even presidents have been turned away from viewing the King's room. According to PEOPLE though, one person has made it inside: Nicolas Cage, who is apparently an Elvis superfan and was married to Elvis and Priscilla's daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, from 2002 to 2004.

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Vernon Presley Biography

Birthday: April 10 , 1916 ( Aries )

Born In: Fulton, Mississippi, United States

Vernon Presley was the father and manager of the legendary American singer Elvis Presley. He was born into a poor farming family in Fulton and when he was old enough, he started doing various odd jobs in order to make ends meet. Vernon decided to start driving a truck for a local grocery store to support his wife Gladys Presley and his new son Elvis Presley. Later, he became a deacon at a local church. Vernon was a complete family man who dedicated himself to providing a wholesome atmosphere for his son and wife. He was the one who encouraged his son to pursue a career in singing. His solid support for his son’s signing talent soon paid off when Elvis released his first independent record. Elvis became a superstar overnight, and his father’s unending encouragement helped him rise further. While Vernon decided to stay behind the scenes when his son became successful, he managed his overall career from his estate in Graceland. He was also responsible for Elvis’s finances and often accompanied him on his tours and events. Throughout their lives, the duo was inseparable. Following Elvis’s early death, Vernon took over the role of his executor. Unfortunately, he died shortly afterwards, leaving behind a pleasant joint legacy with Elvis.

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Died At Age: 63

Spouse/Ex-: Davada, Davada, Davada "Dee" Stanley (m. 1960–1977), Gladys Presley (m. 1933–1958)

father: Minnie Mae Hood Presley

mother: Jessie D. McClowell Presley

siblings: Vester Presley

children: Elvis Presley

Born Country: United States

Family Members American Men

Died on: June 26 , 1979

place of death: Memphis, Tennessee, United States

U.S. State: Mississippi

See the events in life of Vernon Presley in Chronological Order

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• B.A., History, University of California at Davis

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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Meet Gladys Presley, Elvis Presley’s Mother And The ‘Love Of His Life’

Elvis presley was known for being extremely close with his mother gladys presley. when she tragically died of a heart attack in 1958, he would never be the same again..

Elvis Presley spent much of his career as an American superstar — and stole the hearts of countless women. But according to some, the classic crooner only had eyes for one woman: his mother, Gladys Presley.

Gladys loomed large in Elvis’s life. Overprotective and fawning, she poured her ambitions and affections into her only son. But when he became famous and successful, she withered in the unforgiving glare of the spotlight.

Bettmann/Getty Images Gladys Presley receiving a kiss from her son, Elvis, before his induction into the U.S. Army.

Her untimely death in 1958 completely devastated Elvis — and foreshadowed his own early death almost exactly 19 years later.

Gladys Presley And The Birth Of Elvis

Born Gladys Love Smith on April 25, 1912, Gladys Presley grew up worlds away from the fame and riches that her son would one day achieve. The daughter of a cotton farmer, she came of age in Mississippi.

In the 1930s, Gladys fatefully met Vernon Presley at church. Though she was four years older than him — and Vernon, at 17, was underage — they lied about their ages in order to get married in 1933. Soon, Gladys was pregnant.

Pinterest Vernon and Gladys Presley. He was 17 years old when they got married, and she was 21.

But when it came time for her to give birth on January 8, 1935, tragedy struck. Gladys had twins, but the first boy, Jesse Garon Presley, was stillborn. Only the second boy, Elvis Aaron Presley, survived.

To Gladys, this meant that Elvis absorbed all the potential that his twin brother would’ve had if he’d survived. She allegedly believed that “when one twin died, the one that lived got all the strength of both.”

In the years to come, she would give Elvis twice the amount of affection, too.

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How Elvis’s Rise Triggered Gladys’s Fall

As Elvis grew up, Gladys Presley — perhaps traumatized by the loss of his twin brother — always kept him close. When he was a baby, she even dragged him in a sack beside her as she worked in the cotton fields.

Mother and son gave numerous pet names to each other, constantly communicated in baby talk, and even shared the same bed well into Elvis’s teenage years due to poverty. When Vernon briefly went to prison for forging a check in 1938, Gladys Presley and her son grew even closer.

According to Elvis, the first song he ever recorded was for his mother. In 1953, at the age of 18, he went to Sun Studio in Memphis to record “My Happiness” as a birthday gift for Gladys. That record proved to be a spark — which would eventually flare into superstardom.

Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images Gladys Presley, left, with Elvis and Vernon. Circa 1937.

