..Elvis Presley was born in Tupelo, MS in 1935. His early
musical experiences were in the Pentecostal churches his family attended. At
the age of 10, he won a singing contest at the Alabama/Mississippi Fair and
when he was 11 his parents bought him a guitar. Elvis enjoyed listening to
the radio and he absorbed the sounds of country, gospel, and rhythm and
blues he heard there.When he was 13 his family moved to Memphis---a city
with a vibrant musical environment. It was also the location of Sam
Phillips' Memphis Recording Service (later Sun Records). Phillips recorded
B.B. King, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash, and Elvis Presley at
the beginnings of their careers.
In 1954, Elvis went into MRS and made his first recording, "My
Happiness" and "That's When Your Heartaches Begin". Later that year
Phillips hooked him up with Scotty Moore and Bill Black and after
rehearsing for a few weeks they recorded "That's All Right", an Arthur Crudup
song. It sold more than 20,000 copies locally. Also in 1954, Elvis appeared
on the Grand Old Opry and made a series of appearances at the Louisiana
Hayride.
In 1955, Elvis recorded "Baby, Let's Play House" and it made the
national country and western charts. He also signed with RCA records and
Colonel Tom Parker became his manager. His first RCA recording was "Heartbreak Hotel" in 1956.
The song featured a more elaborate recording style and included
back-up singers. He enjoyed a string of 14 million-sellers
leading up to 1958 when he was inducted into the army.
From 1960-68 Elvis focused on a career in Hollywood releasing movies such
as Jailhouse Rock, Roustabout, and Viva Las Vegas. In
1968 he made a TV special for Christmas and this was followed by numerous
live appearances all over the US.
Presley did not write his own songs but his charismatic stage presence
and a singing style that borrowed alot from the black artists of his time
enabled him to bridge the barrier between rhythm and blues and white popular
music to become one of rock's greatest icons.
His last years were filled with rumors of drug use and depression. Elvis
died in 1977.
