ELVIS PRESLEY

GALERIA 1

2008-08-05T16:08:00.007-07:00

"Elvis Presley - Amazing Grace"

Elvis Aaron Presley(January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977; middle name sometimes spelled Aron)a was an American singer and actor. A cultural icon, he is commonly known simply as Elvis and is also sometimes referred to as The King of Rock 'n' Roll or The King.

Presley began his career in 1954 as one of the first performers of rockabilly, an uptempo fusion of country and rhythm and blues with a strong back beat. His novel versions of existing songs, mixing "black" and "white" sounds, made him popular—and controversial—as did his uninhibited stage and television performances. Presley had a versatile voice and he had unusually wide success encompassing many genres, including rock and roll, gospel, blues, country, ballads and pop. To date, he has been inducted into four music halls of fame.

In the 1960s, Presley made the majority of his 31 movies, most of which were poorly reviewed but financially successful musicals. In 1968, he returned to live performances in a television special, which led to a string of successful tours across the U.S., notably in Las Vegas, for the remainder of his career. In 1973, Presley staged the first global live concert via satellite (Aloha from Hawaii), reaching at least one billion viewers live and an additional 500 million on delay.

Throughout his career, he set records for concert attendance, television ratings and recordings sales. He is one of the best-selling solo artists in the history of music, selling over one billion records worldwide, and he is regarded as one of the most important figures of twentieth century popular culture. Among his many awards and accolades are 14 Grammy nominations (3 wins) from the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences, the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, which he received at age 36, and being named One of the Ten Outstanding Young Men of the Nation for 1970 by the United States Jaycees.

Health problems, prescription drug dependence, and other factors led to his death at age 42.
Early life
Elvis Presley owed his ancestry to diverse European ethnic strains, primarily British and German; Presley's lineage also included some Cherokee descent. His father, Vernon Elvis Presley (April 10, 1916 – June 26, 1979), had several low-paying jobs, including sharecropping and working as a truck driver. His mother, Gladys Love Smith (April 25, 1912 – August 14, 1958) worked as a sewing machinist. They met in Tupelo, Mississippi, and eloped to Pontotoc County where they married on June 17, 1933.

Marker at Presley birthplace in Tupelo, Mississippi.
Elvis Presley's birthplace.Presley was born in a two-room shotgun house, built by his father, in East Tupelo. He was an identical twin; his brother was stillborn and given the name Jesse Garon. Growing up as an only child he "was, everyone agreed, unusually close to his mother." The family lived just above the poverty line and attended an Assembly of God church. Vernon has been described as "a malingerer, always averse to work and responsibility." According to Elaine Dundy, he "didn't work very hard or very steadily. ... He had been known all his young life as a 'jellybean' – by definition weak, spineless, and work-shy,", although there is some documented evidence of work he took throughout the depression. His wife was "voluble, lively, full of spunk" and had a fondness for drink. In 1938, Vernon, along with Gladys' brother Travis Smith and a friend Lether Gable, was jailed for an eight dollar check forgery. During his eight-month incarceration, Gladys and her son lost the family home, and they moved in with relatives.

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

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

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

In September 1950, Presley occasionally worked evenings as an usher at Loew's State Theater—his first job—to boost the family income, but his mother made him quit as she feared it was affecting his school work. He worked again at Loew's in June the following year, but was fired after a fistfight over a female employee. He began to grow his sideburns and, when he could afford to, dress in the wild, flashy clothes of Lansky Brothers on Beale Street. He stood out, especially in the conservative Deep South of the 1950s, and was mocked and bullied for it. Childhood friend Red West said: "In the sea of 1600 pink-scalped kids at school, Elvis stood out like a camel in the arctic. ... [but] ... his appearance expressed a defiance which his demeanor did not match..." Despite any unpopularity or shyness, he was a contestant in his school's 1952 "Annual Minstrel Show" and won by receiving the most applause. His prize was to sing encores, including "Cold Cold Icy Fingers" and "Till I Waltz Again With You".

After graduation, Presley was still a rather shy "kid who had spent scarcely a night away from home". His third job was driving a truck for the Crown Electric Company. He began wearing his hair longer with a ducktail; the style of truck drivers at that time.

Early musical influences
Initial influences originated from his family's attendance at the Assembly of God. Rolling Stone wrote: "Gospel pervaded Elvis' character and was a defining and enduring influence all of his days." Presley himself stated that gospel music became an important part of his life: "it was as natural as dancing. A way to escape from the problems." Throughout his life—in the recording studio, in private, or after concerts—Presley joined with others singing and playing gospel music at informal sessions.

The young Presley frequently listened to Mississippi Slim’s radio show on Tupelo’s WELO. Before he was a teenager, music was already his "consuming passion". In 1947, Mississippi Slim, one of Presley's earliest musical heroes, agreed to let Elvis sing on two occasions. However, the first time, Presley got such stage fright that he couldn't go on. He did manage to go on the following week.

In Memphis, Presley went to record stores that had jukeboxes and listening booths. He knew all of Hank Snow’s songs and he loved records by Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Roy Acuff, Ernest Tubb, Ted Daffan, Jimmie Rodgers, Jimmie Davis and Bob Wills." He was also an audience member at the all-night white—and black—"gospel sings" downtown. The region's radio stations played "race records" featuring music that became known as rhythm and blues. Memphis had a strong tradition of blues music and Presley frequented blues as well as hillbilly venues. Many of his future recordings were inspired by local African American composers and recording artists, including Arthur Crudup and Rufus Thomas. B.B. King has recalled that he knew Presley before he was popular when they both used to frequent Beale Street.

Presley "was an untrained musician who played [guitar and piano] entirely by ear. 'I don't read music,' he confessed, 'but I know what I like.' ... Because he was not a songwriter, Presley [would] rarely [have] material prepared for recording sessions..." When later, as a young singer, he "ventured into the recording studio he was still heavily influenced by the songs he had heard on the jukebox and radio."

By that time Presley had also separated himself from others by his changing appearance (sideburns, long hair, flashy clothes) and he seems to have singled music out as his future.

First recordings and performances
Main article: Elvis Presley's Sun recordings
On July 18, 1953, Presley went to Sun Records' Memphis Recording Service to record "My Happiness" with "That's When Your Heartaches Begin," supposedly as a present for his mother although it was months after her birthday. Below is an excerpt of his initial conversation between Elvis and Sam Phillips' assistant, Marion Keisker:

"What kind of singer are you?", he responded instantly, "I sing all kinds." "Who do you sound like?" she persisted. "I don't sound like nobody," was his response.

After his demo, she made herself a note: "Good ballad singer, Hold."

On January 4, 1954, he cut a second acetate demo recording of "I'll Never Stand In Your Way" and "It Wouldn't Be The Same Without You". At the time, Sun Records boss Sam Phillips was on the lookout for someone who could deliver a blend of black blues and boogie-woogie music; he thought it would be very popular among white people. When Phillips acquired a demo recording of "Without You" and was unable to identify the vocalist, Marion Keisker reminded him about the young truck driver. She called him on June 26, 1954. However, Presley was not able to do justice to the song. Phillips would later recall that "Elvis was probably as nervous as anybody, black or white, that I had seen in front of a microphone." Despite this, Phillips invited local musicians Winfield "Scotty" Moore and Bill Black to audition Presley. Though they were not overly impressed, a studio session was planned.

During a recording break, Presley began "acting the fool" first with Arthur Crudup's "That's All Right (Mama)". Phillips quickly got them all to restart, and began taping. This was the sound he had been looking for. The group recorded other songs, including Bill Monroe's "Blue Moon of Kentucky." Scotty Moore recalls that after the session Bill Black remarked: "Damn. Get that on the radio and they'll run us out of town."

"That's All Right" was aired on July 8, 1954, by DJ Dewey Phillips on his Red, Hot and Blue show. b Listeners to the show began phoning in, eager to find out who the singer was. The interest was such that Phillips played the demo fourteen times. During an interview on the show, Phillips asked Presley what high school he attended—to clarify Presley's color for listeners who assumed he must be black. Moore and Black began playing regularly with Presley. They gave performances on the July 17 and July 24, 1954 to promote the Sun single at the Bon Air, a rowdy music club in Memphis, where the band was not well-received. On July 30 the trio, billed as The Blue Moon Boys, made their first paid appearance at the Overton Park Shell, with Slim Whitman headlining. A nervous Presley's legs were said to have shaken uncontrollably during this show: his wide-legged pants emphasized his leg movements, apparently causing females in the audience to go "crazy." Scotty Moore claims it was just the natural way he moved and had nothing to do with "nerves." Presley consciously incorporated similar movements into future shows. Elvis himself said that, "I didn't realize that my, that I was movin', my body was movin'. It was a natural thing to me."

Deejay and promoter Bob Neal became the trio's manager (replacing Scotty Moore). Moore and Black left their band, the Starlight Wranglers and, from August through October 1954, appeared with Presley at The Eagle's Nest. Presley debuted at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville on October 2; Hank Snow introduced Presley on stage. He performed "Blue Moon of Kentucky" but received only a polite response. Afterwards, the singer was supposedly told by the Opry's Jim Denny: "Boy, you’d better keep driving that truck," though others deny it was Denny who made that statement. Country music promoter and manager Tillman Franks booked Presley for October 16 on KWKH-AM's Louisiana Hayride. Before Franks saw Presley, he referred to him as "that new black singer with the funny name". During Presley's first set, the reaction was muted; Franks then advised Presley to "Let it all go!" for the second set. House drummer D.J. Fontana (who had worked in strip clubs) complemented Presley's movements with accented beats. Bill Black also took an active part in encouraging the audience, and the crowd became more responsive.

According to one source, regarding Presley's engagements from that time, "Audiences had never before heard [such] music... [or] seen anyone who performed like Presley either. The shy, polite, mumbling boy gained self-confidence with every appearance... People watching the show were astounded and shocked, both by the ferocity of his performance, and the crowd’s reaction to it... Roy Orbison saw Presley for the first time in Odessa, Texas: 'His energy was incredible, his instinct was just amazing... I just didn’t know what to make of it. There was just no reference point in the culture to compare it.'" Sam Phillips said Presley "put every ounce of emotion ... into every song, almost as if he was incapable of holding back."

By August 1955, Sun Studios had released ten sides, credited to "Elvis Presley, Scotty and Bill," all typical of the developing Presley style which seemed hard to categorize; he was billed or labeled in the media as "The King of Western Bop," "The Hillbilly Cat" and "The Memphis Flash."

On August 15, 1955, "Colonel" Tom Parker became Presley's manager, signing him to a one year contract, plus renewals. Several record labels had shown interest in signing Presley and, by the end of October 1955, three major labels had made offers up to $25,000. On November 21, 1955, Parker and Phillips negotiated a deal with RCA Victor Records to acquire Presley's Sun contract for an unprecedented $40,000, $5,000 of which was a bonus for the singer for back royalties owed to him by Sun Records (Presley, at 20, was officially still a minor, so his father had to sign the contract).

To boost earnings for himself and Presley, Parker also cut a deal with Hill and Range Publishing Company to create two separate entities—"Elvis Presley Music, Inc" and "Gladys Music"—to handle all of Presley's songs and accrued royalties. The owners of Hill & Range, Julian and Jean Aberbach, agreed to split the publishing and royalties rights of each song equally with Presley. Hill & Range, Presley or Colonel Parker's partners then had to convince unsecured songwriters that it was worthwhile for them to give up one third of their due royalties in exchange for Presley recording their compositions. One result of these dealings was the appearance of Presley's name as co-writer of some songs he recorded, even though Presley never had any hand in the songwriting process. c The only known exception to this rule is Heartbreak Hotel, where Presley received writing credits because Mae Boren Axton knew of his wish to buy his parents a Cadillac. Because she liked Presley so much, she offered him writing credits to help him raise the funds quicker.

By December 1955, RCA had begun to heavily promote its newest star, and by the month's end had re-released all of his Sun recordings.

1956 breakthrough

The iconic cover of Elvis Presley's debut RCA Victor album. Photo taken on January 31, 1955On January 10, Presley made his first recordings for RCA in Nashville, Tennessee. The session produced "Heartbreak Hotel/I Was The One" which was released on January 27. The public reaction to "Heartbreak Hotel" prompted RCA to release it as a single in its own right (February 11). By April it had hit number one in the U.S. charts, selling in excess of one million copies.

On March 3, 1955, Presley made his first television appearance on the TV version of Louisiana Hayride on KSLA-TV, but failed an audition for Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts on CBS-TV later that month. To increase the singer's exposure, Parker finally brought Presley to national television after booking six appearances on CBS's Stage Show in New York, beginning January 28, 1956. Presley was introduced on the first program by Cleveland DJ Bill Randle. He stayed in town and on January 30, he and the band headed for the RCA's New York Studio. The sessions yielded eight songs, including "My Baby Left Me" and "Blue Suede Shoes". The latter was the only hit single from the collection, but the recordings marked the point at which Presley started moving away from the raw, pure Sun sound to the more commercial and mainstream sound RCA had envisioned for him.

On March 23, RCA Victor released Elvis Presley, his first album. Like the Sun recordings, the majority of the tracks were country songs. The album went on to top the pop album chart for 10 weeks.

On April 1, Presley launched his acting career with a screen test for Paramount Pictures. His first motion picture, Love Me Tender, was released on November 21 (See 'Acting career').

Parker had also obtained a deal for two lucrative appearances on NBC-TV's The Milton Berle Show. Presley first appeared from the deck of the USS Hancock in San Diego on April 3. His performance was cheered by a live audience of appreciative sailors and their dates. A few days after, a flight taking Presley's band to Nashville for a recording session left all three badly shaken (the plane lost an engine and almost went down over Texas).

From April 23, Presley was scheduled to perform four weeks at the New Frontier Hotel and Casino on the Las Vegas Strip—billed this time as "the Atomic Powered Singer" (since Nevada was the home of the U.S.'s atomic weapons testing, Parker thought the name would be catchy). His shows were so badly received by critics and the conservative, middle-aged guests, that Parker cut short the engagement from four weeks to two. D.J. Fontana said, "I don't think the people there were ready for Elvis..... We tried everything we knew. Usually Elvis could get them on his side. It didn't work that time". While in Vegas, Presley saw Freddie Bell and the Bellboys live, and liked their version of Leiber and Stoller's "Hound Dog". By May 16, he had added the song to his own act.

After more hectic touring, Presley made his second appearance on The Milton Berle Show (June 5). Whilst delivering an uptempo version of "Hound Dog" (without his guitar), he then stopped, and immediately after began performing a slower version. Presley's "gyrations" during this televised version of "Hound Dog" created a storm of controversy—even eclipsing the "communist threat" headlines prevalent at the time. The press described his performance as "vulgar" and "obscene". The furor was such that Presley was pressured to explain himself on the local New York City TV show Hy Gardner Calling: "Rock and roll music, if you like it, and you feel it, you can't help but move to it. That's what happens to me. I have to move around. I can't stand still. I've tried it, and I can't do it." After this performance he was dubbed "Elvis the Pelvis". Presley disliked the name, calling it "one of the most childish expressions I ever heard."

The Berle shows drew such huge ratings that Steve Allen (NBC), not a fan of rock and roll, booked him for one appearance in New York on July 1. Allen wanted "to do a show the whole family can watch" and introduced a "new Elvis" in white bow tie and black tails. Presley sang "Hound Dog" for less than a minute to a Basset Hound in a top hat. According to one author, "Allen thought Presley was talentless and absurd... [he] set things up so that Presley would show his contrition..." In his book "Hi-Ho Steverino!" Allen wrote the following: "When I booked Elvis, I naturally had no interest in just presenting him vaudeville-style and letting him do his spot as he might in concert. Instead we worked him into the comedy fabric of our program. We certainly didn't inhibit Elvis' then-notorious pelvic gyrations, but I think the fact that he had on formal evening attire made him, purely on his own, slightly alter his presentation." The day after (July 2), the single "Hound Dog" was recorded and Scotty Moore said they were "all angry about their treatment the previous night". (Presley often referred to the Allen show as the most ridiculous performance of his career.)[91] A few days later, Presley made a "triumphant" outdoor appearance in Memphis at which he announced: "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."

Country vocalists The Jordanaires accompanied Presley on The Steve Allen Show and their first recording session together produced "Any Way You Want Me", "Don't Be Cruel" and "Hound Dog". The Jordanaires would work with the singer through the 1960s.

Though Presley had been unhappy, Allen's show had, for the first time, beaten The Ed Sullivan Show in the ratings, causing a critical Sullivan (CBS) to book Presley for three appearances for an unprecedented $50,000.