But Elvis’s rise marked Gladys’s fall. Though she was proud of her son, Gladys found his fame hard to handle. At Elvis’s Memphis mansion, Graceland, neighbors mocked how Gladys did laundry outdoors, and Elvis’s handlers asked her to stop feeding her chickens on the lawn.

“I wish we was poor again, I really do,” she once told a friend on the phone. To her cousin, Gladys called herself “the most miserable woman on Earth.”

Depressed, isolated, and bewildered by her son’s fame, Gladys Presley started to drink and take diet pills. By 1958, she had developed hepatitis.

The Devastating Death Of Elvis Presley’s Mother

In August 1958, news spread that Elvis Presley’s mother was ill. Elvis, then serving in the U.S. Army and stationed in Germany, quickly traveled home to see her and arrived just in time. On August 14, 1958, Gladys Presley died at age 46. Though the cause was a heart attack, it was later found that one of the contributing factors was liver failure due to alcohol poisoning.

“It broke my heart,” Elvis Presley said. “She was always my best girl.”

At her funeral, Elvis was inconsolable. “Goodbye, darling. We loved you,” the singer said at Gladys Presley’s gravesite. “Oh God, everything I have is gone. I lived my life for you. I loved you so much.”

Elvis could barely walk after burying his mother. And many close to him said that Elvis changed irrevocably after Gladys’s death, grieving her loss for years and thinking about her in relation to just about everything he did.

Adam Fagen/Flickr Gladys Presley is buried at Graceland.

Even in death, Elvis Presley’s mother cast a large shadow in the singer’s life. When he met his future wife Priscilla, he talked incessantly about Gladys. It’s even believed that he saw a resemblance between the two of them. And Priscilla would later note that Elvis’s mother was the true “love of his life.”

Though many found his close relationship with Gladys heartwarming, others raised questions about how “unusually” close they were. Even Elvis’s father Vernon — who was also close to his son — appeared amazed by the tight-knit relationship between mother and son. It was one Elvis never forgot.

In an odd way, even Elvis’s death aligned with his mother. Almost exactly 19 years after he buried Gladys, Elvis Presley died on August 16, 1977.

Ever the loyal son, Elvis brought his family back together in death. He and his parents are buried side by side at his Graceland mansion.

After reading about Gladys Presley, learn more facts about Elvis Presley . Then, discover the bizarre true story of how Elvis met Richard Nixon .

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What The Final 12 Months Of Elvis' Life Were Like

Few if any figures in rock and roll history are as timeless — or controversial — as Elvis Presley . A doe-eyed boy from the South whose unique mix of barking and crooning made him both a rebel and a heartthrob, Elvis changed the way the world thought about music, pop culture, and celebrity. His hip-swinging antics might seem tame to today's audiences, but when he first emerged as a pop star, Elvis introduced millions to rock's inherent sexuality. Meanwhile, though his adoption of African-American musical traditions is a bone of contention for many listeners today, in his heyday it was a powerful way to put non-white rhythms in front of segregated audiences. "Hound Dog" is an antique in 2020, but when it first premiered, it was a revolution.

And yet, when Elvis died on August 16, 1977, he had become something entirely different from his former self. Dealing with addiction and health issues and having a difficult time adjusting to the shifting cultural climate of the '60s and '70s, Elvis died a Vegas showman rather than a groundbreaking rocker. This kitschy new incarnation of his identity at the time of his death — what many refer to as "Old Elvis" — led to him becoming a new sort of posthumous icon, with many claiming his passing was faked and that Elvis was either alive on a private island somewhere or abducted by aliens.

But when one looks at the last 12 months of Elvis' life, it becomes clear that the truth behind the King Of Rock And Roll's death might have been even stranger than the rumors people spread about him.

Elvis had a private doctor who fed him any pill he wanted

As a young man embracing both a punishing work schedule and the stresses of newfound celebrity, Elvis was under a tremendous amount of pressure. According to LiveAbout.com , Elvis became dependent on several different types of prescription drugs, specifically amphetamines to keep him awake and barbiturates to help him sleep or relax. Early on, these were heavily pushed by his manager, the infamous "Colonel" Tom Parker, who many believe swindled the naive young Elvis while running him ragged.

