Elvis Presley

Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), widely known as the “King of Rock and Roll” or simply “The King,” was an American singer and actor. He is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century, his impact resonating across music, fashion, and popular culture. Presley’s electrifying and often controversial performance style, coupled with his fusion of musical styles that transcended racial lines during a period of profound social change, propelled him to unprecedented fame while also generating initial controversy.

Born in Tupelo, Mississippi , Presley and his family relocated to Memphis, Tennessee when he was thirteen. His musical journey began in 1954 under the guidance of producer Sam Phillips at Sun Records . Phillips, seeking to introduce the vibrant sounds of African-American music to a wider audience, found a willing collaborator in Presley. On guitar, accompanied by lead guitarist Scotty Moore and bassist Bill Black , Presley became a pivotal figure in the emergence of rockabilly , a high-energy blend of country music and rhythm and blues . The classic quartet was solidified in 1955 with the addition of drummer D. J. Fontana . Shortly thereafter, RCA Victor acquired Presley’s contract, a deal facilitated by Colonel Tom Parker , who managed Presley’s career for its entirety.

Presley’s debut RCA Victor single, “Heartbreak Hotel ”, released in January 1956, soared to number one in the United States, selling ten million copies within a year. His captivating television performances and chart-topping records quickly established him as the leading exponent of the burgeoning rock and roll genre. However, his provocative performance style and his championing of a sound marginalized by racial barriers led to him being perceived by some as a threat to the moral fabric of white American youth.

His acting career commenced in November 1956 with his film debut in Love Me Tender . Following his enlistment in the military service in 1958 , Presley returned to recording two years later, producing some of his most commercially successful work. While he performed relatively few concerts, dedicating much of the 1960s to Hollywood films and their accompanying soundtracks – many of which were critically panned – his cinematic contributions included notable films such as Jailhouse Rock (1957), Blue Hawaii (1961), and Viva Las Vegas (1964). A career resurgence occurred in 1968 with the acclaimed NBC television special Elvis , which paved the way for an extended Las Vegas concert residency and several highly successful tours. In 1973, Presley achieved a milestone by staging the first concert by a solo artist to be broadcast globally, Aloha from Hawaii . Tragically, years of substance abuse and unhealthy lifestyle choices severely impacted his health, leading to his death in August 1977 at his Graceland estate at the age of 42.

Presley stands as one of the best-selling music artists in history , with estimated worldwide record sales exceeding 500 million. [b] His commercial success spanned multiple genres, including pop , country, rock and roll, rockabilly, rhythm and blues, adult contemporary , and gospel . Presley garnered three Grammy Awards , received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award at the age of 36, and has been posthumously inducted into numerous music halls of fame. He holds distinctions such as the most Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA)-certified gold and platinum albums, the most albums charting on the Billboard 200, the most number-one albums on the UK Albums Chart by a solo artist, and the most number-one singles on the UK Singles Chart . In 2018, he was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom .

Life and career

1935–1953: Early years

• Main article: Early life of Elvis Presley

Presley’s birthplace in Tupelo, Mississippi

Elvis Aaron Presley was born on January 8, 1935, in Tupelo, Mississippi , to Gladys Love (née Smith) and Vernon Presley. Elvis’ twin, Jesse Garon, was stillborn 35 minutes prior to his birth. Presley shared a particularly close bond with both his parents, especially his mother, Gladys. The family’s religious upbringing within the Assembly of God church provided Presley with his foundational musical inspiration. Vernon Presley’s itinerant work history meant the family often relied on community support and government assistance. A period of hardship in 1938 saw the family lose their home when Vernon was convicted of altering a check and served an eight-month jail sentence.

Presley entered first grade at East Tupelo Consolidated in September 1941, where his teachers described him as an “average” student. His inaugural public performance occurred at a singing competition at the Mississippi–Alabama Fair and Dairy Show on October 3, 1945, at the age of ten. He performed the song “Old Shep” and later recalled placing fifth. For his birthday shortly after, Presley received his first guitar. [16] [17] He received guitar instruction from two uncles and a pastor from his family’s church. Presley recounted his early musical experiences: “I took the guitar, and I watched people, and I learned to play a little bit. But I would never sing in public. I was very shy about it.” [18]

In September 1946, Presley began sixth grade at Milam school. The following year, he started performing his guitar playing and singing at school functions. He was frequently the target of teasing, labeled a “trashy” kid who favored hillbilly music . [19] Presley was an ardent listener of Mississippi Slim ’s radio program. Slim’s younger brother, a classmate of Presley’s, described him as “crazy about music.” Slim provided Presley with chord technique guidance. [20] When Presley was 12, Slim arranged for him to perform twice on air. While Presley experienced significant stage fright during his first appearance, he successfully performed the following week. [21]

The Presley family relocated to Memphis, Tennessee in November 1948. [22] Enrolled at L. C. Humes High School , Presley received a grade of C in music during his eighth-grade year. When his music teacher expressed doubt about his singing aptitude, Presley brought his guitar to class and performed a rendition of the hit song “Keep Them Cold Icy Fingers Off Me.” [23] He was typically reticent to perform publicly and occasionally faced bullying from his peers, who often referred to him as a “mama’s boy ”. [24] In 1950, Presley began honing his guitar skills under the guidance of Lee Denson , a neighbor. Denson, Presley, and three other boys, including future rockabilly pioneers Dorsey and Johnny Burnette, formed an informal musical collective. [25]

During his junior year, Presley began to distinguish himself among his classmates, largely due to his distinctive appearance: he cultivated his sideburns and styled his hair uniquely. He frequented Beale Street , the vibrant center of Memphis’ blues scene, admiring the flamboyant attire available at Lansky Brothers . By his senior year, he had adopted this distinctive style. [26] In 1953, he participated in Humes’ Annual “Minstrel” Show, performing “Till I Waltz Again with You ”, a recent hit by Teresa Brewer , while accompanying himself on guitar. Presley reflected on the impact of this performance on his social standing:

I wasn’t popular in school… I failed music—only thing I ever failed. And then they entered me in this talent show… when I came onstage, I heard people kind of rumbling and whispering and so forth, ‘cause nobody knew I even sang. It was amazing how popular I became in school after that. [27]

Presley, who lacked the ability to read music , relied on his ear and frequently visited record shops equipped with jukeboxes and listening booths. He was intimately familiar with the entire catalog of Hank Snow [28] and held a deep admiration for other country artists such as Roy Acuff , Ernest Tubb , Ted Daffan , Jimmie Rodgers , Jimmie Davis , and Bob Wills . [29] The Southern gospel singer Jake Hess , one of his favorite artists, exerted a significant influence on his ballad -singing approach. [30] [31] Presley regularly attended monthly gospel music events where white gospel ensembles performed music drawing inspiration from African American spirituals . [32] He also tuned into regional radio stations, such as WDIA , which broadcast music categorized as “race records,” encompassing spirituals, blues, and the burgeoning, backbeat -infused rhythm and blues . [33] It is possible that, like some of his contemporaries, he only attended blues venues during periods designated for exclusively white audiences. [34] Many of his future recordings were directly influenced by local African-American musicians , including Arthur Crudup and Rufus Thomas . [35] [36] By the time of his high school graduation in June 1953, Presley had definitively identified music as his intended future path. [37] [38]

1953–1956: First Recordings

Sam Phillips and Sun Records

• See also: List of songs recorded by Elvis Presley on the Sun label

Presley in a Sun Records promotional photograph, 1954

In August 1953, Presley visited Memphis Recording Service , the precursor to Sun Records , owned by Sam Phillips . His objective was to record a two-sided acetate disc of the songs “My Happiness ” and “That’s When Your Heartaches Begin ”. He later stated that he intended the recording as a birthday gift for his mother or that he was simply curious to hear his own voice. [39] In January 1954, Presley recorded a second acetate at Sun, featuring “I’ll Never Stand in Your Way” and “It Wouldn’t Be the Same Without You,” but this also failed to yield significant results. [40] Shortly after, he was unsuccessful in an audition for the vocal quartet, the Songfellows, [41] and subsequently for the band led by Eddie Bond . [42]

• “That’s All Right”

Presley transformed not only the sound but the emotion of the song, turning what had been written as a “lament for a lost love into a satisfied declaration of independence.” [43]

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Meanwhile, Sam Phillips was actively searching for an artist who could introduce the music of Black musicians, a focus of Sun Records, to a wider audience. [44] In June, he obtained a demo recording by Jimmy Sweeney of the ballad “Without You,” which he believed would suit Presley. The young singer visited the studio but struggled to perform the song adequately. Despite this, Phillips encouraged Presley to sing other songs and was sufficiently impressed by what he heard to invite local musicians, guitarist Winfield “Scotty” Moore and upright bass player Bill Black , to collaborate with Presley for a recording session. [45] The session, held on the evening of July 5, proved unproductive until late at night. As they were preparing to conclude, Presley spontaneously launched into a rendition of Arthur Crudup’s 1946 blues song, “That’s All Right ”. Moore recalled the moment: “All of a sudden, Elvis just started singing this song, jumping around and acting the fool, and then Bill picked up his bass, and he started acting the fool, too, and I started playing with them.” Phillips quickly began recording, capturing the sound he had been seeking. [46] Three days later, popular Memphis disc jockey Dewey Phillips played “That’s All Right” on his Red, Hot, and Blue program. [47] The listener response was so overwhelming that Phillips played the song repeatedly for the remainder of his show. During an on-air interview with Presley, Phillips inquired about his high school affiliation to clarify his racial identity for the numerous callers who had assumed he was Black. [48] Over the following days, the trio recorded a bluegrass song, Bill Monroe ’s “Blue Moon of Kentucky ,” in a distinctively styled arrangement that utilized a rudimentary echo effect which Sam Phillips termed “slapback”. A single was pressed with “That’s All Right” on the A-side and “Blue Moon of Kentucky” on the reverse. [49]

Early Live Performances and RCA Victor Contract

The trio made their debut public performance at the Bon Air club on July 17, 1954. [50] Later that month, they performed at the Overton Park Shell , with Slim Whitman as the headliner. It was during this performance that Elvis first showcased “Rubber legs ”, his signature dance move. [51] [52] A combination of his strong rhythmic connection and nervousness caused Presley’s legs to shake during his performances. The wide cut of his trousers accentuated these movements, eliciting screams from the female audience members. [53] Moore described the crowd’s reaction: “During the instrumental parts, he would back off from the mic and be playing and shaking, and the crowd would just go wild.” [54]

Shortly after this engagement, Moore and Black departed from their former band to perform regularly with Presley, and disc jockey and promoter Bob Neal assumed management of the trio. From August through October, they performed frequently at the Eagle’s Nest club, a popular dance venue in Memphis. Presley’s performances drew such crowds that teenagers would leave the pool area to fill the club, only to disperse again when the venue’s resident western swing band resumed playing. [55] Presley’s stage presence rapidly evolved with growing confidence. According to Moore, “His movement was a natural thing, but he was also very conscious of what got a reaction. He’d do something one time and then he would expand on it real quick.” [56] Amidst these live performances, Presley returned to the Sun studio for additional recording sessions. [57] Presley made his sole appearance on Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry on October 2; Opry manager Jim Denny informed Phillips that while Presley was “not bad,” he was not suited for the program. [58] [59]

