Elvis Presley (1935-1977)

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Elvis Presley was the first widely known rock-and-roll star, thus the name "King of Rock and Roll" (aka "Elvis The Pelvis"). He was born on January 8, 1935 at 4:35 AM to parents Gladys Love Smith and Vernon Elvis Presley who lived in a two room house in Tupelo, Mississippi during the heart of the Depression. He got his first guitar in 1946 for $12.95 at the Tupelo Hardware Store.

Then in 1948 his family moved to Memphis and Elvis graduated from Humes High School. Elvis has become the musician who was most responsible for popularizing rock & roll on an international level. He is also the single highest-selling performer in history when you look at the dozens upon dozens of international smashes he had from the mid-'50s to the mid-'70s, as well as the steady sales of his music since his death in 1977. He also made numerous remarkable artistic achievements, including: he was the first musician to assertively fuse country and blues music into the style known as rockabilly; his 1950s recordings established the basic language of rock & roll; his explosive and sexual stage presence set standards for the music's visual image; and his vocals were incredibly powerful and versatile. For these reasons alone, many people truly believe that Elvis is the single most important figure in American 20th century popular music.

In 1955 Elvis signed his infamous RCA contract for $40,000, with a $5,000 bonus. On January 27, 1956 "Heartbreak Hotel" was released and after selling 300,000 copies in the first week it went on to be Elvis' first Gold Record. Also in 1956 Elvis began making movies. In March of 1967 Elvis' second gospel album was released and it went on to win him his first Grammy award. Between 1956 and 1977 he was both recording, giving over 1,000 live concerts, and he also managed to make 30 movies. On August 16, 1977 at the age of 42 Elvis died totally unexpectedly from a heart attack at his home at Graceland. In fact, many people still descend upon Memphis each year during the week leading up to the anniversary of Elvis Presley's death. These people leave offerings of flowers and teddy bears; display relics; trade collectibles; and retell the story of his life. Elvis' last concert was at Indianapolis, Indiana's Market Square Arena. For many people, Elvis' death was a very sad time. His legacy and talent have truly outlasted him to this day. To date, he has sold over 1 billion albums worldwide, has over 100 gold/platinum awards for his singles and albums within the United States and is by far the most popular artist ever, with his records, CDs, and movies continuing to sell well even today.

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