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Elvis Aaron Presley Edit Profile

also known as Elvis Aron Presley, King of Rock and Roll

Actor composer musician singer songwriter

Elvis Presley was an American popular singer widely known as the “King of Rock and Roll.” He was one of rock music’s dominant performers from the mid-1950s until his death.

Background

Ethnicity: Presley was of Scots-Irish, French Norman, and Cherokee ancestry on his mothers side and German and Scottish origin on his father's.

Elvis Presley was born Elvis Aron Presley on January 8, 1935, in Tupelo, Mississippi, United States to the family of Vernon Elvis Presley and Gladys Love Smith. Presley’s parents decided to spell his middle name Aron so it would match the spelling of the middle name of his stillborn twin brother, Jessie Garon. Presley preferred the biblical spelling of the name, Aaron, and sometime in the year before his death, he decided to legally change Aron to Aaron. Upon obtaining a copy of his birth records, Presley learned that the state of Mississippi had mistakenly spelled his middle name Aaron. Presley adopted that spelling, and it was used on his tombstone.

Presley's 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.

Education

In 1941 Elvis Presley enters first grade at the East Tupelo Consolidated School. From the age of eight, Elvis would spend many Saturday afternoons at the Tupelo Courthouse from where WELO broadcast it's Saturday Jamboree, an amateur program. It had live audiences composed of up to a hundred and fifty people. Anyone could sing or play on the program and Elvis did many times. 'Old Shep' being just one of the many songs he sang. Entering fifth grade, Elvis along with the rest of the boys, hoped that of all the homeroom teachers, he wouldn't get Mrs. Oleta Grimes. She had the reputation for being hard, the one you couldn't get away with anything - but Mrs. Grimes was the one he got. At the beginning of that school term, Mrs. Grimes asked her pupils if any of them would like to say a prayer. Elvis got up and said one and then went straight into his rendition of 'Old Shep'. Mrs. Grimes was highly impressed. 'He sang it so sweetly', she told Elaine Dundy. She took him to the school Principal, Mr. Cole, and again Elvis sang 'Old Shep'. Mr. Cole was similarly impressed. This was a few weeks before the Mississippi-Alabama Fair and Dairy Show, held in Tupelo. Elvis was promptly entered. On October 3, 1945, at the annual Mississippi-Alabama Fair and Dairy Show at the Fairgrounds in the middle of town ten-year-old Elvis stands on a chair at a microphone and sings 'Old Shep' in the youth talent contest. The talent show is broadcast over WELO Radio.

Legend has it that, wearing glasses and standing on a chair to reach the microphone in front of several hundred people. By his own recollection, he won fifth place but got a whipping the same day from his mother, probably for going on one of the more 'dangerous' rides.

In September 1946 Elvis enters sixth grade at Milam Junior High School. Elvis sings a song at the invitation of teacher Mrs. Camp who recalls, 'He was so good the children just got quiet and pleased with him'. In 1947, by the time Elvis was twelve, 'Mississippi Slim' let Elvis sing on two occasions. Mississippi Slim, a hillbilly singer was Elvis' first musical hero. There was a slight problem with his first appearance, Slim had announced that a young lad, Elvis Presley would be on the following week. But when the time came Elvis had such a bad case of 'stage fright' he couldn't do it. He did go on the following week. On at least one occasion, Elvis was backed by Slim while he sang.

On November 6, 1948, when Elvis was in the 8th grade, the Presley's moved to Memphis, Tennessee, about 80 miles northwest of Tupelo, and lived in downtown boarding houses for most of the next year. In Memphis, Elvis is enrolled in the eighth grade at Humes High School, as Elvis Aaron Presley. He took advantage of the many ways to hear music in Memphis - radio, church, record stores, night clubs, and more, and also played in a band with four other boys from Lauderdale Courts. During his junior year at Humes High School, Elvis also began to focus on his appearance. He let his hair and sideburns grow longer and dressed in wild, flashy clothes that made him stand out, especially in the conservative, conformist Deep South of the 1950s. 'He would wear dress pants to school every day - everybody else wore jeans, but he wore dress pants. And he would wear a coat and fashion a scarf like an ascot tie as if he were a movie star. He's also a regular audience member at the all-night white, and black, gospel sings that are held downtown.

