Elvis Presley Research Paper

Elvis Presley: The King of Rock and Roll Elvis Presley also known as “The King of Rock and Roll” or just simply “The King” was a singer and actor. He was born on January 8, 1935 in the town of Tupelo, Mississippi. Elvis began his career as one of the first performers of Rockabilly, a mix of country and rhythm & blues. He recorded songs in the rock and roll genre. The king is the only performer to have four music halls of fame awards. In the 1960s, Elvis was in 33 movies. In my opinion, Elvis Presley was a great singer and actor because of his great passion for different genres of music. As a child, Elvis grew up unpopular, shy, and poor. His father, Vernon Presley, drifted from one odd job to the next trying to support
his family. Elvis received his first guitar from his parents on his eleventh birthday. “Elvis was a sad, shy, not especially attractive boy,” said a classmate from Elvis’s junior high school. When he moved to an African-American neighborhood, Elvis began listening to gospel music that poured out of local churches. Elvis began to take his guitar to school every day, but he was teased about his playing. In 1948, the Presleys moved to Memphis, Tennessee. In his first year of high school he got an A’s and B’s in classes, but was disappointed that he was given a C for music. While still in his high school years, Elvis work in factories or theaters. In April 1953, Elvis performed in his school’s talent show. This made a huge impression on his classmates, and he became popular after it. After graduated in June 1953, Elvis made a recording for his mother’s birthday at Phillips’s Memphis Recordings. Phillips described the young teenager’s voice as being interesting. In July 1954, Phillips had Elvis record “That’s Alright Mama”.
Soon afterwards, the record was played on a DJ named Dewey Phillips‘s show. The song had the voice of an African American, but it was sung by a white man. “That’s Alright Mama” became popular. Within a month, Elvis signed a contract to record music with Sun Records. On August 10, 1954, Elvis made his first live appearance at Memphis Overton Park. Within months, concerts in his hometown were filled with screaming fans. Newspapers talked about the new musical sensation, describing his sound as Rock and Roll. “He was a typical teenager. Kind of wild, but … in a mischievous kind of way. He loved his pranks and practical jokes…. His parents were very protective. His mother would corner me and say ‘Take care of my boy. Make sure he eats….’ “said Scotty Moore, from Elvis’s early band. In 1955, Colonel Thomas Parker became Elvis’s manager. In 1956, Elvis played in Las Vegas, the entertainment capital of the USA. In 1956, Elvis played an unlucky cowboy in Love me Tender. The movies became a huge hit. In 1957, Elvis filmed Loving You and Jailhouse Rock. In early 1958, Elvis was drafted into the army. In August 1958, His mother died from liver cancer. In September, he was stationed in Germany. While in Germany, Elvis met Priscilla
Beaulieu. In March 1960, Elvis left Priscilla and army life and returned home to Graceland. In March 1961, he performed a live concert in Honolulu, Hawaii. Least of all, his fans didn’t know that he wouldn’t be performing for the next eight years. In 1967, Elvis finally married Priscilla Beaulieu, and 9 months later they had a daughter whom they named Lisa Marie. In was not until 1968 that Elvis finally performed live again. Between 1969 and 1977, Elvis performed over 1,000 shows. In December 1971, Pricilla left Elvis and took Lisa Marie with her. Elvis played his final show on June 26, 1977 in Indianapolis, Indiana. On August 16, he was found dead in his bathroom at Graceland by a heart attack, brought on by years of drug abuse and overeating. Elvis Presley was a great singer and actor because of his great passion for different genres of music.