Elvis Presley

Singer, actor, and personality was the undisputed King of Rock ‘n' Roll and one of the most intriguing characters music has ever known.

The King was born in Tupelo, Mississippi on the 8th January 1935. Where he lived just above the poverty line with his father and beloved mother, Gladys Love Smith.

His love for performing began at the age of ten when he took second prize in the singing contest at the Mississippi-Alabama Fair and Dairy Show. He was often the victim of bullies as his family moved to Memphis, Tennessee standing out with his flashy clothes and long sideburns. His love of music remained however, as his Uncle taught him to play guitar and his attendance of a Pentecostal Holiness Church giving him his early Gospel influences.

Elvis received his big break when he recorded the tracks My Happiness and That's When Your Heartaches Begin as a gift for his mother and was picked up by Sun Records who felt he matched their need for an artist that could mix traditional black blues music with boogie-woogie. He formed a band of Memphis based musicians called the Blue Moon Boys and during their first paid gig in 1954 Presley's legs shook uncontrollably due to nerves. Of course when the audience went crazy over the leg shaking it became one of his best loved traits, winning him acclaim for his energetic performing style.

The following year "Colonel" Tom Parker became his manager and he recorded hits such as Heartbreak Hotel and Blue Suede Shoes. 1956 saw him make a move into acting when he starred in the film Love Me Tender.

With his career still on the rise Elvis was drafted into the army in 1957 and was posted to Friedberg, Germany. It was during this time that he met the love of his life Priscilla Ann Wagner, whom he married in 1967. They had a daughter together (Lisa Marie Presley) but eventually divorced in 1973 they were said to have remained close companions even leaving their divorce hearing hand in hand.

By the late 1960s Elvis' career had grown stagnant so Parker commissioned a "comeback special" for the NBC network which received mass acclaim and seemingly rejuvenated the singer's creativity releasing tracks such as Suspicious Minds.

Elvis' health went into decline following his divorce. He gained a great deal of weight and he had a poor diet combined with an amphetamine addiction. He died on the 17th August 1977, leaving a great legacy as the King of Rock and Roll.