Elvis Aaron Presley[1][3] (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977; middle name sometimes written Aron)a was an American singer, musician and actor. A cultural icon, he is commonly referred to by his first name, and as the "The King of Rock 'n' Roll" or "The King".

In 1954, Presley began his career as one of the first performers of rockabilly, an uptempo fusion of country and rhythm and blues with a strong back beat. His novel versions of existing songs, mixing "black" and "white" sounds, made him popular—and controversial[4][5][6]—as did his uninhibited stage and television performances. He recorded songs in the rock and roll genre, with tracks like "Hound Dog" and "Jailhouse Rock" later embodying the style. Presley had a versatile voice[7] and had unusually wide success encompassing other genres, including gospel, blues, ballads and pop. To date, he has been inducted into four music halls of fame.

In the 1960s, Presley made the majority of his thirty-one movies—mainly poorly reviewed, but financially successful, musicals.[8] In 1968, he returned with acclaim to live music in a television special,[9] and thereafter performed across the U.S., notably in Las Vegas. Throughout his career, he set records for concert attendance, television ratings and recordings sales.[10] He is one of the best-selling and most influential artists in the history of popular music. Health problems, drug dependency[11] and other factors led to his premature death at age 42.

Early life
Elvis Presley was of mixed ancestry.[12][13][14][15][16][17] His father, Vernon Elvis Presley[18] (April 10, 1916–June 26, 1979), had several low-paying jobs, including sharecropper and truck driver. His mother, Gladys Love Smith (April 25, 1912 – August 14, 1958) worked as a sewing machinist. They met in Tupelo, Mississippi, and eloped to Pontotoc County where they married on June 17, 1933.[19][20]

Presley was born in a two-room shotgun house, built by his father, in East Tupelo. He was an identical twin—his brother was stillborn and given the name Jesse Garon. Growing up as an only child he "was, everyone agreed, unusually close to his mother."[18] The family lived just above the poverty line and attended an Assembly of God church.[21] Vernon has been described as "a malingerer, always averse to work and responsibility."[22] His wife was "voluble, lively, full of spunk" and had a fondness for drink.[23] In 1938, Vernon was jailed for an eight dollar check forgery. His eight-month incarceration caused Gladys and her son to lose the family home, and they had to move in with relatives.[23][24][25]

In September 1942, Presley entered first grade at Lawhorn School in Tupelo.[24] He was considered a "well-mannered and quiet child",[24] but sometimes classmates threw "things at him—rotten fruit and stuff—because he was different… He stuttered and he was a mama's boy."[26]

On October 3, 1945, at age ten, he made his first public performance in a singing contest at the Mississippi-Alabama Fair and Dairy Show at the suggestion of his teacher Mrs. J.C. Grimes.[24] Dressed as a cowboy, the young Presley had to stand on a chair to reach the microphone and sang Red Foley's "Old Shep." He came second, winning $5 and a free ticket to all the Fair rides.[24][27]

In 1946, for his eleventh birthday, Presley received his first guitar.[28] He had wanted a bicycle or rifle for his birthday, but his parents could only afford a guitar.[24][29] Over the following year, Vernon's brother, Vester, gave Elvis basic guitar lessons.[24] In September 1948, the family moved to Memphis, Tennessee,[24] allegedly because Vernon—in addition to needing work—had to escape the law for transporting bootleg liquor.[25][30] In 1949, they lived at Lauderdale Courts, a public housing development in one of Memphis' poorer sections. Presley practiced playing guitar in the laundry room and also played in a five-piece band with other tenants.[31] One resident, another future rockabilly pioneer, Johnny Burnette, recalled, "Wherever Elvis went he'd have his guitar slung across his back… [H]e'd go in to one of the cafes or bars… Then some folks would say: 'Let's hear you sing, boy.'"[32] Presley enrolled at L. C. Humes High School where some fellow students viewed his performing unfavorably; one recalled that he was "a sad, shy, not especially attractive boy" whose guitar playing was not likely to win any prizes. Presley was made fun of as a 'trashy' kind of boy, playing 'trashy' hillbilly music."[33] Other children however, "would beg him" to sing, but he was apparently too shy to perform.[34]

In September 1950, Presley occasionally worked evenings as an usher at Loew's State Theater—his first job—to boost the family income,[35][36] but his mother made him quit as she feared it was affecting his school work. He worked again at Loew's in June the following year, but was fired after a fistfight over a female employee.[35] He began to grow his sideburns and, when he could affor.

No he was absolutely not.

He grew up dirt poor in Tupelo Mississippi. He attended a black church, listened to soul music as he grew up.

At the time when Elvis was first on the radio they would only play white singers. Elvis had the black sound. At first they wouldn't play him either until they learned his race.

