Elvis Aaron Presley - Elvis Aaron Presley is the creator of rockabilly - a fusion of blues and country. He was not the first rock and roll performer, but he managed to become its most commercially successful popularizer. His worldwide popularity did not leave him even after his death; numerous of his collections are republished regularly in our time. His biography and music will probably never cease to find a lot of followers, simply lovers and fans. More than a billion of his records have been sold, Presley is a three-time laureate. And if anyone in this world is not given death and oblivion, then it is probably Elvis Presley.
Biography
The famous musician was born in January 1935 in the town of Tupelo, where Elvis’s parents, Vernon and Gladys Presley, lived, and was religious and musical, like most provincial towns of the American South. It is difficult to determine exactly what family roots nourished the talented boy: his family included people from Germany, Scotland, Ireland, Normandy, and even Cherokee Indians.
The family was not rich, and that's putting it mildly. Gladys ruled, Vernon had a gentle character, and it was probably this inability to defend himself that influenced his fate; he even spent two years in prison on a strange charge of check forgery. There is an opinion that he was framed here too.
Elvis Presley, whose biography is discussed in the article, as a boy, literally grew up in church, from a very young age he began singing in the choir and touched his parents so much that on his eleventh birthday they gave him a guitar (there was not enough money for the bicycle that Elvis dreamed of) . Perhaps the parents also chose the guitar because by that time Elvis was no longer singing only in church - he managed to win a prize at the annual fair after performing folk songs on stage.
Memphis
In 1948, the family moved to Tennessee, to Memphis, where there were much more opportunities for Elvis’s parents to find work. It was there that the famous singer first touched the music that made his life. It was this music from the black neighborhoods that helped turn an ordinary boy into the star that Elvis Presley became. His biography as a musician was just beginning.
However, the first attempts did not bring immediate success. Even the singing teacher at school noticed that he couldn’t sing. But Elvis stubbornly took guitar lessons, brought down a yard musical team, with whom he played and sang country and gospel music right in front of the house. And his housemates were visited from time to time by the Burnett brothers and Johnny Black. In the future, the Burnetts are rockabilly stars, and John is a bassist in Elvis Presley's team.
First entry
But this is in the future. In the meantime, Elvis saved up eight dollars and recorded two songs at the Memphis Recording Service studio: “My Happiness” and That’s When Your Heartaches Begin. He said it was a gift for my mother. Phillips liked Elvis, he even told his secretary to take note of the boy.
However, things did not go further than this. There were no offers, they were not accepted into the quartet, and they failed the audition at the Memphis club. Everyone unanimously insisted that he would not make a singer. And Elvis Presley, whose biography was so simple in those days, continued to drive the truck.
Sun Records
Only in June 1954 did Sam Phillips remember the singer he liked and invite him to audition. As a performer of the song Without You, Presley again did not make an impression, but a week later, while rehearsing with guitarist Moore and bassist Black, during a break he began to play the familiar blues in a completely new manner, so excitingly that his colleagues immediately joined in, and already came to these sounds and Phillips himself.
This is how “That’s All Right” was recorded, which the radio disc jockey was forced to repeat several times an hour. The singer who captivated listeners was Elvis Presley. Presley's biography as a musician began on this day. A few days later, keeping their luck in their hands, Presley, Black and Moore recorded Blue Moon of Kentucky - the single became fourth in the hit parade and sold twenty thousand copies. Elvis Presley, whose work was only just beginning to be understood, took the path destined for the stars.
Path to success
Elvis and his friends luckily began performing in clubs and on the radio, recorded a second single - Good Rockin' Tonight, then three more and gradually gained popularity. Within a year, Presley's records became crowded in the American South. They began to write about the singer in Billboard magazines ", "Cashbox" as a future country star. In January 1956, Elvis Presley was recorded - the first sign under the name "Elvis Presley", whose albums after this success were recorded by inspiration itself. And the success was enormous: first place in the hit parade USA, a million long-playing records of this album were sold almost instantly.
The singer quickly found fame on a truly national scale, and even more: his singles began to take first place in England, Canada, Australia, as well as in Italy and South Africa. His records were not sold in the USSR, but in 1957 he was more popular than anyone else in Moscow. So, Presley appears on television, gives concerts and, of course, records new material. And in October 1956, he was first called the king of rock and roll, it was by Variety magazine. Elvis Presley did not invent rock roll himself; it was done before him. But the best modern music Rock and roll became a thing in the world thanks to the talent that Elvis put into performing.
Subsequent albums
Elvis starred in the movie “Love Me Tender” in 1956, and was very passionate and busy with it, but his second album, Elvis, was made first-class. As a result - first place in the charts. At the same time, a completely unplanned album especially thundered when Elvis came to Memphis to visit Sam Phillips. Carl Perkins and Lewis happened to be there, and the musicians arranged a jam session, as the journalists put it, a “Million Dollar Quartet.” Million Dollar Quartet was not released immediately, in 1980, when it was unable to add anything to the exceptional fame of Elvis, but the fans cried.
And Presley continued to act in films. He liked it. As a result, we have nine films - a real testament to the singer's charm. It was then that he dyed his hair black (for the film) and never returned to its natural color. Perhaps in 1958, when he had to serve in the American army. Yes, and Elvis Presley was in the army; he has a comprehensive biography.
Army
During his service, Elvis did not give a single concert. He served in a tank division in West Germany. During this time, he lost his mother and found a wife. He served cheerfully: he rented a house where his friends came, his father and other relatives moved in, and Elvis Presley spent time there. Rock was in his life even then.
He first saw Priscilla Bewley at fourteen years old in 1959. They started dating and subsequently got married. Very soon - in 1967. Elvis skillfully combined his military service with recordings of his new music; singles were constantly released within a year! four long-playing records with albums. And in 1960, Presley’s film career finally dragged on, and he moved to Hollywood.
Hollywood
The films in which Elvis played were, for the most part, not successful with audiences, with the exception of Blue Hawaii. In principle, all the films in which Presley took part were made only for the sake of his music. Meanwhile, new stars came to rock and roll, and they were no less important. Trends in the music industry changed under the British Invasion: in 1965, Presley secretly met The Beatles.
Only the Beatles and Elvis Presley - photos, press releases, etc. were missing. After this meeting, Presley recorded another album with a religious component - How Great Thou Art. For this composition he received his second Grammy award. The main task set for the sound engineers by Elvis was this: to reconsider the role of instruments and bring the sound to the level of the Beatles and
Las Vegas and Memphis
By 1969, Elvis had practically abandoned rock and roll. His recordings at Memphis' American Studios combined country, rhythm and blues and pop. Two albums with session musicians from the studio were released here: From Elvis in Memphis and Back in Memphis, which are considered his best works.
In Las Vegas, Elvis Presley, whose work seemed to have received a second wind, created the group of musicians that accompanied him until the end of his life: a rock band with guitarist Burton, black vocalists The Sweet Inspirations, gospel quartet The Imperials - the only group with which Elvis subsequently had to leave, replacing her with The Stamps, and a group of pop-symphony orchestra of thirty-five people. Within a month, this lineup performed fifty-eight concerts on the mountain.
Step back
Back in 1958, it seemed that there was an absolutely straight path ahead, without any obstacles. But something completely unexpected happened to Elvis. So, in 1962, he suddenly disappeared after a concert in Memphis. What assumptions did the press make! Meanwhile, the singer with a lush crown on his forehead was sitting in his mansion and reading the Bible. True, during breaks he fired pistols with aim - at expensive trinkets. Neither boredom, nor apathy, nor whiskey, nor drugs were alien to him.
