Elvis Presley, who would have turned 75 today, has become a symbol of American music and an exemplary embodiment of the very spirit of rock and roll. He died when he was only 42 years old. However, for a third of Americans, the "king of rock and roll" Elvis Presley is still alive - in the literal sense of the word.
10 facts about Elvis' youth
Presley had a twin brother, but he died during childbirth.
The full name of the "king of rock and roll" is Elvis Aron Presley, but the musician preferred the biblical pronunciation of the name - Aaron. He even planned to officially change his name.
By nature, Elvis Presley was blond. It was repainted black only in 1957. In addition, in the 50s he dyed his hair red.
Elvis attended church from childhood and sang in the church choir.
Elvis got his first guitar for his birthday from his uncle. Shortly before this, the future "king" received a prize at the fair for the performance folk song Old Shep.
After high school, Elvis Presley first worked as a scavenger, then as a driver - for $45 a week.
At the age of 18, Elvis decided to give his mother a record with his records for her birthday. For $4, he recorded the songs My Happiness and That's When Your Heartaches Begin.
The sound engineer showed the recording to Sun records owner Sam Philips.
Before that, Phillips had repeatedly told his friends: "If I found a white man who would sing like a black man, I would have made a million." When he saw Presley's performance, he realized: this is the one he was looking for.
10 Facts About Elvis' Early Career
Elvis Presley's first release on Sun Records was a slightly sped up version of Arthur Crudup's rhythm and blues That's All Right, Mama in 1954.
Two years after this recording, Presley poached the RCA label by paying Sun Records an unheard-of compensation at that time - $ 35,000.
The musician was supervised by "The Colonel" Tom Parker, who by this time was the manager of seven country performers.
In January 1956, 21-year-old Elvis Presley began recording his first single for RCA, Heartbreak Hotel. It soared to the top of the American charts, stayed there for eight weeks and became Elvis' first million copies.
In just 1956, Presley received six "gold discs", and the songs I Want You, I Need You, I Love You, rock and roll Don "t Be Cruel and Hound Dog and the ballad Love Me Tender rose to the top of the charts.
Elvis' first album held the lead on the album list for ten weeks.
In October 1956, Presley made her film premiere in Hal Wallis' western Love Me Tender.
Over the next year and a half, the musician starred in three more films.
In just 15 years - from 1956 to 1969 - he starred in 33 tapes.
Tom Parker, who received 50% of all Elvis' fees, demanded at least a million for a film with participation. Because of this, for example, the singer did not get a role in West Side Story.
10 Facts About Elvis' Military Service
The news caused protests in the country, the youth demanded to cancel the service for the singer.
Accompanied by an escort of flashlights, Presley departed for Fort Hood. There on demonstration performances masters of jiu-jitsu, the singer became interested in martial arts.
At the end of 1958, Presley was sent to West Germany, where he practiced karate, a style of setokai.
After returning to Memphis, he switched to American kenpo karate.
Then Presley became one of 100-150 Americans - owners of a black belt.
He even taught martial arts his bodyguards, the West brothers, who later opened a school where Chuck Norris looked in, too.
The "King of Rock and Roll" served in a tank division.
Presley served in the army for two years.
On the wave of "demobilization" Presley released a disc called "Elvis is back."
10 Facts About Elvis' Return
The albums released after the army were mostly soundtracks for films with Elvis Presley.
Presley's position was strongly pressed by the appearance of the Liverpool Four, although the Beatles themselves have always recognized its importance and influence.
In 1968, Elvis Presley once again ascended to the top of the world musical Olympus, began to give concerts in Las Vegas.
In February 1970, the singer appeared in a dazzling white jumpsuit designed by his personal fashion designer.
Then, for each season or concert, Presley prepared many costumes of various colors and styles, often decorated with rhinestones and embroidered with gold.
It is this image of Elvis Presley that is still the most recognizable.
Another detail of the image of the "king of rock and roll" - dark glasses. Elvis had to wear them due to glaucoma in his left eye, which doctors discovered in 1970.