Presley's first Ed Sullivan appearance (September 9, 1956) was seen by some 55–60 million viewers. Biographer Greil Marcus has written: "Compared to moments on the Dorsey shows and on the Berle show, it was ice cream." On the third Sullivan show, in spite of Presley's established reputation as a "gyrating" performer, he sang only slow paced ballads and a gospel song. Presley was nevertheless only shown to the television audience 'from the waist up', as if to censor the singer. Marcus compares the singer's appearance - his make-up over his eyes, his hair and the "sexual cast of his mouth" - with that of Rudolph Valentino in The Sheik as if he had "stepped out in the outlandish costume of a pasha, if not a harem girl", and says that he was shot in close up during this last broadcast because Sullivan had tried to 'bury' the singer. It was also claimed that Colonel Parker had himself orchestrated the 'censorship' merely to generate publicity. In spite of any misgivings about the controversial nature of his performing style (see 'Sex symbol'), Sullivan declared at the end of the third appearance that Presley was "a real decent, fine boy" and that they had never had "a pleasanter experience" on the show.

On December 4, Presley dropped into Sun Records where Carl Perkins and Jerry Lee Lewis were recording. Sam Phillips made sure the session of the three performing was recorded; the results would later appear on a bootlegged recording titled The Million Dollar Quartet in 1977 (Johnny Cash is often thought to have performed with the trio, but he was only present briefly at Phillips' instigation for a photo opportunity). RCA would eventually iron out legal difficulties and release an authorized version a few years later.

On December 29, Billboard revealed that Presley had placed more songs in the Top 100 than any other artist since record charts began. This news was followed by a front page report in the Wall Street Journal on December 31, that suggested Presley merchandise had grossed more than $22 million in sales.

Controversy and cultural impact
Main article: Cultural impact of Elvis Presley
When "That's All Right" was played, many listeners were sure Presley must be black, prompting white disc-jockeys to ignore his Sun singles. However, black disc-jockeys did not want anything to do with any record they knew was made by a white man. Too many black adults, Presley had undoubtedly "stolen" or at least "derived his style from the Negro rhythm-and-blues performers of the late 1940s", though such criticism ignored Presley's use of "white" musical styles. Some black entertainers, notably Jackie Wilson, 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." d

By the spring of 1956, Presley was becoming popular nationwide and teenagers flocked to his concerts. Scotty Moore recalled: "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." Bob Neal wrote: "It was almost frightening, the reaction... from [white] teenage boys. So many of them, through some sort of jealousy, would practically hate him." In Lubbock, Texas, a teenage gang fire-bombed Presley's car. Some performers became resentful (or resigned to the fact) that Presley's unmatched hustle onstage before them would "kill" their own act; he thus rose quickly to top billing. At the two concerts he performed at the 1956 Mississippi-Alabama Fair and Dairy Show, fifty National Guardsmen were added to the police security to prevent crowd trouble.

To many white adults, the singer was "the first rock symbol of teenage rebellion. ... they 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." In 1956, a critic for the New York Daily News wrote that popular music "has reached its lowest depths in the 'grunt and groin' antics of one Elvis Presley" and the Jesuits denounced him in their weekly magazine, America. Even Frank Sinatra opined: "His kind of music is deplorable, a rancid smelling aphrodisiac. It fosters almost totally negative and destructive reactions in young people." Presley responded to this (and other derogatory comments Sinatra made) by saying: "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 ... [rock and roll] ... is a trend, just the same as he faced when he started years ago."

According to the FBI files on the singer, Presley was even seen as a "definite danger to the security of the United States." His actions and motions were called "a strip-tease with clothes on" or "sexual self-gratification on stage." They were compared with "masturbation or riding a microphone." Some saw the singer as a sexual pervert, and psychologists feared that teenaged girls and boys could easily be "aroused to sexual indulgence and perversion by certain types of motions and hysteria—the type that was exhibited at the Presley show." Presley would insist, however, that there was nothing vulgar about his stage act, saying: "Some people tap their feet, some people snap their fingers, and some people sway back and forth. I just sorta do ‘em all together, I guess." In August 1956, a Florida judge called Presley a "savage" and threatened to arrest him if he shook his body while performing in Jacksonville. The judge declared that Presley's music was undermining the youth of America. Throughout the performance (which was filmed by police), he kept still as ordered, except for wiggling a finger in mockery at the ruling. (Presley recalls this incident during the '68 Comeback Special.)

In 1957, despite Presley's demonstrable respect for "black" music and performers, he faced accusations of racism. He was alleged to have said in an interview: "The only thing Negro people can do for me is to buy my records and shine my shoes." An African American journalist at Jet magazine subsequently pursued the story. On the set of Jailhouse Rock, Presley denied saying, or ever wanting to make, such a racist remark. The Jet journalist found no evidence that the remark had ever been made, but did find testimony from many individuals indicating that Presley was anything but racist. Despite the remark being wholly discredited at the time, it was still being used against Presley decades later.

Military service and mother's death
Rank and Insignia Date of Rank
Private Drafted
24 March 1958
Private First-Class 27 November 1958
Specialist 4 1 June 1959
Sergeant 20 January 1960
On January 8, 1957, the Memphis Draft Board held a press conference and announced Presley would be classified 1A and would probably be drafted sometime that year. On December 20, 1957, Presley received his draft notice. Hal Wallis and Paramount Pictures had already spent $350,000 on the film King Creole, and did not want to suspend or cancel the project. The Memphis Draft Board granted Presley a deferment to finish it. On March 24, 1958 he was inducted as US Army private, under the service number US 53 310 761, at Fort Chaffee near Fort Smith, Arkansas. Two Army officers Arlie Metheny and John J. Mawn, coordinated the entry and shielded Presley from bombardment by national media and free-lance photographers. Presley completed basic training at Fort Hood, Texas, on September 17, 1958, before being posted to Friedberg, Germany, with the 3rd Armored Division, where his service took place from October 1, 1958 until March 2, 1960.

3rd Armored Division insigniaFellow soldiers have attested to Presley's wish to be seen as an able, ordinary soldier, despite his fame, and to his generosity while in the service. To supplement meager under-clothing supplies, Presley bought an extra set of fatigues for everyone in his outfit. He also donated his Army pay to charity, and purchased all the TV sets for personnel on the base at that time.

Presley had chosen not to join "Special Services", which would have allowed him to avoid certain duties and maintain his public profile. He continued to receive massive media coverage, with much speculation echoing Presley's own concerns about his enforced absence damaging his career. However, early in 1958, RCA Victor producer Steve Sholes and Freddy Bienstock of Hill and Range (Presley's main music publishers) had both pushed for recording sessions and strong song material, the aim being to release regular hit recordings during Presley's two-year hiatus. Hit singles duly followed during Presley's army service, like "One Night", "I Got Stung" and "(Now and Then There's) A Fool Such as I", as did hit albums of old material, including Elvis' Golden Records and A Date With Elvis.

As Presley's fame grew, his mother continued to drink excessively and began to gain weight. She had wanted her son to succeed, "but... [the] hysteria of the crowd frightened her." In early August 1958, doctors had diagnosed hepatitis and her condition worsened. Presley was granted emergency leave to visit her, arriving in Memphis on August 12. Two days later, Gladys Presley died of heart failure, aged forty-six. Presley was heartbroken, "grieving almost constantly" for days.

Some months later, in Germany, "[a] sergeant had introduced [Presley] to amphetamines when they were on maneuvers at Grafenwöhr... it seemed like half the guys in the company were taking them." Friends around Presley, like Diamond Joe Esposito, also began taking them, "if only to keep up with Elvis, who was practically evangelical about their benefits." The Army also introduced Presley to karate—something which he studied seriously, even including it in his later live performances. e

Presley returned to the U.S. on March 2, 1960, and was honorably discharged with the rank of sergeant on March 5. Any doubts Elvis had about his popularity must have been dispelled as "The train which carried him from New Jersey to Memphis was mobbed all the way, with Presley being called upon to appear ... at whistle-stops" to placate his fans.

First post-Army recordings
The first recording session, on March 20, 1960, was attended by all of the significant businessmen involved with Presley; none had heard him sing for two years, and there were inevitable concerns about him being able to recapture his previous success. The session was the first at which Presley was recorded using a three-track machine, allowing better quality, postsession remixing and stereophonic recording. This, and a further session in April, yielded some of Presley's best-selling songs. "It's Now or Never" ended with Presley "soaring up to an incredible top G sharp ... pure magic." His voice on "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" has been described as "natural, unforced, dead in tune, and totally distinctive." Although some tracks were uptempo, none could be described as "rock and roll", and many of them marked a significant change in musical direction. Most tracks found their way on to an album—Elvis is Back!—described by one critic as "a triumph on every level... It was as if Elvis had... broken down the barriers of genre and prejudice to express everything he heard in all the kinds of music he loved". The album was also notable because of Homer Boots Randolph's acclaimed saxophone playing on the blues songs "Like A Baby" and "Reconsider Baby", the latter being described as "a refutation of those who do not recognize what a phenomenal artist Presley was."

Acting career
See also: Elvis Presley filmography
In 1956, Presley launched his career as a film actor. He screen-tested for Paramount Pictures by lip-syncing "Blue Suede Shoes" and performing a scene as 'Bill Starbuck' in The Rainmaker. Despite being quietly confident that The Rainmaker would be his first film—even going as far as saying so in an interview —the role eventually went to Burt Lancaster. Of his dramatic performance, screenwriter Allen Weiss later wrote that "Presley came across like the lead in a high school play. However, with the music added, as Elvis lip-syncs and gyrates to his recording of 'Blue Suede Shoes', the transformation was incredible ... electricity bounced off the walls of the sound stage, [it was] like an earthquake in progress, only without the implicit threat."

After signing a seven-year contract with Paramount, Presley made his big-screen début with the musical western, Love Me Tender. It was panned by the critics but did well at the box office. The original title—The Reno Brothers—was changed to capitalize on the advanced sales of the song "Love Me Tender". The majority of Presley's films were musical comedies made to "sell records and produce high revenues." He also appeared in more dramatic films, like Jailhouse Rock and King Creole. The erotic, if not homo-erotic, dance sequence to the song "Jailhouse Rock", which Presley choreographed himself, "is considered by many as his greatest performance ever captured on film." To maintain box office success, he would later even shift "into beefcake formula comedy mode for a few years." He also made one non-musical western, Charro!.

Presley in a promotional photo for Jailhouse Rock released by MGM on November 8, 1957Presley stopped live performing after his Army service with the exception, ironically—given Sinatra's previously scathing criticism—of a guest appearance on The Frank Sinatra Timex Show: Welcome Home Elvis (1960). He also performed three charity concerts—two in Memphis and one in Pearl Harbor (1961).

In the Army, Presley had said on many occasions that "more than anything, he wanted to be taken seriously as a dramatic actor." His manager had negotiated the multi-picture seven-year contract with Hal Wallis with an eye on long-term earnings. The singer would later star alongside several established or up-and-coming actors, including Walter Matthau, Carolyn Jones, Angela Lansbury, Charles Bronson, Barbara Stanwyck, Mary Tyler Moore—and even a very young Kurt Russell in his screen debut. Although Presley was praised by directors, like Michael Curtiz, as polite and hardworking (and as having an exceptional memory), "he was definitely not the most talented actor around." Others were more charitable; critic Bosley Crowther of the New York Times said: "This boy can act," about his portrayal in King Creole. Director Joe Pasternak believed "Elvis should be given more meaty parts. ... He would be a good actor. He should do more important pictures."

Presley's movies were generally poorly received, with one critic dismissing them as a "pantheon of bad taste." The scripts of his movies "were all the same, the songs progressively worse." For Blue Hawaii, "fourteen songs were cut in just three days." Julie Parrish, who appeared in Paradise, Hawaiian Style, says that Presley hated many of the songs chosen for his films; he "couldn't stop laughing while he was recording" one of them. Others noted that the songs seemed to be "written on order by men who never really understood Elvis or rock and roll." Sight and Sound wrote that in his movies "Elvis Presley, aggressively bisexual in appeal, knowingly erotic, [was] acting like a crucified houri and singing with a kind of machine-made surrealism." However, several reputable songwriters/partnerships contributed soundtrack songs, including Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, Don Robertson, Sid Tepper and Roy C. Bennett, and Otis Blackwell and Winfield Scott. Whatever the quality of the material, some observers have argued that Presley generally sang well in the studio, with commitment, and always played with distinguished musicians and backing singers. Despite this, critics maintained that "No major star suffered through more bad movies than Elvis Presley."

Presley movies were nevertheless very popular, and he "became a film genre of his own." Hal Wallis would later remark: "An Elvis Presley picture is the only sure thing in Hollywood." Elvis on celluloid was the only chance for his worldwide fans to see him, in the absence of live appearances (the only time he toured outside of the U.S. was in Canada in 1957).f His Blue Hawaii even "boosted the new state's tourism. Some of his most enduring and popular songs came from those [kind of] movies," like "Can't Help Falling in Love," "Return to Sender" and "Viva Las Vegas." His 1960s films and soundtracks grossed some $280 million. On December 1, 1968, the New York Times wrote: "Three times a year Elvis Presley ... [makes] multi-million dollar feature-length films, with holiday titles like Blue Hawaii, Fun in Acapulco, Viva Las Vegas, Tickle Me, Easy Come, Easy Go, Live a Little, Love a Little and The Trouble With Girls. For each film, Elvis receives a million dollars in wages and 50 per cent of the profits. ... [E]very film yields an LP sound-track record which may sell as many as two-million copies."

In 1964, Richard Burton and Peter O'Toole had starred in Hal Wallis' acclaimed Becket. Wallis admitted to the press that the financing of such quality productions was only possible by making a series of profitable B-movies starring Presley. Elvis branded Wallis "a double-dealing sonofabitch" (and he thought little better of Tom Parker), realizing there had never been any intention to let him develop into a serious actor.

Presley was similarly exploited the following year with the film Tickle Me. Allied Artists had serious financial problems and hoped a Presley film would help them "stay afloat". By agreeing to a lower fee, using previously recorded songs and filming on the studio back-lot, Allied Artists were able to keep costs very low. Considered one of the weakest of all Presley pictures, it became the third highest grossing picture in Allied Artists' history, and saved them from bankruptcy at the time.

By the late sixties, the Hippie movement had developed and musical acts like Jefferson Airplane, Sly and the Family Stone, Grateful Dead, The Doors and Janis Joplin were dominating the airwaves. Priscilla Presley recalls: "He blamed his fading popularity on his humdrum movies" and "... loathed their stock plots and short shooting schedules." She also notes: "He could have demanded better, more substantial scripts, but he didn't."

Change of Habit (1969) was the singer's final movie role. His last two films were concert documentaries in the early 1970s, though Presley was keen to consider dramatic movie roles.(See: 'Influence of Colonel Parker and others').

Elvis was offered a co-starring role in the 1976 remake of A Star is Born, and he expressed interest. But the producers instead turned to Kris Kristoferson after Colonel Parker began making greater and greater demands for salary and billing for Presley.

As well as the formulaic movie songs of the 1960s, Presley added to the studio recordings of Elvis Is Back, by recording other noteworthy songs like "She's Not You", "Suspicion," "Little Sister", "(You're the) Devil in Disguise" and "It Hurts Me." In 1966 he recorded a cover of Bob Dylan's "Tomorrow is a Long Time" (which RCA Victor relegated to a bonus track on the soundtrack album for Spinout). He also produced two gospel albums: His Hand in Mine (1960) and How Great Thou Art (1966). In 1967, he recorded some well-received singles, like Guitar Man, by songwriter/guitar player Jerry Reed. However, "during the Beatles era (1963-70), only six Elvis singles reached number ten or better. 'Suspicious Minds' was the lone number one."

Marriage to Priscilla
Main articles: Priscilla Presley, Elvis and Me, and Lisa Marie Presley
Elvis and Priscilla met in 1959 at a party in Bad Nauheim, Germany during his stay in the army. She was 14 at the time, while he was 24. They quickly began a romantic relationship and were frequently together until Elvis left Germany in 1960. In her autobiography, Elvis and Me, Priscilla says that when they had sex, Elvis refused to have intercourse with her until they were married. However, biographer Suzanne Finstad writes that Priscilla and Elvis slept together on their second date, and that she wasn't a virgin when she met him. Priscilla later filed a lawsuit against Currie Grant for his claim in Finstad's book that he had sex with her in exchange for introducing her to Presley and won. However, neither Finstad nor her publisher were a party to the lawsuit, and Finstad says she stands by the account in her book.

Priscilla and Elvis stayed in contact over the phone, though they would not see each other again until the summer of 1962, when Priscilla's parents agreed to let her visit for two weeks. After another visit at Christmas, Priscilla's parents finally let her move to America for good. Part of the agreement was that she would be privately educated, to complete her senior year, and live with Elvis' father and his wife, Dee, in their home—due to Presley's difficulty with accepting his stepmother, he arranged for them to live in a separate house on the Graceland estate. Priscilla's parents allowed her to live at Graceland only if Elvis promised to eventually marry her. However, it wasn't long until Priscilla was moved into Graceland to live with Elvis.

Shortly before Christmas 1966, Elvis proposed to Priscilla. They married on May 1, 1967 at the Aladdin Hotel in Las Vegas after an eight-year courtship. In typical fashion, Colonel Parker had arranged a photo session and press conference to be conducted shortly after the ceremony. According to Finstad, this marriage was part of a mastermind for fame hatched by Priscilla and her mother.

Their only child, Lisa Marie, was born on February 1, 1968.