When Priscilla and Elvis Presley reunited in 1967 (the photos of this time are magnificent!), the melancholy seemed to come to an end: as soon as Lisa Marie was born, Elvis began touring and already in 1971 he again entered the top ten most popular personalities in the USA . Five years passed serenely, and, considering the rhythm of life of a creative person, this is a very, very long time. Then the wife took her daughter and left the singer, tired of fighting her husband’s addictions.
Philosophy
Presley was one of one hundred and fifty Americans with a black belt, but neither training nor close acquaintance with Bruce Lee saved the singer from alcohol, depression and gluttony. He tried to fight: either he was treated by doctors, or he starved on his own, but by the mid-seventies it was clear that Elvis was seriously ill. And then in 1977, on August 16, Presley was found dead. Fourteen were found in his blood
Priscilla grieved like no one, but she had the strength to turn Graceland, where Elvis almost always lived, into a house museum. After the White House, this is the most visited place in America to this day. The world knew many idols. The same Sinatra, from whom the ladies fainted in raptures. But Elvis is different. There have never been such passions on earth before.
(1935-1977)
Elvis was born on January 8, 1935 in Tupello, Mississippi (USA). His parents were from Ireland, they loved and protected their son very much, since Elvis Presley’s twin brother died at birth.
Since childhood, Elvis Aron Presley loved to sing, so it is not surprising that his parents sent him to children's choir. A little later, young Presley began to take part in various competitions. In 1945 he even received a prize for wonderful performance the song "Old Shep", which he performed at a competition held in Mississippi. For this achievement, Elvis Presley's parents gave him an acoustic guitar. Elvis was so passionate about music that he was able to learn basic chords on his own. When Elvis Presley was 14 years old, his family moved to Memphis (Tennessee).
After graduating from school, Elvis immediately went to work. His job, to put it bluntly, was great - a truck driver, with a salary of $1.25 an hour. Thank God that he did not abandon his hobby. In 1953 Elvis Presley made his first, admittedly amateur, recording. This happened at the Sun recording studio. Many people believe that the first song was dedicated to the birthday of Elvis Presley's mother, but in fact this is not so. In fact, Gladys Presley was born on April 25, 1912, and the song was recorded in July, so, as we see, there is no connection.
Elvis Aaron Presley was able to record his next record only in 1954, in January. Chance helped him in this. The owner of the Sun, Sam Phillips, received a recording by an unknown singer that he really liked, but, fortunately for Elvis, he could not find out the name of the author of that record. So Phillips decided to find another performer for this song (which was called “Without You”), who turned out to be Elvis Presley. But the future king of rock and roll did not manage to sing this song the way Sam Phillips wanted. The recording was postponed. Fearing that he would simply be kicked out of the studio, Elvis Presley began playing excerpts from various songs of various genres. Phillips liked the way he played and decided to help Elvis. Sam Phillips found a partner for Presley - guitarist Scotty Murom. There is an assumption that the legendary style of Elvis Presley was formed under the influence of this particular person.
After some time, Elvis and Scott began working in the studio. This went on for several months. Elvis Presley even tried to perform with Scotty Murom's group in one of the clubs, but this did not have much benefit for Elvis. As Sam Phillips rightly noted, Elvis was hampered by the accompanying ensemble. And yet, Phillips then said that the time for the session had come...
July 5, 1954 came to the Sun studio as a professional singer, although he continued to work as a truck driver. On July 9, four songs had already been recorded: “I Love You Because”, “That’s All Right”, “Blue Moon Of Kentucky” and “Blue Moon”.
In August 1954 Sun studio released Elvis Presley's first single “Thats All Right”/”Blue Moon Of Kentucky”. The composition “Thats All Right” was written by the artist Arthur Crudup, the author of the second song was the popular singer Will Monroe (Will Monroe). It should be noted that throughout his entire subsequent career, Elvis Presley would not sing a single song of his own; he would sing songs that were either composed for him or cover the works of other artists.
The second session took place in September 1954. The songs “Dont Care If The Sun Doesnt Shine” and “Good Rockin Tonight” were recorded at this session. In October of the same year, the single was released, but it did not rise above 3rd place in the local hit parade.
In December 1954 Another session took place, as a result of which the songs “Milkcow Blues Boogie” and “You are a Heartbreaker” appeared. These songs were sung by Elvis Presley in a style that was new to him: first comes the blues, and then suddenly starts playing rock and roll. Despite this innovation, the disc was not particularly successful.
In May 1955 A new album was released with the songs “Baby Lets Play House” and “I am Left, You are Right, She is Gone”, which were performed by Elvis’s “hiccupping” vocals. Thanks to this, the second song reached number eight on the Memphis charts. Naturally, Elvis Presley's popularity began to grow, he even took part in a concert of country singers.
In the summer of 1955, Elvis Presley recorded another session that featured percussion instruments. Strangely, the absence of this in Elvis's previous singles is not noticeable at all.
In August 1955, the last single Presley recorded at Sun studio was released. It turned out to be the most successful, as it reached the top of the national charts and stayed on various charts for forty weeks. Such success of the record attracted enormous attention from major companies to the figure of Elvis Presley. The result of this increased attention was that RCA Victor offered 35 thousand dollars for a contract with Elvis. It is clear that he agreed. This event took place in November 1955.
The very first single recorded on “RCA Victor” rose to first place in the national charts and took second place in the charts in England, it was the famous “Heartbreak Hotel”. After making a couple more sessions, the company decided to release Elvis’s disc, which they called “Elvis Presley.” The disc immediately shot to first place on the charts and “stuck” there for nine weeks.
In the summer of 1956, Elvis began working with the vocal quartet JORDANAIRES. Together with them he creates “Hound Dog”, “Dont Be Cruel”, “Any Way You Want Me”, “Love Me Tender”. Unfortunately, in January 1967. their paths diverge.
In 1957 Elvis Presley takes a new job as a jeep truck driver in the Third Armed Division. It was there that he met his “soul mate” Priscilla Bewley, who was only 14 years old. After some time, she becomes the wife of the king of rock and roll and gives birth to a daughter, Lisa Marie. After this event, Elvis Presley left the stage for a while and tried his hand at cinema.
Although his popularity is unusually high, Elvis Presley is slowly beginning to be “oppressed” by the no less legendary “Beatles”.
In 1972 Elvis Presley releases the album “Burning Love”, the latter of which became a top ten hit. A year later, Elvis separated from his wife. His health immediately deteriorated: he began to lead a nocturnal lifestyle, was afraid of everyone around him, and began to use drugs. Things went so far that Elvis stopped even appearing in the studio. In 1976, in February, the RCA Victor company, due to the absence of Elvis Presley, decided to set up a studio at his home. At Elvis’s home in a week, they managed to record 12 songs, and this despite the fact that Presley was “capricious” almost every hour. The company had to make a similar move in October of the same year, but this time they recorded only 4 songs.
Be that as it may, Elvis Presley continued to perform and give concerts, so in 1977, he gave fifty-four concerts, the last of which took place on June 26.
August 16, 1977 Elvis Presley, the king of rock and roll, has died. Elvis's songs from the 50s and 60s became masterpieces of pop and rock music.
