From Humble Beginnings
Everyone knows the legend that is The King of Rock and Roll, Elvis Presley. However, not as many people know what led him to earning that title. Born in the small town of Tupelo, Mississippi, Elvis Aaron Presley was surrounded by segregation and mistreatment. His family didn’t have much, and his father tended to get in trouble with the law because of it; however, Elvis found music to be a saving grace. This was just the beginning of his journey to becoming one of the most influential musicians in history.
Being born in a poor, southern town during the mid ‘40s meant that he had to surround himself with African-American people who were in the same financial situation as his family. This, however, wasn’t bad because it taught young Elvis that the color of his skin meant nothing in the big picture. Through his childhood, there weren’t that many things that could be considered entertainment besides music, so Elvis found himself listening to popular African-American artists like Sister Rosetta Tharpe, or “The Godmother of Rock ‘n’ Roll.” This—in turn— encouraged him to pick up singing and playing guitar; but instead of playing the stereotypical “white-boy music” of that time, he was learning how to play the music he was growing up with.
And at age thirteen, Elvis came home to his “two-room clapboard house,” with no running water to find that he and his family would be moving to Memphis, Tennessee, so he could have a better future. There, Elvis continues to grow with music until he finally graduates from Humes High School. Shortly following that major event, he decided to give his mother a record he wrote himself as an “extra birthday gift”. So, he went to Sun Record Label, and there, he recorded a few songs for $4.
Picking Up The Tempo
As time continued to pass by, Elvis found himself frequently switching jobs to get experience in the electricity business. However, when he returned to Sun Records to record a few more demos, the studio owner, Sam Phillips was in. Mr. Phillips was both intrigued…and irked with the way Elvis carried himself in the recording room. Why you might ask? Well, Elvis had a habit of moving around when he sang, specifically in a way that would hinder the microphone’s ability to pick up his voice. This, along with the way he sang, made Mr. Phillips really interested in Elvis. And when Elvis was eventually called back into the studio, Mr. Phillips put him with a band to see if they could come up with something interesting.
June 5th was when everything changed for Elvis. After finishing a sped-up version of Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup’s song known as “That’s All Right.” That one song led to him signing a year-long contract that would have him play in fifty-two Saturday-night appearances. This turned out to be a bust because it meant that Elvis and his band couldn’t travel out to play in other venues because he had to stay and finish the contract. But when Elvis met “Colonel” Tom Parker, a manager for many acts—one of these acts being the famous country singer, Hank Snow—everything changed.
¡Viva Las Vegas!
With Elvis and his band being signed on with the Colonel, traveled all over the country playing his music for many different crowds. This seems nice, right? Wrong. Elvis was slandered, with people accusing him of being a “white-boy making black-music,” and they didn’t like that. However, Elvis had something going for him that made him stand a head above the rest. His movements on stage—inspired by other African-American artists—brought him a lot of attention from teenagers…especially girls. And as a result, Elvis would start getting in trouble whenever he moved on stage. It got to the point where the owners and benefactors of the places he performed threatened to throw him in jail if he continued to move on stage. But did The King of Rock n’ Roll listen? What do you think?
To avoid jail-time, the Colonel suggested that Elvis join the military to show the public that he was a good, american-made man. “While he was in West Germany, Elvis met a young girl named Priscilla Beaulieu who was the daughter of a military officer”. They later married in 1967.
When Elvis’ time with the army came to an end, he went back home to find that he had all the fame he left with, and then some! Elvis then starred in many movies and multiple TV specials, with his 1968 Comeback Christmas Special being one of the most impactful performances at the time for his career. After this, he began touring around the world. However, all good things must come to an end. With his popularity growing quicker than he could ever imagine, he began abusing prescription drugs to calm his nerves. This quickly affected his marriage with Priscilla, and his relationship with their daughter—Lisa Marie Presley—causing them to fall apart. “In 1973, he and Priscilla were divorced. Elvis never married again”.
After the divorce, he almost never left the house in order to avoid being swarmed by fans. This only made his addictions worse; and finally, “People around the world were shocked to learn that Elvis Presley had died on August 16, 1977”. He passed away from heart failure while in the bathroom, causing the world to stop for a second.
Elvis’ Impact The Music Industry
The King of Rock definitely made a massive impact on everyone who knew him. However, in regards to the music industry, he changed it forever. Elvis was living proof of what happens to artists who are too kind. He was taken advantage of by The Colonel, and worked into his grave. It was not all bad, however, “1973’s ‘Aloha From Hawaii Via Satellite’ was revolutionary in that it was the first live satellite broadcast to feature a single performer”.
He showed the world what it meant to sing from the heart with his 1968 Christmas Comeback Special, with Five Grand Stereo stating, “it resurrected Elvis’ own career, turning him overnight from an increasingly cringe rock ’n’ roll has-been into a force to be reckoned with all over again”. His love for music led to him blending Pop, Rock, R&B, and many more genres into his massive discography.
Elvis Presley: The King of Rock
Elvis Aaron Presley lived a life he may have regretted; sacrificing his family because he was too deep in the rabbit-hole that is fame. However, he made an impact on people all over the world. From that little two-room house in Tupelo, Mississippi, to the shows he played around the globe, Elvis Aaron Presley proved to the world that he was more than “Just Elvis.”