At the end of his career, Presley developed a persecution mania: when he went on stage, he always pulled another bulletproof vest under a luxurious white vest.
Since 1971, all Elvis Presley concerts have opened with an overture by Richard Strauss to the musical poem "Thus Spoke Zarathustra". The concerts ended with the performance of the song Can't Help Falling In Love from the movie "Blue Hawaii". Having finished singing the composition to the end, the "king" left the stage to the drumming. After a while, the entertainer announced: "Elvis has just left the building."
The last disc Presley recorded in 1976, after that he only performed with concerts.
10 Facts About Elvis' "Kingdom"
Elvis Presley is called "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "King" ( The King), often just by name - Elvis.
The title "King of Rock and Roll" Elvis Presley was awarded by the American magazine "Variety" back in October 1956.
Presley is ranked third among the greatest musicians of all time by Rolling Stone magazine.
Most prestigious music award America "Grammy" was awarded to the singer three times - for the music of religious content.
Elvis staged music record which no one has beaten so far. 149 songs of the "king" fell into the "hot hundred" of the Billboard hit parade. 18 of them took first place.
Over a billion Elvis Presley CDs have been sold worldwide.
In total, the artist has more than 300 million lifetime musical recordings.
From 1969 to 1977, Presley gave about 1,100 concerts in the USA.
Presley concerts often turned into fan pogroms. For the first time, Elvis encountered "girlish passions" in Florida. Several girls rushed onto the stage in ecstasy and tore the jacket to shreds while Elvis rescued the guitar. One girl managed to pull off his shoe, the other tore the trouser leg with her teeth.
Elvis Presley has repeatedly met with the first persons of the United States. In February 1966, President Lyndon Johnson visited the "King" during the filming of Spinout. In 1970, Elvis met Richard Nixon at the White House. Presley also spoke on the phone with President Jimmy Carter.
10 facts about Elvis "in life"
Ellis Presley was actively involved in charity work and was very fond of giving gifts.
The "King" bought his friends houses and paid for their weddings. Once I bought 14 limousines at once and presented one of them to an unfamiliar car dealership visitor.
At one of the concerts, Elvis gave a ring worth $7,000 to his fanEven as a child, Presley promised his mother to buy a Cadillac. In 1955, he gave her a pink Cadillac Fleetwood 60 Special.
Since the musician's mother did not know how to drive, he drove this car himself.
In 1958, Elvis Presley met his future wife, Priscilla Boilier, the daughter of an Air Force captain. She was 14 at the time.
He married in 1967, was married for five years.
As a result of his only marriage, a daughter, Lisa Marie, was born.
Singer Lisa Marie Presley's husbands included King of Pop Michael Jackson and actor Nicolas Cage.
Elvis Presley was an honorary FBI narcotics officer.
10 facts about the death of the "king"
The "King of Rock and Roll" was only 42 years old.
Another girlfriend found Elvis Presley on the bathroom floor of his Graceland estate in Memphis.
Toxicologists found 14 different drugs in the musician's blood.
Later, the musician's personal doctor admitted in court that over the past three years he had prescribed 19 thousand doses of sleeping pills, sedatives and stimulants to the "king of rock and roll".
Presley became addicted to these drugs in the early 70s.
Elvis also took hormonal drugs against obesity. He could not get rid of the passion for food.
By the end of his life, the singer weighed over 200 kg, could hardly move, slept on a specially reinforced bed and hardly left the house. But the disease did not affect the voice of Elvis.
It is believed that the cause of death was an overdose of medicines - they led to cardiac arrest.
Presley's funeral was followed by millions of people. Behind the hearse with a coffin in the mourning column were moving not only friends and relatives, but also dozens of "orphaned" "Cadillacs" - Elvis' favorite cars.
10 Facts About Elvis' Life After Death
Many fans of the artist's work then did not believe in his death.
Some Elvises even managed to become famous. So, Elvis Stoyko became a three-time winner of the World Championship in figure skating. British singer and the composer Elvis Costello took Elvis' name in the first part of the pseudonym, in fact his name is Diclan Patrick McManus.