DiscographyElvisPresley:
“Elvis Presley” (1956)
“Elvis Presley” (1956)
“Elvis” (1956)
“Loving You” (1957)
“Jailhouse Rock” (1957)
“Christmas Album” (1957)
“King Creole” (1958)
“For LP Fans Only” (1959)
“A Date with Elvis” (1959)
“Elvis Is Back! “(1960)
“G.I. Blues" (1960)
“His Hand in Mine” (1960)
“Something for Everybody“ (1961)
“Blue Hawaii” (1961)
“Pot Luck with Elvis” (1962)
“It Happened at the Worlds Fair“ (1963)
“Fun in Acapulco” (1963)
“Girls! Girls! Girls! “(1963)
“Kissin Cousins” (1964)
“Roustabout” (1964)
“Girl Happy” (1965)
“Elvis for Everyone” (1965)
“Harum Scarum” (1965)
“Frankie & Johnny” (1966)
“Paradise, Hawaiian Style” (1966)
“Spinout” (1966)
“Anyway You Want Me” (1966)
“How Great Thou Art” (1967)
“Double Trouble” (1967)
“Clambake” (1967)
“Special Christmas Programming” (1967)
"Speedway" (1968)
“From Elvis in Memphis” (1969)
“From Memphis to Vegas/From Vegas to Memphis“ (1969)
“Elvis in Person (At the International Hotel,...)” (1970)
“On Stage: February1970” (1970) “
“Almost in Love” (1970)
“Elvis Back in Memphis” (1970)
“Elvis: That's the Way It Is” (1970)
“Elvis Country (I am10,000 Years Old)” (1971)
“You will Never Walk Alone” (1971)
“Love Letters from Elvis” (1971)
“Elvis Sings "The Wonderful World of..." (1971)
"Elvis Now" (1972)
“He Touched Me” (1972)
“Elvis as Recorded at Madison Square Garden” (1972)
“Aloha from Hawaii Via Satellite” (1973)
“Elvis” (1973)
“Raised on Rock/For Ol' Times Sake” (1973)
“Good Times“ (1974)
“Elvis Recorded Live on Stage in Memphis“ (1974)
“Having Fun with Elvis on Stage” (1974)
“U.S. Male" (1974)
“Promised Land” (1975)
“Today” (1975)
“From Elvis Presley Boulevard, Memphis,...” (1976)
“Welcome to My World” (1977)
"Moody Blue" (1977)
“Elvis in Concert” (1977)
“Elvis Sings for Children and Grownups Too! “(1978)
“Mahalo from Elvis” (1978)
“Madison Square Garden” (1992)
“Elvis! Elvis! Elvis! “(1995)
“Live in 55“ (1998)
“Private Elvis” (1999)
“Elvis” (1999)
“That's the Way It Is” (1999)
“Its Christmas Time” (1999)
“Elvis Presley: Live1955 the Hayride Shows“ (2000)
American singer, one of the most popular musicians of the 20th century. The recognized “King of Rock and Roll”, ranked third on the list of the 50 greatest performers of all time according to Rolling Stone magazine.
Elvis Aaron Presley (Elvis Aaron Presley) was born on January 8, 1935 in the small town of Tupelo, located in the southern state of Mississippi. His parents, Vernon and Gladys Presley, were quite poor. The family's situation worsened when, in 1938, Elvis's father was jailed for two years on charges of check forgery. WITH early years the future musician grew up surrounded by music and religion: he and his mother regularly attended church and sang in the local choir.
At the age of 11, Elvis received a guitar as a gift. The boy wanted a bicycle, but his parents could not afford such a purchase.
In 1948, the Presley family moved to Memphis, Tennessee. It was there that Elvis began to take a serious interest in music and quite quickly learned to reproduce the songs he heard on the radio. He listened to country, pop, blues, boogie-woogie. After graduating from high school in 1953, Presley got a job as a truck driver. Then he decided to give his mother a birthday present: to record a couple of songs performed by himself. It was very simple back then and cost Elvis only four dollars. However, the owner of the studio really liked Presley’s voice and decided to show the recording to the owner of a professional studio. "Sun records" to Sam Phillips, who decided to become a talented singer.
In 1954, two songs were recorded: “ That's All Right (Mama)" And " Blue Moon Of Kentucky", bluegrass hit Bill Monroe. The first composition was frankly blues, the second, in contrast, was a sure-fire “white” hit.
Despite the fact that the Country radio station advised “that black guy” not to touch their “Blue Moon,” and the black channel was outraged by the appearance of a white guy on “their territory,” both singles sold well.
In the summer of the same year, Presley’s first performances took place with his familiar musicians: guitarist Scotty Moore and double bass player Billy Black. On the posters they were listed as “ Blue Moon Boys" The team toured the southern United States quite a bit, and soon they became regular participants in Saturday radio concerts." Louisiana Hayride", held in Louisiana. It was during this period that Elvis' signature choreography was born: swaying hips combined with emotional hand movements.
Over the next year, new singles were released: " Good Rockin' Tonight», « Milkcow Blues Boogie», « Baby, Let's Play House», « I Forgot To Remember To Forget" At that time, Presley’s music caused some confusion among listeners: in the 50s, the southern states were characterized by racial segregation, and from Elvis’ songs it was impossible to understand whether the performer was white or black and in what genre he performed.
In mid-1955, Presley signed a contract with Colonel Tom Parker, who took over the management of the singer’s affairs. The new manager was looking for access to major labels and managed to interest RCA Records.
The next year was a turning point in Elvis’s career and brought him not only American but also world fame. The first single under the auspices of RCA is a sensual blues composition “ Heartbreak Hotel"- took first place in the hit parade and sold more than a million copies. Soon the debut album " Elvis Presley", which became the first long-playing record in the history of recording to cross the million mark. Soon the second album was released. Elvis”, repeating the success of the first, and the American magazine “ Variety show"Narrated Presley" king of rock and roll».
Very quickly, the singer won the love and worship of American teenagers, who sought to copy his movements and manner of dressing, while the older generation was outraged by his “vulgarity and mediocrity.”
Elvis's musical success opened the way for him to Hollywood: Tom Parker easily concluded contracts with studios 20th Century Fox And Paramount. Presley's first film was " love me tenderly» ( Love Me Tender), which premiered on November 15, 1956.
Despite the fact that the singer played minor role and performed only four short songs, audiences went to the cinema just to see him.
Later, " love you» ( Loving You), « Prison rock» ( Jailhouse Rock), « King Creole» ( King Creole). In 1958, Elvis Presley was drafted into the US Army, which raised the prestige of the service and attracted new soldiers. The singer performed normal duties on an equal basis with other privates, but at the same time had the opportunity to free time visit France, Italy and other European countries. He returned to America in March 1960 and immediately began studio work. The break did not harm Elvis's popularity at all, and the new disc sold in huge quantities.
In the 60s, the singer continued to actively record new records, but practically did not perform. After another concert in 1962, Elvis began to have serious problems with alcohol and drugs. In 1967 he married Priscilla Boillier, whom I met during my years in the army. On February 1, 1968, their daughter was born Lisa Maria. During the same period, Elvis began to be burdened by filming in very monotonous films, and he ended his film career.
In 1969, Presley returned to concert activities. He appeared on stage in white jumpsuits created by his personal designer. Now it's traditional clothes Bright costumes of various styles, often decorated with rhinestones and embroidered with gold, became available for performances. It is this image that is still commonly associated with Elvis to this day.
However, neither concerts nor the passion for karate helped to cope with depression and suppress the craving for alcohol and gluttony. For many years, the singer was dependent on medications officially prescribed to him. Added to his health problems was glaucoma, which forced Elvis to wear dark glasses from 1970, and persecution mania. Soon after the birth of his daughter, Presley lost interest in Priscilla, and in 1972 a divorce was filed.