As Elvis' passion for music became all-consuming, his schoolwork faltered. An assortment of A, B, and C grades during his freshman year at Humes had degenerated to the point where he was a straight-C student. He spent much of his free time going to the movies and hanging out in record stores. He also attended all-night gospel singing sessions with his parents at the Ellis Auditorium, where he would observe some of the more extroverted performers' animated stage movements. Gospel encapsulated the spirituality and physicality that was at the center of Elvis Presley's musical style, yet when he sang and played guitar at parties he was more likely to croon a pop number by Dean Martin, Bing Crosby, or Perry Como.

On January 19, 1953, Elvis registers for the United States Selective Service System. Under the draft system, young men of good health were expected to be available from age 18, to serve in the military for two years of active duty and then four years in the reserves.

On April 9, 1953, a couple of months before he graduated from high school, Elvis performed in Humes' annual Minstrel Show. Sixteenth on a 22-act bill, listed in the program as 'Elvis Prestly', he shocked pupils, parents, and teachers alike with his performance of Teresa Brewer's 'Till I Waltz Again with You'. On June 3, 1953, Elvis graduates from Humes High School. - including two future rockabilly pioneers, brothers Dorsey and Johnny Burnette - formed a loose musical collective that played frequently around the Courts.

Presley, who received no formal music training and could not read music, studied and played by ear. He also frequented record stores that provided jukeboxes and listening booths to customers. By the time he graduated from high school in June 1953, Presley had already singled out music as his future.

Career

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 August 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 January 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 December 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.

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.

By the early 1970s, continued drug use had begun to cause problems. His performances began to suffer; on many occasions, he mumbled through songs. On August 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.

Achievements

  • Achievement Elvis Presley - Rolling Stone Cover - July 12th, 1969. No 37. of Elvis Presley

    Over the course of Elvis' life, he achieved some of the highest accolades in music and film. It is estimated that more than 400 million Elvis records have been sold worldwide, making him one of the best-selling music artist of all time. Elvis 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. In addition to his music and film career, his 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.

    Elvis 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 10, and 18 went to number one. His number one singles spent a total of 80 weeks at number one. More than 90 Elvis Presley records reached the charts, with 10 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, rhythm and blues, and gospel fields, and his chart success in other countries was substantial.

    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.

    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.

Works

All works

Religion

Presley was raised in the Assembly of God Church, a born-again Christian denomination. But he wasn't always a devout Christian. Reports conflict, but it seems that Presley was interested and moved by almost all religious faiths.

Politics

While Elvis never joined any political party, his political views were somewhat mixed. During the early 1960s, he was an outspoken admirer of liberal President John F. Kennedy. He later confessed to "weeping openly" at the news of Kennedy's death. Later in life, however, he made a more conservative move on the political spectrum. He began singing the praises of President Richard Nixon, and his right-wing streak culminated in a visit to the White House in December 1970. During the visit, Presley was photographed giving the President a handgun, which was (for security reasons) presented but not given. Presley spoke of his admiration for Nixon, revealed his disgust at the hippie counterculture, spoke disparagingly of The Beatles (he said that having earned their money in America, they had then left for England to promote "anti-American" feelings), fervently expressed his patriotism, offered to infiltrate and go undercover in left-wing hippie groups, asked to be appointed a federal narcotics agent, and even hugged the president twice. Nixon, for his part, was not sure if Presley was serious or not, but granted his request and made him an honorary federal agent. Nixon said he was equally parts bewildered and amused by the encounter, thanked Presley for his support, and the picture of the duo has become one of the most famous photos taken in the White House. On Presley's death in 1977, the former president asked Americans to lower their flags all over the country as a mark of respect.

Views

When Elvis first achieved his extraordinary level of fame, he used it to help raise money and awareness for many causes. He lent his name and image to the American Cancer Society, American Library Association, March of Dimes, United States Ship Arizona Memorial and other organizations. He gave thousands of teddies bears that fans sent him to be distributed to children’s hospitals.

In 1961, Elvis started a tradition of distributing checks to more than 50 charitable organizations, donating more than $100,000 a year. He supported St. Jude Children’s Hospital in Memphis. He also gave anonymously. He paid off people’s debts and mortgages.

