Elvis parents cannot afford a bicycle that Elvis wants, so Gladys talks him into accepting a guitar instead. The bicycle would have to wait until Christmas of 1947. Elvis and his parents pack their belongings in a trunk strapped to the roof of their 1939 Plymouth and move to Memphis, Tennessee in search of a better life economically. Other members of the Presley and Smith clan would follow. 1948-1953 Elvis and his parents live in public housing or low rent homes in the poor neighborhoods of north Memphis.
Life continues to be hard.
Vernon and Gladys go from job to job, and Elvis attends The Christine School, then L.C. Humes High School. Elvis works at various jobs to help support himself and his parents. The teenage Elvis continues to be known for singing with his guitar. He buys his clothes on Beale Street and he absorbs the black blues and gospel he hears there. He s also a regular audience member at the all-night white, and black, gospel sings that are held downtown.