The Life Of Elvis Presley – The King Of Rock And Roll

Elvis Presley was a famous singer and movie actor in the 1960s and 1970s, who would become known as the “King of Rock and Roll. ” He was born on the 8th of January in 1935, in East Tupelo, Mississippi. His family was very poor and they lived on welfare until he was a teenager. He lived in Tupelo until 1948 when his family moved to Memphis, TN, where he attended Humes High School. Elvis worked as a movie usher, and a truck driver, and sang at a club called “The Billy Cat. ' He first signed with a local recording company called Sun Records. While popular, none of his singles released there became a hit, so later, while being managed by Colonel Tom Parker, he signed with RCA Victor. There, he had a series of hits like: “Heartbreak Hotel,” “Don’t Be Cruel,” “Love Me Tender”, and 'All Shook Up. '

Elvis began his musical career singing Rockabilly, a mix of Gospel, Country, and Rhythm and Blues. As he developed his sound and style, he mixed what was considered “black” music with “white” music. This made him controversial, but also popular. Most of his songs fell into the Rock and Roll genre, but were a blend of ballads, blues, gospel and pop music. Elvis became the teen idol of his time, with his biggest fans being mostly teenage girls, excited by his energetic on-stage performances. He was continually moving and shaking his body, which earned him the nickname “Elvis the Pelvis” In addition to singing, he performed on television shows and starred in movies. His style and energy inspired hundreds of other musicians.

In 1958, he was drafted into the Army, and attended basic training at Fort Hood in Texas. It was shortly after going into the military that his mother was diagnosed with hepatitis. She would die a brief time later at 46. His first assignment was in Friedberg, Germany. It was there that he met his future wife Priscilla Wagner. They were married without a lot of fan fair after dating for several years. His popularity dropped while he was in the Army because he was not being seen by people, and due to the rise of a British band called “The Beatles. ” When he got out of the army, in 1960, he moved to Hollywood, CA. It was there, that he starred in most of his movies, which were mostly romantic comedies with musical numbers thrown in. The critics did not like many his movies, but his fans made them successful. These movies, and his records made him a very rich man. He later made a return to music in the 1970s, doing over 500 shows across the U. S. He became a parent when his daughter, Lisa Marie, was born in 1968. A few short years later, his marriage fell apart, and he got divorced. Finally, the pressure of performing and an ongoing prescription drug problem caused him to have a heart attack. He died in his home in Tennessee on August 16th, 1977.

References:

1. Encyclopedia Britannica, https://www. britannica. com/
2. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, https://www. rockhall. com/inductees/elvis-presley/
3. IMDb, https://www. imdb. com/
4. Wikipedia, https://www. wikipedia. org/