Elvis Presley

By Tom Kirvan

Known as the “King of Rock ‘n’ Roll”, Elvis Presley encapsulated his stage presence in just two sentences:

“Some people tap their feet, some people snap their fingers, and some people sway back and forth. I just sorta do ‘em all together, I guess.”

Presley’s singing career took off September 9, 1956 with his first appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show, a Sunday night spectacle that was must-see television for millions of viewers across the nation.

Presley was paid the then worldly sum of $50,000 for three appearances on the show, which also helped launch The Beatles to American fame in February 1964.

“The first time that I appeared on stage, it scared me to death,” said Presley of his singing debut. “I really didn’t know what all the yelling was about. I didn’t realize that my body was moving. It’s a natural thing to me. So, to the manager backstage I said, ‘What’d I do? What’d I do?’ And he said, ‘Whatever it is, go back and do it again.’”

Elvis Presley*

Born January 8, 1935 in Tupelo, Miss., Presley had an identical twin brother, Jesse, who was stillborn. His brother was buried the next day in an unmarked grave. The death of his brother was said to have had a profound effect on Presley, who dealt with a lifelong struggle of survivor’s guilt that many believe contributed to the substance abuse issues that led to his early death in 1977 at age 42.

Considered as the pioneer of “rockabilly,” the so-called up-tempo fusion of country music and R&B, Presley had his first hit single, “Heartbreak Hotel,” in January 1956. It soon rocketed to No. 1 on the Billboard charts, selling more than 10 million copies within a year.

He made his film debut in November 1956 in “Love Me Tender,” followed by “Jailhouse Rock” in 1957, “Blue Hawaii” in 1961, and “Viva Las Vegas” in 1964. The movies enhanced his status as the “King of Rock ‘n’ Roll,” even though this career was interrupted for two years (1958-60) after he was drafted into the Army.

“The image is one thing and the human being is another,” said Pressley prior to a series of record-breaking shows at Madison Square Garden in 1972. “It’s very hard to live up to an image.”

Much of his image was shaped at Graceland, the Memphis mansion that he bought for $102,500 in 1957 and served as his home base for two decades. Located on nearly 14 acres, it was built in 1939 and was once part of a 500-acre farm that was named in honor of the original owner’s daughter Grace.

Presley’s marriage to Priscilla Beaulieu, whom he met while stationed in West Germany during his Army service, lasted six years and produced one daughter, Lisa Marie.

Over the course of his career, Presley performed a number of benefit concerts for various charities, including St. Jude Children’s Hospital. In 1961, he was roundly saluted for raising more than $50,000 at a concert where the proceeds were earmarked for the completion of the USS Arizona Memorial in Pearl Harbor.

Ironically, Presley’s first name has become part of a catchphrase and punchline that will be forever etched in America’s lexicon. “Elvis has left the building” is a phrase that was often used by public address announcers at the conclusion of Presley concerts in order to disperse audiences who lingered in hopes of an encore. It has since made its way into the mainstream, cementing Presley’s status as a force of nature.

*See page for author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons