Elvis Presley Overview

The electrifying artistic force that was Elvis Presley can't be contained in a single account. Variously thought of as the King, Elvis the Pelvis, a degenerate, and a teen icon, Presley was the living confluence of America's multiple cultures. Born to... [more]

The electrifying artistic force that was Elvis Presley can't be contained in a single account. Variously thought of as the King, Elvis the Pelvis, a degenerate, and a teen icon, Presley was the living confluence of America's multiple cultures. Born to poor parents in Tupelo, Mississippi, he lived with his family in a series of shotgun shacks and one-room apartments, often in the "black" part of town. He was steeped in Pentecostal church music, and when the family sought its fortunes in the big city, he absorbed the sounds of the blues on Memphis' Beale Street. In Memphis this country boy acquired other tastes that would later loom large over the flood of consumer Americana: pink Cadillacs, two-tone shoes, gold-spangled dress jackets, and pomaded hair. When he graduated from high school, Elvis went to work as a truck driver. But he yearned to leave the big rigs for the big stage. He knew that he had singing talent: when he was ten he had won a singing prize at a country fair. He cut a demo at Sun Records in mid-town Memphis and took to hanging around the studio. Finally Presley caught the attention of Sam Phillips, Sun's owner, who was looking for a white man with the sound and feel of black music. In 1954 Phillips put Presley in front of a country-music trio and recorded "That's All Right" and "Blue Moon of Kentucky." Both were overnight hits (in the South). With his truck-driver hairdo and his vocal mix of blues, country, and gospel, Presley exuded a magnetic sensuality that would soon thrill all of America. Initial radio fame led to a performance at the Grand Ole Opry. Soon, he was inspiring riots in Florida and snarling his hit singles on television sets across the nation. On the national music charts, he would eventually cross over from country to pop and R&B. A stream of solid gold singles, including "Heartbreak Hotel," "Blue Suede Shoes," and "Don't Be Cruel," gave Presley megastar status; he was swooned over by millions of teenagers and railed against by morality watchdogs. His first movie, "Love Me Tender"(1956), paid for itself within three days of its opening. During the '50s Presley remained a veritable industry, bringing his special mix of boyish charm and brooding sexuality to every pop-culture medium. Represented by the legendary Colonel Tom Parker, Presley broke barriers by playing Las Vegas, appearing on the Ed Sullivan Show, and signing ever-bigger film contracts. Even during Elvis' stint in the army (1958-1960), Parker continued to release previously recorded songs to preserve his client's place in the public eye. At the same time, Presley's personal life began to attract tabloid attention, especially when his teenage girlfriend Priscilla moved into Graceland, his Memphis mansion. As the '60s exploded, Elvis' image was out of step with the mood of the times. A combination of personal problems and managerial mishandling stunted the growth of his music, and he withdrew into a series of cheesy films (even he thought they were bad). A comeback TV special in 1968 revealed a surprisingly raw Elvis, dressed in black leather, and singing his heart out. Parker intervened, however, steering Elvis back to safer and more lucrative gigs in Vegas, where the singer developed a serious predilection for alcohol, drugs, and guns. (He even popped a cap in a TV set.) Elvis' divorce from Priscilla, financial problems, self-doubt, and spreading waistline increasingly kept him from the public eye. Still, he would periodically thrill fans with concerts where he displayed his trademark '70s look, a combination of bell-bottomed jumpsuits, side-burns, and chunky jewelry. The Elvis industry continued to produce, dealing not only in performances but also in key chains, T-shirts, and stuffed hound dogs. Behind this flood of consumer glitz and souvenirs was a disillusioned man. Isolated in Graceland, he experienced a downward spiral of deteriorating health and wealth. Presley was discovered dead in his Graceland bathroom in 1977. His posthumous career took off with a spate of tell-all books, Elvis sightings and impersonations, and a new appreciation for his music. Certainly a once and future king, Presley was among the first rockers inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (1986). His rise from childhood poverty, his personal suffering, and the passion of his performances continue to make him the object of almost religious devotion and admiration. [show less]