Courtney Banaszak

Murray

English III

May 9, 2017

Elvis Presleys Life and Impacts

Known for his slicked back black hair and stunning outfits, Elvis Presley was a rock n

roll singer and often referred to as the King of Rock n Roll. He was a very successful artist

being the third-highest certified music artist in the United States. Presley had 136 million album

certifications. He was one of the most significant cultural icons of the 20th century. Presley came

from a very humble beginning and he grew up to become one of the biggest names in rock n roll

history. He made many television appearances, went on tour a lot, and sold over a billion records,

more than any other artist. Elvis Presley has made an impact on rock music today through his

accomplishments in his lifetime

Elvis Aaron Presley was born in Tupelo, Mississippi on January 8, 1935. He was born to

Vernon and Gladys Presley in a two-room house. His twin brother, named Jessie Garon, was

unfortunately stillborn, so Elvis grew up an only child. He also grew up in a family that was

close. The closeness of his family came from the earlier tragedy of losing Elviss twin. They had

little money but lots of love. They all lived together in low-income housing. Elvis started singing

at a young age. At ten years old he sang at a talent show and won five dollars. The next year for

his birthday, his parents couldnt afford the bike he wanted, so they gave him a handed down

guitar. That guitar was Elviss first guitar he owned. When Elvis was a teenager, he worked and

went to school at the same time. During high school, Elvis and his family lived North of

Memphis, Tennessee. Elvis spent a lot of time on Beale Street in Memphis, singing and buying
his cool clothes there. He had a style all of his own. He was a good young man and attended the

Assembly of God Church with his family. Elvis was exposed to the music that shaped his

singing style- gospel, country music and rhythm and blues. On June 3, 1953 he graduated from

high school and started right away to work in a machine shop. While Presley was 18 and

working in a machine shop, he made his first record by paying the Memphis Recording Service

to record two songs. Elvis was drafted into the Army in 1958 and served six years, his fans felt

that there was that rarest of all pop culture events, a moment of true grief. His fans missed him

while he was overseas, they wanted to see him in concerts again. While Elvis was in the Army,

he spent his time primarily in Germany, where he met 14-year old Priscilla Beaulieu. They met at

a party and Priscilla made a big impression on Elvis with her older looks. They got married in

1967 and had a daughter in 1968, named Lisa Marie. Unfortunately, the couple split in 1972 after

Priscilla had an affair and Elvis changed from being gentle and understanding to forceful and

arrogant. They agreed to share custody of their daughter. Priscilla and Elvis remained close after

their divorce, they left the courthouse on the day of their divorce holding hands.

Presley was a very successful artist back in his days. His records sold so well that he

attracted the interest of national music companies, especially RCA. He was encouraged by his

manager, Colonel Tom Parker, to let RCA buy his contract from Sun Records and sign with RCA

instead. With RCA, Elvis recorded next to a larger, more popular group of musicians and created

a national sensation with a series of hit songs. Elviss biggest fans were teenagers, who loved his

style as well as his music. Teens were also attracted to Elviss unique swinging of his hips while

he danced. Signing with RCA had enormous resources that Parker used to make Presley a

national phenomenon. Elvis completely dominated the bestseller charts and took the lead in the

age of rock n roll. He opened doors for both black and white rock artists. Elvis also made
television appearances, especially those on Ed Sullivans Sunday night variety show, and set

records for the audience's size. He got to expand his fanbase by being on these shows.

Everywhere he went, Elvis would be greeted by screaming crowds of women and fans. He had a

good roll being the most popular artist for two decades, but Elvis had a lot on his plate. The

pressure of being the King threatened his health. He began to take pills to sleep, wake up and

to keep his weight down. Elviss life revolved around his prescribed drugs. His life unfortunately

came to an early end, dying at the age of 42, many people believed drugs hastened his early

death.

Elvis Presley died on August 16, 1977 in Graceland, his home in Memphis. His legacy

lived on though. Since his death, Presley became an even more celebrated figure, the devotion

of his fans has become almost religious in its intensity. Graceland has become a major

international tourist attraction. Thousands of his fans from all around the world, make a trip to

Graceland every year, especially on the anniversary of his death. Beale Street also became a

popular tourist attraction for Elvis fans to walk the street where Elvis once sang and shopped. All

around the street, there is Elvis merchandise and rock n roll shops. Elvis was admitted into the

Rock n Roll Hall of Fame in 1986. He was also inducted into four additional halls of fame:

Country, Gospel, Rockabilly and R&B. To this day, he still holds the record for Most Top 40

Hits at 114 total. Elvis Presley was a rock n roll icon and many people looked up to him as an

artist. His music, outfits and personality are unforgettable and he lives on in the legacy of rock

artists today.

Works Cited

Elvis Presley -- Britannica School. http://school.eb.com/levels/high/article/Elvis-Presley/61293.

Accessed 9 May 2017.

Elvis Presley: Explora Secondary Schools. http://web.b.ebscohost.com/src_ic/detail/detail?

vid=3&sid=0bfcb48c-d07b-412c-b4e3-

6d4759584e27%40sessionmgr102&bdata=#AN=88829506&db=t6o. Accessed 9 May

2017.

Presley, Elvis | Article | World Book Student. http://www.worldbookonline.com/student/article?

id=ar444845&st=presley#tab=homepage. Accessed 27 Apr. 2017.