Elvis Aaron Presley was born in Tupelo, Mississippi. When he was 13, his family moved to Memphis, Tennessee. His career in the music world began in 1954, when he recorded the first "new kind of music" which was dubbed "rockabilly". Rockabilly was a mix of country music and rhythm and blues.
Presley's first RCA single was "Heartbreak Hotel", and it was released in 1956. The hit topped the US charts quite quickly. Elvis became the leading man of rock and roll. He became popular and controversial at the same time.
Elvis Presley debuted in the 1950’s and changed the world of music forever. He garnered the title King of Rock “n” Roll with ease That said, we will show a side of Elvis not seen by many.
Read on to find out how the schoolyard loner became the king of cool:
The Other Presley You Never Knew
One thing that haunted Elvis throughout his life was the fact that he had a twin brother that passed away at birth. It has been said by his mother that Elvis had the energy of two people.+
He Was A Loner Growing Up
Throughout his childhood, Elvis was pretty much a loner. In sixth grade, he would bring his guitar to school on a daily basis. During lunchtime, he would take out his guitar and start playing and singing. The other kids would tease him and call him a “trashy” kid and would regard him as the kid who played hillbilly music.
Little did they know, this “trashy” kid would soon become the “King of Rock ‘N’ ‘Roll.”
His Mother's Death Hit Him Hard
Elvis was extremely close with his mother, Gladys. She was very protective of him and the two were very connected. So when Gladys became extremely ill, Elvis immediately came back from the army to see her. Not long after, Gladys died of a heart attack; she was only 46 years old.
Elvis was devasted, “She’s all I ever lived for. She was always my best girl.” He then entered a long period of grief.
He Did Not Write A Single Song
Nowadays, Elvis Presley is considered to be one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century. However, while Elvis recorded 600 songs throughout his career- it turns out he didn’t actually write any of these songs.
While he wasn’t a songwriter, he still managed to put his stamp on the songs. For example, he changed the tempo and arrangement of the original Blue Moon of Kentucky and turned it into a rock and roll number.
He Was Related To Two US Presidents
Tracing back one’s roots is always interesting. Genealogists have found out that Elvis is actually distantly related to two former U.S presidents: Abraham Lincoln and Jimmy Carter. Apparently, the great great grandfather of Abraham Lincoln was Isaiah Harrison. He happened to be an ancestor of Elvis as well. And Jimmy Carter is actually a 6th cousin of Elvis.
His First Public Performance Was At Ten Years Old
Elvis Presley made a name for himself through his performances which include hip-swinging dance moves. However, there was a time when the stage was new to him. When he was only ten years old, his schoolteacher heard him singing a country song and encouraged him to enter a singing contest.
The contest was held in 1945 at the Mississippi-Alabama Fair and Dairy Show. Elvis was dressed as a cowboy and had to stand on a chair to reach the microphone. He ended up getting fifth place. Guess those judges didn’t know what they were talking about….
Just As His Star Began Shining, He Was Drafted
Elvis Presley saw a great rise to stardom in the early ’50s. He was signed with Sun Records and by the end of 1956, he had charted more top 100 hits than any singer before him. His songs such as Love Me Tender and Heartbreak Hotel have become true classics today. However, in the middle of his rise to fame, in 1958, Elvis was drafted into the US Army.
He had to do two years of active duty and four years of reserves. While he was a star, he didn’t want to be treated differently. “The army can do anything it wants with me,” he said. His induction became a big event- many people, as well as the media, came to witness it.
Meeting The Love Of His Life: Priscilla Beaulieu
It seems as if Elvis’ military service was fate as this is where he ended up meeting his future wife: Priscilla Beaulieu. He met her in 1959 while he was overseas in Germany during his Army service. At the time, Elvis was 24 years old and Priscilla was 14 years old. Eight years after they met, they got married in Las Vegas, Nevada. A year later, they had their daughter Lisa Marie.
The Real Reason Elvis and Priscilla Divorced
Elvis and Priscilla’s marriage didn’t last; only a few years after the marriage, they got divorced. When the two married, Priscilla was only 21 years old. When she was 27, she decided to leave Elvis in order to focus on finding herself.
