Happy Birthday to the King of Rock and Roll
ELVIS PRESLEY - THE KING OF ROCK AND ROLL TURNS 90 YEARS OLD TODAY!
What a headline that would be! Today would be the 90th birthday for Elvis. Born January 8, 1935, in Tupelo, Mississippi to Gladys and Vernon Presley following the still birth of his twin brother, Jesse, just 35 minutes prior. Elvis was born into a rather poor family and attended an Assembly of God church, which is where some of the inspiration for his music began.
At the age of 10, he entered into a singing contest at a state fair and won 5th place with his rendition of "Old Shep". Elvis was very shy, which led to many struggles of stage fright later in his career. Gladys struggled to save enough money to purchase a guitar for his a few months later and this was the start of the star we still honor today.
Following the families' move to Memphis, Elvis was teased and sometimes bullied about his style and his music. He learned to love Beale Street and the clothes of the Lansky Brothers during his junior year of high school. At this point in his life, he was unaware that he would be wearing those very clothes in just a few years. His first song was recorded with Sam Phillips in August 1953 as a birthday gift to his mom and to see who he sounded like.
By January 1955, Elvis had become known in the music industry and was brought to the attention of Colonel Tom Parker, a promotor. In August of that year, Parker was named his special advisor. Some people believe Elvis was made a star by Parker, but many feel that Parker was what led to the death of Presley at 42 years old. His father signed his first music contract, when Elvis was just 20 years old as Presley himself was not old enough to sign.
Last year, I was fortunate enough to visit Graceland and learned much about the life of this amazing singer. His life was troubled by his success as much as it was honored by it. His love for Lisa Marie was so amazing and she struggled with depression following his death the same as he did with the loss of his mom. I would love to be there today when his birthday is celebrated. 90 years later, he is still one of the most beloved singers in the world.
Take a listen to one of my favorite songs by Elvis, "Suspicious Minds" here
I remember his death very well. And I also remember when I was a child, my Mom was going to see one of his movies. But I nearly drowned and she couldn't go!
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