Elvis Presley

Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was an American singer, musician and actor. He is widely considered as one of the most influential and most famous musicians of the 20th century, and is widely regarded as a cultural icon. He was one of the first and most famous in rock and roll music. He also starred in many movies. His fame has lasted for a long time after his death and is currently still one of the most popular men in history. He is so popular that some people know him as only "Elvis". He is also referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll", or simply "The King". 

Presley was born in Tupelo, Mississippi.  He and his family moved to Memphis, Tennessee, when he was 13 years old. His music career began there in 1954. He first started to work with Sam Phillips who was the owner of Sun Records. RCA Victor acquired his contract in a deal arranged by Colonel Tom Parker. Presley's first RCA single, "Heartbreak Hotel" was released in January 1956.  It was a number-one hit in the US. Presley became the leading figure of rock and roll after many TV appearances and chart-topping records. His energetic attitude towards his music and his performance style, made him very popular—and controversial.

In November 1956, he made his film debut in Love Me Tender. In 1958, he was drafted into military service.  When he resumed his recording career two years later, he made some of his most successful work.  In the 1960s, Presley gave most of his time to making Hollywood movies. After a long seven-year break from live performances, he returned to the stage in 1968. In 1973, Presley was featured in the first globally broadcast concert.  Several years of prescription drug abuse damaged his health, and he died in 1977 at the age of 42. Before Presley died, he had type 2 diabetes that he was diagnosed with on April 29, 1972, due to his weight gain and after a medical check-up

Early life
Elvis Presley was born on January 8, 1935 in Tupelo, Mississippi to 18-year-old Vernon Elvis Presley and 22-year-old Gladys Love Presley (born Smith), in the two-room shotgun house built by Vernon's father in preparation for the child's birth. Jesse Garon Presley, his identical twin brother, was delivered stillborn 35 minutes before him. As an only child, Presley became close to both parents and formed an unusually tight bond with his mother. The family attended an Assembly of God church, where he found his initial musical inspiration. Presley's ancestry was primarily a Western European mix: on his mother's side, he was Scots-Irish, with some French Norman; one of Gladys' great-great-grandmothers was Cherokee. According to a third cousin of Presley's, one of Gladys's great-grandmothers was Jewish. There is no evidence that Presley or his mother shared this belief in a Jewish heritage. Syndicated columnist Nate Bloom has challenged the cousin's account, which he calls a "tall tale". Presley's father's forebears were of Scottish and German ancestry. Gladys was regarded by relatives and friends as the dominant member of the small family. Vernon moved from one odd job to the next, evidencing little ambition. The family often relied on help from neighbors and government food assistance. The Presleys survived the F5 tornado in the 1936 Tupelo-Gainesville tornado outbreak. In 1938, they lost their home after Vernon was found guilty of altering a check written by the landowner. He was jailed for eight months, and Gladys and Elvis moved in with relatives. He moved to Memphis, Tennessee with his family when he was 13 years old. Presley was one of the first musicians to play a type of music called rock and roll, which combined rhythm and blues with country music. His first No. 1 hit, "Heartbreak Hotel", was released in 1956, and was one of the first popular rock and roll songs.

Personal life
Presley entered the military in 1958, and was stationed in Germany. He was honorably discharged from the military, and returned to the United States in 1960. In Germany, he met Priscilla Beaulieu, whom he married in 1967. They had a daughter which they named Lisa Marie (who was married to pop singer Michael Jackson).

In 1973, Priscilla and Elvis divorced. By this point, he had become addicted to many prescription drugs.

Presley’s personal doctor was George C. Nichopoulos who was of Greek descent. 

In November 2018, Presley received posthumous the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Donald Trump.
His daughter Lisa Marie Presley was  found dead on January 12, 2023 in Calabasas.

Legacy 
Presley's rise to enormous worldwide success in 1956 changed the field of popular music forever. It also had a great effect on popular culture. Because his music had  racially mixed origins, it gave a new acceptance and appreciation of black culture. Presley was one of the first celebrities in the era of mass communication: at age 21, within a year of his first appearance on the American television network, he was already one of the most famous men in the world. He is one of the best-selling music artists in history, with worldwide sales of 500 million records, His name, image and voice are instantly recognizable worldwide. It has inspired many imitators. Being a Elvis impersonator can be a professional job. In polls and surveys, he is recognized as one of the most important and influential American musical artists.

Death
He died on August 16, 1977 from heart disease by drug intoxication. He was discovered dead in his bathroom.

Related pages
List of country musicians from Mississippi

References

Other websites

 
 
 
 Elvis Presley Enterprises - Official site of the Elvis Presley brand.
 Elvis Resources - Interviews and articles about Elvis Presley By Elvis Australia
 Elvis Presley's Graceland  - A detailed history of Elvis' Graceland, with photos.
 Elvis Presley Directory
 Elvis Presley Tributes 

1935 births
1977 deaths
Presidential Medal of Freedom recipients
Actors from Memphis, Tennessee
Actors from Mississippi
Country musicians from Mississippi
American movie actors
American rock musicians
American rock singers
Deaths from myocardial infarction
 
Singers from Memphis, Tennessee
Singers from Mississippi
Former Roman Catholics
People from Tupelo, Mississippi
Country musicians from Tennessee