Elvis Presley went from a poor, shy, young man and became a mega rock ‘n’ roll star. Despite his humble beginnings, The King has become a legend unlike any other and is adored by fans all over the world.
Elvis Aaron Presley was born in Tupelo, Mississippi to Gladys and Vernon Presley on January 8, 1935.
He was born with a twin brother, however, Jesse was stillborn, so Elvis grew up an only child.
The Presleys were by no means well off, and according to Peter Guralnick’s book Last Train to Memphis: The Rise of Elvis Presley, Vernon moved from various odd jobs, but in 1938 served eight months in prison after altering a cheque.
During this period, Gladys and Elvis moved in with relatives, while the young Elvis was very shy about his performance abilities and as he got older, the family continued to move around.
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In 1948, they moved to Memphis, Tennessee, and after spending almost a year in boarding houses were granted a two-bedroom apartment in a public housing complex, known in the UK as council housing.
Elvis’ shyness continued but mainly because of his relationship with his mother hampering his ability to be confident.
Elvis spoke about his mother in interviews, once saying: “My mama never let me out of her sight. I couldn’t go down to the creek with the other kids.”
The family attended an Assembly of God church, which helped Elvis develop his musical inspiration, so when Elvis started to show some singing prowess in the church, Vernon was with him to guide him to stardom.
In 1953 Elvis made his first recordings at Sun Records, also called Memphis Recording Service, as a gift to his mother, and when Elvis was 20, he was offered a contract with Sun Records, but as he was still too young to sign on, Vernon did this for him.
He performed his first live show in 1954, after which he signed in 1955 with RCA Records, who acquired his contract from Sun and released his first album in 1956.
This year was a big one for Elvis as he made his first appearance on TV on Stage Show, and also began work on his first film with Paramount Pictures: Love Me Tender.
The following year, when Elvis was just 21-years-old, he purchased the new family home, Graceland, which became the centre of his career and much publicity.
However, things changed dramatically when, in 1958, Elvis joined the US Army, and spent two years away from the music world except for short breaks in which he would record.
During this time some major things happened to him: his mother, Gladys, died, while he also met the love of his life, Priscilla Presley.
In 1960 he returned from the army and quickly continue to make music, though his focus in the 1960s was mainly on making films.
His girlfriend Priscilla moved in with him at Graceland and quickly became his wife when they married in Las Vegas in 1967.
Exactly nine months later, Elvis and Priscilla welcomed their daughter, Lisa Marie.
By this time, Elvis’ music career had entered into a slump, with few of his singles performing as well as previously.
To boost his career once again, he embarked on residencies in Las Vegas, with the first opening at the International Hotel in 1969.
In 1970 Elvis made a trip to the White House to meet President Nixon, which was a moment few could forget.
But the 1970s was marred as Elvis suffered great personal difficulties.
His health deteriorated throughout that decade, and in 1973 he divorced from his wife, Priscilla.
In 1977, on August 16, Elvis died in a shocking turn of events, and one many fans will never forget.
Every year, hundreds of fans come together to celebrate the life of Elvis Presley both on his birthday and the anniversary of his death.