Louisiana Hayride, Radio Commercials, and First Television Performances

Presley performing with Scotty Moore and Bill Black in 1956

In November 1954, Presley appeared on the Louisiana Hayride , a significant rival to the Opry, broadcast on 198 radio stations across 28 states. His initial performance, marked by nervousness, received a subdued response. However, a more composed and dynamic second set elicited an enthusiastic reception. [60] Soon after the show, the Hayride secured Presley for a year of Saturday night appearances. Trading his old guitar for $8, he purchased a Martin instrument for $175 and began touring new locations with his trio, including Houston , Texas, and Texarkana , Arkansas. [61] Presley’s first television appearance was on the KSLA-TV broadcast of the Louisiana Hayride. Shortly thereafter, he was unsuccessful in an audition for Arthur Godfrey’s Talent Scouts on the CBS television network. By early 1955, Presley’s consistent appearances on the Hayride, extensive touring, and well-received record releases had established him as a regional star. [62] [63]

In January, Bob Neal formalized his management contract with Presley and introduced him to Colonel Tom Parker , whom Neal considered the preeminent promoter in the music industry. Having successfully managed top country artist Eddy Arnold , Parker was also working with the leading country singer of the time, Hank Snow . Parker arranged for Presley to perform on Snow’s February tour. [62] [63]

Presley in a 1955 promotional photograph

By August, Sun Records had released ten recordings credited to “Elvis Presley, Scotty and Bill,” with the most recent sessions including a drummer. Some of these songs, such as “That’s All Right,” were characterized by a Memphis journalist as belonging to the “R&B idiom of negro field jazz.” Others, like “Blue Moon of Kentucky,” were described as “more in the country field,” yet featured a “curious blending of the two different musics in both.” [64] This fusion of styles presented a challenge for radio airplay. Neal commented that many country-music disc jockeys were reluctant to play Presley’s music, asserting that he sounded too much like a Black artist, while R&B stations similarly avoided him because he “sounded too much like a hillbilly .” [65] This blend of genres became known as “rockabilly.” At this juncture, Presley was billed as “The King of Western Bop,” “The Hillbilly Cat,” and “The Memphis Flash.” [66]

Presley re-signed his management contract with Neal in August 1955, concurrently appointing Parker as his special advisor. [67] The group maintained a rigorous touring schedule. [68] Neal recalled the intense fan reaction: “It was almost frightening, the reaction that came to Elvis from the teenaged boys. So many of them, through some sort of jealousy, would practically hate him. There were occasions in some towns in Texas when we’d have to be sure to have a police guard because somebody’d always try to take a crack at him.” [69] The trio expanded into a quartet with the addition of Hayride drummer Fontana as a permanent member. In mid-October, they performed several shows supporting Bill Haley , whose song “Rock Around the Clock ” had been a number-one hit the previous year. Haley observed Presley’s innate rhythmic talent and advised him to reduce his performances of ballads. [70]

At the Country Disc Jockey Convention in early November, Presley was recognized as the year’s most promising male artist. [71] Following offers from three major record labels reaching up to $25,000, Parker and Phillips finalized an agreement with RCA Victor on November 21, acquiring Presley’s Sun contract for an unprecedented $40,000. [72] [c] As Presley was legally a minor at 20 years old, his father signed the contract. [73] Parker collaborated with publishers Jean and Julian Aberbach of Hill & Range Publishing to establish two entities, Elvis Presley Music and Gladys Music, tasked with managing all of Presley’s new material. Songwriters were required to relinquish one-third of their standard royalties in exchange for having Presley record their compositions. [74] [d] By December, RCA initiated a significant promotional campaign for its new artist, and by the end of the month, had reissued many of Presley’s Sun recordings. [77]

1956–1958: Commercial Breakout and Controversy

First National TV Appearances and Debut Album

Billboard magazine advertisement, March 10, 1956

On January 10, 1956, Presley recorded his initial material for RCA Victor in Nashville. [78] Expanding upon his established backup ensemble of Moore, Black, Fontana, and Hayride pianist Floyd Cramer —who had performed with Presley at live club dates—RCA Victor enlisted guitarist Chet Atkins and three background vocalists, including Gordon Stoker of the renowned Jordanaires quartet. [79] This session produced the evocative “Heartbreak Hotel ”, released as a single on January 27. [78] Parker orchestrated Presley’s introduction to national television, securing him six appearances on CBS’ Stage Show over two months. The program, produced in New York City, was hosted alternately by big band leaders and brothers Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey . Following his debut on January 28, Presley remained in the city to record at RCA Victor’s New York studio. These sessions yielded eight songs, including a rendition of Carl Perkins ’ influential rockabilly track “Blue Suede Shoes ”. In February, Presley’s “I Forgot to Remember to Forget ”, a Sun recording released the previous August, ascended to the top of the Billboard country chart. [80] Neal’s management contract was terminated, and Parker officially became Presley’s manager. [81]

RCA Victor released Presley’s self-titled debut album, Elvis Presley , on March 23. Featuring seven recently recorded tracks alongside five previously unreleased Sun recordings, the album included two country songs, an upbeat pop tune, and what would become a defining element of the evolving rock and roll sound: “Blue Suede Shoes ”. Critic Robert Hilburn deemed it “an improvement over Perkins’ in almost every way.” The album also included three R&B numbers that were staples of Presley’s live performances, covering songs by Little Richard , Ray Charles , and The Drifters . Hilburn observed that these tracks were particularly revealing:

These were the most revealing of all. Unlike many white artists… who watered down the gritty edges of the original R&B versions of songs in the ’50s, Presley reshaped them. He not only injected the tunes with his own vocal character but also made guitar, not piano, the lead instrument in all three cases. [82]

The album became the first rock and roll record to top the Billboard chart, holding the position for ten weeks. [78] While Presley was not an innovative guitarist in the vein of Moore or contemporaries like Bo Diddley and Chuck Berry , cultural historian Gilbert B. Rodman argued that the album’s cover image, “of Elvis having the time of his life on stage with a guitar in his hands played a crucial role in positioning the guitar… as the instrument that best captured the style and spirit of this new music.” [83]

Milton Berle Show and “Hound Dog”

Presley as Clint Reno from Love Me Tender (1956)

On April 3, Presley made the first of two appearances on NBC ’s The Milton Berle Show . His performance, broadcast from the deck of the USS Hancock in San Diego , California, elicited enthusiastic cheers and screams from an audience of sailors and their dates. [84] A few days later, while en route to a recording session in Nashville, Tennessee , Presley and his band experienced an engine failure, resulting in a near-crash landing in Arkansas . [85] Twelve weeks after its initial release, “Heartbreak Hotel ” achieved number-one status on the pop charts, marking Presley’s first chart-topper. In late April, Presley commenced a two-week engagement at the New Frontier Hotel and Casino on the Las Vegas Strip . [86] The performances were met with a lukewarm reception from the venue’s conservative, middle-aged clientele, described by a Newsweek critic as being “like a jug of corn liquor at a champagne party.” [87] Amidst his Vegas residency, Presley, who harbored acting aspirations, signed a seven-year contract with Paramount Pictures . [88] He embarked on a tour of the American Midwest in mid-May, visiting 15 cities in as many days. [89] He had attended several performances by Freddie Bell and the Bellboys in Las Vegas and was particularly struck by their cover of “Hound Dog ”, a hit in 1953 for blues singer Big Mama Thornton penned by songwriters Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller . This song became his new closing number. [90]

Following a performance in La Crosse , Wisconsin, an urgent communiqué, penned on the letterhead of the local Catholic diocese’s newspaper, was dispatched to FBI director J. Edgar Hoover . The message warned that:

Presley is a definite danger to the security of the United States…. [His] actions and motions were such as to rouse the sexual passions of teenaged youth…. After the show, more than 1,000 teenagers tried to gang into Presley’s room at the auditorium…. Indications of the harm Presley did just in La Crosse were the two high school girls… whose abdomen and thigh had Presley’s autograph. [91]

Presley signing autographs in Minneapolis in 1956

Presley’s second appearance on The Milton Berle Show occurred on June 5 at NBC ’s Hollywood studio, amidst another demanding tour schedule. Milton Berle persuaded Presley to perform without his guitar. [92] During the performance, Presley abruptly halted an energetic rendition of “Hound Dog” and transitioned into a slower, more suggestive version, punctuated by exaggerated body movements. [92] His provocative gyrations ignited a significant controversy. [93] Jack Gould of The New York Times wrote:

Mr. Presley has no discernible singing ability…. His phrasing, if it can be called that, consists of the stereotyped variations that go with a beginner’s aria in a bathtub…. His one specialty is an accented movement of the body… primarily identified with the repertoire of the blond bombshells of the burlesque runway. [94]

Ben Gross of the New York Daily News opined that popular music “has reached its lowest depths in the ‘grunt and groin’ antics of one Elvis Presley…. Elvis, who rotates his pelvis… gave an exhibition that was suggestive and vulgar, tinged with the kind of animalism that should be confined to dives and bordellos ”. [95] Ed Sullivan , whose variety show was the nation’s most popular, declared Presley “unfit for family viewing”. [96] To Presley’s chagrin, he soon acquired the nickname “Elvis the Pelvis,” which he dismissed as “childish.” [97]

Steve Allen Show and First Sullivan Appearance

Ed Sullivan and Presley during rehearsals for his second appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show , October 26, 1956

The high ratings generated by the Berle shows led to Presley’s booking on NBC’s The Steve Allen Show in New York on July 1. Allen , who held reservations about rock and roll, introduced a “new Elvis,” dressed in a white bowtie and black tails. Presley performed a brief, less-than-a-minute rendition of “Hound Dog” to a basset hound adorned with a top hat and bowtie. Television historian Jake Austen noted that “Allen thought Presley was talentless and absurd… [he] set things up so that Presley would show his contrition.” [98] Allen later wrote that he found Presley’s “strange, gangly, country-boy charisma, his hard-to-define cuteness, and his charming eccentricity intriguing” and integrated him into the “comedy fabric” of his program. [99] Prior to the show’s final rehearsal, Presley informed a reporter, “I don’t want to do anything to make people dislike me. I think TV is important so I’m going to go along, but I won’t be able to give the kind of show I do in a personal appearance.” [100] Presley would later refer to the Allen show as the most embarrassing performance of his career. [101] Later that evening, he appeared on Hy Gardner Calling , a popular local television program. When questioned about whether he had taken any criticism to heart, Presley responded, “No, I haven’t… I don’t see how any type of music would have any bad influence on people when it’s only music…. how would rock ’n’ roll music make anyone rebel against their parents?” [95]