Sex symbol
Main article: Relationships of Elvis Presley
Presley's sexual appeal and photogenic looks have been acknowledged: for example, director Steve Binder, not a fan of Presley's music at the time, recalled from the '68 Comeback Special (when Presley was fit and tanned): "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."

According to Marjorie Garber, a "male rock critic writing in 1970 praised Elvis as 'The master of the sexual simile, treating his guitar as both phallus and girl.' ... rumor had it that into his skin-tight jeans was sewn a lead bar to suggest a weapon of heroic proportions." She cites a boyhood friend of Presley's who claims the singer actually used a cardboard toilet roll tube to make it "look to the girls up front like he had one helluva thing there inside his pants." According to Ed Sullivan’s co-producer Marlo Lewis, the rumor had it that "Elvis has been hanging a small soft-drink bottle from his groin underneath his pants, and when he wiggles his leg it looks as though his pecker reaches down to his knee!" Therefore, it was decided to shoot the singer only from the waist up during his performance in the Sullivan Show.

Accounts of Presley's numerous sexual conquests may be exaggerated. Cybill Shepherd reveals that Presley kissed her all over her naked body - but refused to have oral sex with her. Ex-Girlfriends Judy Spreckels and June Juanico had no sexual relationships with Presley. Byron Raphael and Alanna Nash have stated that the star "would never put himself inside one of these girls..." Cassandra Peterson ("Elvira") says she knew Presley for only one night, but all they did was talk. Cher regrets turning him down when he asked her to stay with him in Las Vegas, because she was too nervous of spending the night with him. Peggy Lipton claims that he was "virtually impotent" with her, but she attributed this to his boyishness and drug misuse. Guralnick concurs with others, "he wasn't really interested", preferring to lie in bed, watch television and talk.

Ann-Margret, (Presley's co-star in Viva Las Vegas), refers to Presley as her "soulmate" but has revealed little else. A publicity campaign about Presley and Margret's romance was launched during the filming of Viva Las Vegas, which helped to increase Margret's popularity. Presley apparently dated many female co-stars for publicity purposes. Lori Williams dated him for a while in 1964. She says their "courtship was not some bizarre story. It was very sweet and Elvis was the perfect gentleman."

Former partner Linda Thompson says they did not consummate their relationship until after a few months of dating. After they broke up in December 1976, many say Presley never had sex again. His last girlfriend, Ginger Alden claims that she was engaged to Presley at the time of his death, but this is disputed.

"The Fab Four" meet "The King"
During filming of Paradise, Hawaiian Style, Presley returned to his Bel Air home. The Beatles were at the end of their second U.S. tour. Colonel Parker had been negotiating a meeting for some time, through The Beatles' manager Brian Epstein, though Parker simply saw it as a valuable publicity opportunity (he had apparently even tried to get the group and Presley to perform the closing song in the same movie, but The Beatles' film contract precluded it ). The group arrived in Bel Air amid a flurry of elaborate security arrangements made by Parker at 10pm, on August 27, 1965. The visit lasted about four hours. Many of Presley's closest and trusted friends— members of the so-called "Memphis Mafia"—were present, including school friend and bodyguard Red West, Marty Lacker, Jerry Schilling, Larry Geller and their girlfriends.

Biographer Peter Guralnick maintains that Presley was at best "lukewarm" about playing host to people he did not really know, and it took a while for everyone to feel comfortable. Paul McCartney later said: "It was one of the great meetings of my life. I think he liked us. I think at that time, he may have felt a little bit threatened, but he didn't say anything. We certainly didn't feel any antagonism. I only met him that once, and then I think the success of our career started to push him out a little, which we were very sad about, because we wanted to coexist with him."

Marty Lacker recalls Presley saying: "'Quite frankly, if you guys are going to stare at me all night, I'm going to bed. I thought we'd talk a while and maybe jam a little.' And when he said that, they [The Beatles] went nuts." The group told stories, joked and listened to records. The five of them had an impromptu jam session. "They all went to the piano," says Lacker, "and Elvis handed out a couple of guitars. And they started singing Elvis songs, Beatle songs, Chuck Berry songs. Elvis played Paul's bass part on "I Feel Fine", and Paul said something like, 'You're coming along quite promising on the bass there, Elvis.' I remember thinking later, 'Man, if we'd only had a tape recorder.'"

Ringo Starr played pool with two others that night; George Harrison "looked to most of the guys to be stoned" on arrival and allegedly smoked a joint with Larry Geller and talked about Hinduism (see: 'Influence of Colonel Parker and others'). Parker played roulette with Epstein. However, Guralnick claims The Beatles were, overall, disappointed by the visit. They still reciprocated with an invitation for Elvis to visit them, but only some of Presley's "Memphis Mafia" accepted. "John Lennon went out of his way to tell Jerry [Schilling] how much the evening had meant to him" and asked Schilling to tell Presley, "'[I]f it hadn't been for him I would have been nothing.'" Schilling says that when he told Presley he did not say anything, but "just kind of smiled." (See: '1970–1972)').

Influence of Colonel Parker and others
Main articles: Colonel Tom Parker and Memphis Mafia
By 1967, Colonel Tom Parker had negotiated a contract that gave him 50% of Presley's earnings. Parker's excessive gambling—and his subsequent need to have Presley signed up to commercially lucrative contracts—may well have adversely affected the course of Presley's career. Parker's concerns about his own U.S. citizenship (he was a Dutch immigrant) may have also been a factor in Parker and the singer never exploiting Presley's popularity abroad (see: '1973–1976'). It has been claimed that Presley's original band was fired in order to isolate the singer: Parker wanted no one close to Presley to suggest that a better management deal might exist.

Due to Parker's deal with Hill & Range in 1955 (see First recordings and performances), Presley apparently disliked several songs he sang— even some of the earliest top sellers he became famous for (which suggests commercial influences were sometimes greater than his own desires). Presley's friend Jerry Schilling relates that one way to really annoy the singer was to play a song, like "All Shook Up", on a jukebox at one of his private parties. "Get that crap off," was his typical reaction.

In 1969, record producer Chips Moman and Presley recorded with Moman's own musicians at his American Sound Studios in Memphis. Given the control exerted by RCA and the music publishers, this was a significant departure. Moman still had to deal with Hill and Range staff on site and was not happy with their song choices. Moman could only get the best out of the singer when he threatened to quit the sessions and asked Presley to remove the "aggravating" publishing personnel from the studio. RCA Victor executive Joan Deary was later full of praise for the song choices and superior results of Moman's work, like "In the Ghetto" and "Suspicious Minds", but despite this, no producer was to override Hill and Range's control again.

According to life-long friend and "Memphis Mafia" member George Klein, over the years Presley was offered lead roles in the film Midnight Cowboy and in West Side Story. Robert Mitchum personally offered him the lead in Thunder Road. In 1974, Barbra Streisand approached Presley to star with her in the remake of A Star is Born. In each case, any ambitions the singer may have had to play such parts were thwarted by his manager's negotiating demands, or his flat refusals.

Marty Lacker regarded Parker as a "hustler and scam artist" who abused Presley's trust, but Lacker acknowledged that Parker was a master promoter. Priscilla Presley noted that "Elvis detested the business side of his career. He would sign a contract without even reading it."

Presley's father in turn distrusted Lacker and the other members of the "Memphis Mafia"; he thought they collectively exercised an unhealthy influence over his son. "[I]t was no wonder" that as the singer "slid into addiction and torpor, no one raised the alarm: to them, Elvis was the bank, and it had to remain open." Musician Tony Brown noted the urgent need to reverse Presley's declining health as the singer toured in the mid-1970s. "But we all knew it was hopeless because Elvis was surrounded by that little circle of people... all those so-called friends and... bodyguards." In the "Memphis Mafia"'s defence, Marty Lacker has said: "[Presley] was his own man. ... If we hadn't been around, he would have been dead a lot earlier."

Larry Geller became Presley's hairdresser in 1964. Unlike others in the "Memphis Mafia", Geller was interested in 'spiritual studies', and was subsequently viewed with suspicion and scorn by the singer's manager and friends. From their first conversation, Geller recalls how Presley revealed his secret thoughts and anxieties, how "there's got to be a reason... why I was chosen to be Elvis Presley.'" He then poured out his heart in "an almost painful rush of words and emotions," telling Geller about his mother and the hollowness of his Hollywood life, things he could not share with anyone around him. Thereafter, Presley voraciously read books Geller supplied, on religion and mysticism. Perhaps most tellingly, he revealed to Geller: "I swear to God, no one knows how lonely I get and how empty I really feel." Presley would be preoccupied by such matters for much of his life, taking trunkloads of books with him on tour.

1968 comeback
Main article: Elvis (1968 TV program)

Elvis Presley in his '68 Comeback Special, airing on NBC, December 3, 1968In 1968, even Presley's version of Jerry Reed's hook-laden "Guitar Man" had failed to enter the U.S. Top 40. He continued to issue movie soundtrack albums that sold poorly compared to those of films like Blue Hawaii from 1961. It had also been nearly six years since the single "Good Luck Charm" had topped the Billboard Hot 100.

Presley was, by now, "profoundly" unhappy with his career. Colonel Parker's plans once again included television, and he arranged for Presley to appear in his own special. The singer had not been on television since Frank Sinatra's Timex special in May 1960. Parker shrewdly maneuvered a deal with NBC's Tom Sarnoff which included the network's commitment to financing a future Presley feature film—something that Parker had found increasingly difficult to secure.

The special was made in June, but was first aired on December 3, 1968 as a Christmas telecast called simply Elvis. Later dubbed the '68 Comeback Special by fans and critics, the show featured some lavishly staged studio productions. Other songs however, were performed live with a band in front of a small audience—Presley's first live appearance as a performer since 1961. The live segments saw Presley clad in black leather, singing and playing guitar in an uninhibited style—reminiscent of his rock and roll days. Rolling Stone called it "a performance of emotional grandeur and historical resonance." Jon Landau in 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." Its success was helped by director and co-producer, Steve Binder, who worked hard to reassure the nervous singer and to produce a show that was not just an hour of Christmas songs, as Colonel Parker had originally planned.

By January, 1969, one of the key songs written specifically for the special, "If I Can Dream", reached number 12. The soundtrack of the special also broke into the Top 10. On December 4, when the TV ratings were released, NBC reported that Presley had captured 42 percent of the total viewing audience. It was the network's number one rated show that season.

Jerry Schilling recalls that the special reminded Presley about 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." Steve Binder said of 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."

Buoyed by the experience, Presley engaged in the prolific series of recording sessions at American Sound Studios, which led to the acclaimed From Elvis in Memphis (Chips Moman was its uncredited producer). It was followed by From Memphis To Vegas/From Vegas To Memphis, a double-album. The same sessions lead to the hit singles "In the Ghetto", "Suspicious Minds", "Kentucky Rain" and "Don't Cry Daddy".

Return to live performances
In 1969, Presley was keen to resume regular live performing. Following the success of Elvis, many new offers came in from around the world. The London Palladium offered Parker $28,000 for a one week engagement. He responded: "That's fine for me, now how much can you get for Elvis?" By May, the brand new International Hotel in Las Vegas announced that it had booked Presley; he was scheduled to perform from July 31, after Barbra Streisand opened the new venue.

Presley duly delivered fifty-seven shows over four weeks at the hotel, which had the largest showroom in the city. He had assembled some of the finest musicians—including an orchestra—and some of the best soul/gospel back-up singers available.

Despite such a prestigious backing, Presley was nervous; his only other engagement in Las Vegas (1956) had been a disaster, critically. Parker therefore promoted the singer's appearances heavily; he rented billboards and took out full-page advertisements in local and trade papers. The lobby of the International displayed Presley souvenirs; records, T-shirts, straw boaters and stuffed animals. Parker intended to make Presley's return the show business event of the year, and hotel owner Kirk Kerkorian planned to send his own plane to New York to fly in the rock press for the debut performance.

Presley took to the stage with no introduction. The audience of 2,200—which included Pat Boone, Fats Domino, Wayne Newton, Dick Clark, Ann-Margret, George Hamilton, Angie Dickinson, and Henry Mancini—gave him a standing ovation before he sang one note. After a well-received performance, he returned to give an encore, of "Can't Help Falling in Love", and was given his third standing ovation Backstage, many well-wishers, including Cary Grant, congratulated Presley on his triumphant return which, in the showroom alone, had generated over $1,500,000.

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." Rolling Stone magazine declared Presley to be "supernatural, his own resurrection", while Variety proclaimed him a "superstar". At a press conference after his opening show, when a reporter referred to him as "The King", Presley pointed to Fats Domino, standing at the back of the room. "No," he said, "that’s the real king of rock and roll."

The next day, Parker's negotiations with the hotel resulted in a five-year contract for Presley to play each February and August, at a salary of $1 million per year.

1970–1972

Elvis meets U.S. President Richard Nixon in the White House Oval Office, December 21, 1970In January 1970, Presley returned to the International Hotel for a month-long engagement, performing two shows a night. RCA recorded some shows and the best material appeared on the album On Stage - February 1970. In late February, Presley performed six more attendance-breaking shows at the Houston Astrodome in Texas. In August at the International Hotel, MGM filmed rehearsal and concert footage for a documentary: Elvis - That's The Way It Is. He wore a jumpsuit—a garment that would become a trademark of Presley's live performances in the 1970s. Although he had new hit singles in many countries, some were critical of his song choices and accused him of being distant from trends within contemporary music.

Around this time Presley was threatened with kidnapping at the International Hotel. Phone calls were received, one demanding $50,000; if unpaid, Presley would be killed by a "crazy man". The FBI took the threat seriously and security was stepped up for the next two shows. Presley went on stage with a Derringer in his right boot and a .45 in his waistband, but nothing untoward transpired.(The singer had had many threats of varying degrees since the fifties, many of them made without the singer's knowledge).

After closing his Las Vegas engagement on September 7, Presley embarked on his first concert tour since 1958. Feeling exhausted, Presley spent a month relaxing and recording before touring again in October and November. He would tour extensively in the U.S. up to his death; many of the 1,145 concerts setting attendance records.

On December 21, 1970, Presley met with President Richard Nixon at the White House (Presley arrived with a gift—a handgun. It was accepted but not presented for security reasons). Presley had engineered the encounter to express his patriotism, his contempt for the hippie drug culture and his wish to be appointed a "Federal Agent at Large". He also wished to obtain a Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs badge to add to similar items he had begun collecting. He offered to "infiltrate hippie groups" and claimed that The Beatles had "made their money, then gone back to England where they fomented anti-American feeling." Nixon was uncertain and bemused by their encounter, and twice expressed his concern to Presley that the singer needed to "retain his credibility". Ringo Starr later said he found it very sad to think Presley held such views. "This is Mr. Hips, the man, and he felt we were a danger. I think that the danger was mainly to him and his career." Paul McCartney said also that he "felt a bit betrayed ... The great joke was that we were taking drugs, and look what happened to [Elvis]. ... It was sad, but I still love him. ..."

On January 16, 1971 Presley was named 'One of the Ten Outstanding Young Men of the Nation' by the U.S. Junior Chamber of Commerce (The Jaycees). That summer, the City of Memphis named part of Highway 51 South "Elvis Presley Boulevard",.

In April 1972, MGM again filmed Presley, this time for Elvis on Tour, which won a 1972 Golden Globe for Best Documentary. A fourteen-date tour started with an unprecedented four consecutive sold-out shows at Madison Square Garden, New York. RCA taped the shows for a live album. After the tour, Presley released the 1972 single "Burning Love"—his last top ten hit in the U.S. charts.

Divorce from Priscilla
Off stage, Presley had continuing problems. He and Priscilla became increasingly distant due to Elvis being on the road so much. It was widely reported that he had cheated on her both before and after they married. In spite of his own infidelity, Presley was furious that Priscilla was having an affair with a mutual acquaintance—Mike Stone, a karate instructor she had met in 1971 backstage at one of Presley's concerts. It was Presley himself who first suggested Priscilla should take lessons from Stone. Once the news of their affair came to his attention, he raged obsessively: "There's too much pain in me... Stone [must] die." A bodyguard, Red West, felt compelled to get a price for a contract killing and was relieved when Presley decided: "Aw hell... Maybe it's a bit heavy..."

The Presleys separated on February 23, 1972 after 13 years together. Elvis filed for legal separation in August 1972, and then filed for divorce in January 1973. In the following months, Priscilla visited Elvis in Las Vegas where she claims that he forced himself upon her in his hotel room and said "This is how a real man makes love to a woman.". They were divorced on October 9, 1973, agreeing to share custody of their daughter.

Following his separation from Priscilla, he lived with Linda Thompson, a songwriter and one-time Memphis beauty queen, from July 1972 until just a few months before his death. Following their breakup, he had a relationship with Ginger Alden, who has said that they were engaged.