But by 1976, Elvis wasn't just getting his uppers and downers from his manager. He had a private doctor who would prescribe him any pill he asked for, according to a People Magazine story  shortly after his death. Dr. George Nichopoulos, aka "Dr. Nick," traveled with Elvis, and carried three suitcases of pills to make sure he could fulfill any of Elvis' needs. It was claimed that over the last 20 months of Elvis' life, Dr. Nick prescribed him over 12,000 pills. (The doctor said they were for Presley's entourage as well.) His excuse for throwing all these high-octane drugs around? If he didn't prescribe the pills to Elvis, someone else would, and at least this way he wouldn't get them off the street.

The toxicology report from Elvis' death said he had the opiates Dilaudid, Demerol, and Percodan in his blood, not to mention Quaaludes and codeine. However, though Dr. Nick was charged with 11 felony accounts of overprescribing drugs, he was acquitted — the medical examiner claimed that Elvis had died of heart disease, adding, "Had these drugs not been there, he still would've died."

Elvis wouldn't leave Graceland -- not even to record

By 1976, Elvis had become disenfranchised and unhinged, his drug use, bad health, and financial excess chipping away at his composure. He spent most of his time holed up in the elaborate den — nicknamed the "Jungle Room" for its exotic decor — of his Memphis compound Graceland. Most worrisome to his record label, RCA, was that the King had become entirely uninterested in going into the studio and recording.

According to Rolling Stone , that was when producer Felton Jarvis had a game-changing idea: If Elvis wouldn't go to the studio, they'd bring the studio to Elvis. Presley had recorded tracks at home in Palm Springs in 1973 to great success, and said that he enjoyed being in a room with his fellow musicians to feed off their emotions — so why not set up a mobile studio in Graceland? Elvis approved of the idea, and the label sent a studio truck to his home.

In many ways, the Jungle Room was perfect for the task. It was huge, and its shag carpeting naturally absorbed ambient sound, although the fake waterfall did have to be turned off. It was there, in October 1976, that Elvis recorded his final studio sessions, resulting in some of his most memorable and emotionally crushing material to date.

Elvis had a new girlfriend, who many thought was riding the wave of his downfall

In November 1976, Elvis split with his girlfriend of four years Linda Thompson, according to The Wrap . Linda had been a stabilizing force in the singer's world, but she eventually left him because she wanted a more normal life.

Replacing Linda was actress Ginger Alden (above), a woman 20 years Elvis' junior. In December 1976, after a brief courtship, the singer gave her an engagement ring made from the diamond in his own TCB ring — an action that many thought was more for show than actual sentiment. In turn, many in Elvis' entourage believed Ginger to be nothing more than a gold-digger. Lamar Fike, a member of Elvis' "Memphis Mafia" entourage, famously said Ginger "didn't give a rat's ass about him."

In Ginger's mind, these opinions were unfair stones cast by her fiance's cronies. "Not getting to know them well, shortly after Elvis passed away, I was extremely disappointed to see the character of some that Elvis had around him," she said in a 2019 interview with Elvis' Australian fan club while promoting her book Elvis and Ginger: Elvis Presley's Fiance and Last Love Finally Tells Her Story. "A few speculated and began telling untruths regarding Elvis and me which were completely unwarranted, mean spirited and wrong."

Elvis's food addiction made him 'a grotesque caricature of his former self'

When critics and fans describe Elvis in his later years, one term used is "Fat Elvis." While this is a cruel and derogatory way to describe someone dealing with personal health problems, it's undeniable that Elvis' eating and weight issues colored his last year on Earth.

According to the New York Daily News , by the end of his life Elvis was consuming enough calories to feed several people every day. Growing up in the South, Elvis  took comfort in greasy homestyle foods. As an adult, one of his favorite meals was a roll stuffed with bacon, peanut butter, and jelly, alongside midnight snacks like hamburgers and deep-fried bread. While he was also taking many dangerous pharmaceuticals throughout his life, it was the heart disease caused by his bad diet that ultimately killed him.

The critics noted his weight gain when reviewing his public appearances. In Rees Quinn's biography Elvis , writer Tony Scherman is quoted as saying that by early '77 "Presley had become a grotesque caricature of his sleek, energetic former self. Hugely overweight, his mind dulled by the pharmacopeia he daily ingested, he was barely able to pull himself through his abbreviated concerts."

Elvis sometimes couldn't get out of bed to perform

Most challenging during Elvis' final years was his nonstop schedule of his live performances. During many shows, the audience wouldn't be able to understand what he was saying, and he would often leave the stage early, unable to continue.