By the mid-70s, it was no longer possible to hide the fact that the musician was seriously ill. In March 1977, Elvis was forced to interrupt his tour and undergo examination. He soon resumed concerts and after the end of the tour returned to his estate. Graceland" The start of the next tour was planned for August 17, but the day before, the singer took a large dose of sedatives. On the afternoon of August 16th, Elvis's new girlfriend, Jennifer Alden, found him unconscious on the bathroom floor. The singer was taken to intensive care, but the doctors’ efforts were in vain. At about 4 p.m., an official statement was made that the musician had died of heart failure, but an autopsy showed that the cause of death was an excessive dose of various medications. Fourteen different drugs were found in Elvis Presley's blood, although none of them were prohibited. Later, a version was put forward about the musician’s suicide.
On August 18, Elvis Presley was buried, and a few months later his ashes were transferred to Graceland.
Immediately after Elvis Presley's death, a theory arose that the singer was actually alive. This was facilitated by many facts: a secret medical investigation, the absence of a photograph of the singer’s body, a change in the middle name on the grave (Aron instead of Aaron). There have been repeated publications stating that Elvis Presley faked his own death to get away from the boring world of show business.
Elvis Presley was born on January 8, 1935 in Tupelo, Mississippi, to Vernon and Gladys Presley. Elvis' twin, Jess Garon, died during childbirth. Presley's family was quite poor, and its situation worsened when the future singer's father went to prison on charges of check forgery in 1938, and was released only two years later.
From childhood, Elvis grew up surrounded by music and religion: attending church and participating in the church choir was mandatory. Presley's mother especially monitored her son's manners, instilling in him throughout his life exceptional politeness and respect for elders. On his eleventh birthday, Elvis received a guitar as a gift - in exchange for a bicycle, which the family could not afford. This choice was probably influenced by the first musical success Elvis - a few months earlier he had won a prize at the fair for singing the folk song "Old Shep".
In September 1948, the Presley family was forced to move to Memphis, where there were more opportunities for Presley's father to find work. It was in Memphis that Elvis Presley began to become more consciously interested in modern music; he listened to country music, traditional pop, and African-American music (blues, boogie-woogie, rhythm and blues) on the radio.
He also frequented the Beale Street neighborhoods of Memphis, where he watched black bluesmen play. B.B. King knew Presley when he was still a teenager. Elvis often wandered through black shops, during which Elvis developed his own clothing style, which clearly distinguished him.
After graduating from school in the summer of 1953, 18-year-old Elvis Presley got a job as a truck driver. It was then that he decided to go to the recording studio owned by Sam Phillips and record a couple of songs with a guitar for eight dollars. The double-sided record with the songs “My Happiness” and “That’s When My Heartache Begins” was printed in one copy and was technically a belated gift from Presley’s mother, but the real reason for the recording was Presley’s desire to hear his voice recorded.
By that time, he definitely wanted to become a musician, but did not know what genre - perform gospel, church hymns, or play country music? He also managed to perform in a club and at several amateur concerts a few months earlier. Phillips's studio secretary recorded the data of Presley, who seemed to her to be a curious performer. When asked which artist his singing was closest to, Presley replied that “there is no such thing,” and asked her to call him as soon as Phillips’s company, which had its own Sun Records label, needed a singer. After that, he visited the studio office several times, hoping to get work, and recorded another record for himself in early 1954.
In June 1954, Sam Phillips decided to record several songs for Sun Records and for this he invited guitarist Scotty Moore and double bassist Bill Black, whom he knew. In search of a vocalist, he, at the urging of his secretary, decided to try Elvis Presley. Rehearsals continued in the studio for several weeks, and at first nothing expressive came out.
On July 5, during a break after recording the ballad “I Love You Because,” the musicians began playing “That’s All Right” (Mama). It was an Arthur Crudup blues composition, but Presley, Moore and Black gave it an unexpected rhythm. Hearing the game in the studio, Phillips asked the musicians what they were playing? They admitted that they themselves did not know. Phillips asked them to do the same and recorded the song. Bill Monroe's bluegrass hit "Blue Moon Of Kentucky" was recorded in a similar manner. Thus was born the sound that Sam Phillips and Elvis Presley himself were looking for.
The single "That's All Right" with the song "Blue Moon Of Kentucky" on the reverse side was released on July 19, 1954 and sold twenty thousand copies, thanks to almost continuous play of the song on Memphis radio stations.
Following the formula of the first record (recording one side based on blues, recording the other based on country), within a year the singles "Good Rockin' Tonight" (September 1954), "Milkcow Blues Boogie" (January 1955), and "Baby" were released. , Let's Play House" (April 1955), "I Forgot To Remember To Forget" (August 1955). All these songs became not only an undeniable artistic achievement for the singer himself, but also classics of rock and roll, which owed its development in no small part to the work of Elvis Presley for Sun Records.
It is worth noting that his early records were not then called rock and roll, but were considered a new kind of country, which is why Elvis Presley’s nickname in those years was “Hillbilly Cat,” based on the definition of “hillbilly,” one of the outdated names for country.
Presley's early music caused conflicting opinions among listeners, since radio listeners of that time were not clear whether a white performer was singing or a black one (racial segregation was then the norm of life in the American South), and the genre was unclear (popular music, since the beginning of the century, was also clearly categorized). And it is precisely the mixing of all these elements of American culture that Elvis Presley is credited with.
In the summer of 1954, the first performances of Presley, Moore and Black began (on the posters they were all called the “Blue Moon Boys”). Despite the failure of the popular country music radio concert the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville in September 1954, the Blue Moon Boys' performances were increasingly successful. They toured extensively throughout the South, especially Texas, sometimes accompanied by Johnny Cash and Carl Perkins, rising stars at Sun Records. Since October 1954, the musicians have become regular participants in the Saturday "Louisiana Hayride" radio concerts held in Louisiana. It was then that Presley’s characteristic choreography of movements on stage was born, which caused unprecedented excitement among the public, consisting of frantic swaying of the hips combined with emotional movements of the arms and body.
These performances, as well as new singles, contributed to the singer's growing fame in the South of the United States, and by the end of 1955, on a national scale. The single “I Forgot To Remember To Forget” took 1st place on the Billboard magazine country chart. This attracted the attention of Colonel Tom Parker, who was taking care of country star Hank Snow at the time. Parker kept an eye on Presley for a year, and signed a contract with the singer in August 1955 to manage his affairs, although formally Presley's former impresario, Bob Neal, remained his manager for another year. Parker understood the limitations of Sun Records and was looking for a major label outlet. RCA Records showed interest, and on November 20, 1955, the company signed a contract with Presley. RCA also had the foresight to purchase Presley's entire catalog of recordings from Sun Records for $40,000, of which $5,000 was for Presley personally.
The year 1956 was a turning point in the life of Elvis Presley, bringing him worldwide fame. Presley's first single for RCA was the sensual blues composition "Heartbreak Hotel". The song had nothing in common with previous recordings on Sun Records, and this alerted RCA, but their fears were in vain: the single took 1st place and sold more than a million copies. Following this, the single “I Want You, I Need You, I Love You” was released, as well as the first long-playing album “Elvis Presley”, which also crossed the million mark for the first time in the history of recording. At the same time, Elvis's first television performances followed, causing shock in America and the worship of thousands of American teenagers. Elvis's music, clothes, movements, manners and youth - everything was unlike ordinary country singers, and even more so - from such pop singers as Sinatra. At the same time, a wave of indignation arose from the older generation, who saw vulgarity and mediocrity in Presley. A particularly negative reaction was caused by Milton Berle's television show, on which Elvis first performed the song "Hound Dog" in June 1956, which created the image of Elvis Presley as a "rebel", although the singer himself never felt like one. An example of the attitude towards the singer is TV presenter Ed Sullivan, who initially stated that Presley had no place on his show, but then not only invited the singer to several programs, but also declared live that Elvis Presley is "a really decent young man."