The following day, Presley recorded “Hound Dog,” “Any Way You Want Me ”, and “Don’t Be Cruel ”. The Jordanaires provided vocal harmonies, as they had during The Steve Allen Show, and would continue to collaborate with Presley throughout the 1960s. A few days later, Presley performed an outdoor concert in Memphis, announcing to the audience, “You know, those people in New York are not gonna change me none. I’m gonna show you what the real Elvis is like tonight.” [102] In August, a judge in Jacksonville , Florida, issued an order for Presley to moderate his stage act. During his subsequent performance, he largely remained stationary, save for a subtle, suggestive wiggle of his little finger in a gesture of mockery towards the injunction. [103] The single pairing of “Don’t Be Cruel” with “Hound Dog” dominated the charts for eleven weeks, a record that remained unbroken for 36 years. [104] Recording sessions for Presley’s second album took place in Hollywood in early September. Leiber and Stoller, the composers of “Hound Dog,” contributed “Love Me ”. [105]

Allen’s show, featuring Presley, achieved higher ratings than The Ed Sullivan Show for the first time. Sullivan subsequently secured Presley for three appearances, offering an unprecedented sum of $50,000. [106] The first appearance, on September 9, 1956, was viewed by an estimated 60 million people, capturing a remarkable 82.6 percent of the television audience. [107] Actor Charles Laughton hosted the program, stepping in while Sullivan was recuperating from a car accident. [96] Legend has it that Presley was filmed only from the waist up. Having reviewed clips from the Allen and Berle shows, Sullivan reportedly expressed concern about Presley’s stage attire: “We just can’t have this on a Sunday night. This is a family show!” [108] Sullivan publicly stated to TV Guide , “As for his gyrations, the whole thing can be controlled with camera shots.” [106] In reality, Presley was shown in full view. Although the camerawork during his debut was relatively discreet, employing close-ups that concealed his legs during his dance routines, the studio audience responded with fervent screams. [109] [110] Presley’s performance of his upcoming single, the ballad “Love Me Tender ”, generated a record-shattering million advance orders. [111] More than any other single event, this initial appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show cemented Presley’s status as a national celebrity. [96]

Presley’s ascendancy coincided with a significant cultural shift, which he both influenced and came to epitomize. Historian Marty Jezer noted that Presley initiated the “biggest pop craze” since Glenn Miller and Frank Sinatra , propelling rock and roll into mainstream culture:

As Presley set the artistic pace, other artists followed…. Presley, more than anyone else, gave the young a belief in themselves as a distinct and somehow unified generation—the first in America ever to feel the power of an integrated youth culture. [112]

Crazed Crowds and Film Debut

The audience reaction at Presley’s live performances escalated in intensity. Moore recalled the fervent response: “He’d start out, ‘You ain’t nothin’ but a Hound Dog,’ and they’d just go to pieces. They’d always react the same way. There’d be a riot every time.” [113] At the two concerts he gave in September at the Mississippi–Alabama Fair and Dairy Show, fifty National Guardsmen were deployed alongside the police detail to maintain order. [114] Elvis , Presley’s second RCA Victor album, was released in October and rapidly ascended to the number-one position. The album included “Old Shep,” a song he performed in 1945, and marked the first time he played piano on an RCA Victor recording session. According to Guralnick, the “halting chords and the somewhat stumbling rhythm” conveyed “the unmistakable emotion and the equally unmistakable valuing of emotion over technique.” [115] Assessing the musical and cultural impact of Presley’s recordings from “That’s All Right” through the album Elvis, rock critic Dave Marsh asserted that “these records, more than any others, contain the seeds of what rock & roll was, has been and most likely what it may foreseeably become.” [116]

• • “We’re gonna do a sad song…”

Presley’s definition of rock and roll included a sense of humor—here, during his second Sullivan appearance, he introduces one of his signature numbers.

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Presley returned to The Ed Sullivan Show, hosted by Ed Sullivan himself, on October 28. Following the performance, crowds in Nashville and St. Louis burned him in effigy . [96] His inaugural motion picture, Love Me Tender , was released on November 21. Although he was not the top-billed star, the film’s original title, The Reno Brothers , was altered to capitalize on his latest number-one record: “Love Me Tender” had reached the top of the charts earlier that month. To further leverage Presley’s popularity, four musical numbers were incorporated into what was initially conceived as a straightforward acting role. The film received critical panning but achieved significant box office success. [88] Presley received top billing in all subsequent films he starred in. [117]

On December 4, Presley made an impromptu visit to Sun Records, where Carl Perkins and Jerry Lee Lewis were recording, resulting in an impromptu jam session that also included Johnny Cash . Although Phillips no longer held the rights to release any Presley material, he ensured the session was recorded. The resulting recordings, known as the “Million Dollar Quartet ” sessions, were not officially released for twenty-five years. [118] The year concluded with a front-page feature in The Wall Street Journal reporting that Presley merchandise had generated $22 million in addition to his record sales, [119] and Billboard declared him the artist with the most songs charting in the top 100 since record-keeping began. [120] In his first full year with RCA Victor, then the record industry’s largest company, Presley’s sales accounted for over fifty percent of the label’s singles revenue. [111]

Leiber and Stoller Collaboration and Draft Notice

Presley made his third and final appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show on January 6, 1957—this time, he was indeed filmed only from the waist up. Some commentators suggest that Parker orchestrated this apparent censorship for publicity purposes. [110] [121] Nonetheless, as critic Greil Marcus describes, Presley “did not tie himself down. Leaving behind the bland clothes he had worn on the first two shows, he stepped out in the outlandish costume of a pasha , if not a harem girl. From the make-up over his eyes, the hair falling in his face, the overwhelmingly sexual cast of his mouth, he was playing Rudolph Valentino in The Sheik , with all stops out.” [96] To conclude his performance, showcasing his vocal versatility and defying Sullivan’s perceived restrictions, Presley sang a gentle Black spiritual, “Peace in the Valley ”. At the conclusion of the show, Sullivan praised Presley as “a real decent, fine boy”. [122] Two days later, the Memphis draft board announced that Presley would be classified 1-A , indicating his imminent eligibility for military service. [123]

Each of the three Presley singles released in the first half of 1957 reached number one: “Too Much ”, “All Shook Up ”, and “(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear ”. Already an international sensation, Presley was attracting fans even in regions where his music was not officially distributed; The New York Times reported that pirated pressings of his music on discarded X-ray plates were fetching high prices in Leningrad . [124] Presley purchased his 18-room mansion, Graceland , on March 19, 1957. [125] Prior to this acquisition, Elvis recorded Loving You , the soundtrack for his second film, which was released in July. This album became his third consecutive number-one LP. The title track was written by Leiber and Stoller, who were subsequently commissioned to write four of the six songs for the soundtrack of Jailhouse Rock , Presley’s next film. The songwriting duo effectively produced the Jailhouse sessions and cultivated a close professional relationship with Presley, whom they considered their “good-luck charm.” [126] Leiber remarked on Presley’s work ethic: “He was fast. Any demo you gave him he knew by heart in ten minutes.” [127] The title track became another number-one hit , as did the Jailhouse Rock EP. [128]

Presley and costar Judy Tyler in the trailer for Jailhouse Rock, released in October 1957

Presley undertook three brief tours during the year, continuing to elicit a frenzied audience response. [129] A Detroit newspaper commented that “the trouble with going to see Elvis Presley is that you’re liable to get killed.” [130] In Philadelphia , Villanova students pelted the singer with eggs, [130] and in Vancouver , the crowd rioted after the show concluded, destroying the stage. [131] Frank Sinatra, who had inspired similar adulation among teenage girls in the 1940s, voiced strong criticism of rock and roll, describing it as “brutal, ugly, degenerate, vicious…. It fosters almost totally negative and destructive reactions in young people. It smells phoney and false. It is sung, played and written, for the most part, by cretinous goons…. This rancid-smelling aphrodisiac I deplore.” [132] When asked for his reaction, Presley responded:

I admire the man. He has a right to say what he wants to say. He is a great success and a fine actor, but I think he shouldn’t have said it…. This is a trend, just the same as he faced when he started years ago. [133]

Leiber and Stoller were again involved in the studio for the recording of Elvis’ Christmas Album . Towards the end of the session, at Presley’s request, they composed a song on the spot: “Santa Claus Is Back in Town ”, a blues number laden with innuendo . [134] The holiday release extended Presley’s streak of number-one albums to four and became the best-selling Christmas album ever in the United States , [135] [136] eventually selling over 20 million copies worldwide. [137] Following the session, Moore and Black, earning modest weekly salaries and receiving no share of Presley’s substantial financial success, resigned from their roles, although they were rehired on a per diem basis a few weeks later. [138]

On December 20, Presley received his draft notice, though he was granted a deferment to complete the filming of the forthcoming movie King Creole . A couple of weeks into the new year, “Don’t ”, another song by Leiber and Stoller, became Presley’s tenth number-one hit. Recording sessions for the King Creole soundtrack took place in Hollywood in mid-January 1958. Leiber and Stoller contributed three songs, but this marked the final collaboration between Presley and the duo. [139] As Stoller later recalled, Presley’s management and inner circle sought to isolate him. [140] A brief soundtrack session on February 11 marked the last occasion Black performed with Presley. [141]

1958–1960: Military Service and Mother’s Death

• Main article: Military career of Elvis Presley

Presley being sworn into the Army on March 24, 1958, at Fort Chaffee

On March 24, 1958, Presley was drafted into the United States Army at Fort Chaffee in Arkansas. His arrival was a major media event, with hundreds of people and photographers converging on him as he entered the installation. [142] Presley expressed his eagerness for military service, stating his desire to be treated no differently than any other recruit. [143]

Between March 28 and September 17, 1958, Presley completed basic and advanced training at Fort Hood , Texas, where he was temporarily assigned to Company A, 2d Medium Tank Battalion, 37th Armor . During a two-week leave in early June, between his basic and advanced training, he recorded five songs in Nashville. [144] In early August, Presley’s mother, Gladys, was diagnosed with hepatitis , and her condition rapidly deteriorated. Presley was granted emergency leave to visit her, arriving in Memphis on August 12. Two days later, she passed away from heart failure at the age of 46. Presley was profoundly affected by her death and never fully recovered from the grief; [145] [146] their relationship had remained exceptionally close, with them continuing to use baby talk and pet names with each other even into his adulthood. [4]

Presley, wearing the 3d Armored Division Shoulder Sleeve Insignia , poses atop a tank at [Ray Barracks]

On October 1, 1958, Presley was assigned to the 1st Medium Tank Battalion, 32d Armor , 3d Armored Division , stationed at Ray Barracks in West Germany, where he served as an armor intelligence specialist. [1] He was promoted to private first class on November 27 and to specialist fourth class on June 1, 1959. During maneuvers, Presley was introduced to amphetamines and became an enthusiastic proponent of their benefits, not only for energy but also for “strength” and weight management. [147] Karate became a lifelong passion; he studied the discipline with Jürgen Seydel [148] [149] and later incorporated it into his live performances. [150] [151] [152] Fellow soldiers attested to Presley’s desire to be perceived as an ordinary, capable soldier despite his fame, and to his generosity. He donated his Army pay to charitable causes, purchased television sets for the base, and provided an extra set of fatigues for every member of his unit. [153] Presley was promoted to sergeant on February 11, 1960. [1]