This manifested most egregiously in March 1977 during two stops in Louisiana. According to a 1977 review in Alexandria Town Talk , the first show in Alexandria lasted less than an hour before Elvis had to leave the stage. But according to the book The Mysteries Surrounding the Death of Elvis Presley , even worse was in Baton Rouge, where Elvis had to cancel a show because he couldn't make it out of his hotel bed in order to get to the venue. The rest of the tour was subsequently canceled, acting for many historians as a benchmark of just how far the King had fallen from the pedestals of his youth.

Elvis released his tragic, pained final album months before his death

By 1977, Elvis had lost all interest in recording new music. However, the home recording sessions of 1976 were fruitful, and seemed to inspire a burst of creativity in the King. After the final recording session in October of '76, RCA set to work cobbling the tracks together into what would be Elvis' final records — a fact none of them knew, but which the pained music seems to foreshadow in hindsight.

Moody Blue , released in February 1977, was a mix of live recordings and new studio tracks, containing two of Presley's most widely regarded songs. Title track "Moody Blue" became Elvis' final Number One single; the song is in keeping with the pop music of the time, tinged with disco and exotica, but still showcases the warbling, lonely figure that the singer had become. But it's "She Thinks I Still Care" that is regarded by many to be Elvis' finest latter-day moments, illustrating a man trying to move on while trapped in the role tailor-made for him and revealing, according to Rolling Stone , "a real-life glimpse into the life of an increasingly isolated man."

Sure, Elvis will always be remembered for "Jailhouse Rock" and "Can't Help Falling In Love With You", but these final tracks are a testament that even lonely, depressive Elvis had a message that would resonate with audiences for years to come.

Elvis was depressed towards the end -- and maybe even suicidal

Elvis' passing is often used as the archetypal rock star death — a tragic accident caused by a poor health and drug use. But was the King simply ignoring his well-being, or was he having suicidal thoughts?

In the recent HBO documentary Elvis Presley: The Searcher , the singer's longtime wife Priscilla revealed that she wasn't sure whether Elvis' death was really an accident. Priscilla pointed out that Elvis had written a note to friend and "Memphis Mafia" member Joe Esposito, which stated, "I'm sick and tired of my life."

Additionally, a report from the tabloid The Sun shows that Priscilla considered depictions of Elvis as a bystander in his own life to be inaccurate, only that he was dismissive of attempts to help him get treatment. "He knew what he was doing," she said, "and people go, 'Why didn't anyone do anything?" Well, that's not true. People there in the inner group did — but you did not tell Elvis what to do. You'd have been out of there faster than a scratched cat. They would try and — no way."

If you or anyone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

Elvis's final show suggested he knew the end was near

Elvis' last live gig was on June 26, 1977, at the Market Square Arena in Indianapolis to a crowd of 18,000 fans, according to LiveAbout . The setlist included many of his classic hits like "Hound Dog," "Don't Be Cruel," and "Jailhouse Rock," as well as newer numbers like "Hurt" and his cover of "Bridge Over Troubled Water." As he had in recent gigs, Elvis appeared overweight and at times winded but was reported to have given a solid performance overall.

What confused some people, though, was that Elvis took a portion of the show to introduce everyone from his life onstage. The moment came toward the end of the night, just before his closing performance of "Can't Help Falling In Love With You." Many would later wonder if this was because Elvis knew somewhere deep down that he would never play again and wanted to shout out all of those who made his career possible.

Equally cryptic for some were the parting words the King said as he left the stage: "We'll meet again. God bless ... adios."

Elvis fired his 'Memphis Mafia' bodyguards, so they published a tragic tell-all book

Throughout Elvis' career, he was surrounded by a crew of friends, hangers-on, and enablers that were casually dubbed the "Memphis Mafia." The gang held various roles, from sounding boards for Presley's personal problems to helping him wade through crowds of rabid fans.

Three of the Mafia members, David Hebler, Robert "Red" West, and Robert's cousin Sonny West, had acted as Elvis' bodyguards for much of his career. (Red had known the singer since the '50s.) But in 1976, all three were fired to "cut back on expenses." While some claimed this was because they'd been rough enough with fans to incite lawsuits, others countered that it was due to their criticism of Elvis' drug use.

As recorded in Rolling Stone , the three bodyguards co-wrote a tell-all biography of Elvis that was released only days before his death. Titled Elvis: What Happened? , the book offered the public its first look into Presley's drug use and sex life. While many of Elvis' loyal fans refused the buy the biography upon its initial release — in May 1977 in the UK and late July in the US — the King's death soon thereafter, and the revelation that many of the book's stories were painfully accurate, turned it into one of the most successful Elvis books of all time.