In the summer of 1956, the single “Hound Dog / Don’t Be Cruel” was released, and in the fall the second album “Elvis” was released - both took 1st place, and Elvis himself by this time had achieved international popularity thanks to the release of records abroad. Special success Presley achieved success in Great Britain and Germany. In October, the American magazine Variety called Presley the “King of Rock and Roll”, and Colonel Tom Parker became Elvis Presley’s sole impresario.
Parker was a sophisticated and very serious man in show business. For his main and soon only client Elvis Presley, he “squeezed” the maximum income from all negotiations, more than once setting records for the agreed amount of transactions. A contract was concluded between Presley and the colonel, according to which 50% of the income went to Parker’s office, and the colonel did not interfere in Presley’s music and his personal life, but he himself was completely unlimited in his business activities. It is believed that Presley lost millions due to Parker’s uncontrolled financial schemes; in addition, a lot of income was not taken into account by the tax service, with which his heirs began to have problems after the singer’s death. It can be said that Tom Parker created and then tirelessly supported the Presley brand: he licensed the production of fountain pens, guitars, watches, calendars, clothing and other items with a portrait or simply the name of Elvis Presley.
Many years later, it was learned that Tom Parker was actually an illegal immigrant from Holland who came to the United States in the late 1920s, and his real name was Andreas Cornelius van Kuyk. He was ordained a “colonel” in 1948, but these facts were not disclosed during Elvis’s lifetime.
Elvis Presley's success in popular music opened the way for him to Hollywood, which Tom Parker immediately took advantage of, signing contracts with 20th Century Fox and Paramount studios. Presley's first film was Love Me Tender, which premiered on November 15, 1956. Presley played a minor role in it and performed four short songs, but it was the film that brought millions of people to movie theaters that week. Elvis's long-time dream of becoming an actor came true. In 1957, two more films were released - “Loving You” and “Jailhouse Rock”, which brought Elvis quick commercial success.
Presley gravitated towards the dramatic roles of his idols James Dean and Marlon Brando, but his success as a musician forced film studios to give him lighter roles in which his hero had to sing, trying to meet the expectations of fans. Presley's fourth film, King Creole, made in 1958, was considered Presley's most artistic film work. The musical material in Presley's first films was of high quality, in no way inferior to his usual studio work. At the same time, from 1957 to 1959, Elvis’ singles continued to be released one after another, taking 1st place: “Too Much”, “All Shook Up”, “Don’t”, “A Big Hunk O'Love” and others compositions.
The news of Presley's departure to the army caused protests in the country among young people: letters were sent to the army and the president demanding that the singer cancel his service. Meanwhile, it was a mutually beneficial enterprise. Presley was improving his reputation among the wider population, although he himself was worried that his career would come to an end. The Army hoped to raise the profile of the service and attract new soldiers. In the fall of 1958, Presley was assigned to the 3rd Armored Division stationed in West Germany at Friedberg near Frankfurt. But before that, a tragedy occurred in the singer’s personal life: on August 14, his mother died in Memphis.
In the army, Presley performed regular duties. However, he spent his free time on a scale inaccessible to other soldiers: he visited cabarets in Paris, traveled to Italy, bought cars, and in June 1958, recorded in a studio. Presley lived in a separate apartment with his friends. A little later, the constant entourage of friends and relatives received the nickname “Memphis Mafia” in the press. Some members of the “mafia” knew Elvis from school, some appeared during his military service. Gradually, the backbone of the Memphis Mafia was formed, to which new members were periodically added.
They surrounded Presley throughout his subsequent life day and night, performing various functions as bodyguards, lackeys, concert promoters, musicians, and, finally, just friends, without whom Presley could not do. It was they who introduced him to 14-year-old Priscilla Beaulieu at one of the parties in Germany, who soon took an important place in Elvis’s life.
On March 2, 1960, Elvis Presley returned to America and was discharged with the rank of sergeant on March 5, after which studio recordings immediately began. The result was the album “Elvis Is Back!”, released a month later, which took 2nd place and is considered one of best works Presley. Elvis brought Neapolitan songs “O sole mio”, “Sorrento”, “La Paloma” from Europe, and covered them on English. During 1960, new singles "Stuck On You", "It's Now Or Never" ("O sole mio") and "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" were released and reached number one on the charts. This was not rock and roll, and the change in not only the music, but also the image of Presley, who shocked his fans by appearing on Frank Sinatra's television show, became obvious to everyone. From now on, his work was addressed not so much to fans of rock and roll, but to ordinary listeners of popular music. In addition, according to Tom Parker's plan, the focus of Presley's career was to move to the more profitable field of cinema, which is what happened. Presley stopped giving concerts, but thanks to cinema, millions of people around the world could see him several times a year.
The first post-army film with Elvis's participation was Soldier's Blues, which told the story of the service of an American tank conscript in Germany. The film, despite lukewarm reviews, turned out to be one of the most commercially successful films of 1960. The soundtrack to the film with 12 songs was no less popular. The success of the film convinced Parker and Presley himself that the choice was correct. This was followed by the films “Blazing Star” and “Wild In The Country”, which were an attempt by film studios to give Presley a regular feature film format; there were almost no songs in them, and these films were expected to be a commercial fiasco. Then it was decided to return to the musical-comedy genre, and in 1961 the film “Blue Hawaii” was shot, which became one of the box office leaders of the 1960s in the United States and cemented the formula for Presley’s subsequent films. The success of “Blue Hawaii” predetermined the singer’s future path: he almost stopped recording albums with ordinary, non-Hollywood music.
Due to the forced subordination to certain scenes in films, Elvis Presley's film songs of the 1960s were for the most part very limited stylistically. The plots of the films were constructed taking into account Presley's ability to perform up to 10-12 songs, while the singer was given exotic roles. He played racing drivers, Indians, an Arab hostage, a fashion photographer, a tank driver, a boxer, a cowboy and other unusual characters. Professional film actors and supporting actresses, as a rule, were significantly inferior to Presley in fame - films were specially written for the singer; However, a number of films with Presley starred Hollywood stars: Charles Bronson, Ann Margaret, Nancy Sinatra, Ursula Andress, Angela Lansbury, Mary Tyler-Moore and even Kurt Russell, who starred as a child in a fleeting episode. In the films, Presley's hero was always surrounded by girls, and small scenes with children were often introduced - Presley's films were marketed for viewing by the whole family. By the mid-1960s, Beatlemania had also become a phenomenon of American life. On their first visit to America in early 1964, the Beatles were greeted live on The Ed Sullivan Show by a telegram from Presley. From that moment on, attempts began to arrange a meeting between the Fab Four and the idol of their youth. The meeting took place on August 27, 1965 at Presley's home in California. The event was held in the strictest confidence: no photographs or press releases were taken. The musicians exchanged gifts, and an hour later they were engrossed in playing guitars. The Beatles were surprised to discover that at that time Presley was fond of playing the bass guitar. McCartney later recalled that he first saw a television remote control at Presley's house.