While stationed in Bad Nauheim , Presley, at the age of 24, met 14-year-old Priscilla Beaulieu . [154] They would eventually marry after a courtship of seven and a half years. In her autobiography, Priscilla recounted Presley’s concern that his 24 months of military service would jeopardize his career. Although he could have performed and maintained public engagement through Special Services, Parker had convinced him that serving as a regular soldier would garner greater public respect. [155] Media coverage reflected Presley’s anxieties about his career trajectory, but RCA producer Steve Sholes and Freddy Bienstock of Hill and Range had strategically prepared a substantial volume of unreleased material, ensuring a consistent release of successful records. [156] Between his induction and discharge, Presley achieved ten top-40 hits, including “Wear My Ring Around Your Neck ”, the highly successful “Hard Headed Woman ”, and “One Night ” in 1958, as well as “(Now and Then There’s) A Fool Such as I ” and the number-one hit “A Big Hunk o’ Love ” in 1959. [157] RCA also released four compilation albums of previously issued material during this period, most notably Elvis’ Golden Records (1958), which reached number three on the LP chart. [158]

1960–1968: Focus on Films

Elvis Is Back

• • “It’s Now or Never”

Presley broke new stylistic ground and displayed his vocal range with this number-one hit. The quasi-operatic ballad concludes with Presley “soaring up to an incredible top G sharp.” [159]

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Presley returned to the United States on March 2, 1960, and received an honorably discharged three days later. [160] The train carrying him from New Jersey to Tennessee was mobbed along its entire route, necessitating Presley’s appearances at scheduled stops to appease his fans. [161] On the evening of March 20, he entered RCA’s Nashville studio to record tracks for a new album and a single, “Stuck on You ”, which was quickly released and rapidly became a number-one hit. [162] Another session in Nashville two weeks later produced a pair of bestselling singles, the ballads “It’s Now or Never ” and “Are You Lonesome Tonight? ”, along with the remainder of the album Elvis Is Back! . The album features several songs that Greil Marcus described as embodying “Chicago blues menace, driven by Presley’s own super-miked acoustic guitar, brilliant playing by Scotty Moore, and demonic sax work from Boots Randolph . Elvis’ singing wasn’t sexy, it was pornographic.” [163] Music historian John Robertson characterized the record as “conjuring up the vision of a performer who could be all things: ‘a flirtatious teenage idol with a heart of gold; a tempestuous, dangerous lover; a gutbucket blues singer; a sophisticated nightclub entertainer; [a] raucous rocker’.” [164] Released shortly after its recording, the album reached number two on the album chart. [165] [166]

Presley with Juliet Prowse in G.I. Blues

On May 12, Presley reappeared on television as a guest on The Frank Sinatra Timex Special . Also known as Welcome Home Elvis, the show had been taped in late March, marking the only occasion Presley performed before an audience that year. Parker secured an unprecedented $125,000 for eight minutes of singing. The broadcast attracted a substantial viewership. [167]

G.I. Blues , the soundtrack to Presley’s first film since his return, topped the album charts in October. His inaugural LP of sacred material, His Hand in Mine , followed two months later; it reached number 13 on the US pop chart and number 3 in the United Kingdom, notable achievements for a gospel album. In February 1961, Presley performed two concerts in Memphis for the benefit of 24 local charities. During a luncheon preceding the event, RCA Victor presented him with a plaque certifying worldwide sales exceeding 75 million records. [168] A twelve-hour recording session in Nashville in mid-March yielded the majority of Presley’s next studio album, Something for Everybody . [169] According to John Robertson, this album exemplified the Nashville sound , the refined, cosmopolitan style that characterized country music in the 1960s. Presaging much of Presley’s output in the subsequent five years, the album is largely described as “a pleasant, unthreatening pastiche of the music that had once been Elvis’ birthright.” [170] It became his sixth number-one LP. Another benefit concert, held for a Pearl Harbor memorial, was staged on March 25 in Hawaii. This marked Presley’s final public performance for seven years. [171]

The “Presley Pictures”

• Main article: Elvis Presley on film and television

Colonel Tom Parker had by this time steered Presley into a demanding filmmaking schedule, concentrating on formulaic, modestly budgeted musical comedies . Although Presley initially advocated for more dramatic roles, the lesser commercial success of two films in a more serious vein – Flaming Star (1960) and Wild in the Country (1961) – prompted his return to the established formula. Of the twenty-seven films he made in the 1960s, a few exceptions existed. [172] His films were almost universally met with critical disapproval; critic Andrew Caine dismissed them as a “pantheon of bad taste.” [173] Despite this, they were almost all profitable. Hal Wallis , who produced nine of these films, declared, “A Presley picture is the only sure thing in Hollywood.” [174]

Fifteen of Presley’s films from the 1960s were accompanied by soundtrack albums, and another five by soundtrack EPs. The rapid production and release schedules of these films – Presley frequently starred in three per year – impacted his music. According to Jerry Leiber, the soundtrack formula was already apparent prior to Presley’s military service: “three ballads, one medium-tempo number, one up-tempo, and one break blues boogie.” [175] As the decade progressed, the quality of the soundtrack songs reportedly “grew progressively worse.” [176] Julie Parrish , who appeared in Paradise, Hawaiian Style (1966), stated that Presley disliked many of the songs. [177] Gordon Stoker of The Jordanaires described Presley retreating from the studio microphone: “The material was so bad that he felt like he couldn’t sing it.” [178] While many of the film albums featured one or two songs from respected writers such as the team of Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman , biographer Jerry Hopkins noted that, by and large, the numbers appeared to be “written on order by men who never really understood Elvis or rock and roll.” [179]

Presley and his wife, Priscilla Presley , holding their newborn daughter, Lisa Marie Presley , in 1968

In the first half of the decade, three of Presley’s soundtrack albums reached the number-one position on the pop charts, and some of his most popular songs originated from his films, such as “Can’t Help Falling in Love ” (1961) and “Return to Sender ” (1962). From 1964 to 1968, Presley had only one top-ten hit: “Crying in the Chapel ” (1965), a gospel recording made in 1960. Regarding non-film albums, between the June 1962 release of Pot Luck and the November 1968 release of the soundtrack for the television special marking his comeback, only one LP of new material by Presley was issued: the gospel album How Great Thou Art (1967). This album earned him his first Grammy Award , for Best Sacred Performance. As Dave Marsh described, Presley was “arguably the greatest white gospel singer of his time [and] really the last rock & roll artist to make gospel as vital a component of his musical personality as his secular songs.” [180]

Shortly before Christmas 1966, more than seven years after their initial meeting, Presley proposed to Priscilla Beaulieu. They were married on May 1, 1967, in a brief ceremony held in their suite at the Aladdin Hotel in Las Vegas.

1968–1973: Comeback

Elvis: The ‘68 Comeback Special

• Main article: Singer Presents…Elvis

The ‘68 Comeback Special produced “one of the most famous images” of Presley; [181] captured on June 29, 1968, it was adapted for the cover of Rolling Stone in July 1969. [181] [182]

Presley’s only child, Lisa Marie , was born on February 1, 1968, during a period when he had become increasingly dissatisfied with his career. [183] Of the eight Presley singles released between January 1967 and May 1968, only two reached the top 40, with none charting higher than number 28. [184] Three of his six albums charted within the top 40. [185] His subsequent soundtrack album, Speedway , would peak at number 82. Parker had already shifted his focus to television, negotiating a deal with NBC that committed the network to finance Presley’s first television special and a movie. [186]

Recorded in late June in Burbank , California, the special, simply titled Elvis, aired on December 3, 1968. Later recognized as the ‘68 Comeback Special , the program featured elaborately staged studio productions alongside songs performed with a band in front of a small, live audience – Presley’s first live performances since 1961. The live segments showcased Presley in tight black leather, singing and playing guitar with an uninhibited style reminiscent of his early rock and roll days. Director and co-producer Steve Binder worked diligently to create a show that deviated significantly from the Christmas-themed program Parker had initially envisioned. [187] The special, NBC’s highest-rated of the season, captured 42 percent of the total television audience. [188] Jon Landau of Eye magazine remarked:

There is something magical about watching a man who has lost himself find his way back home. He sang with the kind of power people no longer expect of rock ’n’ roll singers. He moved his body with a lack of pretension and effort that must have made Jim Morrison green with envy. [189]

Marsh described the performance as one of “emotional grandeur and historical resonance.” [190]

By January 1969, the single “If I Can Dream ”, written for the special, reached number 12 on the charts. The soundtrack album climbed into the top ten. According to his friend Jerry Schilling , the special reminded Presley of what “he had not been able to do for years, being able to choose the people; being able to choose what songs and not being told what had to be on the soundtrack…. He was out of prison, man.” [188] Binder recalled Presley’s reaction: “I played Elvis the 60-minute show, and he told me in the screening room, ‘Steve, it’s the greatest thing I’ve ever done in my life. I give you my word I will never sing a song I don’t believe in.’” [188]

From Elvis in Memphis and the International

• • “Power of My Love”

Beginning with his American Sound recordings, soul music became a central element in Presley’s fusion of styles. Here, he revels in lyrics full of sexual innuendos. [191]

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Energized by the experience of the Comeback Special, Presley engaged in a highly productive series of recording sessions at American Sound Studio , which resulted in the critically acclaimed album From Elvis in Memphis . Released in June 1969, it marked his first secular, non-soundtrack album recorded during a dedicated studio period in eight years. Marsh described it as “a masterpiece in which Presley immediately catches up with pop music trends that had seemed to pass him by during the movie years. He sings country songs, soul songs and rockers with real conviction, a stunning achievement.” [192] The album included the hit single “In the Ghetto ”, released in April, which reached number three on the pop chart – Presley’s first non-gospel top ten hit since “Bossa Nova Baby” in 1963. Further hit singles were drawn from the American Sound sessions: “Suspicious Minds ”, “Don’t Cry Daddy ”, and “Kentucky Rain ”. [193]

Presley expressed a strong desire to resume regular live performances. Following the success of the Comeback Special, offers poured in from around the world. The London Palladium offered Parker $28,000 (equivalent to $240,000 in 2024) for a week-long engagement. Parker’s response was, “That’s fine for me, now how much can you get for Elvis?” [194] In May, the newly opened International Hotel in Las Vegas, featuring the city’s largest showroom, booked Presley for fifty-seven shows over four weeks, commencing on July 31. Moore, Fontana, and The Jordanaires declined to participate, citing concerns about losing lucrative session work in Nashville. Presley assembled a new, high-caliber accompaniment, led by guitarist James Burton and including two gospel groups, The Imperials and Sweet Inspirations . [195] Costume designer Bill Belew , who had been responsible for the striking leather styling of the Comeback Special, created a new stage look for Presley, inspired by his interest in karate. [196] Despite these preparations, Presley harbored nervousness, recalling his previous dismal Las Vegas engagement in 1956. Parker oversaw a significant promotional campaign, and International Hotel owner Kirk Kerkorian arranged for his personal plane to transport rock journalists from New York to attend the debut performance. [197]