Elvis felt especially charitable during the Christmas season. It started as early as December 1957, when he donated $1,050 so that all students at his alma mater, Humes High School, could attend the annual E. H. Crump Memorial Football Game for the Blind in Memphis.

After Elvis returned home from the army, he started an annual holiday season custom of contributing funds to Memphis charities. In November 1962, Elvis presented Memphis Mayor Loeb with a $50,000 donation to a combination of Memphis charities. A few days before Christmas in 1963, Elvis was back in the mayor’s office, this time handing over a check for $55,000 to be distributed among 58 local charities. Elvis donated similar amounts to Memphis charities at year’s end in both 1964 and 1965. By 1966, his generosity to the needy in his hometown had doubled to over $100,00. The following religious season, Elvis pledged $10,500 to the Memphis Jewish Community Center Building Fund.

In recognition of Elvis’s many charitable contributions to the city, both Memphis Mayor William Ingram and Tennessee Governor Buford Ellington declared October 29, 1967, “Elvis Presley Day” in the city and state.

Early in his career, Elvis came forward to support the March of Dimes, a foundation seeking to find a cure for children’s polio. In this cause, Elvis gave his time and image to encourage the public to support the charity. On October 28, 1956, before appearing on The Ed Sullivan Show that evening, Elvis was inoculated with the new Salk polio vaccine and recorded a public service announcement for the March of Dimes. In January 1958, Elvis posed for photographs at Graceland with March of Dimes poster girl, eight-year-old Mary Kosloski, and while in the army in January 1959 he again appeared in publicity shots with that year’s March of Dimes poster child. Later that year, Elvis continued his support of the organization by publicly receiving a polio booster shot.

Undoubtedly the most publicized of Elvis’s charitable efforts were the benefit concerts he performed throughout his career. His first such show came on July 4, 1956, at Memphis’s Russwood Park. Over 14,000 tickets were sold, with all proceeds going to The Cynthia Milk Fund and the Variety Club’s Home for Convalescent Children. Elvis’s next benefit concert was in Tupelo, Mississippi, on September 27, 1957. After expenses, all proceeds, which amounted to over $14,000, went toward the construction of a youth center in Tupelo.

Quotations: "Everybody comes from the same source. If you hate another human being, you're hating part of yourself."

"I am not the King. Jesus Christ is the King. I’m just an entertainer."

"Never wait for tomorrow, what if tomorrow never comes?"

"Don't criticize what you can't understand, son. You never walked in that's man shoes."

"Values are like fingerprints. Nobody's are the same, but you leave 'em all over everything you do."

Personality

During the time of divorce, and for entire career of Elvis, his personal manager, Colonel Tom Parker, controlled his finances. As Elvis's millions grew, so too did the fiscal mismanagement of Parker, a known gambler. Parker was later prosecuted for his financial dealings, but he was acquitted. Elvis made an estimated $4.3 billion in earnings during his lifetime, but he never acquired a concept of financial responsibility. This caused frequent litigation 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 an entourage of thugs to shield him from an adoring public.

Physical Characteristics: 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 to him.

Though his weight and his 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 fiance, Ginger Alden. The official cause of death was heart disease, although the post-mortem revelations of his drug dependency created a media event. His death caused unparalleled scenes of mourning.

Quotes from others about the person

  • “It was like he whispered his dream in all our ears and then we dreamed it.” - Bruce Springsteen at the time of Presley’s death

    "His kind of music is deplorable, a rancid smelling aphrodisiac. It fosters almost totally negative and destructive reactions in young people." - Frank Sinatra

    "There have been many accolades uttered about Elvis' talent and performances through the years, all of which I agree with wholeheartedly. I shall miss him dearly as a friend. He was a warm, considerate and generous man." - Frank Sinatra

    “When I first heard Elvis' voice, I just knew that I wasn’t going to work for anybody; and nobody was going to be my boss. Hearing him for the first time was like busting out of jail.” - Bob Dylan

    “He was a unique artist - an original in an area of imitators.” - Mick Jagger

    "Without Elvis, none of us would have made it." - Buddy Holly

    "Nothing really affected me until I heard Elvis. If there hadn't been an Elvis, there wouldn't have been The Beatles." - John Lennon