The meeting with Presley made a deep impression on the Beatles. Presley himself, despite his sincere interest and hospitality, had mixed feelings: in the end, it was the Beatles who unwittingly caused American pop music to cease to be popular. Presley later transferred his rejection of hippie culture and their music to the Beatles, seeing them as the source of everything anti-American, which did not stop him from performing their songs at his concerts.
By 1967, Elvis Presley began to be burdened by his monotonous films, in which he continued to act (three films were released a year); and although it was not easy to break out of studio contracts, it was not only about them. By that time, rock music had changed, dozens of “British Invasion” bands themselves wrote, played and sang their own songs, which now set the tone for the entire industry. Presley belonged to the traditional school of pop performers who sang songs specially written for them or covered modern hits - Presley himself did not write a single song. The singer needed to find a new sound, which he eventually found in country music. New singles "Guitar Man" in 1967 and "U. S. Male" in 1968, allowed Presley to break with the outdated manner. But the real revolution in his career came in the summer of 1968.
In early 1968, Tom Parker came up with the idea of making Presley appear on television. The project was presented as a Christmas party with a singer who performed a couple of traditional songs. However, Parker's script was not implemented. NBC producer Steve Binder saw in Presley a desire to do something more radical and interesting than playing old-fashioned hits. As a result, a colorful show was developed, consisting of several fragments: a jam session, performances on stage and theatrical productions. A jam session with old friends, including Scotty Moore, brought Presley back to the roots of his music: the blues and rock and roll. Filming took place June 27-30, 1968. Dressed in black leather, ideal for the image of the “King of Rock and Roll”, the singer performed his old hits “Heartbreak Hotel”, “Blue Suede Shoes”, “All Shook Up”, new compositions “Guitar Man”, “Big Boss” Man", "Memories" and many other songs. The apotheosis of the show was the last song, “If I Can Dream,” imbued with the pathos of a social appeal, uncharacteristic of Presley. The single with the song, released the same year, sold a million copies. The show aired on December 3, 1968 on NBC, receiving much critical praise and bringing Elvis Presley back into the public eye. The musician continued to act in films, which from the end of 1966 brought in less and less profit, but he almost stopped singing in them. The last, 31st feature film in Presley’s film career was the film “A Change of Character,” filmed in 1969, in which he played the role of a doctor who worked in the city slums. In 1969, Presley finally returned from Hollywood back to his Graceland estate in Memphis.
The NBC television show gave Presley the confidence to find a new musical format. Throughout the winter of 1969, he recorded at American Studios in Memphis with producer Chips Moman, who specialized in soul music. The result of the work was two albums, “From Elvis In Memphis” and “Back In Memphis”, released in the same year. In the singer’s work, these recordings are considered one of the best, and although they did not make a musical revolution this time, critics often equate them in terms of the freshness of their sound to the records on Sun Records. The high quality of the material was confirmed by the success of new singles that reached the top of the charts in 1969 (“In The Ghetto”, “Suspicious Minds” and “Don’t Cry Daddy”); Before that, the singer's last singles reached number 1 was in 1962. After the show on NBC, it was decided that Presley would begin performing in public again, and the singer announced a world tour. Las Vegas, which since the 1940s has been the center of not only the gambling but also the music business, was chosen as the concert site. Singers typically signed contracts for a full month of performances in hotels. Presley was influenced by the example of the British Tom Jones, who performed in the late 1960s in Las Vegas hotels and successfully combined rock and roll and traditional pop ballads, the sound of which was enriched by the presence of a pop orchestra. Presley chose the same format for himself.
On July 31, 1969, the singer gave his first concert for the general public in 8 years at the International Hotel in Las Vegas. Under his seasonal contract, Presley was required to perform at this hotel every August and February, two concerts a day, for the next 5 years. The performances received flattering reviews in the press, and recordings from the concerts were subsequently released (the albums “Elvis In Person At The International Hotel” and “On Stage”).
Soon Presley found his stage image. In the new season of February 1970, the singer appeared in dazzling white jumpsuits created by his personal designer. For each season or concert, Presley prepared many suits of various colors and styles, often decorated with rhinestones and embroidered with gold. It was this image of Elvis Presley that was subsequently the most recognizable and imitated
Since the fourth season in February 1971, all Presley concerts have opened with Richard Strauss's overture to his musical poem Thus Spoke Zarathustra. His performances invariably ended with a song from the film “Blue Hawaii” - “Can`t Help Falling in Love”, after finishing the last lines of which, the singer accompanied by deafening drum roll and the roar of trumpets left the stage and immediately went away. The entertainer announced after half a minute: “Elvis has just left the building.” This formula was elevated by Presley into a ritual that he performed every time throughout his entire concert career from 1969 to 1977.
Throughout the summer of 1970, filming continued for the first documentary about Presley, entitled “That’s The Way It Is,” which was released in theaters in November of that year. Viewers were able to see Presley recording new songs, rehearsing and performing on stage in Las Vegas. Partially shown in the film, the many days of studio recordings that summer provided material for new albums - "That's The Way It Is" in 1970, "Elvis Country" and "Love Letters From Elvis" in 1971. These were mainly pop ballads and country hits. After new recordings from March to June 1971, released on albums from 1971 to 1973 ("Wonderful World of Christmas", "He Touched Me", "Elvis Now", "Elvis"), Presley's regular studio work practically ceased , reducing to episodic and short recordings with a minimum of takes. In turn, it was not uncommon to include recordings from concerts in albums, which became the main focus of Presley’s career. “Burning Love” in 1972 became Presley’s last single to reach the top spot of the American charts during the singer’s lifetime (2nd place). At the same time, Presley enjoyed stable success in Great Britain, where his singles often ranked higher than in the United States. In November 1972, a new documentary film was released, filmed in the spring of that year during a tour of America, “Elvis on Tour,” which brought half a million dollars in the first week of release and was nominated for a Golden Globe Award. At the same time, Presley again announced his plans for a world tour, which had also been announced more than once before, but which never took place.
Meanwhile, an unprecedented show in Hawaii, "Aloha From Hawaii", was prepared. The satellite broadcast of the concert from Honolulu on January 14, 1973 attracted more than one hundred million television viewers worldwide. Due to technical features, the performance was shown in the United States only in April, and in May, a double album with a recording of the concert took 1st place in the American charts, and it was last first place during the singer's lifetime.
Tickets for the pre-production and broadcast concerts in Hawaii did not have a price listed - each audience member could pay what they wanted, and all the money Presley received was then donated to the Honolulu Cancer Foundation. During Presley's lifetime, his philanthropy was virtually unknown. Meanwhile, every year he sent checks in the amount of a thousand dollars to 50 charities in Memphis, organized benefit concerts, paid for his friends, relatives and sometimes complete strangers. In addition to charity, Presley loved to give gifts: all his friends were more than once gifted with cars (there is a known case when in one day the singer purchased 14 limousines at once, one of which became a gift to a random visitor to a car dealership). Presley also bought houses, paid for weddings and bills for his friends. At one of the concerts, he took off his ring, worth almost seven thousand dollars, and gave it from the stage to an unknown person from the audience. More than once in the middle of the night, he and his friends suddenly appeared at car dealerships and jewelry stores; He also often rented an entire movie theater or amusement park for the night for himself and the “Memphis mafia.”
