Elvis Aaron Presley was born on January 8, 1935, in a two-room shack in East Tupelo, Mississippi, to Vernon Elvis Presley and Gladys Love Smith. He was one of a twin, the other, Jessie Garon, was stillborn. The surname Presley was anglicized from the German Pressler during the Civil War. His background contained Scottish, English, Native American, Jewish and South African blood strains as well. His family moved to Memphis when hew as thirteen years of age and this marked his first exposure to the music of Beale Street. He learned to play the guitar and appeared locally w ith other musicians in malls and courtyards. After graduation from high school, he got a job driving a truck.
In the summer of 1953, Elvis paid Sun Studios $4.00 to record “My Happiness” and “That’s When Your Heartaches Begin” and gave the record to his mother as a present. Sam Phillips, founder of Sun Records gave him his first real break with a chance to record “That’s All Right” which became a local hit and made him a celebrity. Subsequent touring spread his fame beyond the borders of his home state. He soon performed at the Grand Old Opry and continued to tour the South. He soon met Colonel Tom Parker, a master promoter who would make the name of Elvis Presley a household word. No one ever would ask, “Elvis who?”
In addition to a string of record hits, Elvis also established a parallel film career. Beginning with “Love Me Tender” (1956), Presley went on to star in 31 pictures, including “Jailhouse Rock” (1957), “King Creole” (1958), and “Flaming Star” (1960) just to name a few. His career continued unabated and between the years of 1969-1977, he gave over 1,000 sold-out performances in Las Vegas and on tour. He wa the first artist to have four shows in a row sold to capacity at New York’s Madison Square Garden. But in the ensuing years, he became more and m ore isolated, battling a dangerous drug addiction.
He died at the age of 42 on August 16, 1977, at his Graceland mansion in Memphis. Ever year a pilgrimage of fans to his home marks the passing of the king of rock n’ roll.
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