In one recent interview, Priscilla said, “We truly lived in a bubble…I didn’t have my teenage years as a normal girl…I just kind of followed what he did…I did not divorce him because I didn’t love him. He was the love of my life, truly…If anything I left because—and I still loved him—I needed to find out what the world was like.”
Elvis And Priscilla Were Not Loyal To Each Other
Like many famous couples, while Elvis and Priscilla were together, the two were not loyal to each other. In 1971 Elvis had an affair with Joyce Bova. This affair resulted in a pregnancy and abortion. Later on, Priscilla disclosed that she was having a relationship with Mike Stone. Ironically, Mike was the karate instructor Elvis had recommended to her.
He Inspired A Prisoner To Become A Singer: Barry White
Sometimes all it takes is one moment and everything changes. This was the case for famous singer Barry White when he first heard Elvis Presley’s It’s Now Or Never on the radio. At the time, White was in jail after stealing tires.
According to him, once he heard Elvis’ song on the radio, his whole life changed as it was then he realized he wanted to pursue a career in music. We’re glad he did!
Young Elvis Was Too Shy To Sing On Air
Elvis was truly a legendary singer and performer. But he didn’t start out with that much confidence. In fact, when he was twelve years old, a local radio show offered him to sing live on air. However, he declined their offer. The reason? He was too shy to sing live on the radio. It seems he was able to overcome this shyness later on in life…
His Home Is The 2nd Most-Visited Home In The USA
Already at age 22, Elvis was able to reach a massive amount of success. And of course, with the success came the money. Presley ended up buying a 13.8-acre mansion which he called Graceland. It was his home for two decades. Today it has become a museum and was titled a “National Historic Landmark.”
In 1982 it was opened to the public for the first time and today it has become the second most visited home in the USA!
He Got A Grade “C” In Music Class
When Elvis was young, no one knew how big he would eventually become. In eighth grade, he attended music class. You would think that he would be good at that. However, for some reason, he ended up getting a grade “C” which at the time was considered failing. Maybe his rebellious nature didn’t fit the classroom environment.
Priscilla Finally Opens Up About The Mystery Of Elvis
Recently a two-part documentary came out on HBO called Elvis Presley: The Searcher. The film is a documentary of Elvis’ life; it shows a different side to him that people haven’t seen before. Elvis’ former wife, Priscilla, co-produced it.
In one interview for TODAY she opened up about Elvis and spoke about the funeral, “I was still shocked. It was just too hard to believe…And going out the gates in the limo and seeing the streets lined up on both sides all the way to the cemetery. You’d see glimpses, you’d see people crying, hysterical, fainting, and that’s how impactful it was and still to this day. People come around the same time and they’re all there.”
Elvis Was Michael Jackson’s Father In Law
Although Elvis never knew it, in 1996 Michael Jackson married Lisa Marie Presley, Elvis’ daughter. Personal problems on both ends plagued the marriage and she eventually filed for divorce against Jackson. That said, at one point the King of Rock n’ Roll was the King of Pop’s father in law. Imagine the duet these two musical giants could have released had things been different.
Elvis Survived The Tupelo Tornado Outbreak
Tupelo, Mississippi is right in the center of Tornado Alley. It isn’t uncommon for this area to experience some of the country’s most horrible tornados. Elvis learned this the hard way in 1936 when Tupelo was hit with one of the worst tornados in the region’s history. He survived thankfully and Rock n’ Roll was eventually born.
Money Brings On The Bizarre
No question, when you’re the country’s biggest musical sensation and you’re rolling around in millions, some bizarre things will happen to you. Such is the case with Elvis. While hugely popular with some crowds, some saw Rock n’ Roll as a threat to morality. People ended up sending Elvis tons of threatening letters.
As a means of protecting himself, the singer would always carry two means of defense in his boots while performing.
The Dedication To His Music
In 1973 Elvis found himself in the hospital for being in a state of semi-comatose. This means that he was in a deep state of unconsciousness that he couldn’t awaken from so easily. Despite his absolute exhaustion, the singer walked out of the doctor’s office determined to make a musical comeback.
Thus began a period in his life when he’d tour intensively. Failing health aside, the singer would go on to perform 168 concerts in 1973. In 1974 his touring schedule would be even more intense.