Quotes about Elvis

"Elvis was a great man and did more for civil rights than people know. To call him a racist is an insult to us all." – Ernest Withers

"Elvis was my close personal friend. He came to my Deer Lake training camp about two years before he died. He told us he didn't want nobody to bother us. He wanted peace and quiet and I gave him a cabin in my camp and nobody even knew it. When the cameras started watching me train, he was up on the hill sleeping in the cabin. Elvis had a robe made for me. I don't admire nobody, but Elvis Presley was the sweetest, most humble and nicest man you'd want to know." – Muhammad Ali

"A lot of people have accused Elvis of stealing the black man’s music, when in fact, almost every black solo entertainer copied his stage mannerisms from Elvis". – Jackie Wilson

"I wasn't just a fan, I was his brother. He said I was good and I said he was good; we never argued about that. Elvis was a hard worker, dedicated, and God loved him. Last time I saw him was at Graceland. We sang Old Blind Barnabus together, a gospel song. I love him and hope to see him in heaven. There’ll never be another like that soul brother". – James Brown

"That's my idol, Elvis Presley. If you went to my house, you'd see pictures all over of Elvis. He’s just the greatest entertainer that ever lived. And I think it’s because he had such presence. When Elvis walked into a room, Elvis Presley was in the f***ing room. I don’t give a f*** who was in the room with him, Bogart, Marilyn Monroe". – Eddie Murphy

"I remember Elvis as a young man hanging around the Sun studios. Even then, I knew this kid had a tremendous talent. He was a dynamic young boy. His phraseology, his way of looking at a song, was as unique as Sinatra's. I was a tremendous fan, and had Elvis lived, there would have been no end to his inventiveness". – B.B. King

"Elvis was an integrator. Elvis was a blessing. They wouldn't let Black music through. He opened the door for Black music." – Little Richard

"Early on somebody told me that Elvis was black. And I said 'No, he's white but he's down-home'. And that is what it’s all about. Not being black or white it’s being 'down-home' and which part of down-home you come from." – Sammy Davis Jnr

"I have a respect for Elvis and my friendship. It ain't my business what he did in private. The only thing I want to know is, 'Was he my friend?', 'Did I enjoy him as a performer?', 'Did he give the world of entertainment something?' – and the answer is YES on all accounts. The other jazz just don't matter." – Sammy Davis Jnr

"On a scale of one to ten, I would rate Elvis eleven." – Sammy Davis Jnr

"Describe Elvis Presley? He was the greatest who ever was, is, or will ever be." – Chuck Berry

"Elvis loved gospel music. He was raised on it. And he really did know what he was talking about. He was singing Gospel all the time – almost anything he did had that flavour. You can’t get away from what your roots are." – Cissy Houston

He was a mild tempered, quiet, nice guy. He treated everyone the same. There have been rumors about him, saying that he said 'The only thing blacks can do for me is shine my shoes.' Now, I don't believe that. I never saw him act in anyway like that." "I overheard one of Elvis' friends at the time ask Elvis 'Why do you call him 'mister' — he's just a barbecue guy?' Elvis looked at him and said 'He's a man.' " "That," Withers says, "Was the humility in his temperament." – Ernest Withers.

Elvis was the first person to record a Rock n Roll record, based on the definition Allan Freed gave to Rock and Roll, and since he is the first to use the term to describe music, his is the only true definition of what Rock and Roll is.

Elvis grew up very poor in Mississippi, he work on a cotton farm as a yound boy. It was there he learned and loved blues music, from the black people. Being white, and living in the south, country music was also a very big part of his life. His favorite type of music was always Gospel.

In his early teens, he and his family moved to Memphis Tennessee. Now the story goes, when he was 18, he went to Sun records to record a song for his mother's birthday, but there is evidence to say that wasn't the real reason, either way, in 1953 Elvis recorded That's When your Heartache Beginns.

Elvis' favorite singer at the time was Dean Martin, and he tried to sing the song like Dean Martin. 6 months later Sun record called him to come in to record a song, because the secrary, of Sun Records, told Sam Phillips, the owner of Sun Records, he was nice looking. Anyway 6 months later Elvis went to record 2 more songs, neither of which Sam Philips liked, but he did see something in Elvis he did like. Another 6 months goes by, mid 1954, Sam Philips calls Elvis to record a song, Elvis records 2 more songs, none of which Sam Philips liked, during the break Elvis started singing Tha's Alright, a blues song Elvis knew from growing up in Mississippi. But unlike the slow bluesey original, elvis combined blues and country, speeding up the tempo and changing the melody. The result is the first recorded truely hybrid song combining blues and country. That was the sound Sam Philips was looking for, and that is truly the birth of RnR. A few days later Elvis recorded an old country song Blue Moon of Kentucky, for that song he added a blues soul to the song, the 2 songs became his 1st record. And it was that record that inspired countless singers to write, sing, & record RnR. From Johnny Cash to John Lennon. Elvis 1st record, although not commercial huge, but artistically changed music so much, that even Crudup, he wrote That's alright in 1946, re-recorded That's Alright to sound like Elvis' version, as did Bill Monroe, he wrote and had a huge country hit re-recorded Blue Moon of kentucky to sound like Elvis' version.

In 1956, Elvis became a national & international star, and in 1956 alone, he outsold more than any other singer sold for the entire decade of the 50's.

To Patchie: If you knew history, you would know prior to 1955 Chuck Berry was playing in a country band. But upon hearing Elvis' first record, and seeing the reaction RnR music was causing in 1954 & 1955, Chuck Berry decided to write Maybeline, which was an old country song, he re-worked, changed the lyrics and became Chuck Berry's first RnR song in late 1955.