Presley's current popularity varies from country to country, but let's say he has 18 number one hits in the UK, more than the Beatles.
Elvis Presley is the richest dead man of our time. In 2008, he earned, according to Forbes, $ 52 million. Live Madonna earned $ 12 million less over the same period.
tornado survivor
In 1936, one of the largest tornadoes in history occurred in Tupelo, Mississippi, killing more than 216 people. One of the survivors of this terrible tornado was Elvis Presley, who at that time was fifteen months old.
Songs for Mom
Presley dedicated his first recording to his mother. For two songs at Sun Studio, the musician paid four dollars: the songs "My Happiness" and "That's When Your Heartaches Begin" were a gift for his mother.
How much?
On account of Presley, according to various estimates, from 600 to 1200 songs - depending on the accounting for work in progress, alternative versions, bootlegs, etc.
Striving for beauty
At one of the worship ceremonies, two-year-old Elvis escaped from his mother's arms and joined the choir to sing with them.
Old Shep
At the age of ten, Elvis took part in children's show talents with the song "Old Shep". At the competition, he took only fifth place, but everyone who saw his performance did not doubt the talent of the young singer.
fateful gift
One of the gifts from Presley's parents was a guitar. Elvis, aged 11, dreamed of a bicycle, but his parents couldn't afford it and decided to give him a guitar instead.
Presley the janitor
IN adolescence Elvis worked as a doorman at Loew's State Theater in Memphis. Presley was fired because he took candy from a girl, which was reported by his colleague.
Tony Curtis
Presley's idol was Tony Curtis, who had shiny black hair. When Elvis decided to dye his hair for the first time, he used shoe polish. The singer dyed his eyelashes at the same time - which caused him allergies and other ailments.
One password for all
An online poll in the late 1990s found that "Elvis" was one of the most popular passwords among users in the United States.
fatal prediction
Elvis always told his friends and family that he would die at forty-something like his mother. Ironically, on August 16, 1977, the day of his death, Presley was forty-two years old.
10,000 tablets
In the year of Presley's death (1977), the singer had 199 different prescriptions from doctors, which in total amounted to ten thousand pills.
eternal home
Presley, his parents, his grandmother, and his golden palomino horse named Rising Sun ( Rising Sun) are buried together at Graceland.
Sheriff Presley
In the early seventies, Presley pretended to be a police officer, driving around the city with a flashing light, high beam, baton and pistol and stopped people on the road, writing out his autographs instead of fines.
Elvis and Muhammad Ali
When Elvis met boxing icon Mohammed Ali, he gave him a robe with "Champion of all men" embroidered on it. In response, Ali gave Presley a pair of boxing gloves with the words "You are the greatest" written on them.
Thus spoke Zarathustra
In the seventies, Presley began every concert with "Thus Spoke Zarathustra" symphonic poem Richard Strauss and main theme film "Space Odyssey 2001" - the musician liked its rhythm and dynamics.
Tonight
Elvis was a huge Tonight Show fan until Johnny Carson joked that Presley was "40 and fat".
Metabolic disorder
As a young man, Elvis could drop a few pounds for concert tour. With age, his metabolism slowed down, and, according to rumors, he began to weigh more than a hundred kilograms.
Rock and roll matador
While serving in the army, the Germans gave Presley the nickname "rock and roll matador". Also in Germany, the singer developed a passion for thin German cigars.
The King's Favorite Foods
Elvis' favorite foods included cookies, meat gravy, cheese soup with potatoes, meatloaf with mushroom gravy, and beef steak with tomato. The musician hated fish - so much so that he did not allow his wife Priscilla to eat it at home in Graceland.
Okay, I won't
The singer's last words, according to his then-girlfriend Ginger Alden, were "OK, I won't" - he assured her that he would not fall asleep in the bathroom reading a book.
Posthumous record
In August 1992, the American Association record companies awarded Elvis 110 gold, platinum and multi-platinum albums and singles - which was a record in history. Forty years after his death, Presley had 106 gold, 63 platinum and 27 multi-platinum albums - no artist or group has achieved such a result.