Presley took the stage without introduction. The audience of 2,200, which included numerous celebrities, offered him a standing ovation before he sang a note and another following his performance. A third standing ovation occurred after his encore, “Can’t Help Falling in Love ” (a song that would become his closing number for much of the remainder of his career). [198] At a press conference held after the show, when a journalist referred to him as “The King,” Presley gestured towards Fats Domino , who was observing the proceedings. “No,” Presley stated, “that’s the real king of rock and roll.” [199] The following day, Parker’s negotiations with the hotel resulted in a five-year contract for Presley to perform annually in February and August, with an annual salary of $1 million. [200] Newsweek commented, “There are several unbelievable things about Elvis, but the most incredible is his staying power in a world where meteoric careers fade like shooting stars.” [201] Rolling Stone described Presley as “supernatural, his own resurrection.” [202] In November, Presley’s final non-concert film, Change of Habit , premiered. The double album From Memphis to Vegas/From Vegas to Memphis was released the same month; the first LP contained live recordings from the International, while the second featured additional tracks from the American Sound sessions. “Suspicious Minds ” reached the top of the charts – Presley’s first US pop number-one in over seven years, and his last. [203]

Cassandra Peterson , later known as Elvira, met Presley during this period in Las Vegas. She recalled their encounter: “He was so anti-drug when I met him. I mentioned to him that I smoked marijuana , and he was just appalled.” [204] Presley also consumed alcohol sparingly; several members of his family had battled alcoholism, a fate he was determined to avoid. [205]

Back on Tour and Meeting Nixon

Presley returned to the International Hotel early in 1970 for the first of his two month-long engagements that year, performing two shows nightly. Recordings from these performances were released on the album On Stage . [206] In late February, Presley delivered six attendance-record-breaking performances at the Houston Astrodome . [207] In April, the single “The Wonder of You ” was issued – a number one hit in the UK, it also topped the US adult contemporary chart. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) filmed rehearsal and concert footage at the International during August for the documentary Elvis: That’s the Way It Is . Presley was performing in a distinctive jumpsuit, which would become a hallmark of his live act. During this engagement, he received a death threat demanding $50,000 (equivalent to $405,000 in 2024). Presley had been the target of numerous threats since the 1950s, often without his knowledge. [208] The FBI treated the threat seriously, and security was heightened for the subsequent two shows. Presley took the stage armed with a Derringer in his right boot and a .45-caliber pistol in his waistband, but the concerts proceeded without incident. [209] [210]

That’s the Way It Is , produced to accompany the documentary and featuring both studio and live recordings, signaled a stylistic shift. As music historian John Robertson observed:

The authority of Presley’s singing helped disguise the fact that the album stepped decisively away from the American-roots inspiration of the Memphis sessions towards a more middle-of-the-road sound. With country put on the back burner, and soul and R&B left in Memphis, what was left was very classy, very clean white pop—perfect for the Las Vegas crowd, but a definite retrograde step for Elvis. [211]

Following the conclusion of his International engagement on September 7, Presley embarked on a week-long concert tour, primarily in the South , his first since 1958. Another week-long tour, covering the West Coast , followed in November. [212]

Presley meets US President Richard Nixon in the White House Oval Office , December 21, 1970.

On December 21, 1970, Presley arranged a meeting with US President Richard Nixon at the White House , during which he outlined his belief that he could influence hippies to combat the drug culture that both he and the president found objectionable. He requested a badge from the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs as a symbol of official endorsement for his efforts. Nixon, who apparently found the encounter somewhat awkward, expressed the view that Presley could convey a positive message to young people and that maintaining his “credibility” was therefore important. [213]

The US Junior Chamber of Commerce recognized Presley as one of its annual Ten Most Outstanding Young Men of the Nation on January 16, 1971. [214] Not long after, the City of Memphis officially designated the section of Highway 51 South where Graceland is situated as “Elvis Presley Boulevard.” In the same year, Presley became the first rock and roll singer to be honored with the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award (then known as the Bing Crosby Award). [215] [216] Three new studio albums by Presley, not associated with films, were released in 1971. The most critically acclaimed was Elvis Country , a concept album focusing on genre standards. [217] The highest-selling album was Elvis Sings The Wonderful World of Christmas . According to Greil Marcus:

Amidst ten painfully genteel Christmas songs, every one sung with appalling sincerity and humility, one could find Elvis tom-catting his way through six blazing minutes of “Merry Christmas Baby ”, a raunchy old Charles Brown blues…. If [Presley’s] sin was his lifelessness, it was his sinfulness that brought him to life. [218]

Marriage Breakdown and Aloha from Hawaii

• See also: Aloha from Hawaii via Satellite

Presley (center) with friends Bill Porter (left) and Paul Anka (right) backstage at the Las Vegas Hilton on August 5, 1972

MGM filmed Presley in April 1972 for Elvis on Tour , which subsequently won the Golden Globe Award for Best Documentary Film at the 30th Golden Globe Awards . His gospel album He Touched Me , released that month, earned him his second Grammy Award for Best Inspirational Performance . A fourteen-date tour commenced with an unprecedented four consecutive sold-out shows at New York’s Madison Square Garden . [219] The evening concert on July 10 was released in LP format a week later. Elvis: As Recorded at Madison Square Garden became one of Presley’s best-selling albums. Following the tour, the single “Burning Love ” was released – Presley’s last top ten hit on the US pop chart. Rock critic Robert Christgau described it as “the most exciting single Elvis has made since ‘All Shook Up’.” [220]

Presley and his wife had grown increasingly distant, with minimal cohabitation. In 1971, an affair he had with Joyce Bova resulted, unbeknownst to him, in her pregnancy and subsequent abortion. [221] He frequently raised the possibility of Joyce moving into Graceland. [222] During this period, Priscilla was involved in an affair with her karate instructor. The Presleys officially separated on February 23, 1972. Five months later, Presley’s new girlfriend, Linda Thompson , a songwriter and former Memphis beauty queen, moved in with him. [223] Presley and his wife filed for divorce on August 18. [224] According to Joe Moscheo of The Imperials, the dissolution of Presley’s marriage “was a blow from which he never recovered.” [225] At a rare press conference in June, a reporter asked Presley if he was satisfied with his public image. Presley replied, “Well, the image is one thing and the human being another… it’s very hard to live up to an image.” [226]

Presley conceived the eagle motif for his stage costumes, aiming for “something that would say ‘America’ to the world.” [227]

In January 1973, Presley performed two benefit concerts for the Kui Lee Cancer Fund in conjunction with a groundbreaking television special, Aloha from Hawaii , which would be the first concert by a solo artist to be broadcast internationally. The initial show served as a practice run and a backup in case of technical difficulties during the live broadcast two days later. On January 14, Aloha from Hawaii aired live via satellite to prime-time audiences in Japan, South Korea, Thailand, the Philippines, Australia, and New Zealand, as well as to US servicemen stationed across Southeast Asia. In Japan, where it concluded a nationwide Elvis Presley Week, the broadcast shattered viewing records. The following night, it was simulcast to twenty-eight European countries, and in April, an extended version aired in the US, capturing a fifty-seven percent share of the television audience. [228] Over time, Parker’s assertion that the broadcast reached one billion or more viewers [229] gained widespread acceptance, [230] [231] [232] although this figure appears to have been entirely fabricated. [233] [234] Presley’s stage costume became the most iconic example of the elaborate concert attire associated with his later persona. Described by Bobbie Ann Mason , “At the end of the show, when he spreads out his American Eagle cape, with the full stretched wings of the eagle studded on the back, he becomes a god figure.” [235] The accompanying double album , released in February, reached number one and eventually sold over five million copies in the US. [236] It was Presley’s last US number-one pop album during his lifetime. [237]

At a midnight show that same month, four individuals rushed onto the stage in what appeared to be an attack. Security personnel intervened to protect Presley, and he personally ejected one intruder from the stage. Following the show, Presley became consumed by the belief that these individuals had been dispatched by Mike Stone , Priscilla’s karate instructor, with the intent to kill him. Although it was later determined that they were merely overzealous fans, Presley expressed intense rage, proclaiming, “There’s too much pain in me… Stone [must] die.” His outbursts continued with such ferocity that a physician was unable to pacify him, even after administering significant doses of medication. After two more days of unrestrained rage, Red West , a close friend and bodyguard, felt compelled to inquire about the cost of a contract killing and was relieved when Presley ultimately decided, “Aw hell, let’s just leave it for now. Maybe it’s a bit heavy.” [238]

In June, the media announced that Priscilla had initiated legal proceedings to contest the default divorce settlement. [239]

1973–1977: Medical Crises and Final Studio Sessions

Elvis and Priscilla Presley arm in arm after their divorce was finalized in 1973

Presley’s divorce settlement [240] was finalized on October 9, 1973. [241] He and Priscilla maintained a close friendship until his death, even walking arm in arm as they departed the courtroom where their divorce was finalized. Priscilla recalled their continued closeness: “we lived life together like we were never divorced. Elvis and I still hugged each other, still had love. We would say, ‘Mommy said this’ and ‘Daddy said that.’ That helped Lisa to feel stable. There was never any arguing or bitterness.” [242] By this point, his health had significantly deteriorated. He experienced two barbiturate overdoses during the year, spending three days in a coma in his hotel suite following the first incident. In late 1973, he was hospitalized due to the effects of a pethidine addiction. According to his primary physician, George C. Nichopoulos , Presley harbored the belief that “by getting drugs from a doctor, he wasn’t the common everyday junkie getting something off the street.” [243] Since his comeback, his live performances had increased annually, with 1973 marking his busiest schedule ever, featuring 168 concerts. [244] Despite his declining health, he undertook another demanding touring schedule in 1974. [245]

Presley’s condition worsened dramatically in September of that year. Keyboardist Tony Brown recounted his arrival at a concert at the University of Maryland : “He fell out of the limousine, to his knees. People jumped to help, and he pushed them away like, ‘Don’t help me.’ He walked on stage and held onto the mic for the first thirty minutes like it was a post. Everybody’s looking at each other like, ‘Is the tour gonna happen’?” [246] Guitarist John Wilkinson remembered:

He was all gut. He was slurring. He was so fucked up…. It was obvious he was drugged. It was obvious there was something terribly wrong with his body. It was so bad the words to the songs were barely intelligible…. I remember crying. He could barely get through the introductions. [247]

On July 13, 1976, Vernon Presley, who had become deeply involved in his son’s financial management, dismissed bodyguards from the “Memphis Mafia ” – Red West (a friend of Presley’s since the 1950s), Sonny West , and David Hebler – citing the necessity to “cut back on expenses.” [248] [249] [250] Presley was in Palm Springs at the time, leading some to speculate that the singer lacked the courage to confront the three men directly. Another associate of Presley’s, John O’Grady, argued that the bodyguards were dismissed because their aggressive interactions with fans had resulted in numerous lawsuits. [251] Presley’s stepbrother, David Stanley, has claimed that the bodyguards were fired because they were becoming increasingly vocal about Presley’s drug dependency. [252]