1973: Aloha from Hawaii

Elvis Presley, in Aloha From Hawaii television broadcast via satellite on January 14, 1973Main article: Aloha from Hawaii
In January 1973, Presley performed two charity concerts in Hawaii for the Kui Lee cancer foundation (The singer made many other charitable donations throughout his adult life. He also quietly paid hospital bills, bought cars, homes, supported families, paid off debts, etc., for friends, family and total strangers).. The first concert (January 12) was primarily a practice run for the main show which was broadcast live on January 14 (The first show also served as a backup if technical problems affected the live broadcast). The "Aloha from Hawaii" concert was the world's first live concert satellite broadcast, reaching at least a billion viewers live and a further 500 million on delay. The show's album went to number one and spent a year in the charts. The album also proved to be Presley's last U.S. Number One album during his lifetime.

1973–1976
In March 1973, Presley and Parker negotiated a deal with RCA that resulted in Presley receiving a large lump sum payment of $5.4 million in lieu of all his future artist's royalties for any songs recorded up to that time. Presley, however, would retain any future royalties on material recorded after March 1973. Due to the current contract that Presley had with his manager, Parker received 50% of the payment. The deal also had no effect on Presley's publishing deals, and he would continue to receive royalties from Elvis Presley Music Inc. which included songs recorded prior to March 1973.

After his divorce in 1973, Presley became increasingly unwell, with prescription drugs affecting his health, mood and his stage act. His diet had always been unhealthy, and he now had significant weight problems. He overdosed twice on barbiturates, spending three days in a coma in his hotel suite after the first. According to Dr. George C. Nichopoulos, Presley's main physician, the singer was "near death" in November 1973 because of side effects of Demerol addiction. Nichopoulos notes that the subsequent hospital admission "was crazy", because of the enormous attention Presley attracted, and the measures necessary to protect his medical details. Lab technicians were even exploiting Presley's ill-health by selling samples of his blood and urine.

In his book, Elvis: The Final Years, Jerry Hopkins writes: "Elvis' health plummeted as his weight ballooned." At a University of Maryland concert on September 27 (1974), band members "had trouble recognizing him. ... 'He walked on stage and held onto the mike for the first thirty minutes like it was a post. Everybody was scared.' Guitarist John Wilkinson ... recalled, ... 'He was all gut. He was slurring. ... It was obvious he was drugged, that there was something terribly wrong with his body. It was so bad, the words to the songs were barely intelligible. ... We were in a state of shock.' "

Despite this, his "thundering" live version of "How Great Thou Art" won him a Grammy award in 1974. Presley won three competitive "Grammies" for his gospel recordings: "How Great Thou Art"—the album, as well as the single—and for the album He Touched Me (1972). (He had fourteen nominations during his career, though it has been claimed that "Elvis has never been adequately appreciated by those who give the Grammies.")

In April 1974, rumors began that he would actually be playing overseas after years of offers.[236] A $1,000,000 bid came in from a source in Australia for him to tour there, but Colonel Parker was uncharacteristically reluctant to accept such large sums. This prompted those closest to Presley to speculate about Parker's past and circumstances, and the reasons for his apparent unwillingness to apply for a passport to travel abroad. He set aside any notions Presley had of overseas work by citing poor security in other countries, and the lack of suitable venues for a star of his status. Presley apparently accepted such excuses, at the time.

Presley continued to play to sell-out crowds in the U.S.; a 1975 tour ended with a concert in Pontiac, Michigan, attended by over 62,000 fans. However, the singer now had "no motivation to lose his extra poundage... he became self-conscious... his self-confidence before the audience declined... Headlines such as 'Elvis Battles Middle Age' and 'Time Makes Listless Machine of Elvis' were not uncommon." According to Marjorie Garber, when Presley made his later appearances in Las Vegas, he appeared "heavier, in pancake make-up... with an elaborate jewelled belt and cape, crooning pop songs to a microphone ... [He] had become Liberace. Even his fans were now middle-aged matrons and blue-haired grandmothers, ... Mother's Day became a special holiday for Elvis' fans."

On July 13, 1976, Presley's father fired "Memphis Mafia" bodyguards Red West, Sonny West and David Hebler. All three were taken by surprise, especially the Wests, who had been with Presley since the beginning of his career. Presley was away in Palm Springs when it happened, and some suggest the singer was too cowardly to face them himself. Vernon Presley cited the need to "cut back on expenses" when dismissing the three, but David Stanley has claimed they were really fired because of becoming more outspoken about Presley's drug dependency. A "trusted associate" of Presley, John O'Grady, also stated, in agreement with Parker and Vernon Presley, that the bodyguards "were too rough with the fans... resulting in a lot of unnecessary lawsuits" and lawyers' fees. The Wests and Hebler would later write a devastating indictment of Presley, notably his drug-taking, in the book: Elvis: What Happened?, published August 1, 1977.

Almost throughout the 1970s, Presley's recording label had been increasingly concerned about making money from Presley material: RCA Victor often had to rely on live recordings because of problems getting him to attend studio sessions. A mobile studio was occasionally sent to Graceland in the hope of capturing an inspired vocal performance. Once in a studio, he could lack interest or be easily distracted; often this was linked to his health and drug problems.

Final year and death
In 2006, a journalist recalled: "Elvis Presley had [in 1977] become a grotesque caricature of his sleek, energetic former self... he was barely able to pull himself through his abbreviated concerts." In Alexandria, Louisiana, the singer was on stage for less than an hour and "was impossible to understand." In Baton Rouge, Presley failed to appear: he was unable to get out of his hotel bed, and the rest of the tour was cancelled. In Knoxville, Tennessee on May 20, "there was no longer any pretence of keeping up appearances. The idea was simply to get Elvis out on stage and keep him upright..." Despite his obvious problems, shows in Omaha, Nebraska and Rapid City, South Dakota were recorded for an album and a CBS-TV special: Elvis In Concert.

In Rapid City, "he was so nervous on stage that he could hardly talk... He was undoubtedly painfully aware of how he looked, and he knew that in his condition, he could not perform any significant movement." His performance in Omaha "exceeded everyone's worst fears... [giving] the impression of a man crying out for help..." According to Guralnick, fans "were becoming increasingly voluble about their disappointment, but it all seemed to go right past Elvis, whose world was now confined almost entirely to his room and his [spiritualism] books." A cousin, Billy Smith, recalled how Presley would sit in his room and chat, recounting things like his favorite Monty Python sketches and his own past japes, but "mostly there was a grim obsessiveness... a paranoia about people, germs... future events", that reminded Smith of Howard Hughes.

Elvis Presley's final resting place at GracelandThe book Elvis: What Happened? was the first exposé to detail Presley's years of drug misuse, and served as the authors' revenge for them being fired, as well a plea to get Presley to recognize the extent of his drug problems. The singer "was devastated by the book. Here were his close friends who had written serious stuff that would affect his life. He felt betrayed."

Presley's final performance was in Indianapolis at the Market Square Arena, on June 26, 1977. According to many of his entourage who accompanied him on tour, it was the "best show he had given in a long time" with "some strong singing".

Another tour was scheduled to begin August 17, 1977, but at Graceland the day before, Presley was found on his bathroom floor by fiancée, Ginger Alden. According to the medical investigator, Presley had "stumbled or crawled several feet before he died"; he had apparently been using the toilet at the time. Death was officially pronounced at 3:30 pm at the Baptist Memorial Hospital.

Before his funeral, hundreds of thousands of fans, the press and celebrities lined the streets and many hoped to see the open casket in Graceland. One of Presley's cousins, Bobby Mann, accepted $18,000 to secretly photograph the corpse; the picture duly appeared on the cover of the National Enquirer, making it the largest and fastest selling issue of all time. Two days after the singer's death, a car plowed into a group of 2000 fans outside Presley's home, killing two women and critically injuring a third. Among the mourners at the funeral were Ann-Margret (who had remained close to Presley) and his ex-wife. U.S. President Jimmy Carter issued a statement (See 'Legacy').

On Thursday, August 18, following a funeral service at Graceland, Elvis Presley was buried at Forest Hill Cemetery in Memphis, next to his mother. After an attempt to steal the body on August 28, and with no signs of security concerns at the cemetery abating, his—and his mother's—remains were reburied at Graceland in the Meditation Garden in October.

Presley had developed many health problems during his life, some of them chronic. Opinions differ regarding the onset of his drug abuse. He did take amphetamines regularly in the army; it has been claimed that pills of some form were first given to him by Memphis DJ Dewey Phillips, but Presley's friend Lamar Fike has said: "Elvis got his first uppers from what he stole from his mother. Gladys was given Dexedrine to help her with her 'change of life' problems." Priscilla Presley saw "problems in Elvis' life, all magnified by taking prescribed drugs." Presley's physician, Dr. Nichopoulos, has said: "[Elvis] felt that by getting [pills] from a doctor, he wasn't the common everyday junkie getting something off the street. He... thought that as far as medications and drugs went, there was something for everything."

According to Guralnick: "[D]rug use was heavily implicated... no one ruled out the possibility of anaphylactic shock brought on by the codeine pills... to which he was known to have had a mild allergy." In two lab reports filed two months later, each indicated "a strong belief that the primary cause of death was polypharmacy," with one report "indicating the detection of fourteen drugs in Elvis' system, ten in significant quantity."

The medical profession has been seriously questioned. Medical Examiner Dr. Jerry Francisco had publicly offered a cause of death while the autopsy was still being performed, but before toxicology results were known. Dr. Francisco dubiously stated that cardiac arrhythmia was the cause of death, a condition that can only be determined in a living person—not post mortem. Many doctors had been flattered to be associated with Presley (or had been bribed with gifts) and supplied him with pills, which simply fed his addictions. The singer allegedly spent at least $1 million annually during his latter years on drugs and doctors' fees or inducements. Although Dr. Nichopoulos was exonerated with regard to Presley's death, "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. On January 20, 1980, the board found [against] him... but decided that he was not unethical [because he claimed he'd been trying to wean the singer off the drugs]." His license was suspended. In July 1995, it was permanently revoked after it was found he had improperly dispensed drugs to several patients including Jerry Lee Lewis.

In 1994, the autopsy into Presley's death was re-opened. Coroner Dr. Joseph Davis declared: "There is nothing in any of the data that supports a death from drugs [i.e. drug overdose]. In fact, everything points to a sudden, violent heart attack." However, there is little doubt that polypharmacy/Combined Drug Intoxication caused his premature death.

Legacy
Further information: Cultural depictions of Elvis Presley; Cultural impact of Elvis Presley; Elvis Presley phenomenon
Elvis Presley's death deprives our country of a part of itself. He was unique and irreplaceable. More than 20 years ago, he burst upon the scene with an impact that was unprecedented and will probably never be equaled. His music and his personality, fusing the styles of white country and black rhythm and blues, permanently changed the face of American popular culture. His following was immense, and he was a symbol to people the world over of the vitality, rebelliousness, and good humor of his country.

– President Jimmy Carter, 1977-08-17,

Author Samuel Roy has argued: "Elvis' death did occur at a time when it could only help his reputation. Just before his death, Elvis had been forgotten by society."

Biographer Ernst Jorgensen has observed that when Presley died, "it was as if all perspective on his musical career was somehow lost." His latter-day song choices had been seen as poor; many who disliked Presley had long been dismissive because he did not write his own songs. Others complained—incorrectly—that he could not play musical instruments. Such criticism of Presley continues. Presley "was an untrained musician who played [guitar and piano] entirely by ear. 'I don't read music,' he confessed, 'but I know what I like.' ... Because he was not a songwriter, Presley [would] rarely [have] material prepared for recording sessions..." When later, as a young singer, he "ventured into the recording studio he was heavily influenced by the songs he had heard on the jukebox and radio." The tabloids had ridiculed his obesity and his kitschy, jump-suited performances. Comedian George Carlin remarked, "America got what it deserved in Elvis Presley: a big fat, drug-addicted squealer." Sade Adu said about Presley: "when I see him in his fifties movies, Jailhouse Rock and King Creole, that's an image I desire to look like. But when he's in his jumpsuit I just think of him as a drag queen." His sixties' film career was mocked. (In 1980, John Lennon said: "[Presley] died when he went into the army. That's when they killed him, that's when they castrated him.") Acknowledgment of his vocal style had been reduced to mocking the hiccuping, vocalese tricks that he had used on some early recordings—and to the way he said "Thankyouverymuch" after songs during live shows. This was only countered by the uncritical adulation of die-hard fans, who had even denied that he looked "fat" before he died.g Any wish to understand Elvis Presley—his genuine abilities and his real influence—"seemed almost totally obscured."

Presley has featured prominently in a variety of polls and surveys designed to measure popularity and influence.h However, sociologist Philip Ennis writes: "Perhaps it is an error of enthusiasm to freight Elvis Presley with too heavy a historical load" because, according to an opinion poll of high school students in 1957, Pat Boone was nearly the "two-to-one favorite over Elvis Presley among boys and preferred almost three-to-one by girls..." Despite this, and unlike Pat Boone, Presley's early music and live performances are credited with helping to lay a commercial foundation which allowed established black music acts of the 1950s to receive due recognition. Performers like Fats Domino, Chuck Berry and Little Richard, came to national prominence after Presley's mix of musical styles was accepted among White American teenagers. Rather than Presley being seen as a white man who 'stole black music', Little Richard argued: "He was an integrator, Elvis was a blessing. They wouldn't let black music through. He opened the door for black music." Al Green agreed, saying; "He broke the ice for all of us." It has also been claimed that Presley's sound and persona helped to relax the rigid color line and thereby fed the fires of the civil rights movement.

In the late 1960s, composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein remarked: "Elvis is the greatest cultural force in the twentieth century. He introduced the beat to everything, music, language, clothes, it's a whole new social revolution... the 60's comes from it."

Other celebrated pop and rock musicians have acknowledged that the young Presley inspired them. The Beatles were all big Presley fans.John Lennon said: "Nothing really affected me until I heard Elvis. If there hadn't been an Elvis, there wouldn't have been a Beatles." Deep Purple's Ian Gillan said: "For a young singer he was an absolute inspiration. I soaked up what he did like blotting paper... you learn by copying the maestro." Rod Stewart declared: "Elvis was the King. No doubt about it. People like myself, Mick Jagger and all the others only followed in his footsteps." Cher recalls from seeing Presley live in 1956 that he made her "realize the tremendous effect a performer could have on an audience." Bob Dylan said: "When I first heard Elvis' voice I just knew that I wasn't going to work for anybody; and nobody was going to be my boss. Hearing him for the first time was like busting out of jail."

By 1958, singers obviously adopting Presley's style, like Marty Wilde and Cliff Richard (the so-called "British Elvis"), were rising to prominence in the UK. Elsewhere, France's Johnny Hallyday and the Italians Adriano Celentano and Bobby Solo were also heavily influenced by Presley.

Presley's recorded voice is seen by many as his enduring legacy. Music critic Henry Pleasants writes: "Elvis 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. The voice covers two octaves and a third ... Moreover, he has not been confined to one type of vocal production. In ballads and country songs he belts out full-voiced high G's and A's that an opera baritone might envy. He is a naturally assimilative stylist with a multiplicity of voices—in fact, Elvis' is an extraordinary voice, or many voices." It has also been noted that "Presley’s comprehensive musical knowledge and talent also surprised and impressed songwriters Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller... [They] considered Presley to be an 'idiot savant' because he knew so many songs. His knowledge of the blues especially impressed them. Leiber remembers that Presley "could imitate anything he heard. He had a perfect ear,"... Presley could sing and/or play a song on the piano after hearing it only once or twice. His natural ear for music, ability to play by ear, and to improvise were well known to his friends and musical associates."

Gospel tenor Shawn Nielsen, who sang backing vocals for Presley on tour, said: "He could sing anything. I've never seen such versatility... He had such great soul. He had the ability to make everyone in the audience think that he was singing directly to them. He just had a way with communication that was totally unique."

Presley's informal jamming in front of a small audience in the '68 Comeback Special is regarded as a forerunner of the so-called 'Unplugged' concept, later popularized by MTV.

The singer has been inducted into four music 'Halls of Fame': the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (1986), the Rockabilly Hall of Fame (1997), the Country Music Hall of Fame (1998), and the Gospel Music Hall of Fame (2001). In 1984, he received the W. C. Handy Award from the Blues Foundation and the Academy of Country Music’s first Golden Hat Award. In 1987, he received the American Music Awards’ first posthumous presentation of the Award of Merit.

Presley has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 7080 Hollywood Boulevard. He was also honored by the Mississippi Blues Commission with a Mississippi Blues Trail historic marker placed in Tupelo, his birth place, in recognition of his contribution to the development of the blues in Mississippi.

In 1994, the 40th anniversary of Presley's "That's All Right" was recognized with its re-release, which made the charts worldwide, making top three in the UK.

During the 2002 World Cup a Junkie XL remix of his "A Little Less Conversation" (credited as "Elvis Vs JXL") topped the charts in over twenty countries and was included in a compilation of Presley's U.S. and UK number one hits, Elv1s: 30.

In the UK charts (January 2005), three re-issued singles again went to number one ("Jailhouse Rock", "One Night"/"I Got Stung" and "It's Now or Never"). Throughout the year, twenty singles were re-issued—all making top five.

