Elvis Presley

Biography of Elvis Presley

Elvis Aaron Presley was an American singer and actor, also known as the “King of Rock and Roll.” He was born in Tupelo, Mississippi, on January 8th, 1935, and passed away in Memphis, Tennessee, on August 16th, 1977. Elvis Presley is recognized as one of the most important American singers of the 20th century. Despite his success as an actor, he was never able to go beyond the economic aspect. He used to perform African-American songs, and in addition to rock and roll, he also performed in other genres such as pop, country, gospel, and blues. One of his most important influences was gospel singer Sister Rosetta Tharpe.

The father of the “King of Rock and Roll” was named Vernon Elvis Presley, he was 18 years old when his son was born; the mother was Gladys Love Smith, 22. They were expecting twins, but Jesse Garon Presley was born dead. The family belonged to a Protestant church. They did not have financial stability. In 1941, Elvis entered the East Tupelo Consolidated school, where he participated in several children’s singing contests. At that time, for his birthday, his parents gave him a guitar. He was a marginalized boy who loved music. Later, when Elvis Presley was 13 years old, the family moved to Memphis and he attended Humes High School. He used to meet with Jesse Lee Denson and with the brothers Dorsey and Johnny Burnette, young people his age, to practice musical aspects. After graduating, he decided to become a professional musician.

In 1953, he went to Sun Records with the intention of paying to record a record. Elvis Presley caught the attention of Sam Phillips. After recording, he tried to join several bands, but was rejected. Later, Phillips contacted him and proposed working with Windfield “Scotty” Moore and Bil Black. The first was a guitarist; the second, a bassist. They played and recorded “That’s All Right,” by Arthur Crudup. They began to frequently perform at the Eagle’s Nest Club; they were popular, as a result, they began their first tours. They were also pioneers of rockabilly, a subgenre of rock and roll. In 1955, Elvis Presley first contacted Tom Parker, who would be his advisor and manager. The “King of Rock and Roll” was only 20 years old.

In 1956, Elvis Presley began his recordings with RCA (Radio Corporation of America), one of the first songs of that time was “Heartbreak Hotel.” He also recorded “Blue Suede Shoes,” by Carl Perkins. That year, the album “Elvis Presley,” by RCA, was published, and the tours continued, as well as several appearances on television programs. A sector of the public spoke out against the dance steps and pelvic movements usually performed by Presley: they considered them indecent and exaggerated. After a performance on “The Ed Sullivan Show,” the singer achieved recognition throughout the United States. He had many admirers and many critics; each stage appearance was or ended in scandal. In 1956, he also made his film debut in the movie “Love me tender,” directed by Robert Webb. The following year, he had to serve in the military and his career was halted.

In 1958, Gladys Love Smith passed away from hepatitis. Elvis Presley deeply mourned the death of one of his closest loved ones. It is likely that at that time he occasionally consumed amphetamines. Elvis Presley had a brief stint in a US military division located in Germany. In 1960, he returned to his country and headed to the recording studios as soon as possible; there, the album “Elvis is back,” his sixth musical production, was finished and published. In the 60s, the singer mainly focused on film production, appearing in about thirty films, many of them were musical comedies and, in some, he himself was the author of the soundtracks. In several sources it is stated that the commercial hustle decreased Presley’s artistic quality; however, from that era are “Can’t Help Falling in Love,” “Return to Sender” and “Viva Las Vegas,” classic songs. In 1967, the “King of Rock and Roll” married Priscilla Beaulieu, whom he met in Germany, during his brief stay as a soldier. A year later their daughter, Lisa Marie, was born. They divorced in 1973.

The career of Elvis Presley was declining, but the 1968 television special would bring him back to fame and boost his morale. The “King of Rock and Roll” decided to distance himself a bit from film and soundtracks; the result was his album “From Elvis in Memphis,” from 1969. From that period, the musical theme “Suspicious Minds” is famous. Also, in a statement, he called Fats Domino “the true king of rock and roll.” It is public knowledge that Presley was against illegal drugs. In 1970, he met with President Richard Nixon; according to sources, during the meeting, the singer criticized “The Beatles” for what they represented in terms of culture and thought. In the following years, Elvis Presley mainly focused on live performances, as well as recording a couple of albums.

After separating from Priscilla Beaulieu, Presley would begin excessive consumption of prescription drugs, such as Demerol. In 1973 and 1974, he performed an overwhelming number of performances, around 150 per year; however, the criticism of the quality of his songs returned. The “King of Rock and Roll” had started a relationship with Linda Thompson. They broke up. In 1977, Presley recorded the album “Moody Blue.” His dependence on drugs was out of control, and as a result, he suffered from glaucoma and hypertension. On August 16th, 1977, in his mansion called “Graceland,” Presley was found dead after suffering an acute myocardial infarction. He was only 42 years old.