A few weeks after the Hawaiian concert, Presley played his eighth season in Las Vegas, during which the singer had to miss several performances for the first time, as accumulated health problems began to make themselves felt. For many years, Elvis Presley was addicted to officially prescribed drugs, which became drugs for him. It all started in the army, when the musician and his entourage took medications in order to be able to spend free nights. Then they began to require medication so that they could fall asleep. The addiction continued to develop after returning from the army to Hollywood with its parties and nightlife. Presley also began using weight-loss medications to stay in shape for films and, later, for tours. The busy schedule of seasonal performances in Las Vegas (two shows a day, at noon and midnight, for 4 weeks) also did not lend itself to natural relaxation: medications were required to calm down after the excitement of the performance.
By the early 1970s, Presley was heavily dependent on prescription drugs. Added to this was glaucoma in the left eye, discovered in March 1970, which forced the singer to wear dark glasses, and stomach problems. Due to illness, concerts were increasingly missed (especially during contract seasons in Las Vegas); in October 1973, Presley was hospitalized for the first time, where he underwent a long-term cleansing of the body, and from 1975 to 1977, the singer was hospitalized several more times. It is curious that the singer himself did not consider all these medications to be drugs at all, since they were issued according to prescriptions from his attending physicians. As a result, rather than try to solve the problem of addiction, Presley preferred to study the medical characteristics of his drugs more closely to avoid side effects and possible overdose.
This drug load took its toll on Presley's daily life. He developed suspicion, the rooms of his mansion were equipped with the Intercom communication system, which allowed him to communicate with bodyguards around the clock, and security cameras were also installed around the estate. In addition, the singer's regime has completely changed. All his rooms in Graceland and in the hotels were in twilight, with the help of air conditioners in his bedroom the extremely cold temperature that the singer could tolerate was set, his windows hotel rooms also sealed with foil to prevent sunlight and warmth. Presley went to bed in the morning and woke up in the afternoon. Therefore, shopping, trips to the cinema and other events took place at night. His inner circle, the Memphis Mafia, followed the same routine. In 2006, Graceland hosted an exhibition on Presley's nightlife, Elvis After Dark. After the birth of his daughter, Presley began to move away from Priscilla, returning to his normal lifestyle. In November 1970, the singer first mentioned family difficulties to reporters, and a year later Priscilla announced she was leaving Elvis for her karate instructor. The divorce was officially filed in July 1972, and finalized in October 1973. Lisa Marie stayed with her mother, but often came to Graceland. Keeping her ex-husband's surname, Priscilla went into the fashion world and later became an actress. Her roles are best known to viewers in the TV series “Dallas” and the films “The Naked Gun.” Despite losing interest in Priscilla, Presley was devastated by the divorce itself and felt betrayed. His depression was reflected in the breakup ballads he recorded at the same time: “Always On My Mind”, “Separate Ways”, “Take Good Care Of Her” and other compositions.
Since July 1972, a new constant friend, Linda Thompson, appeared in Presley's life; in September of the same year, she moved to Graceland and remained there until 1976, despite Presley's constant infidelities. From the end of 1976 until the singer's death, his new permanent girlfriend was Ginger Alden.
Despite all these problems, Elvis Presley performed tirelessly on stage: from 1969 to 1977 they gave about 1,100 concerts in the United States. His seasonal shows in Las Vegas also continued, although the musician himself became bored with them after the first two or three years, which was reflected in the performances: Presley often quickly sang his repertoire, consisting of old hits and a few new songs, while he was more willing to lead ever-increasing monologues of a diverse nature (from stories about the history of buying diamonds to discussions about the Bible). The quality of the concerts depended entirely on the mood of the singer. In 1976, the season contract in Las Vegas was interrupted, and Presley subsequently performed in Las Vegas only in December 1976. Despite the fact that Presley's recordings were less and less on the charts, the concerts were completely sold out. Therefore, despite the increasingly cold reviews in the press, each of his tours was successful, which led Presley to financial and psychological dependence on tours, which followed one after another, often depriving the singer of the necessary rest.
By the mid-1970s, Presley's apathy toward studio recordings had become apparent to RCA Records. After studio “marathons” from 1969 to 1971, the singer sharply reduced the regularity of recording new songs. The duration of the sessions was also reduced: Presley sang accompanied by a small group, then back-up singers and an orchestra were added without him, the number of takes was minimal, recordings were interrupted for any reason. The situation was similar to the 1960s, when Presley concentrated all his attention on his film career and recorded almost nothing except film songs, now the same emphasis was transferred to touring, and RCA was forced to look for new ways to market the singer. Numerous, previously uncharacteristic publications of collections, concerts, collectible records Elvis. New studio recordings were prudently kept on the shelves and released when it became obvious that the singer would record new material, or vice versa, when there was already a catastrophic shortage of new records. From 1973 to 1975, the albums “Raised On Rock” (1973), “Good Times” (1974), “Promised Land” (1975), “Today” (1975) were released - mostly consisting of pop ballads and songs in country style.
In February 1976, RCA brought its traveling studio to Graceland so that Presley could record from the comfort of his home (one of the albums, Raised On Rock, had already been partially recorded in a similar manner at home in California). The result was 12 songs, which immediately became new singles and an album entitled “From Elvis Presley Boulevard, Memphis, Tennessee (Recorded Live)” (in 1976, the part of the highway where Graceland was located was renamed Elvis Presley Boulevard). However, this success could not be made regular: the next recording attempt at Graceland in October of the same year was interrupted after recording four songs.
In February 1977, Elvis was persuaded to record a new album at RCA studios. The singer flew to Nashville, but never showed up for the session, citing a sore throat. The gathered musicians were forced to disperse. As a result, Presley's producer Felton Jarvis decided to use all the remaining material from the 1976 home sessions (6 songs) and supplement it with recordings from last concerts. So in June 1977, Elvis Presley's last album, Moody Blue, was released.
Throughout the winter and spring of 1977, Elvis Presley actively toured America. But in April, his performances were unexpectedly interrupted due to forced hospitalization. After being discharged from the Memphis hospital, Presley again went on one mini-tour after another. It was at this time that Tom Parker was in negotiations with CBS about filming a new television show made up of recordings from concerts. The directors who filmed the first auditions were perplexed by Presley's performances: they were tasked with capturing Presley's sedentary figure, his mostly indifferent singing and the general sickly appearance of the singer, who by that time had gained significant weight. Filming, however, was scheduled for June 19, 1977 in Omaha. The performance was lackluster and ill-suited to a major TV show. However, this was offset by a second concert in Rapid City on June 21, at which Presley was in good mood and full of energy. Perhaps these performances would not have seen the light of day if it were not for Presley’s death that soon followed. Since the Elvis in Concert telecast in October 1977, Presley's company has repeatedly reiterated its reluctance to release the footage on video, citing possible harm image of the “King of Rock and Roll” from the media. Having finished his performance in Indianapolis on June 26, Presley returned to Graceland, where he remained in the usual inactivity, resting before a new tour scheduled for August 17. The last months of his life were overshadowed by the July 1977 book What's Up, Elvis?, written by Presley's bodyguards, fired the year before publication by Red and Sonny West and David Gebler. Red and Sonny West were among Presley's oldest and closest friends, having known him since high school, and their dismissal was initiated by Presley's father, who felt that too many people were living at the expense of his son. The book chronicled the daily life of the “King of Rock and Roll,” shocking millions of fans around the world. The book described Presley's aggressive antics in hotels, his drug addiction, morbid suspicion and much more that was previously hidden from the public. Elvis sank into depression, feeling betrayed.