In the same year, Forbes magazine named Presley, for the fifth straight year, the top-earning deceased celebrity, grossing US$45 million for the Presley estate during the preceding year. In mid-2006, top place was taken by Nirvana's Kurt Cobain after the sale of his song catalogue, but Presley reclaimed the top spot in 2007.[284]

Paul F. Campos has written: "The Elvis cult touches on so many crucial nerves of American popular culture: the ascent of a workingclass boy from the most obscure backwater to international fame and fortune; the white man with the soul of black music in his voice; the performer whose music tied together the main strands of American folk music—country, rhythm and blues, and gospel; and, perhaps most compellingly for a weight-obsessed nation, the sexiest man in America's gradual transformation into a fat, sweating parody of his former self, straining the bounds of a jewel-encrusted bodysuit on a Las Vegas stage. The images of fat Elvis and thin Elvis live together in the popular imagination." The singer continues to be imitated—and parodied—outside the main music industry and Presley songs remain very popular on the karaoke circuit. People from a diversity of cultures and backgrounds work as Elvis impersonators ("the raw 1950s Elvis and the kitschy 1970s Elvis are the favorites.")

In 2002, it was observed:

For those too young to have experienced Elvis Presley in his prime, today’s celebration of the 25th anniversary of his death must seem peculiar. 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’s breakthroughs are underappreciated because in this rock-and-roll age, his hard-rocking music and sultry style have triumphed so completely.

– The New York Times

Discography
For a detailed discography, see Elvis Presley discography.
For a list of all of his songs, see List of Elvis Presley songs.
For a list of Presley's hit singles and extended plays, see Elvis Presley hit singles.
For a list of Presley's hit albums, see Elvis Presley hit albums.

GALERIA 2

2008-08-05T16:08:00.005-07:00

Elvis Aaron Presley (Tupelo, Misisipi, 8 de enero de 1935 - Memphis, Tennessee, 16 de agosto de 1977), cantante de rock estadounidense e icono de la música popular del siglo XX. Inspiró a muchos cantantes tanto dentro como fuera del género Rock.

Considerado el Rey del Rock and Roll, también protagonizó numerosas películas, muchas de las cuales estuvieron consagradas a sus canciones. A menudo es llamado simplemente Elvis o «El Rey».

A pesar de su muerte, Elvis sigue vendiendo discos y ha superado la cifra de los 1.000 millones de discos vendidos desde 1980 segun Rca y desde 1997 segun BMG.

La revista Rolling Stone lo presenta como el interprete #3 de toda la historia en su lista "The Immortals" (superado solo por The Beatles y Bob Dylan). En el programa americano, American Idol Elvis fue Homenajeado como el Artista mas Grande de Todos los Tiempos. La revista Time el año 1999 lo eligio como "Artista mas influyente del Siglo XX", en una encuesta mundial, superando a Los Beatles, Sinatra, Picasso, etc.

Infancia [editar]Hijo de Vernon y Gladys Presley, fue fruto de un embarazo de mellizos, aunque su hermano, Jesse Aaron Presley, murió al nacer. Elvis tuvo una infancia dura y difícil en Tupelo, (Misisipi), hasta que, después de muchas vicisitudes, sus padres y él se mudaron a Memphis, donde poco a poco consiguieron cierta estabilidad económica. Su padre le compró su primera guitarra al cumplir 10 años. Desde niño, le apasionaba por igual la música blues, el gospel, el Doo wop así como la música country y el pop, incluyendo los temas musicales favoritos de su madre, que incluían la música mariachi y la ópera. Su cantante favorito era el tenor Mario Lanza, pero tenía gran predilección por Dean Martin, así como por Arthur Crudup, y todos los cantantes y músicos de lo que se llamaba entonces la música blues rural. Exploró asimismo las raíces musicales indias, ya que Elvis tenía ascendencia cherokee, por el lado materno.

Primeras grabaciones [editar]A los 19 años (en 1954), como regalo de cumpleaños para su madre, grabó un disco con dos temas en los estudios Sun Records, My Happiness y That's When Your Heartaches Begin. El propietario de la compañía, Sam Phillips, no llegó a oírlo, hasta que regresó dos veces más, también grabando dos canciones en cada oportunidad, tras lo cual quedó gratamente sorprendido. Tres meses después, le contrató para grabar un disco que tendría gran éxito en Memphis.

Muchos consideran que Presley fue el creador del rockabilly, una fusión del country y del blues, aunque a la hora de encontrar a la persona responsable por su mayor auge y desarrollo, la mayoría se inclina por Carl Perkins, autor del hit Blue Suede Shoes. Con la edición de su primer tema de este género, That's All Right Mama, de Arthur Crudup, (género que por cierto dejaría en menos de 17 meses para lanzarse sobre otros ritmos cada vez más sofisticados), creó una de las imágenes más clásicas del rock and roll. Habiendo conquistado la ciudad de Memphis, así como algunos mercados regionales en el sur de los Estados Unidos, en 1955, fue observado por el Coronel Tom Parker quien gestionó, a finales de ese año, su traslado de la pequeña discográfica Sun Records, a la RCA, a cambio de 35.000 dólares, y un Cadillac para Presley.

Camino al estrellato [editar]Con su primer tema para la RCA, Heartbreak Hotel, consiguió su primer número uno, de los 18 que consiguió en su carrera en Estados Unidos. Su modo de bailar, con sus movimientos pélvicos, resultó escandaloso, aunque entusiasmó a los jóvenes. En algunos programas de televisión, como lo fue durante su tercera aparición en el Show de Ed Sullivan, sólo se le enfocó de cintura para arriba. Antes de su ingreso al servicio militar, rompió todos los récords de venta, alcanzando once números uno seguidos en la lista de sencillos, y cuatro números uno en la de los discos de larga duración. Interpretó, asimismo, cuatro películas, todas enormes éxitos de taquilla.

Tumba de Elvis Presley, Graceland, Memphis, Tennessee.
Servicio militar [editar]Entre 1958 y 1960 estuvo ausente de los escenarios para realizar el servicio militar en Bad Nauheim, (Alemania) en calidad de piloto de cazas. Allí conoció a la que después sería su mujer, Priscilla Ann-Beaulieu (Priscila Presley). Su regreso al escenario fue espectacular, al aparecer como estrella invitada en el programa de Frank Sinatra con quien interpretó a dúo los temas Love me Tender / Witchcraft.

Como la cadena televisiva ABC consideró el precio demandado por Parker, como muy elevado, fue el propio Frank Sinatra quien la financió. Para éste último y a pesar del elevado monto, la inversión dio resultado, especialmente al final de la semana cuando se anunció que los ratings televisivos del show de Sinatra en que había aparecido Presley habían roto todos los récords de audiencia televisiva del referido show, que fue visto por 40 millones de personas. Presley recibió 125.000 dólares por su actuación, que duró unos diez minutos.

Los años de Hollywood [editar]En los años 1960 Presley se dedicó a actuar en películas de mediana a baja calidad, rodando tres películas en promedio por año, hasta un total de 31. Sus actores favoritos a los que admiraba y copiaba fueron James Dean y Marlon Brando. El 27 de agosto de 1965, durante la visita de Los Beatles en su casa de Bel-Air, (California), le comentó a John Lennon con respecto a su próxima película: "Seré un chico de campo que conoce chicas y canta canciones. La última vez que nos alejamos de esa fórmula perdimos dinero". Presley admiraba sinceramente a Los Beatles, pero luego al cambiar éstos su imagen a finales de los años sesenta, los acusó de inducir a la juventud a consumir drogas. En 1964 comenzó el descenso en la hegemonía que ostentaba en el mundo del rock, tanto a nivel de ventas como de popularidad.

Vuelta a los escenarios [editar]El 1 de mayo de 1967 Presley se casó con Priscilla Ann-Beaulieau (conocida como Priscila Presley), con la que tuvo un año después a su hija Lisa Marie Presley. En 1968, volvió al top de los hits parades norteamericanos después de su exitoso 1968 Comeback Special para la televisión. Al año siguiente reafirmó su vuelta a los conciertos en directo en el Hotel Internacional de Las Vegas, Nevada. En ese mismo año, nace su única hija, Lisa Marie Presley.

El 21 de diciembre de 1970, Elvis visitó al Presidente Richard Nixon en la Casa Blanca donde -después de un intercambio de regalos- charlaron sobre la influencia de las drogas en la juventud.

Sus últimos años [editar]Los años 70 serían los años en los que Elvis se convertiría de gran ídolo a mito musical. En julio de 1972 se separa de Priscilla, para llevar a cabo el divorcio definitivo en octubre de 1973, dejándolo en un profundo estado de depresión del que nunca se recobraría.

En 1973 realizaría el primer concierto televisado vía satélite de la historia, desde el paradisíaco Hawái conocido como Aloha From Hawaii, y visto por un número estimado de 1.500 millones de personas.

También es en ésta década en donde los excesos en sus hábitos alimenticios y su dependencia a las drogas, deterioran drásticamente su salud, tanto física como mental. En repetidas ocasiones es ingresado en el hospital. En 1973, Priscila Presley presenta la demanda de divorcio y consigue la tutela de su hija. Su ex-mujer declaró que no podía seguir en el ambiente de soledad, insatisfacción, infidelidades que dejaba la estela de fama que rodeaba a su marido y culpó directamente al "coronel" Tom Parker por sus ansias de dinero y de llevar a Elvis por rumbos de decadencia .

Para 1976-1977 Elvis dista mucho del muchacho vigoroso y lleno de energía que conquisto al mundo, convirtiéndose en una imagen burda, sobrepasado en peso y con dificultades para cantar y memorizar la letra de las canciones. Su último concierto lo daría el 26 de Junio de 1977 en Indianapolis, en el Idiana’s Market Square Arena.

En la madrugada del 16 de agosto, Elvis regresa a su mansión de Graceland después de una consulta dental, durante la mañana se encarga de revisar detalles de su próxima gira y descansa con su familia y amigos. Debe tomar un vuelo para Portland esa misma noche para seguir con la gira, y alrededor de las 7 am, se retira a su habitación para dormir. Alrededor del medio día, Elvis es encontrado inconsciente en el baño de su habitación, es trasladado urgentemente al hospital Baptist Memorial en Memphis, y poco tiempo después es declarado muerto.

Discografía [editar]Artículo principal: Anexo:Discografía de Elvis Presley
Elvis grabó 75 álbumes de estudio desde 1956 hasta el año de su muerte en 1977, entre los que se incluyen 22 bandas sonoras de sus películas, varios recopilatorios y 8 discos en directo.

Filmografía [editar]Artículo principal: Anexo:Filmografía de Elvis Presley
Rodó más de una treintena de películas incluyendo varios documentales de sus giras y/o conciertos.

Leyenda [editar]Artículo principal: Elvis está vivo
Hay muchas leyendas sobre Elvis, principalmente acerca de su muerte, pero una es la que tiene más fuerza. Según cuentan, dos horas después de la muerte de Elvis, un hombre llamado John Burrows sacó un billete de avión con dirección a Argentina. Lo peculiar de este hombre es que era muy parecido a Elvis y lo más sorprendente es que el nombre con el que firmó era el seudónimo muchas veces utilizado por Elvis. Años después este Burrows, con el nombre artístico de Orion, se puso a cantar imitando a Elvis y sus espectáculos eran muy parecidos, pero llevaba un antifaz que le cubría parte de la cara, con lo que se empezó a especular que este hombre en verdad era Presley. Seguramente esto no se podrá comprobar nunca debido a que Orion murió en el año 98. Algunos datos que contribuyen a esta leyenda son los hechos de que el segundo nombre de Elvis esté mal escrito en su tumba, Aaron en vez de Aron, que es el nombre que figura en su partida de bautismo. Otro dato es el hecho de que la familia de Elvis no haya cobrado aún el millonario seguro de vida. En EE.UU. no es delito fingir tu propia muerte, pero sí lo es fingirla y cobrar el seguro. Elvis deseaba ser enterrado junto a su madre en el Jardín de la Meditación de su mansión de Graceland, pero su tumba no la pusieron a su lado como era su voluntad.

El legado [editar]Elvis Aaron Presley es considerado el Rey del Rock'n Roll. Su estilo único de cantar, sus movimientos agresivos en el escenario, su carisma, y demás cualidades es lo que actualmente le permite ser una de las mayores figuras musical de la historia. Además de sus innumerables récords, la calidad en las canciones que interpretó es lo que sigue generando que nuevas generaciones engrosen las filas de sus fervorosos seguidores.

Ha encabezado por muchos años, la lista de de los artistas fallecidos con mayor recaudación por sus productos, solamente desbancado en el 2006 por Kurt Cobain. Anualmente su casa-mansión Graceland es visitada por miles de personas de todo el mundo. Es la segunda casa más visitada de los Estados Unidos, detrás de la Casa Blanca.

Muchas personas reconocen que Elvis fue la chispa que cambio la música popular y a toda una generación, y que gracias a él, ellos tomaron el mismo camino.

En resumidas cuentas, Elvis Presley ha dejado de ser un ícono estadounidense, para convertirse en uno de los íconos mundiales de la música.

GALERIA 3

2008-08-05T16:08:00.003-07:00

Elvis Presley (* 8. Januar 1935 in Tupelo, Mississippi, Vereinigte Staaten; † 16. August 1977 in Memphis, Tennessee, USA; gebürtig Elvis Aron Presley später Elvis Aaron Presley) war ein US-amerikanischer Sänger und Schauspieler, der aufgrund seines immensen und dauerhaften Erfolges den Beinamen „King“ bzw. King of Rock ’n’ Roll erhielt
Kindheit

Elvis PresleyElvis Presley wurde am 8. Januar 1935 in East Tupelo, Mississippi, unter dem Namen Elvis Aron Presley geboren und ist das einzige überlebende Kind von Vernon Elvis Presley (* 19. April 1916; † 26. Juni 1979) und Gladys Love Presley (geb. Smith * 25. April 1912; † 14. August 1958). Sein Zwillingsbruder (Jesse Garon, der etwa eine halbe Stunde vor Elvis geboren wurde) war bereits bei der Entbindung tot. Gladys konnte nach der schweren Geburt keine weiteren Kinder mehr bekommen. Elvis erhielt seinen Namen nach dem zweiten Vornamen seines Vaters Vernon Elvis Presley.

Vernon Presley und Gladys Smith wuchsen gemeinsam auf und heirateten am 17. Juni 1933. Vernon arbeitete, wie auch schon sein Vater vor ihm, als Landarbeiter, Gladys als Akkordarbeiterin in einer Textilfabrik, dem Tupelo Garment Center. Als Gladys 1934 schwanger wurde, verlor sie ihren Job. Vernon hatte inzwischen einen etwas besser bezahlten Job als Milchwagenfahrer gefunden. Die Presleys bauten sich ein kleines Holzhaus mit zwei Zimmern, ein so genanntes Shotgun House, und arbeiteten in verschiedenen Gelegenheitsjobs an der Armutsgrenze. Im Mai 1938 wurde Vernon wegen Scheckbetrugs zu einer Freiheitsstrafe von drei Jahren im Mississippi State Penitentiary verurteilt, kam aber bereits im Februar 1939 aufgrund einer Petition der Bürger von Lee County und eines Briefes der durch den Scheckbetrug betroffenen Partei wieder frei. Seine Bewährung belief sich auf sechs Monate.

Angetrieben von der Hoffnung auf eine wirtschaftlich bessere Zukunft zogen die Presleys im November 1948 nach Memphis, Tennessee. Die Wohnungszustände waren bedrückend. Während die Presleys in Tupelo wenigstens noch ein kleines, eigenes Holzhaus hatten, lebten sie in Memphis in einem einzigen feuchten, kalten, etwas angeschimmelten Raum. Das Bad wurde von drei weiteren Familien mitbenutzt. Die wöchentliche Miete betrug elf US-Dollar. Kurze Zeit nach ihrer Ankunft bekam Vernon einen Job in der Precision Tool Company in South Memphis.

Elvis Presley selbst arbeitete nach seinem Abschluss an der Humes High School in Memphis zunächst als Elektriker bei der Precision Tool Company und danach unter anderem als Lastwagenfahrer für Crown Electric. Musikalisch geprägt vom Gospel, den er als Mitglied des Kirchenchors in einer schwarzen Methodistengemeinde seit frühster Kindheit sang, und dem im Mississippi-Delta beheimateten Blues sowie auch der Country-Musik, träumte er jedoch von einer ganz anderen Zukunft. Nach dem Umzug der Familie Presley 1948 in die seit Anfang der 1950er-Jahre aufstrebende Metropole Memphis, in der Blues-Interpreten wie B. B. King, Howlin’ Wolf oder Rufus Thomas die Musikszene prägten, war dies für ihn die richtige Umgebung, seine Träume wahr werden zu lassen. Sehr maßgeblich für seine musikalische Karriere – und damit auch für die weitere Entwicklung der gesamten Popmusik sowie des Rock im 20. Jahrhundert – war schließlich auch der Umstand, dass seine Eltern ihm 1945 zu seinem 10. Geburtstag nicht das gewünschte Fahrrad und Luftdruckgewehr schenken konnten. Er erhielt stattdessen eine Gitarre, die er ohne Unterricht und Notenkenntnisse schon nach kurzer Zeit zu spielen verstand.

