Elvis Presley :: essays research papers

Elvis Aaron Presley was born on Jan 8, 1935 to Vernon and Gladys Presley, in Tupelo, Mississippi. The Presley’s were poor as people could be at the time and Vernon tried a variety of jobs to support his family. He was often away and Elvis developed a close bond with his mother. She had lost other son at birth and her ability to have other children. She put all her hopes on her one surviving son and was not to be let down. The family moved to Memphis in 1948 and that’s where Elvis’ musical talent began to bloom. Young Elvis showed his natural musical talent at an early age and pursued music through his youth. At age 19 he was signed by Sun Records and in 1955, at age 21, was signed by RCA records. He quickly shot to the top of the national charts with his first RCA single â€Å"Heartbreak Hotel† (1956). He followed with the enormously successful single record â€Å"Hound Dog†/†Don’t Be Cruel† (1956) and â€Å"All Shook Up† (1957). After that, his American sales have earned him gold, platinum or multiplatinum awards for 111 different albums and singles, far more than any other artist or group. Elvis also starred in 33 films and made history with his television appearances and specials. From 1956 to 1958, he starred in four motion pictures, all of which featured his soundtracks: Love Me Tender (1956), Jailhouse Rock (1957), Loving You (1957), and King Creole (1958). After serving in the USA Armed Forces from 1958 to 1960, Presley appeared in numerous musical films: Flaming Star, Blue Hawaii, Girls! Girls! Girls!, Viva Las Vegas, Roustabout, and others. He died at his beloved Memphis home, Graceland, on August 16th, 1977. Through the early morning of the 16th he takes care of the last minute tour details and relaxed with family and staff. He retires to his master suit around 7:00 AM to rest for his evening flight. By late morning, Elvis Presley was dead. His death has been officially attributed to heart failure, a likely result of his chronic overuse of prescription barbiturates.