Benjamin Keough: The King’s Grandson
Benjamin Keough, the King’s grandson is almost an exact clone of the man we lost 40 years ago. That said, looks weren’t the only thing he inherited from his grandfather. Apparently, Benjamin is also quite the amazing singer. He is currently still deciding which path to go down in terms of his career. While he loves acting and singing, one of his biggest passions is painting.
Keep reading to learn what the last years of The King's life were like...
An Evolution In Performance Quality
Elvis’ life had become a life on the road as he continuously crossed the nation back and forth. By any artist standard, his touring schedule was overly intense. Sadly, he couldn’t keep up his slick performances and he began becoming sloppy on stage while still breaking box office records.
His in-studio performances were unprepared and unlike his prime recordings, but no matter what he released it’d still chart high. From the looks of his sale, he couldn’t do wrong.
The Life Of A King
Without question, Elvis was the most popular musician in the world and a figure that the media would constantly be covering. While he would charm the television audiences with his Southern manners and give lavish gifts to complete strangers, he behavior behind the cameras was very different from what the world expected.
The singer no longer slept at nights and adapted to a completely nocturnal lifestyle. He would rent out amusement parks and would opt for riding a rollercoaster all night instead of sleep.
Debuting A New Look
1974 saw major changes in Elvis. His diet had always been talked about. He had a huge passion for fried and sweet food, in fact, it made up most of his diet. It seemed that the food mixed with the exhaustion had gotten the better of him as this was the year that he gained a ton of weight. At one point his band reported that they couldn’t recognize him when he got on stage.
1974: The Year Of Loss
Not only had he been divorced by Priscilla the year prior, 1974 saw Elvis lose more of his supporting entourage. Linda Thompson, a huge source of emotional support for Elvis moved out of Graceland. Simultaneously, his father and his beloved step-mother split.
To make matters even more heartbreaking for Elvis, David Briggs, Elvis’ long-time piano player who was getting paid $3,000 a week decided to move on from the band. It seemed his whole world was changing before his eyes.
The King And His Health
Concern rose around him. The excessive touring was having a dire effect on the singer. He was always in a state of exhaustion and would slur his words whenever he spoke. During concerts, he’d have to hold himself up with the mic stand. Band members stated at this time that they couldn’t even make out what he was singing on stage.
John Wilkinson, Elvis’ guitarist recalled himself watching Elvis during a performance and crying while playing one of the songs. After a lot of protests, Elvis finally went to the hospital and had an enlarged colon due to his diet and a damaged kidney.
Five Month Vacation
The doctor urged Elvis to change his eating habits and although he agreed to do so, he went right back to the fried foods once the doctors left the room. His will to tour and create music began to visibly fade. Elvis would need to be pushed by his bandmates to fulfill contract obligations.
In 1976, the King recorded From Elvis Presley Boulevard, Memphis Tennessee. The album does a great job reflecting how Elvis felt at the time. The track Hurt was a major hit.
Elvis Would Fast Before Touring
In his later years, Elvis would take to fasting and playing racquetball before going on a big tour. This wasn’t the only method he tried. The King also tried the sleeping beauty diet and he tried living off of nothing but soda and bananas for an entire week.
When tours would be scheduled he’d be determined to get the weight down and appearing thinner to his fans. That said, on August 14, 1977 Elvis weighted a shocking 250 pounds.
The Final Month
The world awoke to shock on August 16, 1977 the world woke up to horror as headline around the world read statements like, “The King is Dead” and others to that liking. While in the final autopsy it reports that a heart attack was responsible for the King’s end, those closest to him had a very different story to tell.
They would open up a side of Elvis that no fan could have expected at the time.
Bandmates And Doctors
While for forty years the world believed Elvis died from a heart attack, rent toxicology reports proved otherwise. Dr. Forest Tennant who studied his toxicology reports and testified in court has stated that Dr. Lester Hofman was responsible for the singer’s death. Elvis got some dental work done the day before he passed on and Dr. Hofman prescribed the codeine to the singer.
Elvis, his friends, and doctors were all aware that he was severely allergic to this medication. It was even marked in his medical charts and hospital records. Joe Esposito, the singers best friend, and road manager recalls recovering an empty bottle of codeine from the scene when he found his friend’s body.
