Elvis Presley
Overview
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King".

Born in Tupelo, Mississippi
Tupelo, Mississippi
Tupelo is the largest city in and the county seat of Lee County, Mississippi, United States. It is the seventh largest city in the state of Mississippi, smaller than Meridian, and larger than Greenville. As of the 2000 United States Census, the city's population was 34,211...

, Presley moved to Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....

, with his family at the age of 13. He began his career there in 1954 when Sun Records
Sun Records
Sun Records is a record label founded in Memphis, Tennessee, starting operations on March 27, 1952.Founded by Sam Phillips, Sun Records was known for giving notable musicians such as Elvis Presley , Carl Perkins, Roy Orbison, and Johnny Cash...

 owner Sam Phillips
Sam Phillips
Samuel Cornelius Phillips , better known as Sam Phillips, was an American businessman, record executive, record producer and DJ who played an important role in the emergence of rock and roll as the major form of popular music in the 1950s...

, eager to bring the sound of African American music
African American music
African-American music is an umbrella term given to a range of musics and musical genres emerging from or influenced by the culture of African Americans, who have long constituted a large and significant ethnic minority of the population of the United States...

 to a wider audience, saw in Presley the means to realize his ambition.
Timeline

1954    Elvis Presley records That's All Right, his first single to be released.

1954    Elvis Presley made his radio debut when WHBQ Memphis played his first recording for Sun Records, "That's All Right."

1956    Elvis Presley introduces his new single, "Hound Dog", on ''The Milton Berle Show'', scandalizing the audience with his suggestive hip movements.

1956    Elvis Presley appears on ''The Ed Sullivan Show'' for the first time.

1958    Entertainer Elvis Presley is conscripted into the U.S. Army.

1982    Priscilla Presley opens Graceland to the public; the bathroom where Elvis Presley died five years earlier is kept off-limits.

1986    The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inducts its first members: Little Richard, Chuck Berry, James Brown, Ray Charles, Fats Domino, the Everly Brothers, Buddy Holly, Jerry Lee Lewis and Elvis Presley.

Quotations

The first time that I appeared on stage, it scared me to death. I really didn't know what all the yelling was about. I didn't realize that my body was moving. It's a natural thing to me. So to the manager backstage I said, 'What'd I do? What'd I do?' And he said, 'Whatever it is, go back and do it again.'

Interview (March/April 1972)

Man, I was tame compared to what they do now. Are you kidding? I didn't do anything but just jiggle.

Press conference (June 1972)

The image is one thing and the human being is another...it's very hard to live up to an image.

Press conference (June 1972)

A live concert to me is exciting because of all the electricity that is generated in the crowd and on stage. It's my favorite part of the business — live concerts.

Press conference (5 September 1972)

Thank you, Thank you very much.

Quote frequently used by impersonators of Elvis and used with a drawl

 
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