Elvis Presley
| Birth
Born January 8, 1935, in East Tupelo, Mississippi, Presley was the son of Gladys and Vernon Presley,
a sewing machine operator and a truck driver. Presley's twin brother Jesse Garon was stillborn,
and he grew up as an only child.
Adulthood
The summer after graduation presley recorded "My Happiness" and "That's
When the Your Heartaches Begin" at Memphis Recording Studios, a sideline Sam Phillips had started at his Sun Records
studios where anyone could record a ten inch acetate for four dollars.
In October Presley appeared on the Louisiana Hayride, a popular radio program that appeared regularly through 1955.
In March 1955, he made his television debut on the local television of the Hayride in March 1955. Meanwhile "Good Rockin'
Tonight" b/w "I Don't Care if the Sun Don't Shine" were hits in the Memphis area.
Still considered a country act Presley continued to play locally, and in April went to New York to audition
unsuccessfully for Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts program. On May 13, his performance in Jacksonville started a riot, his first.
"Baby Lets Play House" b/w "I'm Left, Your Right, She's Gone" was released and reached #10 on the national Country & Western chart in July.
That September Presley had his first #1 country record "Mystery Train" b/w "I Forgot to Remember to Forget. Presley became a national star in 1956. Presley went to Nashville
to record his first records for RCA. Among them was "Heartbreak Hotel." On January 28, 1956, he made his television debut on the Dorsey brothers'
Stage Show, followed by six consecutive appearances.
Presley appeared on the Milton Berle, Steve Allen, and Ed Sullivan television shows. That April Presley made his debut in Las Vegas at the New Frontier Hotel.
The two week engagement was cancelled after a week due to poor audience response. In August Presley began filming his first film Love Me Tender. Released three
months later the it recouped its filming cost of $1 million in three days. His singles that year which included "Heartbreak Hotel," "I Was the One," "Blue Suede Shoes,"
"I Want You, I Need You, I Love You," "Hound Dog," "My Baby Left Me, "Anyway You Want Me," "Love Me Tender," "Don't Be Cruel," "Love Me," and "When My Blue Moon Turns To Gold"
all were certified gold. On January 6, he made the last of his three appearances on the Ed Sullivan Show and was shown only from the waist up.
In March 1957 Presley purchased Graceland, a former church and converted it into a twenty three room mansion. In February "All Shook Up" began an eighteen week stretch at number #1.
On March 24, 1958 Presley entered the Army. The next months saw number one hits with "Don't" and "I Beg You."
In 1958 alone Presley earned over $2 million. After his release, in March 1960, he recorded his first stereo record,
"Stuck On You" and later that month he taped a TV program with Frank Sinatra, The Frank Sinatra Timex Special.
It's soundtrack reached #8 and produced his first Top Twenty single "If I Can Dream" (#12, 1968) since 1965.
With this success Presley turned to performing in Las Vegas.
Riding the crest of the comeback Presley released a series of top singles, including "In the Ghetto," "Suspicious Minds," "Don't Cry Daddy," and The Wonder of You". Presley began touring again,
his shows selling out and frequently breaking box office records.
During his career Presley had 94 gold singles, three gold EPs, and over 40 gold albums. His movies grossed over $180 million and millions more were made by the merchandising of Elvis products,
By the late Sixties he was an almost total recluse. Through all this he remained highly spiritual and publicly
denounced the use of recreational drugs.
Toward the end of his life he would babble incoherently on stage and rip his pants, having grown quite obese, and at least once collapsed on stage. Despite deteriorating health.
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Death
Presley was discovered by his girlfriend Ginger Alden dead in his bathroom at Graceland. His death was attributed to congestive heart failure. A later autopsy revealed
advanced hardening of the arteries and an enlarged liver. Later it was determined that drug abuse may have been a contributing factor. Thousands gathered at Graceland where his body lay in state
before he was buried in a mausoleum at Forest Hills Cemetery in Memphis. After attempts to break into the mausoleum, Presley's body and that of his mother were moved to the Meditation
Garden behind Graceland.