Interests

  • collecting police badges, insignia, and weapons

  • Philosophers & Thinkers

    Martin Luther King

  • Politicians

    Adlai Stevenson II

  • Writers

    Antoine de Saint-Exupery, Joan Walsh Anglund

  • Artists

    David Adickes, Maurice Riano

  • Sport & Clubs

    karate, soccer, raketboll

  • Music & Bands

    Buddy Holly, Dean Martin, Little Richard, Frank Sinatra

Connections

Elvis's success in the entertainment industry was accompanied by numerous failures in his personal life. He arranged to have Priscilla Beaulieu, still a teenager, live at his new Memphis home, Graceland Mansion, while she finished high school there. Shortly before Christmas 1966, more than seven years since they first met, Presley proposed to her. They were married on May 1, 1967, in a brief ceremony in their suite at the Aladdin Hotel in Las Vegas. They got divorced in 1973. Presley's only child, Lisa Marie, was born on February 1, 1968.

Father:
Vernon Elvis Presley
Vernon Elvis Presley - Father of Elvis Presley

Mother:
Gladys Love Presley
Gladys Love Presley - Mother of Elvis Presley

Daughter:
Lisa Marie Presley
Lisa Marie Presley - Daughter of Elvis Presley

ex-wife:
Priscilla Presley
Priscilla Presley - ex-wife of Elvis Presley

manager:
Colonel Tom Parker
Colonel Tom Parker - manager of Elvis Presley

Thomas Andrew "Colonel Tom" Parker was the Dutch-born manager of Elvis Presley. Their partnership was uniquely successful, Elvis being an entirely new force in popular music, and Parker an entrepreneur able to market him.

Acquaintance:
Liberace
Liberace - Acquaintance of Elvis Presley

After seeing Elvis in concert, Liberace suggested adding flashy costumes to his act. Elvis took the advice, and became famous for his gold lame jackets and jeweled white jumpsuits. He later reserved a seat for Liberace at a majority of his concerts, as his way of saying thanks.

Acquaintance:
John Lennon
John Lennon - Acquaintance of Elvis Presley

When The Beatles came to America in 1965 there was only one person they wanted to meet: Elvis. On Friday, August 27, 1965, they got their wish and, according to John Lennon, spent an entirely enjoyable evening at the Presley home in Bel Air, California, talking, singing and laughing with each other.

The Beatles were admirers of his work and, although John Lennon said they enjoyed his company very much, Elvis himself, ironically, thought that they were a bad influence on America's youth.

Acquaintance:
Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney - Acquaintance of Elvis Presley

Acquaintance:
George Harrison
George Harrison - Acquaintance of Elvis Presley

Acquaintance:
Ringo Starr

Friend:
Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash - Friend of Elvis Presley

Elvis was a good friend of Johnny Cash, going back to their Sun Records' days recordings, after being discovered by Sam Phillips.

Friend:
Thomas Woodward
Thomas Woodward - Friend of Elvis Presley

Tom Jones met Elvis Presley in 1965 and they became firm friends. Tom was 25 and Elvis 30, but Priscilla Presley once said, "Right from the start, they were like a couple of schoolboys."

Friend:
Robert Plant
Robert Plant - Friend of Elvis Presley

In 1973 Elvis met with Led Zeppelin members Robert Plant and John Paul Jones in Los Angeles. An idol to the members of Led Zeppelin, Elvis wanted to meet "who was outselling him" at concerts (Zeppelin was in the midst of a record-breaking tour that year). A meeting was arranged with Plant and Jones. Plant was so awestruck at meeting his idol in person that he could barely speak to him. Jones, nearly as awestruck as Plant, made small talk with the "King," and mentioned what a beautiful watch Elvis wore. Elvis, always the generous one, instantly traded his $5,000 gold and diamond watch for Jones' $10 Mickey Mouse watch. This broke the ice with all of them, and they became fast friends.

Friend:
John Jones
John Jones - Friend of Elvis Presley

Acquaintance:
Riley King
Riley King - Acquaintance of Elvis Presley

B.B. King recalled that he had known Presley before he was popular, when they both used to frequent Beale Street.

Friend:
Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra - Friend of Elvis Presley

References