On August 16, 1977, Presley, as usual, arrived at his estate well after midnight, returning from the dentist. He spent the rest of the night talking about the upcoming tour in two days, about the book of his bodyguards, about plans for an engagement with his new girlfriend Ginger Alden. In the morning, Presley took a dose of sedatives, but several hours later, unable to sleep, he took another dose, which in this case turned out to be critical. Afterwards, he spent some time reading books in the bathroom, which was designed like a boudoir. Around 2 p.m. on August 16, Alden woke up and, not finding Elvis in bed, went to the bathroom, where she found his lifeless body on the floor. An ambulance was urgently called and Presley was taken to intensive care, although it was obvious that all efforts were in vain. At 4 p.m., the official death notice was made, citing heart failure, but an autopsy later revealed that the cause of cardiac arrest was an overdose of various medications. According to other sources - drugs, however, due to the semi-secret nature of the investigation, there are also many other versions of death, along with the popular legend that the singer is still alive. After the announcement of death, crowds of thousands of fans immediately began to gather at the fence of Graceland.
Presley was buried on August 18, 1977, but immediately after his death, theories arose that the singer was in fact alive. A month later, his grave was desecrated. People wanted to see if Presley was really dead. In the late 1980s, publications appeared about Presley’s “life” after death: the singer allegedly deliberately staged his death in order to move away from the world of show business that had bored him and to indulge in spiritual improvement. The theory of a fictitious death in 1977 was fueled by the secretive nature of the medical investigation into the cause of death, the lack of a photograph of the singer's body, the change of the middle name on the grave (Presley, allegedly, thus would not consider himself buried), and the psychological reluctance of millions of fans to accept such unexpected circumstances of premature death. Elvis's death. Added to this were periodic testimonies of people who allegedly saw Presley in various places on the planet. This theory has become firmly entrenched in the pop culture mythology of Presley, often with a hint of irony. In 1991, a Los Angeles newspaper published a scandalous report about a meeting with the “living” Presley. In 2006, a story appeared in the American media about the “secret life” of Presley, who allegedly died not in 1977, but in the mid-1990s.
Meanwhile, his ashes were transferred to Graceland after an attempt was made to break into his coffin, and in death Elvis Presley remains one of the most famous figures in world pop culture. Many films and television films have been made, both biographical and those having only an indirect relation to Presley’s life itself. His Graceland estate is the second most visited place in the United States after the White House (600 thousand people per year).
Elvis Presley's music continues to be published. Periodically, large-scale marketing campaigns are carried out, bringing Presley to the top of the charts. In 1999, BMG founded a new label, Follow That Dream, which specializes exclusively in releasing Presley's music.
In addition, Elvis Presley is ranked third among the greatest performers of all time and the greatest vocalists according to Rolling Stone magazine.
In 2009, a documentary film “Elvis Presley” was made about Presley. From start to finish."
The legendary singer and actor Elvis Aaron Presley was born in the small town of Tupelo, Mississippi on January 8, 1935. The parents of the future king of rock and roll were middle-class farmers who had to work hard and spent little time raising and educating little Elvis.
- The evangelical church became the first place in which the boy became acquainted with music - religious chants. As the famous singer himself later stated, it was those chants performed by expressive African Americans that prompted him to study music and desire to become a famous singer. Even in the children's church choir, little Elvis stood out with his clear, beautiful voice.
- Guitar and piano were the first instruments that Presley mastered while still in high school. Many teachers of the future American celebrity predicted a great future for the boy; his talent was noticeable from early childhood. At the age of eight, Presley received his first award for his beautiful performance of "Old Ship" at the Mississippi State Fair.
- The turning point in Elvis's childhood was his family's move to Memphis, Tennessee, where the teenager found himself in a completely new musical environment. In the early fifties, musical trends such as country, blues, and rock and roll began to actively develop in the United States. Attend dance parties and concerts popular artists he started at the age of 14, when he decided that he wanted to become a pop singer.
Youth
Upon completion high school In order to earn money for living, young Elvis had to work as a driver, at the same time he studied at evening courses, mastering the specialty of an electrician. It was not his work or his technical specialty that in no way took away his desire to become a popular pop singer. The young man practices singing a lot and hones his skills in playing the guitar. He visited his first songs with the person closest to him in those years, his mother.
The first success can be considered Elvis’s accidental acquaintance with the owner of a music studio, Sam Philips, who immediately appreciated the young man’s sensual voice and enormous talent. The first few songs of young Presley were recorded in Sam's music studio, but they did not gain much popularity then. Soon Phillips brought Elvis together with two local musicians from Memphis, and together they recorded the first compositions that brought popularity to the young Presley.
Variety and cinematic career
After the success of his first compositions, Elvis went on tour in the southern states, and the number of the singer’s army of fans gradually increased. The famous hip rotation performed during performances on that tour became the pop singer’s calling card. The beginning of commercial success can be considered Elvis’s acquaintance with Thomas Parker, his future manager nicknamed “Colonel”. A talented manager helped Elvis sign a very lucrative contract with the largest recording studio in the states, RCA Victor.
The first truly popular song, “Heartbreak Hotel,” was recorded in 1955. After this song, the name of Elvis Presley becomes famous throughout the country, he is invited to various television shows, he tours a lot and records new singles. Major Hollywood companies are also paying attention to the young performer and are offering him roles in films. For two years from 1956 to 1958 he played in the following films:
- Love me tenderly;
- Prison rock.
- Charming.
- King Creole.
In the late fifties, Elvis was drafted into the army to serve in West Germany, and it was there that he met a young girl, his future wife, Priscilla.
Personal life
In 1967, at the peak of his fame, Elvis Presley married Priscilla Beaulieu, who gave the king of rock and roll his only child, daughter Lisa Marie. The family broke up after 5 years in 1972; Presley’s wife could not stand his regular drinking, severe depression, and addiction to tranquilizers and hard drugs.
Elvis lived with his second common-law wife, Linda Thompson, for two years, but she also left the popular singer, unable to withstand his stormy adventures. Last love Presley became model Ginger Alden; it was she who spent the last months of her life with her fading idol.
Discography
Rich creative career Elvis Presley includes many albums that were re-released many times even after the death of the king of rock and roll.
- 1956 – Elvis;
- 1958 - King of Creole;
- 1960 - His hand is in the mine;
- 1961 - Something for everyone;
- 1962 - Pot luck;
- 1967 – How well are you doing;
- 1969 - from Elvis in Memphis;
- 1975 - Promised Land;
- 1976 - From Elvis Presley Boulevard, Memphis, Tennessee;
- 1977 - Moody Blue.
The last years of the king's life and death
The most terrible period in Elvis’s life came in the seventies, paranoid depression, chronic alcoholism, and dependence on psychotropic drugs progressed greatly. Presley's entourage claimed that the idol of millions had been drinking heavily since the very morning, after which he started shooting in the house, claiming that someone was hunting him and wanted to kill him.
The famous king of rock and roll died in his home in Memphis on August 15, 1977, his lifeless body was found in the bathroom by his friend Ginger. After Presley's death was officially announced, thousands of fans from all over the country began to arrive at his house.
After death
The circle of the famous idol made huge money on the name of Presley, his staff, assistants and ex-wives published memoirs and gave interviews, telling juicy details of Elvis’s life. Music studios that have copyrights have re-released the musician’s compositions many times.
After Elvis's death, a theory emerged that Presley was alive and that he decided to disappear at the peak of his fame. Even such serious publications as the New York Times published material about Elvis Presley’s secret residence in South America. Many people tried to make money from a dead idol.
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