Meeting with Nixon
At a meeting with President Nixon in 1970, where one of the most iconic photographs of the twentieth century was taken, the president told the king of rock and roll, "You dress a little strange, don't you?" Presley smiled and answered him in his own style: "Well, Mr. President, you have your show, I have mine." This meeting remained secret until the Washington Post made it public a year later.
imitators
At the time of his death in 1977, Presley had about 170 imitators. Today there are more than 250,000 of them around the world.
Life after death
Elvis' first post-mortem appearance was in Kalamazoo, Michigan - the mother-of-five told Weekly World News that she saw Presley at the grocery store and Burger King.
First rock star
And that's why some fans call Elvis the first real rock star: from time to time he left autographs on the body of his fans - the singer wrote "Elvis" on the left chest and "Presley" on the right.
Elvis Presley is one of the legendary icons of the twentieth century, which is impossible to be indifferent to, no matter how old you are. We hope that these facts from the life of the "King of Rock and Roll" will inspire you to get to know his incredible music more closely.
Elvis' mom was pregnant with twins - two boys. But the second baby did not survive the birth.
Elvis was a believer. As a boy, he attended church services and even sang in the parish choir. And as an adult, I seriously thought about changing my full name- Elvis Aron - on "Aaron", so that it becomes consonant with the Old Testament. By the way, he received all three Grammy awards precisely for music with a religious bias.
The young man did not plan a career in rock and roll. And he came to a cheap recording studio only to record two songs as a gift to his mother for her birthday. The sound engineer was delighted with what he heard and shared his discovery with the owner of Sunrecords Sam Philips. Well, he did not miss the opportunity to promote a handsome white-skinned guy who sings like a real black one.
In the army, from which even his wild popularity did not save the singer, Elvis mastered several martial arts, and in one of the varieties of karate - kenpo - he even received a black belt. Although his main army duty was considered to be service in the tank corps.
Elvis' bodyguards were the West brothers. Moreover, he himself "trained" them, teaching lessons in oriental martial arts. Later, the Wests founded their own school, in which Chuck Norris studied, in particular.
If before the army, the mega-popular Elvis had practically no serious competitors, upon his return he found that the throne was no longer free: Beatlemania was gaining momentum in the world. The Liverpool Four spoiled the king a lot of blood, although they openly confessed their love for his work and numerous influences on their own.
The love of the fans cost the Beatles dearly, but even earlier from being too hot folk love Elvis suffered. Once, during a concert, several distraught female fans jumped onto the stage to him, tore off his shirt and began to tear it to shreds. Elvis chose to save the guitar. During that meeting with the “admirers of talent”, he also lost his shoe, and a particularly hysterical girl tore his leg with her teeth.
The more "grown up" Elvis, the more extravagant became his stage costumes. They amazed not only with flowers, but also with decorations: many overalls were embroidered with gold threads and decorated with semiprecious stones.
Black glasses, which Elvis often wore, are not a tribute to fashion, but a necessity caused by a doctor's prescription. The king suffered from glaucoma in his left eye.
With age, Elvis began to form a panic fear of assassination. And in last years, appearing in public, he always put on a bulletproof vest under his luxurious outfits.
Fabulous wealth did not spoil Elvis: he liked to make expensive gifts and did not forget about charitable donations. The most legendary gift he gave was the Cadillac he gave to his mother, fulfilling a promise he made to her as a child. True, the car was not useful to the parent: she never mastered driving. Presley drove the luxury limousine himself.
The death of the king was the result of an overdose of drugs. Medical experts found particles of 14 drugs in his blood. The musician's personal doctor was even put on trial. At the trial, he stated that he regularly and at the request of the patient prescribed sleeping pills and tranquilizers in large doses. This whole story is reminiscent of the death of another king, but this time of pop music, namely Michael Jackson…
Many continue to make money on Elvis even decades after his death. In 2004, a certain Wade Jones sold on eBay to an unknown buyer several tablespoons of water that Elvis sipped from a glass during his last concert. Huckster bailed out 455 bucks for the lot, and a week later “driven” a photo of the same glass at the same auction, but already at a price of $3,000.