His only real friend was his live-in nurse

Like many stars who became hugely famous before the concept of celebrity handlers had been formalized, Elvis was surrounded by yes-men and sycophants. This was especially true during the last year of his life, when he was deep in his chemical dependency and had left behind many of the loyal friends of his youth.

The King's only true friend near the time of his death was arguably Letitia Henley, his live-in nurse. While the world at large saw Elvis as the man who had it all, Letitia — known to those around Elvis as "Tish" — had a private window into his personal struggles. "He was not only my patient, but a good friend," Henley later wrote in a book,  via Express . "He was miserable. He was depressed about aging and not having a woman he loved. He missed Priscilla. His friends kept pimping him with pretty 17- and 18-year-old girls but he had ­nothing in common with them."

Even Tish lives with pain surrounding Elvis' death, which she said came as "a complete shock" to her. When Elvis asked for sleeping pills during his final hours, it was she who told his private doctor where to find them, and she regrets not being there as he died. "You always think there was something you could have done, that he might still be alive today. That haunts me."

Elvis' last 24 hours were a bizarre whirlwind of activity

Given his pill dependency and excessive weight, some might assume that Elvis spent the day before his death lying in bed eating or doing drugs. But even more shocking and strange might be the sheer amount of activity undertaken by the King in the hours before he passed away.

As detailed in the documentary Elvis Presley: The Last 24 Hours , Elvis' final day on earth included a nighttime trip to the dentist in search of prescription drugs, a 4 a.m. game of racquetball with his cousin Billy Smith, and an impromptu piano performance of classics including "Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain." He was last seen alive going into the bathroom to read. He was found there by Ginger Alden around 2 p.m. on August 16.

"The phone rings — intercom," said Joe Esposito, foreman of the Memphis Mafia. "One of the maids picked up the phone, and it's Ginger. She says, 'Come upstairs, I need help. Elvis just fainted.' I ran upstairs, I go into the bathroom, and Elvis had fell over and was laying on the floor. I turned him over ... and I knew. I knew he was dead."

Elvis' death left a legacy as important as his life

Elvis Aaron Presley died August 16, 1977, at the age of 42. For fans of rock and roll everywhere, the King's death was a monumental blow. But with his life ended, those who loved him could now remember the man he'd once been, revolutionizing rock music with his energy, charisma, and raw talent.

And yet, the darkness and desperation surrounding Elvis' final months and death have made him an imperfect icon idolized by subcultures your average Graceland-bound tourist might not expect — punks, goths, and modern-day rockabillies, who appreciate the mismatched sides of the singer's life. In 2020, Glenn Danzig, heavy metal vocalist and frontman of horror-punk act The Misfits, released Danzig Sings Elvis , an album of Elvis covers. In fact, Danzig's vocal style is so reminiscent of Presley's that he's earned himself the nickname "Evil Elvis," a title he's happy to accept.

"Anytime someone mentions my name and Elvis' name in the same sentence, that's great," he told Rolling Stone . "It doesn't get better than that."

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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https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/the-story-behind-the-song-revisiting-elvis-first-single-thats-all-right

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https://veteransbreakfastclub.org/when-elvis-got-drafted

https://people.com/music/elvis-presley-death-everything-to-know

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The Legacy of Elvis Presley

Although Elvis Presley died in 1977, his name, music, and image have sustained the public's attention. The period after his death has been marked by controversy, acclaim, ridicule, and commercialism: Officials debated the role of drugs in his death, music organizations honored his accomplishments, the media ridiculed the fans, and profiteers made money from it all. From the pits of tabloid headlines to the peaks of awards and honors, Elvis continued to make news. Death was not the end of Elvis Presley's career, it simply marked another phase.

To commemorate Elvis on the 25th anniversary of his death, RCA released a compilation of his No.1 records titled ELV1S: 30 #1 Hits. The marketing campaign was designed around the tag line: "Before anyone did anything, Elvis did everything." A clever bit of phrasing, the line succinctly summarized Elvis' contribution to pop culture history while evoking the dynamism of his sound and the danger of his original image.

The world needed to be reminded of this -- and it was. ELV1S: 30 #1 Hits rocketed to No. 1 when it debuted, selling 500,000 copies in its first week of release. Debuting an album in the top spot on the U.S. charts was an accomplishment Elvis had not managed while he was alive. In addition to America, ELV1S: 30 #1 Hits opened at No. 1 in 16 other countries, including Canada, France, the United Kingdom, Argentina, and the United Arab Emirates.