In seiner Jugend verbrachte Presley viel Zeit in der Poplar Street Mission, die den Eheleuten Denson gehörte. Hier traf er Dorsey Burnette, Paul Burlison und Lee Denson, die - entgegen Presleys Verhalten - laut, krawallmachend und pöbelnd waren. Burlison und Burnette waren gekonnte Boxer und hatten zusammen mit Denson sogar einige Zeit eine Schule zur Besserung ihres Benehmens in Nashville besucht. Lee Densons Bruder, Jimmy Lee, beschrieb Presley dagegen vollkommen anders. Im starken Kontrast zu seinen Freunden war Presley ruhig und schüchtern, machte nie Ärger und brachte fremden Personen gegenüber kaum andere Worte als „Yessir“ und „Nossir“ heraus. Jimmy Wages, der zusammen mit Presley in Tupelo zur Schule ging, beschrieb ihn als sehr schüchtern („He was so timid and shy“).[1]

Trotzdem hatten Denson, Burnette und Burlison einen entscheidenen Einfluss auf Presley. Denson brachte Presley die ersten grundlegenden Akkorde auf der Gitarre bei und später spielten alle vier zusammen in einer kleinen Band, die in Bars und Kneipen von Memphis spielten.

Elvis Presley hat unter anderem deutsche Vorfahren. In den 1990er-Jahren fanden Ahnenforscher heraus, dass der südpfälzische Winzer Valentin Pressler aus Hochstadt, der um 1700 nach Amerika auswanderte, sein Urahn ist.

Frühe Karriere
1953 nahm Presley in den Studios der Sun Records in Memphis auf Celluloseacetat die Titel My Happiness und That's When Your Heartaches Begin auf, angeblich als verspätetes Geburtstagsgeschenk für seine Mutter. Wahrscheinlicher ist jedoch, dass er den Klang seiner Stimme hören wollte. Die beiden Titel - sowie zahlreiche Balladen in den über zwei Jahrzehnten danach - sang er sehr rührselig, ja fast kitschig, was teilweise noch heute für Kritikerspott sorgt. Dieser Vortragsstil war aber – neben seiner „rockigen“ Phrasierungstechnik – von Anfang an ein wichtiger Teil von Elvis’ Erfolgsrezept.

Der Inhaber der Sun-Studios, Sam Phillips, ein Liebhaber und Produzent der schwarzen Musik, wurde durch die spezielle Klangfärbung von Elvis’ Stimme auf diesen aufmerksam. Phillips war damals bereits seit einiger Zeit auf der Suche nach einem Sänger mit „dem besonderen Sound“ und vor allem mit einem ausgeprägten Rhythmusgefühl, denn er sagte einmal voraus: „Wenn ich einen weißen Mann finden könnte, der die Stimme und das Einfühlungsvermögen eines Schwarzen hat, dann könnte ich eine Million Dollar machen“.

Obwohl von seiner Meinung überzeugt, war er aufgrund der damaligen Marktmechanismen zunächst noch sehr skeptisch, denn vor allem im rassistischen Süden der USA spielten „weiße“ Radiostationen bis in die 1960er Jahre keine schwarze Musik. Doch Phillips behielt recht, sein Gefühl bezüglich des jungen Gesangstalentes hatte ihn nicht getäuscht, denn seit 1954 verkauften sich weltweit insgesamt weit über eine Milliarde Schallplatten von Elvis Presley. Ab Anfang 1956 setzte in den USA und kurze Zeit später auch in Westeuropa um Elvis eine „Massenhysterie“ und ein regelrechter „Personenkult“ ein, wie die US-amerikanische Presse polemisch schrieb. Wegbereiter seiner beispiellosen Karriere war zweifellos auch die 1955 durch Bill Haleys Rock Around the Clock weltweit ausgelöste Teenager-Revolution, die der Jugend zwar ihre eigene Musik, den Rock ’n’ Roll, schenkte, jedoch noch nicht die Identifikationsfigur. Diesen Platz konnte Elvis am 28. Januar 1956 nach seinem Auftritt und der Vorstellung seines ersten RCA-Titels Heartbreak Hotel in der „Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey Stage Show“ einnehmen. Anders als Bill Haley personifizierte er den Rock ’n’ Roll. „Elvis the Pelvis “, (in Anspielung auf seine aufreizenden Hüftbewegungen) war geboren und wurde zu dem Star des Rock ’n’ Roll. Kein anderer Star der früheren Jahre, wie beispielsweise Bing Crosby, Perry Como oder Dean Martin, wurde von der Jugend so hingebungsvoll verehrt wie Elvis Presley. Auch in der Folgezeit konnte kein einzelner Musiker je wieder die persönliche Ausstrahlung und das Charisma eines Elvis Presley erreichen. Erst im Beat-Zeitalter der 60er Jahre konnten die Beatles sowie die Rolling Stones in der Popularität aufschließen.

Blue Moon of Kentucky (live), 1954 oder 1955 im Louisiana HayrideAm 5. Juli 1954 fand die erste von mehreren Aufnahmesessions in den Sun-Studios statt, wobei Elvis anfangs noch etwas uninspiriert verschiedene Countryballaden und gerade aktuelle Popsongs ausprobierte, gemeinsam mit den Studiomusikern Scotty Moore (Gitarre) und Bill Black (Bass) – der Schlagzeuger D. J. Fontana kam erst 1956 hinzu. Mehr durch Zufall entstand in einer Pause während der Probe durch musikalisches Herumalbern der typische „Elvis-Sound“, als Scotty Moore das Gitarrenriff eines Rhythm-and-Blues-Stückes rhythmisch stark akzentuiert spielte, Elvis diesen Offbeat aufgriff, den klassischen Bluesgesang des Originals mit vokalistischen Elementen von Gospel und Country-Musik anreicherte und dabei mit kreisenden Bewegungen durch das Studio wirbelte. Sam Phillips, der dies sah und hörte, hatte nun endlich, was er immer wollte und forderte die Band auf, in diesem Stil weiter zu machen.

Ein neuartiger Sound war geboren und eine neue Musikrichtung kreiert, die der legendäre amerikanische Discjockey Alan Freed kurz darauf erstmals Rock ’n’ Roll (engl. etwa für „schunkeln und wirbeln“) nannte. That's All Right Mama – eigentlich ein Blues-Stück des schwarzen Sängers Arthur „Big Boy“ Crudup, das Elvis aber vor allem rhythmisch vollkommen neu interpretierte - war der erste, im neuen Stil aufgenommene Song. Er wurde zwei Tage später vom Discjockey Dewey Phillips (nicht verwandt mit Sam Phillips) auf Memphis' Radiosender WHBQ vorgestellt. Aufgrund der zahlreichen Hörerwünsche musste er an jenem Abend insgesamt 15 Mal gespielt werden, und am nächsten Tag trafen 5000 Bestellungen der Single bei Sun Records ein.

Softly and Tenderly, 1956Im Dezember 1956 fand in den Sun Studios in Memphis noch eine letzte, inoffizielle Session, statt, genannt Sun Session. Formal hätte diese gar nicht stattfinden dürfen, da Presley zu dieser Zeit schon bei RCA Records unter Vertrag war. Presley war aus Las Vegas zurückgekommen und besuchte noch seine alten Weggefährten bei Aufnahmen von Carl Perkins, bei denen Jerry Lee Lewis als Pianist anwesend war. Er setzte sich ans Klavier und begann, verschiedene Stücke zu spielen. Schnell wurde er von Perkins, Lewis und dem später eintreffenden Johnny Cash begleitet. Sam Phillips ließ die Bänder mitlaufen. Die vier Musiker spielten in dieser Session Stücke aller Genres, von Gospeln wie Softly and Tenderly und Lonesome Valley über Country- und Bluegrass-Songs You're The Only Star In My Blue Heaven und Sweetheart You Done Me Wrong bis zu Pop-Titeln wie Presleys frühe Aufnahmen My Hapiness und That's When Your Heartaches Begin. Dabei wurden sie von weiteren Musikern begleitet; bekannt sind W.S. Holland am Schlagzeug und Perkins' Bruder am Kontrabass. Für Jahrzehnte verschwanden die Bänder des Million Dollar Quartets und wurden erst in den 1970er Jahren in Regalen der Sun Studios wiedergefunden.

Im Januar 1956 war Elvis mit einem fulminanten Fernsehauftritt in der Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey Stage Show sowie durch die Veröffentlichung des Songs Heartbreak Hotel (seiner ersten Nr. 1 in den Billboard-Single-Charts) der Durchbruch in den USA gelungen. Es folgten unmittelbar sechs weitere Nr.-1-Singles, z. B. Hound Dog, Don't Be Cruel und All Shook Up. In den folgenden Jahren wurde er für die Jugend der Welt zum gefeierten Idol und nach Frank Sinatra in den 1940er Jahren zu einem der ersten internationalen Superstars in der Geschichte der Popmusik.

Die rhythmische bis ekstatische Art, wie er seinen Körper zur Musik bewegte – gelegentlich auch mit einer Portion Selbstironie –, kannte man höchstens von Schwarzen, dem weißen Mainstream-Publikum war so etwas bis dato völlig unbekannt. Besonders sein Hüftschwung, der ihm den Beinamen „Elvis the pelvis“ („Elvis, das Becken“) einbrachte, wurde legendär, war aber auch ständiger Stein des Anstoßes für die öffentliche Meinung im konservativen Klima in den USA der 50er Jahre. Elternverbände und allen voran die Kirche fürchteten einen generellen Verfall von Sittlichkeit, Moral und ethischen Werten bei der fanatisierten Jugend; ein großer Teil der amerikanischen Presse verteufelte ihn aufgrund dessen u. a. als „Botschafter des schlechten Geschmacks“, „sexuellen Freibeuter“ oder gar „musikalischen Abschaum“ und heizte die Stimmung dadurch zusätzlich an. Das führte soweit, dass ihm in manchen Bundesstaaten die Polizei wegen des starken öffentlichen Druckes bei Konzerten den Hüftschwung unter Androhung von Strafen verbot.

Dabei wollte Elvis mit seinen Bewegungen nie einen öffentlichen Skandal provozieren – im Gegensatz zu manchen Rockstars nach ihm, die noch wesentlich spektakulärer auftraten, um so ihren allgemeinen Bekanntheitsgrad zu erhöhen oder ihr Image als „böse Buben“ zu pflegen. Stattdessen waren sie vor allem Ausdruck seiner musikalischen Emotionen. Die Beschreibung des Gitarristen Scotty Moore, der bei seinem ersten Konzert im Juli 1954 dabei war, bestätigt dies: „Das war der Moment, in dem er mit dieser Schüttelei anfing. Elvis stellte sich beim Gitarrespielen auf die Fußballen, um im Takt zu bleiben. Als er nun diese Show machte, fingen sie alle an zu schreien, und wir wussten gar nicht, was vor sich ging. Als wir wieder von der Bühne gingen meinte jemand, das liege nur daran, dass Elvis andauernd sein Bein geschüttelt hat. Von da an machte er das immer mehr und entwickelte daraus eine richtige Kunst. Aber es war ihm auch ein natürliches Bedürfnis.“

Seiner enormen Popularität tat die Gegenwehr breiter Gesellschaftskreise letztlich keinen Abbruch, ganz im Gegenteil. In der Ed-Sullivan-Show, der bekanntesten Musiksendung im damaligen US-Fernsehen, erreichte Elvis eine landesweite Rekord-Einschaltquote von 80 %, obwohl Sullivan vorher öffentlich bekannt gab, dass Elvis wegen seiner anstößigen Bewegungen nur von der Hüfte an aufwärts gezeigt werde. Vorher hatte sich der Moderator monatelang geweigert, Elvis ins Programm zu nehmen, musste sich aber letztlich doch dem Ansturm der amerikanischen Jugend beugen, die ihn mit Briefen „bombardierte“ und androhte, fortan seine Sendung zu boykottieren, was natürlich enorme Auswirkungen auf die Werbeeinnahmen gehabt hätte.

1957 bezog Elvis Presley das Anwesen Graceland in MemphisNach der Einberufung zur Army Anfang 1958 erschien sein Film King Creole. Der Film wurde ein Riesenerfolg, das Soundtrack-Album ebenso. Vom 1. Oktober 1958 bis 2. März 1960 war Elvis Presley in Friedberg (Hessen) stationiert. Er wohnte während dieser Zeit in der Villa Grunewald in Bad Nauheim und in den letzten zwölf Monaten in einem gemieteten Bad Nauheimer Privathaus in der Goethestraße 14. Während seiner Stationierung in Deutschland erschienen regelmäßig neue Singles, was eine clevere Strategie seines Managers Colonel Parker war, da auf diese Weise das Interesse an Elvis bis zu seiner Rückkehr nach Amerika nie abebbte.

1959 lernte er in Bad Nauheim die damals erst 14-jährige Soldatentochter Priscilla Beaulieu kennen, die er 1967 schließlich heiratete. Am 1. Februar 1968 wurde die gemeinsame Tochter Lisa Marie Presley geboren.

Musikalisch stand er mit Stücken wie Heartbreak Hotel (die erste Single für RCA), Hound Dog (1956) und vielen weiteren anfänglich für den Rock ’n’ Roll, jedoch erweiterte er recht bald sein Repertoire um Balladen wie Love Me Tender (1956). Vermutlich die Kombination aus hervorragender, „schwarz“ klingender Stimme, gutem Aussehen, weißer Hautfarbe, schwarzgefärbter „Schmalzlocke“ (Elvis war von Natur aus blond) und einem vielfältigen, aber stets sicher den Massenmarkt treffenden, Repertoire kann den einzigartigen Erfolg Presleys erklären. Die Sun Studios der 1950er hatten mit zahlreichen Interpreten etwas Neues hervorgebracht, doch erst Elvis war in der Lage, es von einer Minderheiten- zur Massenkultur werden zu lassen.

Späte Karriere

Elvis Presley 1970 mit US-Präsident Richard NixonNachdem Elvis sich während der 1960er-Jahre vor allem auf die Filmarbeit in Hollywood konzentriert hatte, nahm er Anfang 1969 in den American Sound Studios beim legendären Produzenten Chips Moman das erste Mal seit vielen Jahren wieder in seiner Heimatstadt Memphis auf. Diese Sessions brachten nicht nur die beiden Hit-Alben From Elvis in Memphis und Back In Memphis hervor, hier entstanden außerdem die Welthits Suspicious Minds und In the Ghetto, die Elvis nach acht Jahren Nummer-1-Hit-Flaute weltweit wieder zurück an die Spitze der Charts brachten.

Nach sehr erfolgreichen Tourneen durch die USA und Gastspielen in Las Vegas, wo er zwischen 1969 und 1976 regelmäßig im International Hotel, dem späteren Hilton-Hotel auftrat, war im Januar 1973 ein weiterer Höhepunkt die Fernseh-Show Elvis – Aloha from Hawaii, die via Satellit ausgestrahlt wurde, als erstes Konzert weltweit live gesehen werden konnte und über eine Milliarde Menschen vor den Fernseher lockte. Auf der ganzen Welt haben mehr Menschen das Aloha-from-Hawaii-Konzert live mitverfolgt als vier Jahre zuvor die erste Mondlandung.

Finanziell sah für Elvis die Situation auch aufgrund seiner verschwenderischen Großzügigkeit zunehmend problematisch aus. Für weit unterbewertete 5,5 Millionen US-Dollar verkaufte er 1974 einen Großteil seiner musikalischen Rechte an RCA. Nach dem Abzug des Anteiles seines Managers und der Steuern blieben Elvis gerade einmal 900.000 Dollar. Bereits 1967, auf dem Tiefpunkt der Karriere, hatte er mit seinem Manager einen Vertrag unterschrieben, der diesem die Hälfte aller Einnahmen zubilligte. Zum Zeitpunkt seines Todes besaß er trotz Plattenverkäufen im dreistelligen Millionenbereich an Vermögen nur sein Haus Graceland und 1,2 Millionen Dollar auf seinem Girokonto, um die laufenden Kosten zu decken.

Am 31. Dezember 1975 gab Elvis das letzte große Konzert-Highlight vor der Rekordkulisse von rund 60.000 Zuschauern im damals neuen Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan. Seine letzten Studiosongs nahm er im Oktober 1976 im sogenannten „Jungle Room“ in Graceland auf, eine geplante Session im Januar 1977 in Nashville fand wohl aufgrund gesundheitlicher Probleme nicht mehr statt.

Elvis absolvierte in seinen letzten Lebensjahren einen Konzertmarathon durch die USA von mehr als 150 Shows pro Jahr. Die freie Zeit verbrachte er meist zurückgezogen auf seinem Anwesen Graceland in Memphis, in Los Angeles, Palm Springs oder auf Hawaii. Er kämpfte in dieser Zeit nach Aussage von Freunden mit erheblichen persönlichen und wirtschaftlichen Problemen. 1973 wurde seine Ehe mit Priscilla Presley geschieden, zudem litt er seit Jahren unter Übergewicht und einer starken Medikamentenabhängigkeit, die letztlich seine labile Gesundheit ruinierte.

