The Life of
Elvis Presley
The very early years of Elvis
Elvis Aaron Presley was born on January
8th, 1935 in in Tupelo, Mississippi.
Father was Vernon Presley and mother
Gladys Love Smith Presley
Elvis was supposed to have a twin
brother, but Jesse Garon Presley, was
stillborn, leaving him to grow up as an
only child.
The very early years of Elvis
In 1941 Presley started school at the East
Tupelo Consolidated Elementary School. There
he was an outsider, he didn’t have many friends
and he was very shy.
As a boy, Elvis enjoyed going off to town on
Saturday afternoons to listen to local musicians,
attend radio shows or hang out at theaters.
In January 1945 his mother took him shopping
for a birthday present at Tupelo Hardware.
There she bought him his first guitar which was
on sale for $12.75.
Early years cont`
Even at an early age, he was very much
influenced by the Memphis blues music and the
gospel music sung at his church. In the late 40’s
Elvis and his family moved to Memphis, which
would remain his home until death.
In 1953 he graduated from Humes High School,
majoring in History, English, and Shop.
On July 18, 1953 Elvis paid $3.25 to record the
first of two double-sided demo acetates at Sun
Studios on 706 Union Avenue, in Memphis,
Tennessee
Elvis’s Fame
By the spring of 1956, Presley was fast
becoming a national phenomenon.
Teenagers came to his concerts in
unprecedented numbers.
Most of his concerts were sold out, and young
girls were hospitalized from fainting when they
saw him.
Presley sang both hard driving rockabilly, rock
and roll, dance songs, and ballads, laying a
commercial foundation upon which other rock
musicians would build their careers.
Elvis’s Hit Songs Of The 50’s
SINGLES: Albums:
“Heartbreak Hotel” 1 “Elvis Presley”
“Hound Dog”
“Don't Be Cruel”
“Love Me Tender”
“Blue Suede Shoes”
2 “Elvis”
Elvis In The 50’s
Presley's first single for RCA "Heartbreak
Hotel" quickly sold one million copies and
within a year RCA would go on to sell ten
million Presley singles.
"Colonel" Tom Parker was Elvis’s promoter
and agent. Parker's first major decision
was to market Elvis on television. This
made him even more popular.
G.I Elvis
On December 20, 1957, Elvis received his draft
board notice for his mandatory service in the
United States Army.
He was worried that his absence in the public eye
for 2 years, while serving in the Army, might end
his career.
On 24 March 1958 just after finishing up the pre-
production of Elvis’s latest film King Creole , he
joined his unit, 1st Battalion, US 32nd Armored
Regiment and was posted to Ray Barracks,
Friedberg, Germany.
G.I Elvis
After serving his duty in the military, he
became more mature and lost his raw and
rebellious edge.
He gained respect from the elder people
who didn’t like him very much before he
entered the Army.
Hit Songs of The 60s
SINGLES:
“Stuck on You”
“Fame and Fortune”
“Are You Lonesome Tonight?”
“Surrender”,
“Little Sister”
Elvis In Film the 1960’s
Elvis admired the style of Marlon Brando,
James Dean, and Tony Curtis and returned
from the military eager to make a career as
a movie star.
Altogether, Presley had made 27 movies
during the 1960s, "which had grossed
about $130 million, and he had sold a
hundred million records, which had made
him $150 million.
Elvis’s Marriage to Priscilla
Elvis married his long time girl friend
Priscilla in May of 1967 in Las Vegas,
Nevada at the Aladdin Hotel.
Their only child, daughter Lisa Marie, was
born almost exactly nine months later on
February 1, 1968.
Late 1960’s
After seven years off the top of the charts, Elvis’s
song "Suspicious Minds" hit number one on the
Billboard music charts on November 1st, 1969.
From 1969 to 1971 Elvis would dominate singles
charts in many countries with a string of Top 20
hits.
Elvis was having trouble competing with record
sales of artists such as The Beatles, The Rolling
Stones, David Bowie and The Monkees.
Listening No. 5
Title: Suspicious Minds
Composer: Mark James
Artist: Elvis Presley
Genre: Rock and Roll
Period: 20th Century (1969)
His Final Years
Between 1970 and 1977 Elvis gave 1,096 sold-
out performances in Las Vegas and on tour. He
was the first artist to have four shows in a row
sold to capacity crowds at New York's Madison
Square Garden, on June 9-11, 1972.
Elvis and Priscilla separated in February of
1972 and were divorced in October of 1973.
Elvis made his last live concert appearance in
Indianapolis at the Market Square Arena on
June 26, 1977.
His Final Years
On August 16, 1977, at his Graceland mansion
in Memphis, Tennessee, Presley was found
lying on the floor of his bedroom's bathroom by
his fiancée.
He was taken to Baptist Memorial Hospital,
where at 3:30 P.M. doctors pronounced him
dead.
Elvis was originally buried at Forest Hill
Cemetery in Memphis next to his mother. After
an attempted theft of the body, his remains and
his mother's remains were moved to Graceland
to the "meditation gardens."
Grace Land