Priscilla’s Take On It
Priscilla believes that her former husband took his own life with those pills. The bottle was empty after only receiving it a day prior. He knew he was allergic but took it anyway. While some say he just mistook the pill for another medication, others believe that he had been thinking about taking his own life.
Notes to Joe Esposito reveal these intentions. In one Elvis writes, “I’m sick and tired of my life. I need a long rest.”
Elvis Caused Concern
While most of America embraced fully the Rock n’ Roll style that Elvis introduced into America, others resented it and thought it would corrupt the minds of America’s youth. After appearing on the Ed Sullivan Show and garnering up to 80% of America’s ratings, folks in Nashville turned to the streets and protested the singer.
Answering the protesters, censors demanded that Elvis be filmed from the waist up when he performed.
Elvis Wanted To Take Things To A Higher Level
The King rarely ever gave a half-hearted performance. You could have always expected an Elvis show to be a great time. Before Elvis passed on, he made a request to his stage manager to create a white suit for the singer that would shoot laser beams into his audience. This has yet to become a reality in rock music.
We could have only imagined how this would have rocked the crowds of the 1970’s.
Elvis Turns His Back On The Beatles
Elvis inspired a lot of the world’s biggest rock acts. Even The Beatles worshiped Elvis and even went out of their way to meet with him early on during their career. That said, in the late 1960’s when The Beatles were at the top of their game, Elvis met with President Nixon and denounced The Beatles for their wild antics.
He called them un-American and painted them as a bad influence on American youth.
28 Pound Suits
Elvis will forever be remembered for is sparkling, diamond studded suits. No artist to date has rocked such a unique stage look. That said, some of these suits weighted up to 28 pounds. He had to be in great shape to perform a whole concert while wearing these. In his later days, he would come off stage completely exhausted and much of it had to do with these wild costumes.
Elvis’ Watch Swap
In 1973 legends in the world collided and Elvis met with Led Zeppelin’s Robert Plant and John Paul Jones in Las Vegas. While the two musical acts have very different styles, they have both made such a huge impact on music. As a gesture of goodwill and friendship, Elvis secretly swapped his $5,000 gold watch for Jones’ cheap Micky Mouse watch.
Elvis Wanted A Bike
Elvis could have been very different if he had his way when he was 11-years-old. His birthday and The King wanted nothing more than a bike. Perhaps he would have been the king of bikes or the BMX King. That said, he was given a guitar instead.
He was massively disappointed by the guitar, but on rainy days he’d strum along to his favorite country songs and soon he and his guitar were best friends.
Having Fun With Elvis
In 1974, Elvis was really struggling. His weight was fluctuating wildly, he was very exhausted and was losing his will to produce albums. That said, he had contract obligations he had to fulfill. This led to him releasing an album called Having Fun With Elvis.
You won’t hear any guitars or singing on this album. It is completely made of on-stage banter that he’d talking between songs during his concerts.
Elvis And Cash
If Elvis is the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll, Johnny Cash is the King of Country. Most don’t know this, but the two were actually really great friends. They would often impersonate each other and sing each other’s songs. Getting a tape of this would be pure amazement. They were easily two of the most popular musicians in the early 1960’s.
Elvis Had An Open Mind
Coming from the South, many would assume that Elvis was a Christian. That said, he did wear a cross around his neck. That wasn’t all he wore. The King would also wear a Star of David around his neck. He was hip to the fact that there were many religions out there. When asked about this, he said, “I don’t want to miss out on heaven due to a technicality.”
Elvis Was A Black Belt
When most people think of Elvis, they only see him as the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll and a movie star. That said, Elvis was also the proud owner of a black belt in karate. If you were lucky, he might have even sported some moves for you during one of his concerts.
His Mystery Bedroom
Few people ever got to see his bedroom in his Graceland home. Till this day, the only people to ever see his bedroom were immediate members of his family. Today it looks much like it did in the 1970’s and has been mostly untouched. That said, one man has seen the room and that is Nicholas Cage. He was married to Lisa Marie Presley and she showed him the bedroom.
The Legacy Of A King