Elvis Presley became interested in music at school. He was attracted by the traditional stage, and country, and Negro music. He tried to play on his own. When he was in the 8th grade, the music teacher called him "talentless" and gave him a "2". In an attempt to prove otherwise, Elvis showed up the next lesson with a guitar and sang "Keep Them Cold Icy Fingers Off Me". But fame came to him much later.
Elvis had a twin brother.
Jesse Garon was born 35 minutes before Elvis and died the day after birth.
Elvis could have died in a tornado when he was only fifteen months old. It was a tornado in Tupelo, Mississippi, which was one of the four most destructive in the United States.
He received his first guitar from his parents for his birthday and was very upset about it. The poor boy dreamed of a bicycle, but it was too expensive for his family.
The word "blue" appears in fifteen Elvis song titles. "Blue Christmas" Blue eyes cry in the rain", "Blue Hawaii", "Blue MoonKentucky", "Blue Moon", "Blue River", etc.
Elvis made the first of the studio recordings for his mother. He paid $4 to Sun Studio to record 2 songs for his mother: "My Happiness" and "That's When Your Suffering Begins".
His favorite treat was a sandwich with peanut butter, bacon... honey and a banana. At the same time, he fried the sandwich until golden brown.
Elvis was hated by the girls' parents, for whom he was an idol. famous singer often behaved like a sex maniac, so it is not surprising that the parents of young girls were clearly not happy with their daughters' hobby and broke records with his records. And Presley, in turn, often left autographs for his fans on his chest. On the right he wrote "Elvis" and on the left "Presley".
At 22, Elvis acquired huge mansion"Graceland" in the city of Memphis, which was valued at $102,500. Elvis resided there for several decades.
In 1965, Elvis expressed his desire to enter a monastery. Presley grew up in a community of Pentecostal Christians, but he was clearly not remembered as a believing Christian.
Presley served in the army. army life Elvis started in 1957. During his time in the army, he really wanted to meet Brigitte Bardot. Elvis was a big fan French actress.
Apart from the USA, he gave several concerts in Canada in 1957. His manager turned down any offers to perform abroad because Elvis was an illegal immigrant from Holland. The manager was afraid that Elvis might not be allowed back to the US.
After the death of President Roosevelt, Presley purchased the Potomac for $55,000.
Elvis was very picky about his appearance, dyed his eyelashes and eyebrows. This has led to health problems in later life. Presley was almost blind and suffered from glaucoma, suffered several plastic surgery– rhinoplasty and two facelifts. He also suffered from acne.
Elvis Presley it's not only greatest musician but also an amazing personality. Here are some interesting facts you may not know about him:
1. In 1977, when Elvis died, there were 170 imitators of him. Today there are about 250 thousand of them.
2. In 1965, Elvis, manager Jerry Schilling, future wife Elvisa Priscilla Beaulieu and hairdresser Larry Geller decided to try LSD. Schilling once recalled the surrealism of that night. "Elvis and I started the conversation just laughing," he said. "I looked at Elvis and it seemed to me that he was turning into a child."
3. Elvis was going to make a martial arts movie. His passion for it was so strong that sometimes he would interrupt shows in Vegas and change into a karate outfit. Once, to demonstrate his skills, he even accidentally interrupted a Tom Jones concert.
The plot of his film was quite simple, and it was supposed to end with an epic scene - on a remote hill close-up grabs Elvis when he gets into a fighting stance.
4. Surprisingly, Elvis once wrote a message to President Nixon asking him to be given the authority of the Federal Drug Enforcement Agent. An amazing meeting between Nixon and Elvis took place in the Oval Office in 1970.
Interesting motivation. In addition to wanting to contribute to society, Elvis needed the missing federal agent badge for his collection. It is believed that he received it.
5. When one of the journalists gave Elvis the laudatory title of "King of rock and roll", he refused the crown and gave this title to the musician Fats Domino.
6. Many music video Elvis on the 1957 single Jailhouse Rock is considered the first ever music video, while others credit Tony Bennett and his Stranger in Paradise video as a trailblazer.
- Back