RCA began to express concern as Presley’s engagement with the recording studio waned. Following a session in December 1973 that yielded eighteen songs, sufficient for nearly two albums, Presley undertook no further official studio recordings in 1974. [253] Parker provided RCA with another live concert recording, Elvis Recorded Live on Stage in Memphis . [254] Recorded on March 20, it included a rendition of “How Great Thou Art ” which earned Presley his third and final Grammy Award for Best Inspirational Performance . [255] [256] All three of his competitive Grammy wins – out of fourteen total nominations – were for gospel recordings. [256] Presley returned to the recording studio in March 1975, but Parker’s attempts to schedule another session towards the end of the year were unsuccessful. [257] In 1976, RCA dispatched a mobile recording unit to Graceland, facilitating two full-scale recording sessions, [258] but the recording process had become a significant struggle for him. [259]

• • “Hurt”

An R&B hit for Roy Hamilton in 1955 and a pop hit for blue-eyed soul singer Timi Yuro in 1961, Presley’s deep soul version was picked up by country radio in 1976. [260]

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Following the end of Presley’s relationship with Linda Thompson, [261] he began dating Ginger Alden in November 1976 and proposed marriage to Alden two months later. [262] Journalist Tony Scherman wrote that, by early 1977, “Presley had become a grotesque caricature of his sleek, energetic former self. Grossly overweight, his mind dulled by the pharmacopoeia he daily ingested, he was barely able to pull himself through his abbreviated concerts.” [263] According to Andy Greene of Rolling Stone, Presley’s final performances were largely “sad, sloppy affairs where a bloated, drugged Presley struggled to remember his lyrics and get through the night without collapsing … Most everything from the final three years of his life is sad and hard to watch.” [264] In Alexandria , Louisiana, he performed for less than an hour and “was impossible to understand.” [265] On March 31, he canceled a performance in Baton Rouge , being unable to leave his hotel bed; four shows had to be postponed and rescheduled. [266]

Despite the accelerating decline in his health, Presley fulfilled the majority of his touring commitments. According to Guralnick, fans “were becoming increasingly voluble about their disappointment, but it all seemed to go right past Presley, whose world was now confined almost entirely to his room and his spiritualism books.” [267] Presley’s cousin, Billy Smith, recalled how he would spend hours chatting in his room, sometimes recounting favorite Monty Python sketches and past escapades, but more often preoccupied with paranoid obsessions. [268]

“Way Down ”, Presley’s final single released during his lifetime, was issued on June 6, 1977. That month, CBS taped two concerts for a television special, Elvis in Concert , scheduled for broadcast in October. In the first, filmed in Omaha on June 19, Presley’s voice, as described by Guralnick, was “almost unrecognizable, a small, childlike instrument in which he talks more than sings most of the songs, casts about uncertainly for the melody in others, and is virtually unable to articulate or project”. [269] Two days later, in Rapid City , South Dakota, “he looked healthier, seemed to have lost a little weight, and sounded better, too,” although by the end of the performance, his face was “framed in a helmet of blue-black hair from which sweat sheets down over pale, swollen cheeks.” [269] Presley’s final concert took place in Indianapolis at Market Square Arena , on June 26, 1977. [270]

The book Elvis: What Happened? , co-authored by the three bodyguards dismissed a year earlier, was published on August 1. [271] It was the first exposé to detail Presley’s prolonged drug misuse. He was deeply distressed by the book and attempted unsuccessfully to prevent its publication by offering financial compensation to the publishers. [272] By this point, he suffered from multiple health conditions: glaucoma , high blood pressure , liver damage , and an enlarged colon , each exacerbated – and possibly caused – by drug abuse. [243] His last public appearance occurred in the early morning hours of August 8, 1977, when he rented the entire Libertyland amusement park in Memphis for himself and approximately ten companions. [273]

Death

• See also: Elvis Presley death conspiracy theories

Fans gather outside Graceland to view Presley’s body.

On August 16, 1977, Presley was scheduled to depart Memphis on an evening flight to Portland, Maine for another tour. That afternoon, his fiancée Ginger Alden discovered him unresponsive on the bathroom floor of his Graceland mansion. [274] Resuscitation attempts proved unsuccessful, and he was pronounced dead at Baptist Memorial Hospital at 3:30 p.m.; [275] he was 42 years old. [276]

President Jimmy Carter issued a statement crediting Presley with having “permanently changed the face of American popular culture.” [277] Thousands of people congregated outside Graceland to view the open casket. One of Presley’s cousins, Billy Mann, accepted $18,000 (equivalent to $93,000 in 2024) to secretly photograph the body; the image appeared on the cover of the National Enquirer ’s most successful issue ever. [278] Alden negotiated a $105,000 (equivalent to $545,000 in 2024) deal with the Enquirer for her story but ultimately settled for a lesser amount after breaching her exclusivity agreement. [279] Presley bequeathed nothing to Alden in his will . [280]

Presley’s grave at Graceland

Presley’s funeral was held at Graceland on August 18. Outside the gates, a car collided with a group of fans, resulting in the deaths of two young women and critical injuries to a third. [281] Approximately 80,000 people lined the processional route to Forest Hill Cemetery , where Presley was interred next to his mother. [282] Within weeks, “Way Down” topped the country and UK singles charts. [283] [284] Following an attempt to steal Presley’s body in late August, the remains of both Presley and his mother were exhumed and reburied in Graceland’s Meditation Garden on October 2. [279]

Cause of Death

While an autopsy , performed the day Presley died, was still underway, Memphis medical examiner Jerry Francisco announced that the immediate cause of death was cardiac arrest and declared that “drugs played no role in Presley’s death.” [285] However, “drug use was heavily implicated” in Presley’s death, according to Guralnick. The pathologists conducting the autopsy considered the possibility of “anaphylactic shock brought on by the codeine pills he had gotten from his dentist, to which he was known to have had a mild allergy.” Laboratory reports submitted two months later strongly suggested that polypharmacy was the primary cause of death; one report indicated “fourteen drugs in Elvis’ system, ten in significant quantity.” [286] In 1979, forensic pathologist Cyril Wecht reviewed the reports and concluded that a combination of depressants had resulted in Presley’s accidental death. [285] Forensic historian and pathologist Michael Baden viewed the situation as complex: “Elvis had an enlarged heart for a long time. That, together with his drug habit, caused his death. But he was difficult to diagnose; it was a judgment call.” [287]

The competence and ethical conduct of two key medical professionals involved were subjected to significant scrutiny. Francisco had offered a cause of death prior to the completion of the autopsy; claimed the underlying condition was cardiac arrhythmia , a diagnosis that can only be confirmed in a living individual; and denied any role of drugs in Presley’s death before toxicology results were available. [285] Allegations of a cover-up were widespread. [287] Although a 1981 trial involving Presley’s primary physician, George C. Nichopoulos, exonerated him of criminal liability, the facts presented were startling: “In the first eight months of 1977 alone, he had prescribed more than 10,000 doses of sedatives, amphetamines, and narcotics: all in Elvis’ name.” Nichopoulos’s medical license was suspended for three months and subsequently revoked permanently in the 1990s following new charges of over-prescription brought by the Tennessee Medical Board. [243]

In 1994, the Presley autopsy report was reopened. Joseph Davis, who had performed thousands of autopsies as Miami-Dade County, Florida coroner, [288] declared upon its review, “There is nothing in any of the data that supports a death from drugs. In fact, everything points to a sudden, violent heart attack.” [243] More recent research indicates that Francisco did not represent the entire pathology team. Other staff members “could say nothing with confidence until they got the results back from the laboratories, if then.” [289] One of the examiners, E. Eric Muirhead,

could not believe his ears. Francisco had not only presumed to speak for the hospital’s team of pathologists, he had announced a conclusion that they had not reached…. Early on, a meticulous dissection of the body… confirmed [that] Elvis was chronically ill with diabetes , glaucoma, and constipation. As they proceeded, the doctors saw evidence that his body had been wracked over a span of years by a large and constant stream of drugs. They had also studied his hospital records, which included two admissions for drug detoxification and methadone treatments. [289]

Posthumous Developments

Between 1977 and 1981, six of Presley’s posthumously released singles achieved top-ten status on the country charts. [283] Graceland was opened to the public in 1982. Attracting over half a million visitors annually, it became the second-most-visited private residence in the United States, surpassed only by the White House. [290] The residence was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2006. [291]

Presley has been inducted into seven music halls of fame : the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (1986), the Country Music Hall of Fame (1998), the Gospel Music Hall of Fame (2001), the Rockabilly Hall of Fame (2007), the Memphis Music Hall of Fame (2012), the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame (2015), and the Mississippi Musicians Hall of Fame . He was also a founding member of the now-defunct UK Music Hall of Fame in 2005. In 1984, he received the W. C. Handy Award from the Blues Foundation and the Academy of Country Music ’s inaugural Golden Hat Award. In 1987, he was presented with the American Music Awards ’ Award of Merit. [292]

A remix by Junkie XL of Presley’s “A Little Less Conversation ” (credited as “Elvis Vs JXL”) was featured in a Nike advertising campaign during the 2002 FIFA World Cup . The track topped the charts in over twenty countries and was included on a compilation of Presley’s number-one hits, ELV1S , which also achieved international success. The album marked Presley’s return to the top of the Billboard chart for the first time in nearly three decades. [293]

In 2003, a remix of “Rubberneckin’ ”, originally recorded in 1969, topped the US sales chart, as did a 50th-anniversary re-release of “That’s All Right” the following year. [294] The latter single proved to be a significant hit in Britain, debuting at number three on the pop chart; it also entered the top ten in Canada. [295] In 2005, three more reissued singles – “Jailhouse Rock,” “One Night”/“I Got Stung,” and “It’s Now or Never” – reached number one in the UK. These releases were part of a campaign that saw all eighteen of Presley’s previous chart-topping UK singles reissued. The first, “All Shook Up,” was accompanied by a collector’s box, rendering it ineligible for re-charting; each of the subsequent seventeen reissues achieved a position within the British top five. [296]

In 2005, Forbes magazine named Presley the top-earning deceased celebrity for the fifth consecutive year, with gross earnings of $45 million. [297] He ranked second in 2006, [298] reclaimed the top position for the following two years, [299] [300] and was ranked fourth in 2009. [301] The subsequent year, he was ranked second, achieving his highest annual income ever – $60 million – driven by celebrations for his 75th birthday and the launch of Cirque du Soleil ’s Viva Elvis show in Las Vegas. [302] In November 2010, Viva Elvis: The Album was released, featuring newly recorded instrumental tracks accompanying Presley’s vocals. [303] [304] As of mid-2011, there were an estimated 15,000 licensed Presley products, [305] and he was once again the second-highest-earning deceased celebrity. [306] Six years later, he ranked fourth with earnings of $35 million, an increase of $8 million from 2016, attributed in part to the opening of a new entertainment complex, Elvis Presley’s Memphis, and hotel, The Guest House at Graceland. [307]

In 2018, RCA/Legacy released Elvis Presley—Where No One Stands Alone , a new album focusing on Presley’s profound love for gospel music. Produced by Joel Weinshanker, Lisa Marie Presley, and Andy Childs , the album featured newly recorded instrumentation alongside vocals from singers who had previously performed with Elvis. It included a reimagined duet with Lisa Marie on the album’s title track. [308]