Marketing strategy aside, it was the music that accounted for the CD's success. Arranged in chronological order, the compilation of hits covered Elvis' entire career at RCA -- from "Heartbreak Hotel" in 1956 to "Way Down" in 1977. All the songs reached No. 1 on the charts at the time of their original release, either in the United States or the United Kingdom. This fact softens the accusation by rock music historians who claim that Elvis' music went into severe decline during the last few years of his life. His health and career may have suffered, and his sound was no longer rock 'n' roll, but his music was still vital to large portions of the audience.

This could also be said for today's audiences. As a last-minute addition to ELV1S: 30 #1 Hits, the producers included a remix of "A Little Less Conversation," a song Elvis originally recorded for the soundtrack of Live a Little, Love a Little. Its reworking had been done in early 2002 by Dutch deejay act Junkie XL for a Nike World Cup commercial, but when it was released as a dance-mix single, it became Elvis' first Top Ten single in decades. "A Little Less Conversation" was billed as a bonus track, keeping it separate in concept from the rest of the cuts on the CD.

The team of Ernst Jorgensen and Roger Semon compiled and researched the tracks on ELV1S: 30 #1 Hits. Jorgensen and Semon of BMG (which now owns RCA) have researched the Presley song catalog for several years, working hard to restore and repackage his music to its former glory. A group of expert engineers and mixers was hired to optimize the sound in ways that remained true to the original recordings, a difficult assignment considering the condition of the original tapes.

Stashed away at RCA's storage facilities in Iron Mountain, Pennsylvania, some of the original tapes had not been played in more than 40 years. Most were deteriorated to some degree, and the first goal was to transfer them onto a digital format for remixing or remastering. Some, including the tape for "Way Down," were in such bad condition they had to be baked in an oven to prevent the oxide from falling off the tape.

The songs from 1956 to 1961 had been recorded on a monaural (mono) system and could not be remixed, only remastered. The ones from 1961 to 1966 had been recorded on a three-track recording system and required an antique three-track machine to help in the remixing process. Only a few of these machines still exist, and the one the remixing team used tended to overheat, further aggravating the process.

Later tunes had been recorded on eight tracks, 16 tracks, and even 24 tracks, which were considerably easier to remix. However, the goal was to produce a uniform quality in all the tracks and to ensure that the quality remained whether the CD was played on a home stereo, a computer, or a car stereo. The efforts of these engineers and remixers resulted in a modernization that restores the songs' vitality yet does not detract from Elvis' renditions of the songs.

The energy in Elvis' recordings comes in part from the way he worked in the studio. When Elvis entered the studio, he took down the partitions between performer and musician, so he was in the same room as the band. They warmed up by singing a few gospel songs or other tunes, then got down to selecting whatever songs had been brought in by the band, the Memphis Mafia, the Colonel, or anyone who had a suggestion.

Elvis sang each take of a song completely through, as if it was a performance before an audience. Each take was enlivened or ruined by interaction between Elvis and the band, a kind of trial-and-error approach that thrived on instinct and spontaneity. Sometimes he moved along with the music in a way that inspired the band to do something a bit different on some takes or hone in on what had worked well in previous takes.

All decisions regarding a song were made in the studio during the session, not beforehand. In this way, Elvis was the producer of his work, relying on the immediacy of perfor­mance to dictate the recording. He did not generally overdub, nor did he splice together various takes of a song to get a perfect "studio version." The expert remixing and remastering of the songs on ELV1S: 30 #1 Hits captures the vitality of Elvis' unique approach to recording, one he never abandoned for easier, more technically driven methods.

The astounding success of ELV1S: 30 #1 Hits in 2002 steered the spotlight away from the rumors, the mass merchandising, and the antics of the fans in that all-important 25th-anniversary year toward something more significant -- his recordings.

The story of Elvis' music in the post-death period has not always had such a happy ending. To follow the story as a new generation is exposed to Elvis' music, see the next section.

For more fascinating information about Elvis Presley, see:

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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.

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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 .

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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)
• 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.
• 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?".
• 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.
• Elvis owned one of the world's first mobile phones. He had to have one after seeing Sean Connery use a car phone in the James Bond movie From Russia with Love (1963) . Elvis's phone was contained in a suitcase-size carrying case with his name in black letters on a gold label on the front. He would use it to talk from his limousine.
• [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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