Tod

Elvis’ Grabstätte im Meditation Garden von GracelandAm 16. August 1977, um ca. 14 Uhr wurde Elvis Presley von seiner damaligen Freundin Ginger Alden leblos am Boden seines Badezimmers aufgefunden (laut Angaben der Freundin) und im Baptist-Memorial-Hospital um 14:43 Uhr, nach mehreren Wiederbelebungsversuchen, offiziell für tot erklärt. Er wurde nur 42 Jahre alt.

„Der King ist tot“, diese Nachricht verbreitete sich rasant und löste weltweite Trauer aus. Als offizielle Todesursache Presleys wurde „Herzstillstand durch zentrales Versagen der Atemorgane“ angegeben. Sein Leibarzt Dr. „Nick“ Nichopoulos, der Elvis immer wieder mit verschriebenen Medikamenten versorgt hatte, wurde später von der Anklage der fahrlässigen Tötung freigesprochen.

Sein Zweitname Aron ist auf seinem Grabstein mit zwei „A“ geschrieben; diese Tatsache lässt, neben vielen anderen Anhaltspunkten, Verschwörungstheoretiker bis heute fest glauben, dass Elvis noch am Leben ist. Auf der offiziellen Website von Elvis Presley steht unter den „Frequently Asked Questions“ zu seinem Zweitnamen, dass er diesen kurz vor seinem Tod von Aron in Aaron änderte, in Anlehnung an den biblischen Aaron und weil die meisten Plattenlabel ihn bis dato sowieso meist mit zwei A geschrieben hatten. J. D. Sumner äußerte in einem Interview die Vermutung, Elvis' Vater Vernon sei aufgrund von Unwissenheit bezüglich der korrekten Schreibweise für diesen „Fehler“ verantwortlich gewesen. Er verwies in diesem Zusammenhang auch alle Gerüchte, Elvis könne noch leben, ins Land der Märchen.

Gerüchte um seinen Tod
Schon bald nach Presleys Tod kamen erste Gerüchte auf, dass der King womöglich noch am Leben sei. Eine Anzahl von Autoren haben sich mit dem Tod Presleys befasst und behaupten, auf Sachverhalte gestoßen zu sein, die zu Zweifeln am Tod des King of Rock ’n’ Roll Anlass geben.

Die Autorin Gail Brewer Giorgio (sie schrieb unter anderem die Novelle Orion und das Buch Is Elvis Alive?), ihr Kollege Monte Nicholson (u. a. The Presley Arrangement) sowie weitere Autoren kamen zu einer ähnlichen Schlussfolgerung: Elvis soll danach das mehr oder weniger freiwillige Opfer eines Kronzeugenschutzprogrammes des FBI geworden sein. Ein weiterer Autor zu diesem Thema ist John Parker, Journalist und Schriftsteller. Er schrieb das Buch Geheimakte Elvis - Die Mafia und das Rätsel um den Tod eines Idols (Originaltitel Elvis, the Secret Files). Parker kommt nach aufwändigen Recherchen in staatlichen Archiven der USA und in der Zentrale des FBI zu dem Schluss: Elvis war als unschuldiges Opfer in eine der größten Ermittlungsaktionen des FBI verwickelt und sollte in einem aufsehenerregenden Prozess gegen führende Mafiafamilien aussagen; in einem Prozess, zu dem er niemals erschien. Angeheizt wurde die „Gerüchteküche“ auch immer wieder durch angebliche Sichtungen von Elvis nach seinem Tod an verschiedenen Orten der Welt, den sogenannten Elvis Sightings, die bisweilen bizarre und lächerliche Ausmaße annahmen. Alle genannten Legenden, Thesen und Theorien konnten bis heute nie durch glaubhafte Fakten belegt werden, bleiben also rein spekulativ und letztendlich mehr als fragwürdig. Nahestehende Personen aus dem Freundes- und Bekanntenkreis Elvis Presleys haben zudem immer wieder auf den Unsinn dieser Behauptungen hingewiesen.

Siehe auch: Orion (Sänger)

Filme und Fernsehen
Presley arbeitete als Schauspieler in Hollywood und spielte in 31 Spielfilmen und zwei Dokumentarfilmen (Elvis – That’s the Way It Is, 1970 sowie Elvis On Tour, 1972) in der Hauptrolle mit. Vorbild für seine Filmarbeit war ihm sein Idol Tony Curtis. Am 3. Dezember 1968, noch vor seinem eigentlichen Bühnen-Comeback, trat er in einer eigenen Fernseh-Show auf, die im Juni vorab aufgezeichnet wurde: Elvis NBC TV-Special, die später als 68 Comeback Special bezeichnet wird. Elvis vereinte darin den Rock ’n’ Roll der 50er Jahre und einige neue Songs in neuem Stil. Diese Show konnte er als vollen Erfolg verbuchen. Denn zunächst war er sich nicht sicher, ob er nach seiner langen Pause als Livemusiker noch denselben Anklang beim Publikum finden konnte wie fast zehn Jahre zuvor. Steven Binder, der Produzent von NBC, überredete Elvis zu seinen Wurzeln zurückzukehren. Er forderte Elvis auf, mal auf die Straße zu gehen, um herauszufinden, ob junge Leute ihn noch erkannten. Elvis zögerte zunächst, entschloss sich aber dann doch zu diesem Schritt. Als ihn kaum jemand erkannte, stimmte er zu, dass seine Karriere dringend einen Anschub benötigte. Und sein Auftritt in der Show überzeugte. In seinem schwarzen Lederoutfit (das zwischen den Aufnahmen immer wieder geglättet, gereinigt und mit einem Fön getrocknet werden musste, da Elvis darin unheimlich schwitzte) stellte er sein Können wieder unter Beweis. Er war wieder da. Legendär die beiden Showteile, die als Stand up-Show und Sit down-Show bekannt wurden. Letztgenannte wird auch oft als erste Unplugged-Show der Musikgeschichte gewertet. Abgeschlossen wurde der TV Auftritt mit dem Bild, das berühmt wurde. Elvis steht vor einem überdimensionalen, sechs Meter hohen, rot leuchtenden Schriftzug seines Namens in einem weißen Anzug und singt den Song If I Can Dream (der Einfluss von Martin Luther Kings Rede I Have a Dream ist deutlich zu erkennen).

Elvis hatte an dem Gelingen dieser Show und an ihrer Konzeption entscheidenden Anteil: Sein Manager Tom Parker hatte ursprünglich nur eine „weichgespülte“ Show im Sinn gehabt, bei welcher Elvis Weihnachtslieder singen sollte, der Regisseur Steve Binder wollte jedoch der Show keinen saisonalen Charakter geben. Im Streit zwischen dem „Colonel“ und den Produzenten ergriff Elvis, der seinem Manager sonst nicht widersprach, Partei für den „Rock ’n’ Roll“.

Nach seinem Militärdienst 1958 bis 1960 in Deutschland und einer Phase als Filmstar in Hollywood bereitete Presley sich 1969 auf sein Bühnen-Comeback vor. Ab 1970 ging er schließlich wieder auf Tournee. Der Film Elvis – That’s the Way It Is zeigt die Entstehung seiner einzigartigen Show im Juli/August 1970 von den Proben in Kalifornien bis hin zu den Vorbereitungen und Live-Auftritten im Showroom des International Hotels (heute das Hilton) in Las Vegas. Die 2001 auf DVD erschienene „Special Edition“ dieses Konzertfilms ist eine völlig überarbeitete, restaurierte Version der Originaldokumentation mit einigen neuen Songs und anderen Kameraeinstellungen. Nach dem großen Erfolg von That’s the Way It Is folgte zwei Jahre später eine Fortsetzung in Form des Konzertfilms On Tour, der Elvis auf Tour im Frühjahr 1972 in verschiedenen Städten der USA zeigt. Der Film erhielt 1972 den Golden Globe als bester Dokumentarfilm des Jahres. Nach Aloha from Hawaii via Satellite (1973) wurde Presley nur noch einmal, während seiner letzten Tournee im Juni 1977, von einem Fernsehteam begleitet (CBS). Dabei fielen seine Gewichtsprobleme auf, seine Stimme verließ ihn jedoch nie. Ausgestrahlt wurde der Zusammenschnitt von zwei Konzerten (19. und 21. Juni 1977) unter dem Titel Elvis in Concert, allerdings erst nach seinem Tod (3. Oktober 1977). Bereits seit vielen Jahren werden diese Aufnahmen von Elvis Presley Enterprises vor weiteren Ausstrahlungen bzw. Veröffentlichungen unter Verschluss gehalten. Auf der DVD Elvis by the Presleys, die 2005 erschien, sind erstmals wieder Ausschnitte aus dieser Zeit zu sehen.

Eine weitere Dokumentation ist der Film This is Elvis. Ein zum Teil mit Schauspielern besetzter Film, der jedoch vor allem Originalaufnahmen enthält. Eine deutschsprachige Fassung dieses Films ist in den 80ern unter dem Titel Das ist Elvis auch auf Video erschienen.

Im Jahr 2005 erschien die zweiteilige Filmbiografie „Elvis“, die Presleys Lebensabschnitt zwischen seinem 18. und 33. Lebensjahr darstellt.

Nachleben

Elvis-Souvenirs auf einem Flohmarkt
Elvis-Imitatoren in London 2005Elvis’ Ruhm hat auch Jahrzehnte nach seinem Tod nicht gelitten. Schon zu Lebzeiten erschienen 89 Alben, bis zu seinem Tod im August 1977 hatte er bereits über 500 Millionen Tonträger verkauft. Nur Michael Jackson konnte bis zu seinem eigenen Tod mehr Platten verkaufen - insgesamt 750 Millionen Tonträger. Nach Ermittlungen der Tonträgerindustrie wurden bis 2007 1,43 Milliarden Tonträger abgesetzt. Damit ist er insgesamt gesehen bis heute der erfolgreichste Musiker der Welt (vor den Beatles mit 1,3 Mrd. Platten).

Er wurde für 14 Grammys nominiert und gewann drei – alle für seine Gospelmusik.

Bis heute sind Bücher, Videos oder CDs von Elvis Verkaufsschlager. Sein Anwesen Graceland in Memphis ist mit jährlich rund 600.000 Besuchern eine der populärsten Touristenattraktionen der USA und nach dem Weißen Haus in Washington das am zweithäufigsten besuchte Anwesen. Graceland hat sich zu einer Art Pilgerstätte für seine Fans entwickelt, nachdem es 1982 für Besucher freigegeben wurde.

Die Rechte an Elvis Presley als Markenzeichen liegen bei Elvis Presley Enterprises, die bis Mitte Dezember 2004 zum größten Teil Lisa Marie Presley gehörte, seitdem dem Medienunternehmer Robert Sillerman. Das Unternehmen gibt den eigenen Angaben zufolge nur bei zwei Prozent aller Anträge ihre Zustimmung zu einem Merchandise-Artikel. Trotzdem gibt es mittlerweile kaum einen Gegenstand, der nicht in einer Elvis-Presley-Version auf den Markt gekommen wäre. Elvis lag Jahrzehnte lang an erster Stelle der Forbes-Liste toter Prominenter mit den höchsten Einnahmen. Im Jahre 2006 wurde er einmalig von dem 1994 verstorbenen Nirvana-Frontman Kurt Cobain auf den zweiten Platz verdrängt [2]. Der FAZ zufolge nahm die Firma 2003 45 Millionen Dollar ein und erwirtschaftete zwölf Millionen Dollar operativen Gewinn – obwohl sie keinerlei Rechte an seinen Musikaufnahmen besitzt.

In den USA soll es allein 35.000 hauptberufliche Elvis-Imitatoren geben.

Der eigentlich für einen Werbespot des Sportartikelherstellers Nike zur Fußball-Weltmeisterschaft 2002 vom niederländischen DJ Junkie XL (Tom Holkenborg) gefertigte Remix des Songs A Little Less Conversation wurde zum Nummer-1-Hit. (Das Original wurde 1968 nur als B-Seite einer Single veröffentlicht). Aus Rücksicht auf Presleys Gesundheitsprobleme in den 1970er Jahren und auf Druck der Elvis-Erben nannte sich Junkie XL um in „JXL“.

Eine Wiederveröffentlichung der 18 UK-Nummer-1-Hits auf Maxi CDs im Jahre 2005 bescherte Elvis nicht nur die 1000. Nummer 1 in Großbritannien, sondern insgesamt drei „neue“ Nummer-1-Hits. Denn die Maxi CDs gelten als eigenständige Veröffentlichung, weil sie eine eigene Bestellnummer haben. Somit ist es irrelevant, dass deren akustischer Inhalt mit den bereits zu Lebzeiten von Elvis erschienen Singles identisch ist. Dies bedeutet für die Chart-Rangliste, dass Elvis mit 21 Nummer 1 Hits (18 verschiedene Songtitel) der Spitzenreiter vor den Beatles bleibt.

1986 wurde Elvis Presley in die Rock and Roll Hall of Fame aufgenommen[3].

Filmografie
Insgesamt kamen 33 Filme mit Presley in die Kinos, 31 Spielfilme und zwei Konzertfilme (1970, 1972).

Spielfilme
1956: Pulverdampf und heiße Lieder (Love Me Tender)
1957: Gold aus heißer Kehle (Loving You)
1957: Rhythmus hinter Gittern (Jailhouse Rock)
1958: Mein Leben ist der Rhythmus (King Creole)
1960: Café Europa (G.I. Blues)
1960: Flammender Stern (Flaming Star)
1961: Lied des Rebellen (Wild in the Country)
1961: Blaues Hawaii (Blue Hawaii)
1962: Ein Sommer in Florida (Follow That Dream)
1962: Harte Fäuste, heiße Liebe (Kid Galahad)
1962: Girls! Girls! Girls!
1963: Ob blond, ob braun (It Happened at the World’s Fair)
1963: Acapulco (Fun in Acapulco)
1964: Tolle Nächte in Las Vegas (Viva Las Vegas)
1964: Die wilden Weiber von Tennessee (Kissin’ Cousins)
1964: König der heißen Rhythmen (Roustabout)
1965: Kurven-Lilly (Girl Happy)
1965: Cowboy-Melodie (Tickle Me)
1965: Verschollen im Harem (Harum Scarum)
1966: Frankie und Johnny (Frankie and Johnny) (Regie: Frederick de Cordova)
1966: Südsee-Paradies (Paradise Hawaiian Style)
1966: Sag niemals ja (Spinout)
1967: Zoff für zwei (Double Trouble)
1967: Seemann ahoi (Easy Come, Easy Go)
1967: Nur nicht Millionär sein (Clambake)
1968: Speedway
1968: Harte Fäuste, heiße Lieder (Stay Away Joe)
1968: Liebling, lass das Lügen (Live a Little, Love a Little)
1969: Charro!
1969: Immer Ärger mit den Mädchen (The Trouble With Girls)
1969: Ein himmlischer Schwindel (Change of Habit)

Konzertfilme
1970: Elvis – That’s the Way It Is
1972: Elvis On Tour

TV-Specials
1960: Frank Sinatra Show: Welcome Home Elvis!
1968: ELVIS - NBC TV-Special (wurde später als The '68 Comeback Special bekannt)
1973: Aloha from Hawaii via Satellite
1977: Elvis in Concert

Diskografie
Siehe Elvis Presley/Diskografie

GALERIA 4

2008-08-05T16:08:00.001-07:00

Elvis Aaron Presley, surnommé « The King » (8 janvier 1935 à Tupelo, Mississippi - 16 août 1977 à Memphis, Tennessee), est un chanteur et un acteur américain. Son influence sur la culture musicale est mondiale.

De son vivant, Elvis a vendu environ 700 millions de disques, a joué dans 31 films, donné 1 054 concerts aux États-Unis et trois au Canada (Vancouver, Toronto, Ottawa en 1957), et a donné 525 spectacles à Las Vegas[1]. Il a été le premier artiste à donner un concert retransmis par satellite. Le concert eut lieu le 14 janvier 1973 à Hawaï et fut regardé simultanément par un milliard de téléspectateurs dans 43 pays. Il est apparu dans sept émissions de télévision. À sa mort, sa fortune personnelle représentait 100 millions de dollars américains.

Avec Michael Jackson, il est l'un des artistes solo qui a vendu le plus de disques dans le monde de son vivant. Ce phénomène a continué après sa mort car, rien que de sa disparition en 1977 jusqu'à 1980, il s'est vendu 400 millions de disques d'Elvis. Pendant ces quatre années consécutives, il a été l'artiste décédé qui a rapporté le plus d'argent.

D'après le magazine américain Forbes, en 2007, Elvis arrive en tête des personnalités décédées les plus riches du monde avec 49 millions de dollars, soit 34 millions d'euros, devant John Lennon et Charles Schultz, dessinateur américain. Il avait déjà atteint cette place en 2005.