In 2022, Baz Luhrmann ’s film Elvis , a biographical drama about Presley’s life, was released. Presley is portrayed by Austin Butler , and Parker by Tom Hanks . As of August 2022, the film had grossed $261.8 million worldwide against an $85 million budget, making it the second-highest-grossing music biopic of all time behind Bohemian Rhapsody (2018), and the fifth-highest-grossing Australian-produced film. For his portrayal of Presley, Butler received the Golden Globe and was nominated for the Oscar for Best Actor . [309] In January 2023, Presley’s 1962 Lockheed 1329 JetStar was auctioned for $260,000. [310]

During the production of Elvis, Luhrmann discovered long-lost footage from Presley’s seminal residency in Las Vegas from 1969 through the 1970s, as well as previously unseen footage from outtakes of both Elvis: That’s the Way It Is and Elvis on Tour. This material formed the basis for EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert , a new documentary that premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 6, 2025. [311] [312] [313]

Artistry

Influences

Presley’s earliest musical influences stemmed from gospel . His mother recalled that from the age of two, at the Assembly of God church in Tupelo attended by the family, “he would slide down off my lap, run into the aisle and scramble up to the platform. There he would stand looking at the choir and trying to sing with them.” [314] In Memphis, Presley frequently attended all-night gospel singings at the Ellis Auditorium , where ensembles like the Statesmen Quartet led the music in a style that, according to Guralnick, laid the groundwork for Presley’s future stage persona:

The Statesmen were an electric combination… featuring some of the most thrillingly emotive singing and daringly unconventional showmanship in the entertainment world… dressed in suits that might have come out of the window of Lansky’s…. Bass singer Jim Wetherington, known universally as the Big Chief, maintained a steady bottom, ceaselessly jiggling first his left leg, then his right, with the material of the pants leg ballooning out and shimmering. “He went about as far as you could go in gospel music,” said Jake Hess . “The women would jump up, just like they do for the pop shows.” Preachers frequently objected to the lewd movements… but audiences reacted with screams and swoons. [315]

As a teenager, Presley’s musical tastes were diverse, and he possessed a deep understanding of both white and African-American musical traditions. Despite lacking formal training, he had a remarkable memory, and his musical knowledge was already substantial by the time he made his first professional recordings at age 19 in 1954. When Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller met him two years later, they were astonished by his encyclopedic knowledge of the blues, [316] and, as Stoller noted, “He certainly knew a lot more than we did about country music and gospel music.” [140] At a press conference the following year, he proudly stated, “I know practically every religious song that’s ever been written.” [131]

Musicianship

Presley played guitar, bass, and piano; he received his first guitar at age 11. He could not read or write music and had no formal training, learning everything by ear. [317] Presley frequently played an instrument on his recordings and produced his own music. He played rhythm acoustic guitar on most of his Sun recordings and his 1950s RCA Victor albums. Presley played piano on songs such as “Old Shep ” and “First in Line” from his 1956 album, Elvis . [318] He is credited with playing piano on later albums including From Elvis in Memphis and “Moody Blue ”, and on “Unchained Melody ”, one of the final songs he recorded. [319] Presley played lead guitar on one of his successful singles, “Are You Lonesome Tonight? ”. [320] During the ‘68 Comeback Special , Elvis took over on lead electric guitar, marking the first time he had been publicly seen with the instrument, playing it on songs like “Baby What You Want Me to Do ” and “One Night ”. [321] The album Elvis is Back! features Presley playing significant acoustic guitar on tracks such as “I Will Be Home Again ” and “Like a Baby ”. [322]

Musical Styles and Genres

Presley was a central figure in the development of rockabilly , according to music historians. “Rockabilly crystallized into a recognizable style in 1954 with Elvis Presley’s first release, on the Sun label,” writes Craig Morrison. [323] Paul Friedlander described rockabilly as “essentially… an Elvis Presley construction,” with its defining elements being “the raw, emotive, and slurred vocal style and emphasis on rhythmic feeling [of] the blues with the string band and strummed rhythm guitar [of] country.” [324] In “That’s All Right ”, the trio’s debut record, Scotty Moore’s guitar solo—“a combination of Merle Travis –style country finger-picking, double-stop slides from acoustic boogie, and blues-based bent-note, single-string work”—is seen as a microcosm of this fusion. [324] While Katherine Charlton refers to Presley as “rockabilly’s originator,” [325] Carl Perkins , another pioneer of rock and roll, stated that “[Sam] Phillips, Elvis, and I didn’t create rockabilly.” [326] According to Michael Campbell , the first significant rockabilly song was recorded by Bill Haley . [327] In Moore’s opinion, “It had been there for quite a while, really. Carl Perkins was doing basically the same sort of thing up around Jackson , and I know for a fact Jerry Lee Lewis had been playing that kind of music ever since he was ten years old.” [328]

At RCA Victor, Presley’s rock and roll sound evolved, distinguishing itself from rockabilly through the incorporation of group chorus vocals, more heavily amplified electric guitars, [329] and a more forceful, intense delivery. [330] While renowned for reinterpreting songs from various sources with a rockabilly/rock and roll approach, he also recorded songs in other genres from the early stages of his career, ranging from the pop standard “Blue Moon ” at Sun Records to the country ballad “How’s the World Treating You?” on his second RCA Victor LP, and the blues of “Santa Claus Is Back in Town”. In 1957, his first gospel record, the four-song EP Peace in the Valley , was released. Certified as a million-seller, it became the highest-selling gospel EP in recording history. [331]

• • “Run On”

From How Great Thou Art (1967), a traditional song popular in the Black gospel tradition. The arrangement evokes “the percussive style of the 1930s Golden Gate Quartet .” [332] [333]

Problems playing this file? See media help .

Following his return from military service in 1960, Presley continued to perform rock and roll, but the characteristic style was significantly moderated. His first single after the Army, the number-one hit “Stuck on You,” exemplifies this shift. RCA Victor publicity described its “mild rock beat”; discographer Ernst Jorgensen characterizes it as “upbeat pop.” [334] The number five hit “She’s Not You ” (1962) “integrates the Jordanaires so completely, it’s practically doo-wop”. [335] The modern blues/R&B sound successfully captured on Elvis Is Back! was largely set aside for six years until recordings like “Down in the Alley ” and “Hi-Heel Sneakers ” from 1966–67. [336] Presley’s output throughout most of the 1960s focused on pop music, often in the form of ballads such as “Are You Lonesome Tonight?”, a number-one hit in 1960. “It’s Now or Never ”, which also topped the chart that year, was a classical-influenced pop rendition based on the Neapolitan song “‘O sole mio ” and concluded with a “full-voiced operatic cadence”. [337] These were both dramatic pieces, but the majority of Presley’s recordings for his numerous film soundtracks were of a much lighter nature. [338]

While Presley performed several of his classic ballads during the ‘68 Comeback Special , the show’s sound was dominated by energetic rock and roll. He recorded few new straightforward rock and roll songs thereafter, explaining that they had become “hard to find.” [339] A notable exception was “Burning Love,” his last major hit on the pop charts. Similar to his work in the 1950s, Presley’s subsequent recordings reinterpreted pop and country songs, but in notably different ways. His stylistic range began to encompass a more contemporary rock sound, alongside soul and funk . Much of From Elvis in Memphis , along with “Suspicious Minds ”, recorded during the same sessions, reflected this new fusion of rock and soul. In the mid-1970s, many of his singles found favor on country radio, the genre in which he first achieved stardom. [340]

Vocal Style and Range

Publicity photo for the CBS program Stage Show , January 16, 1956

The evolution of Presley’s singing voice, as described by critic Dave Marsh, progressed from “high and thrilled in the early days, [to] lower and perplexed in the final months.” [341] Marsh attributes the introduction of the “vocal stutter” to Presley on the 1955 recording of “Baby Let’s Play House ”. [342] On “Don’t Be Cruel ”, Presley “slides into a ‘mmmmm’ that marks the transition between the first two verses,” demonstrating “how masterful his relaxed style really is.” [343] Marsh characterizes the vocal performance on “Can’t Help Falling in Love ” as one of “gentle insistence and delicacy of phrasing,” with the line “‘Shall I stay’ pronounced as if the words are fragile as crystal.” [344]

Jorgensen describes the 1966 recording of “How Great Thou Art ” as “an extraordinary fulfillment of his vocal ambitions,” noting how Presley “crafted for himself an ad-hoc arrangement in which he took every part of the four-part vocal, from [the] bass intro to the soaring heights of the song’s operatic climax,” effectively becoming “a kind of one-man quartet.” [345] Guralnick finds “Stand by Me ” from the same gospel sessions to be “a beautifully articulated, almost nakedly yearning performance,” but conversely believes that Presley reaches beyond his vocal capabilities on “Where No One Stands Alone ”, resorting “to a kind of inelegant bellowing to push out a sound” that Jake Hess of The Statesmen Quartet possessed. Hess himself opined that while others might possess voices equal to Presley’s, “he had that certain something that everyone searches for all during their lifetime.” [346] Guralnick attempts to define this unique quality: “The warmth of his voice, his controlled use of both vibrato technique and natural falsetto range, the subtlety and deeply felt conviction of his singing were all qualities recognizably belonging to his talent but just as recognizably not to be achieved without sustained dedication and effort.” [347]

Marsh commends Presley’s 1968 rendition of “U.S. Male ,” noting his “bearing down on the hard guy lyrics, not sending them up or overplaying them but tossing them around with that astonishingly tough yet gentle assurance that he brought to his Sun records.” [348] The performance on “In the Ghetto ” is described by Jorgensen as “devoid of any of his characteristic vocal tricks or mannerisms,” relying instead on the exceptional “clarity and sensitivity of his voice.” [349] Guralnick characterizes the song’s delivery as possessing “almost translucent eloquence… so quietly confident in its simplicity”. [350] On “Suspicious Minds ,” Guralnick detects essentially the same “remarkable mixture of tenderness and poise,” augmented by “an expressive quality somewhere between stoicism (at suspected infidelity) and anguish (over impending loss).” [351]

Music critic Henry Pleasants observes that “Presley has been described variously as a baritone and a tenor . An extraordinary compass… and a very wide range of vocal color have something to do with this divergence of opinion.” [352] He classifies Presley as a high baritone, estimating his vocal range as two octaves and a third, “from the baritone low G to the tenor high B , with an upward extension in falsetto to at least a D-flat. Presley’s best octave is in the middle, D-flat to D-flat, granting an extra full step up or down.” [352] In Pleasants’ estimation, his voice was “variable and unpredictable” at the lower end, “often brilliant” at the upper end, with the capacity for “full-voiced high Gs and As that an opera baritone might envy”. [352] Scholar Lindsay Waters, who calculates Presley’s range as two-and-a-quarter octaves, emphasizes that “his voice had an emotional range from tender whispers to sighs down to shouts, grunts, grumbles, and sheer gruffness that could move the listener from calmness and surrender, to fear. His voice can not be measured in octaves, but in decibels; even that misses the problem of how to measure delicate whispers that are hardly audible at all.” [353] Presley consistently demonstrated the ability to “duplicate the open, hoarse, ecstatic, screaming, shouting, wailing, reckless sound of the black rhythm-and-blues and gospel singers,” writes Pleasants, and also exhibited a remarkable capacity for assimilating numerous other vocal styles. [352]

