Elvis Presley

(www.allposters.com)

Heroes are very kind, helpful, generous, inspirational people. Elvis Aaron Presley was an extremely kind, generous, inspirational person. He donated hundreds of dollars to various charities. He was always welcoming and generous to his family and friends. He would always take the time out to stop and talk to his fans on a personal level. Elvis was and is an extraordinary inspiration to the music world. He changed it forever with hits such as “Hound Dog”, “Heart Break Hotel”, "Jail House Rock”, and many more. John Lennon once said “Before there was Elvis, there was nothing.”

Elvis was born into an extremely poor family in Tupelo, Mississippi, during the Depression. He was born on January 8th, 1935. Elvis would have had a twin brother who his family named Jesse, however, Jesse sadly died before he was born. Elvis would always say “If only Jesse were here,” whenever any good event happened. Elvis also thought of Jesse as if Jesse were his second half. His parents, Gladys Love Presley and Vernon Elvis Presley, were never close. They were always fighting and they struggled to keep a decent home. When Vernon went to jail for forging a one hundred dollar check, Elvis and his mother grew an unbreakable bond. From an early age Elvis wanted to be rich to support his mother, unlike his father did. Vernon spent all of his time and money on drinking and gambling.

Elvis as a younger rock-star (toddalcott.livejournal.com)

When Elvis was ten years old he received his first guitar as a birthday present from his mother. After his uncle showed him a few chords, Elvis played everything on the radio from blues, to pop, to hillbilly. When Elvis entered his first talent contest he won a prize of five dollars with his rendition of “Old Shep”. Elvis’s mother was hysteric with joy. Elvis and his family were forced to move to Memphis, Tennessee, because Vernon was caught moon-shining (illegally making whiskey). Elvis did not enjoy living in a large city and he did not enjoy his new school. Elvis wanted badly to drop out of school to work and support his family instead. His parents would not allow him to drop out. During his free time, Elvis spent much of his free time hanging around blues clubs on Beal Street and listening to the gospel choir in the black side of town's Church. When Elvis won the Humes High senior class variety show, by singing a ballad, he then believed he was going to be a star.

Elvis’s first experience in a recording studio was in Sun Studio in the late summer of 1953. The owner liked Elvis and invited him back. Elvis and the owner decided to release his hit single “That's all Right Mama” with “Blue Moon Kentucky” on the ‘B’ side of the record. Quickly, after that first album was released Sun Studio received over five thousand orders for it. This was the launch of Elvis’s famous career. Elvis’s second album with “Good Rockin’ Tonight” and “Milk Cow Blues” did not sell nearly as well. Elvis’s first and second manager gave up on him after several less successful albums. Colonel Tom Parker, Elvis’s third manager, saw Elvis’s potential and paved the way for Elvis’s successful career path. Elvis made five thousand dollars from his first album with Parker.

Sun Studio's Logo (www.southernscribe.com)

Elvis was at an all time high in his career when he was drafted into the army. He was making movies, television appearances, and many more songs. He even moved him and his family into his, now famous, mansion that has come to be known as Graceland. When Elvis was serving his time in the army, his loved mother was diagnosed with hepatitis and passed away shortly after on August 14th, 1958. Elvis was heart broken about his loss. Later on during his service, Elvis met Priscilla, who he later married.

When Elvis’s service ended his career started falling apart. His first movie when he finished was “G I Blues” which displayed Elvis as a patriotic, All-American man. This was not Elvis’s style at all. Elvis was angry at the result of “G I Blues”. The All-American, patriotic Elvis was not the Elvis that captured the hearts of so many teenagers. Elvis became increasingly depressed as his father took advantage of him and Parker made him less Rock-'N-Roll and more generic pop. Elvis asked Priscilla to move to Graceland with him, after she finished that year of school, Priscilla finally did. At first Priscilla did help Elvis with his depression.

Priscilla was not happy with Elvis. He was never home and could not understand what she wanted no matter how much she tried to tell him the problem. Elvis decided to marry Priscilla for his reputation. Elvis proposed just before Christmas in 1966. Priscilla and Elvis were married in Las Vegas on May 1st, 1968. Elvis did not change his ways even after his daughter, Lisa Marie, was born. Elvis and Priscilla were divorced on October 9th, 1973.

Elvis did start to make a comeback in 1968 with his song “U.S. Male”. Elvis’s first television appearance in this new era of his career was an hour-long Christmas special on NBC, which was booked by Parker. Elvis started to come out with hits that were more adult-pop such as “Don’t Cry Daddy”, “Suspicious Minds”, and “In the Ghetto”. Elvis was becoming a big star again, even if it was only for a few years.

After Priscilla and Elvis divorced, Elvis’ career really started falling apart. Elvis gained weight, looked distracted often on stage, and was taking an increasing amount of drugs without reason. Elvis was depressed because of Vernon, Priscilla and his mother. He was very lonely. Elvis also had several serious medical conditions such as an enlarged heart and glaucoma in his left eye. On August 16th, 1977 Elvis “gone ahead to join Jesse.”