Public Image

Relationship with the African-American Community

Elvis Presley and Billy Ward , c. 1955

When Dewey Phillips first broadcast “That’s All Right” on Memphis’ WHBQ , many listeners who contacted the station to request it again assumed the singer was Black. [48] From the outset of his national fame, Presley expressed profound respect for African-American performers and their music, and outright disdain for the segregation and racial prejudice prevalent in the South at the time. In a 1956 interview, he recalled listening to blues musician Arthur Crudup – the originator of “That’s All Right” – “bang his box the way I do now, and I said if I ever got to the place where I could feel all old Arthur felt, I’d be a music man like nobody ever saw.” [35] The Memphis World, an African-American newspaper, reported that Presley “cracked Memphis’ segregation laws” by visiting the local amusement park on its designated “colored night.” [35] These statements and actions led to Presley being generally celebrated within the Black community during his early period of stardom. [35] Conversely, many white adults “did not like him, and condemned him as depraved. Anti-negro prejudice doubtless figured in adult antagonism. Regardless of whether parents were aware of the Negro sexual origins of the phrase ‘rock ’n’ roll’, Presley impressed them as the visual and aural embodiment of sex.” [6]

Despite the largely positive perception of Presley within the African-American community, a rumor circulated in mid-1957 alleging that he had stated, “The only thing Negroes can do for me is buy my records and shine my shoes.” Louie Robinson, a journalist for the national African American weekly Jet , investigated this claim. During the filming of Jailhouse Rock, Presley granted Robinson an interview, although he was no longer engaging with the mainstream press. He vehemently denied making such a statement:

I never said anything like that, and people who know me know that I wouldn’t have said it…. A lot of people seem to think I started this business. But rock ’n’ roll was here a long time before I came along. Nobody can sing that kind of music like colored people. Let’s face it: I can’t sing like Fats Domino can. I know that. [354]

Robinson found no corroborating evidence for the alleged remark and gathered testimony from numerous individuals indicating that Presley was far from being racist. [35] [355] Blues singer Ivory Joe Hunter , who had heard the rumor prior to his visit to Graceland, reported of Presley, “He showed me every courtesy, and I think he’s one of the greatest.” [356] Although the purported statement was discredited, it continued to be cited against Presley decades later. [357]

The persistence of such attitudes was exacerbated by resentment over the fact that Presley, whose musical and visual performance style drew heavily from African-American sources, achieved a level of cultural recognition and commercial success largely denied to his Black peers. [355] Even into the twenty-first century, the notion that Presley had “stolen” Black music retained adherents. [358] [357] [359] Notably among African-American entertainers who explicitly refuted this view was Jackie Wilson , who argued, “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.” [360] Furthermore, Presley consistently acknowledged his debt to African-American musicians throughout his career. Addressing his audience during the ‘68 Comeback Special, he stated, “Rock ’n’ roll music is basically gospel or rhythm and blues, or it sprang from that. People have been adding to it, adding instruments to it, experimenting with it, but it all boils down to [that].” [361] Nine years earlier, he had remarked, “Rock ’n’ roll has been around for many years. It used to be called rhythm and blues.” [362]

Sex Symbol

Presley performing live at the Olympia Theater in Miami, August 3, 1956 Poster for the film Girls! Girls! Girls! (1962), visualizing Presley’s sex symbol image

Presley’s striking physical attractiveness and undeniable sexual appeal were widely acknowledged. “He was once beautiful, astonishingly beautiful,” according to critic [Mark Feeney]. [363] Television director Steve Binder reported, “I’m straight as an arrow and I got to tell you, you stop, whether you’re male or female, to look at him. He was that good looking. And if you never knew he was a superstar, it wouldn’t make any difference; if he’d walked in the room, you’d know somebody special was in your presence.” [364] His performance style was equally instrumental in shaping Presley’s eroticized image. Critic George Melly described him as “the master of the sexual simile, treating his guitar as both phallus and girl.” [365] In his obituary for Presley, Lester Bangs credited him with introducing “overt blatant vulgar sexual frenzy to the popular arts in America.” [366] Ed Sullivan’s observation about perceiving a soda bottle in Presley’s trousers was echoed by persistent rumors involving similarly positioned toilet roll tubes or lead bars. [367]

While Presley was primarily marketed as an icon of heterosexuality, some critics have suggested that his image possessed a degree of ambiguity. In 1959, Sight and Sound ’s Peter John Dyer characterized his onscreen persona as “aggressively bisexual in appeal.” [368] Brett Farmer places the “orgasmic gyrations” of the title dance sequence in Jailhouse Rock within a cinematic tradition of musical numbers that offer a “spectacular eroticization, if not homoeroticization, of the male image.” [369] In the analysis of [Yvonne Tasker], “Elvis was an ambivalent figure who articulated a peculiar feminised, objectifying version of white working-class masculinity as aggressive sexual display.” [370]

Reinforcing Presley’s status as a sex symbol were reports of his romantic liaisons with prominent Hollywood figures, ranging from Natalie Wood in the 1950s to Connie Stevens and Ann-Margret in the 1960s, and extending to Candice Bergen and Cybill Shepherd in the 1970s. June Juanico of Memphis, one of Presley’s early girlfriends, later attributed Colonel Parker’s encouragement of him to select dating partners with publicity in mind. [204] Presley never fully embraced the Hollywood social scene, and most of these relationships were transient. [371]

Legacy

• Further information: Cultural impact of Elvis Presley , Cultural depictions of Elvis Presley , and “Elvis has left the building ”

“I know he invented rock and roll, in a manner of speaking, but… that’s not why he’s worshiped as a god today. He’s worshiped as a god today because in addition to inventing rock and roll he was the greatest ballad singer this side of Frank Sinatra —because the spiritual translucence and reined-in gut sexuality of his slow weeper and torchy pop blues still activate the hormones and slavish devotion of millions of female human beings worldwide.” —Robert Christgau December 24, 1985 [372]

Presley’s emergence into national consciousness in 1956 profoundly reshaped the landscape of popular music and exerted a significant influence on broader popular culture. [373] As the catalyst for the cultural revolution that was rock and roll, he was instrumental not only in defining the genre but also in establishing it as a touchstone for youth culture and rebellious attitudes. [374] Given rock and roll’s racially diverse origins – a fact consistently affirmed by Presley – its central position within mainstream American culture facilitated a greater acceptance and appreciation of Black culture. [375]

In this context, Little Richard commented on Presley: “He was an integrator. Elvis was a blessing. They wouldn’t let black music through. He opened the door for black music.” [376] Al Green affirmed this sentiment, stating, “He broke the ice for all of us.” [377]

President Jimmy Carter remarked on Presley’s legacy in 1977: “His music and his personality, fusing the styles of white country and black rhythm and blues, permanently changed the face of American popular culture.” [277] Presley also heralded the vastly expanded reach of celebrity in the era of mass communication; within a year of his debut on American network television, he was recognized as one of the most famous individuals globally. [378]

Elvis impersonators in 2005

Presley’s name, image, and voice are recognized worldwide. [379] He has inspired a legion of impersonators . [380] In polls and surveys, he is consistently ranked among the most important popular music artists and influential Americans. [e] American composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein stated, “Elvis Presley is the greatest cultural force in the twentieth century. He introduced the beat to everything and he changed everything—music, language, clothes.” [389] John Lennon remarked, “Nothing really affected me until Elvis.” [390] Bob Dylan described the sensation of first hearing Presley as “like busting out of jail.” [377]

Presley’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6777 Hollywood Blvd

For a significant portion of his adult life, Presley, through his ascent from poverty to immense wealth and fame, appeared to embody the American Dream . [391] [392] In his later years, and following posthumous revelations concerning his circumstances, he became a symbol of excess and indulgence. [393] [394] Increased attention was drawn to his fondness for the rich, heavy Southern cooking of his upbringing, including dishes such as chicken-fried steak and biscuits and gravy . [395] [396] His particular affection for fried peanut butter, banana, and (sometimes) bacon sandwiches , [397] [395] now commonly known as “Elvis sandwiches,” [398] became symbolic of this characteristic. [399]

Since 1977, a persistent and discredited conspiracy theory has circulated suggesting that Presley may have staged his own death. Numerous individuals have erroneously claimed to have seen him alive after August 16, 1977. These alleged “Elvis sightings” and the conspiracy theory in general have endured both as an ironic, humorous meme and, for some, as a genuinely held belief, although the latter demographic has diminished since the early 1990s. [400] [401] [402] A considerable number of fans maintain domestic shrines dedicated to Presley and undertake pilgrimages to sites with which he was associated, however tenuously. [403] On each anniversary of his death, thousands gather outside Graceland for a candlelight vigil. “With Elvis, it is not just his music that has survived death,” writes Ted Harrison. “He himself has been raised, like a medieval saint, to a figure of cultic status. It is as if he has been canonized by acclamation.” [403]

On the 25th anniversary of Presley’s death, The New York Times asserted:

All the talentless impersonators and appalling black velvet paintings on display can make him seem little more than a perverse and distant memory. But before Elvis was camp, he was its opposite: a genuine cultural force…. Elvis’ breakthroughs are underappreciated because in this rock-and-roll age, his hard-rocking music and sultry style have triumphed so completely. [405]

He was ranked third on Rolling Stone ’s list of greatest artists. Bono wrote in tribute:

In Elvis, you have the blueprint for rock & roll. The highness—the gospel highs. The mud—the Delta mud, the blues. Sexual liberation. Controversy. Changing the way people feel about the world. It’s all there with Elvis. [406]

The cultural significance of Presley’s legacy extends beyond his accomplishments to encompass his perceived failings, as noted by some cultural observers in this description by Greil Marcus:

Elvis Presley is a supreme figure in American life, one whose presence, no matter how banal or predictable, brooks no real comparisons…. The cultural range of his music has expanded to the point where it includes not only the hits of the day, but also patriotic recitals, pure country gospel, and really dirty blues…. Elvis has emerged as a great artist, a great rocker, a great purveyor of schlock, a great heart throb, a great bore, a great symbol of potency, a great ham, a great nice person, and, yes, a great American. [407]

Achievements

• See also: List of accolades received by Elvis Presley

Presley is recognized as one of the best-selling music artists in history , with estimated worldwide record sales exceeding 500 million. [b] Presley’s rankings for top ten and number-one hits vary depending on the methodology used to analyze the double-sided “Hound Dog/Don’t Be Cruel” and “Don’t/I Beg of You” singles, which predate the inception of Billboard’s unified Hot 100 chart. [f] According to Whitburn’s analysis, Presley holds the record with 38 top-ten hits, tying with Madonna ; [412] Billboard’s current assessment places him second with 36. [413] Whitburn and Billboard agree that The Beatles hold the record for the most number-one hits with 20, followed by Mariah Carey with 19. [414] Whitburn credits Presley with 18 number-one singles; [412] Billboard ranks him third with 17. [