Biographie [modifier]

Enfance et débuts musicaux [modifier]
Né le 8 janvier 1935, dans une famille pauvre de Tupelo dans le Mississippi, Elvis Aaron [2] Presley est le fils unique de Gladys Love Smith et de Vernon Elvis Presley. Il a un frère jumeau mort-né, Jesse Garon Presley. Il grandit à Tupelo jusqu'à l'âge de treize ans. Sa mère travaille en tant qu'ouvrière dans une fabrique de vêtements et son père dans une épicerie mais en grande difficulté financière, déménagent à Memphis, grande ville dans le Tennessee. Vivant dans un deux-pièces social, Gladys fait des ménages et travaille la nuit dans un hôpital, Vernon travaille ici et là. Très vite, Elvis travaille également : il tond des pelouses, lave des voitures et vend des cornets de glace en-dehors de l'école. Après l'école secondaire, il trouve très vite un travail dans une société d'outillage, mais rêvant de conduire un camion, il trouve finalement un emploi à la Crown Electric Company comme chauffeur-livreur, un travail qui ne lui convient pas.

Amateur de musique noire, ainsi que de gospel et de blues, Elvis décide de s'essayer à cette musique et, pendant l'été 1953, pousse la porte d'un petit studio d'enregistrement spécialisé dans la musique noire, le Studio Sun Records à Memphis. Reçu par la secrétaire Marion Keisker, il enregistre à ses frais deux enregistrements, My Happiness et That's When Your Heartaches Begin et repart avec le disque sous le bras pour l'offrir à sa mère, sa seule motivation pour cet enregistrement. Keisker, qui sait que son patron Sam Phillips est à la recherche de jeunes chanteurs, note le numéro de téléphone du jeune Elvis. Bien qu'elle lui trouve un style bizarre, elle lui reconnaît une certaine belle voix. Elle note sur sa fiche « EP : voix à écouter, bon chanteur de ballade ».

Lorsqu'elle en parle à Phillips, celui-ci recontacte Elvis pour un essai. Le téléphone à peine raccroché, Elvis est dans le studio devant Phillips. Après plusieurs essais peu concluants, Sam Phillips est néanmoins impressionné par la grande mémoire du jeune homme « à la queue de canard », il dira plus tard à ce sujet « C'était incroyable, Elvis connaissait par cœur toutes les chansons dont je lui parlais. Si sa voix n'était pas souvent juste, par contre je dois dire qu'elle avait un rythme assez particulier. Hélas, je n'avais pas le temps de lui apprendre à placer sa voix, mais Elvis était tenace et je lui permettais de revenir le lendemain. »

En 1954, Phillips, a demandé à un groupe musical d'être présent à une nouvelle audition afin de soutenir Elvis musicalement : Scotty Moore à la guitare, et Bill Black à la contrebasse. Si Moore est plus ou moins impressionné, Black l’est encore moins[3]. Le 5 juillet, ils sont en studio. Alors que rien de convenable ne sort, et que Phillips, très déçu, s'apprête à fermer le studio, Elvis commence à entamer les premières notes d'une ancienne chanson, That's All Right Mama d'Arthur Crudup. Le célèbre trio Presley-Moore-Black porte le nom « The Blue Moon Boys. En octobre 1954, le batteur D.J. Fontana se joint à Scotty Moore et Bill Black»[4].

Voici le commentaire de Phillips :

« Ce que venait de faire Elvis avec That's All Right me donna immédiatement la chair de poule. Je savais qu'on tenait quelque chose. Ce n'était pas la chanson à proprement parler, mais ce qu'en faisait Elvis, la chanson était à l'origine un blues, Elvis l'a transformée en rock and roll. Je peux vous dire que pour moi c'était un choc. Je décidais qu'il devait l'enregistrer. Ce fut son premier vrai succès à Memphis. »

Début de carrière musicale aux États-Unis [modifier]

Elvis en 1970Phillips l'envoie en tournée dans le sud des États-Unis. Les débuts sur scène du futur « King » du rock and roll sont assez maladroits, mais certainement pas timides. Les coups brusques de bassin du jeune homme, une innovation provocante pour l'époque, lui valent le surnom de « Pelvis » et amplifient sa notoriété.

Si les jeunes reconnaissent immédiatement en Elvis Presley un des leurs, il n'en va pas de même pour leurs parents qui, scandalisés devant les déhanchements de plus en plus suggestifs d'Elvis, cherchent à le faire interdire. En conséquence, certains de ses concerts seront purement et simplement annulés et ses disques brûlés en public. Elvis ne laisse personne indifférent : s'il agace l'Américain puritain, il devient une idole pour des millions de jeunes adolescents. En Floride, alors que la jeune vedette s'apprête à monter sur scène devant 22 000 admirateurs en délire, on le prévient que la police est présente dans la salle pour filmer ses fameux déhanchements. Elvis décide alors de ne bouger que son petit doigt pendant toute la durée du concert, et l'hystérie est à son comble. Le dernier de ses cinq 45 tours, I Forgot to Remember to Forget, accompagné de Mystery Train, atteint la première place au classement des ventes de « singles ».

À cette époque, Elvis ne cesse de se produire dans le sud et le sud-ouest. Il est notamment présent à 50 reprises à l'émission régionale Louisiana Hayride. Le fondateur et producteur d’Hayride, Horace Logan, a en effet la bonne idée de faire signer Elvis pour une apparition hebdomadaire, alors que celui-ci est encore peu connu. Lors de la dernière participation d'Elvis à cette émission, Logan annonce qu'Elvis a quitté le bâtiment afin de calmer les adolescentes qui essaient d'apercevoir la vedette après l'émission. Il ne sait pas que cette phrase va devenir un rituel célèbre à la fin de chaque concert : « Elvis has left the building. » (La célèbre phrase sera reprise par Al Dvorin dans les années 1970.).

Elvis, qui est alors célèbre dans le sud et sud-ouest des États-Unis, rencontre à la fin d'un concert un homme qui est vaguement impresario, mais plus connu en tant qu'aboyeur de cirque. Thomas Andrew Parker ou Tom Parker dit « le colonel », qui fut un temps impresario du jeune chanteur Eddy Arnold, mais c'est avec Elvis qu'il va se hisser au sommet de sa profession dans le « show business ». Il signe en 1955 un contrat d'exclusivité avec Elvis sur vingt ans, avec à la clé 15 % de tous les revenus de Presley. (Dans les années 1970, ce pourcentage est porté à 50 %). Le « colonel » impressionne Elvis, c'est un homme autoritaire et à qui rien n'échappe. N'a-t-il pas dit à Elvis pour l'approcher : « Jeune homme, pour l'instant vous valez un million de dollars, bientôt vous les aurez comptant » ? Ce sont ces phrases qui impressionnent le jeune Elvis qui rêve de réussite et de dollars tout autant que Parker lui-même. Ce duo atypique change le monde du show business. Elvis, avec son look de jeune premier qui deviendra le plus grand sex symbol de l'histoire, sait comment attirer les foules sur scène avec sa voix, ses mimiques, ses pas de danse osés et son sens de l'humour. Quant à Parker, il a le sens des affaires et organise la carrière du King comme un véritable show commercial: tubes, films à succès, produits dérivés, posters, photos... Le monde de la musique en est ainsi à jamais transformé car beaucoup de ses techniques ont été reprises par d'autres artistes. Cependant, même si leur collaboration est très fructueuse, les critiques fusent des uns et des autres, surtout dans le milieu du show business. Les uns reprochent au colonel de voir en Elvis qu'une machine à sous, les autres reprochent à Elvis d'être devenu un homme sans caractère ni volonté.

Lorsque le contrat entre en vigueur, Parker offre trois cadeaux à Presley. Le premier est un contrat avec la plus puissante maison de disques au monde, la RCA. C'est elle qui va miser sur Elvis et lui avancer les millions de dollars nécessaires à un essor planétaire. Le deuxième est un premier disque d'or avec Heartbreak Hotel ; Elvis a tout juste vingt ans. Le troisième et dernier cadeau au jeune chanteur est son arrivée sur le petit écran de millions de téléspectateurs. Ce soir-là, l'émission atteint une audience record de plus de cinquante millions de téléspectateurs, ce qui représente plus de 80 % de part d'audience. Lors de sa deuxième apparition au Ed Sullivan Show (le 28 octobre de la même année), il se teint les cheveux en noir, alors qu'ils étaient jusque-là blond chatain[5]. Le « King du rock and roll » vient de naître.

Si ces apparitions télévisées enchantent les jeunes, les adultes, eux, réprimandent et condamnent la tenue du « King ». Ses déhanchements lascifs et/ou brusques choquent l'Amérique, les moralistes et bien-pensants veulent faire interdire Elvis à la télévision. En conséquence, si Elvis ne sera jamais interdit d'antenne, par contre les réalisateurs ont ordre de ne filmer la star qu'au-dessus de la ceinture. C'est ainsi qu'Elvis interprète ses plus grands succès du milieu des années 1950 : Heartbreak Hotel, Blue Suede Shoes, I Want You, I Need You, I Love You, Don't Be Cruel, et le très suggestif Hound Dog (c'est-à-dire « chien de chasse »).

Parallèlement à la télévision, Elvis poursuit ses tournées de concerts qui deviennent très vite une sorte de kermesse, une foire dangereusement incontrôlable. La vedette se produit devant des foules immenses, arrivant en Cadillac rose et surprotégé par une nuée de policiers, l'Amérique veut voir et toucher ce jeune chanteur devenu en moins d'un an une idole pour ses enfants. L'année 1956 se termine en beauté, Elvis décroche son 48e disque d'or de l'année, il fait l'objet d'une véritable vénération hystérique et déclare au fisc pas moins de 22 millions USD en revenus.

Poursuivi jour et nuit par ses admirateurs, Elvis finit par se réfugier derrière les murs d'une forteresse. Il s'offre le 19 mars 1957 pour 120 500$ USD une grande maison sur le Highway 51 dans Memphis Sud (nom de boulevard changée le 19 janvier 1972 en Elvis-Presley Boulevard). Baptisée Graceland, elle possède vingt-quatre pièces sur un terrain de treize hectares. Immédiatement, Elvis y investit un demi-million USD en travaux pour faire de Graceland son royaume et y installe sa mère, son père, ses oncles et ses tantes, ses cousins et tout un groupe d'amis ou d'anciens camarades d'école qui deviennent jardiniers, chauffeurs ou comptables pour la vedette. À cette époque, il est considéré comme la plus grande vedette du rock and roll.

La seule tournée d'Elvis au Canada et en-dehors des États-Unis [modifier]
En 1957, Elvis fit sa seule tournée canadienne[6]. Il était accompagné de Scotty Moore, D.J. Fontana, Bill Black et le groupe vocal The Jordanaires.

2 avril : Toronto
3 avril : Ottawa
31 août : Vancouver
Elvis aurait aimé faire une tournée européenne, mais le colonel Parker n'a jamais voulu, préférant investir dans des tournées aux États-Unis[7].

Son service militaire en 1958 [modifier]
Le 20 janvier 1958, Presley reçoit un courrier de l'US Army qui lui signifie qu'il doit accomplir son service militaire pendant deux ans. Il est affecté en Allemagne, où il conduira une jeep pour le sergent Ira Jones (qui relatera leur relation dans un livre). Son service est suspendu le 5 mars 1960. Il habite à Bad Nauheim pendant son service militaire qui est fait au Ray Barracks à Friedberg. Depuis, beaucoup se sont questionnés sur la légitimité de cette mobilisation, alors que l'on était en temps de paix et qu'Elvis était le seul appui de ses parents et de sa grand-mère. Certains pensent que le but de cette action était de préserver la jeunesse américaine de l'influence du chanteur.

C'est peu avant son départ pour l'Allemagne, alors qu'il est encore au Texas pour y faire ses classes, que sa mère meurt subitement à 46 ans. Elvis, qui adorait sa mère, ne va jamais vraiment s'en remettre. Bien plus tard, John Lennon devait dire : « Elvis est mort le jour où il est entré à l'armée », mais on peut également dire ceci : Elvis est mort le jour où sa mère est morte. Le jeune homme ne sera plus jamais le même, et la joie qui l'accompagnait va le quitter.

Les années à l'armée sont des années sombres pour Elvis. Dans un pays étranger, loin de ses amis et de ses admirateurs, Elvis déprime. Bien qu'il soit aussi célèbre que dans son pays, il ne sort pratiquement jamais. C'est au cours d'une soirée chez son capitaine qu'il fait la connaissance d'une toute jeune fille de 14 ans, Priscilla Beaulieu. Il en tombe amoureux et décide même de l'accueillir à Graceland à partir de 1962[8]. C'est aussi en Allemagne que son père, venu le rejoindre, rencontre sa future deuxième épouse, Dee Stanley.

Lorsqu'il est démobilisé, le « show business » l'attend et Elvis reprend le cours de sa carrière.

Presley est très religieux et il enregistre de nombreux albums de gospel. Les trois Grammy Awards qu'il reçoit lui sont tous décernés pour des morceaux de gospel. Il n'aime pas le titre « The King », car selon lui, le seul « King » sur terre c'est Jésus[9].

Sa carrière au cinéma [modifier]
Dès 1954, Hollywood sweet gome s'intéresse à lui. Sa première apparition sur écran en tant qu'acteur est surprenante. Au début, il ne devait pas y avoir de chanson, mais les producteurs en rajoutent quatre et The Reno Brother's (titre original) est rebaptisé Love Me Tender, titre de son dernier succès. Le film parle de la guerre de Sécession et est mal perçu par les admirateurs d'Elvis qui s'indignent de voir leur idole du rock dans un pâle western.

Néanmoins, le film fait un tabac. Le film suivant, fait cette fois entièrement sur mesure pour Elvis, est Loving You, titre de son dernier succès. L'idole joue pratiquement son propre rôle, celui d'un petit chanteur qui devient une superstar grâce au travail et à un manager affairiste. Loving You obtient un immense succès et Elvis devient une vedette du cinéma. Son troisième film est l'archétype du film violent. Elvis y joue un employé qui aime chanter. Mais, suite à une bagarre, il tue un gars et est envoyé en prison. Là, il se met à chanter et devient la coqueluche de ses co-détenus. Libéré, il devient une vedette avant de connaître les affres de la célébrité. Le film s'appelle Jailhouse Rock, également le titre de son dernier succès. Jailhouse Rock manque de profondeur, et montre un personnage superficiel, mais remporte un succès retentissant auprès des jeunes.

Son dernier film tourné avant qu'il parte pour l'armée sera considéré comme son meilleur. Il s'agit de King Creole. Le scénario était prévu pour James Dean et le personnage passe du boxeur au chanteur. Une fois de plus, Elvis interprète un garçon simple qui s'en sort grâce à la chanson.

À partir de 1960, dès son retour de l'armée, Elvis abandonne sa carrière de chanteur et se retire de la scène pour se consacrer à Hollywood. De ces longues années (neuf ans), seuls quelques films sur 27 méritent d'être cités : Flaming Star (1960), Blue Hawaii (1961), Fun in Acapulco (1962) avec Ursula Andress, Viva Las Vegas (1964) avec Ann-Margret et Charro (1969).

Toutes ces productions n'ont qu'un seul but : distribuer Elvis dans le monde entier sans que la vedette n'ait besoin de se déplacer. Le succès est phénoménal, mais au fil des années, la magie se perd et les films d'Elvis deviennent des caricatures. Ses disques tirés uniquement des bandes sonores des films connaissent également une chute et Elvis ne rencontre plus le succès qu'il avait avant. Le monde a changé et de nouveaux chanteurs et groupes ont fait leur apparition, et pour faire bonne figure, Elvis accepte de rencontrer les Beatles chez lui, le 27 août 1965, dans sa maison de Bel Air en Californie.

Plus que jamais isolé dans des maisons pour milliardaires de Beverly Hills, Elvis n'a plus aucun contact avec le monde extérieur. Entouré jour et nuit par les mêmes gens depuis ses débuts (la «Memphis Mafia»), il semble ne plus être en mesure de juger sa carrière. La carrière si époustouflante du « King » sombre dans le désastre et l'image d'Elvis en devient ridicule.

Dès 1966, sa production cinématographique accouche de navets, tous plus insalubres les uns que les autres, au point que même les plus fidèles admirateurs se détournent de leur idole. Chaque nouveau film est alors accueilli dans une indifférence glaciale et les recettes ne sont plus remarquables. Elvis détestait profondément les films qu'on l'obligeait à tourner pensant que les scénaristes n'exploitaient pas tous ses talents de jeu. Ses disques également qui étaient directement tirés de ses films ne correspondaient plus à ce qu'il voulait faire. Bien qu'entouré d'une foule d'amis, personne ne pouvait comprendre ce qu'il ressentait: un artiste jadis adulé par des millions de gens dans le monde entier mais qui était maintenant "has been". Il se mit à douter de ses propres capacités de chanteur et se tourna bientôt vers le spiritualisme pour trouver des réponses à ses questions. En effet, en 1964, il eut une véritable révélation lorsqu'il rencontra Larry Geller, un coiffeur, qui lui fit lire des livres sur la philosophie, religion:'... Larry, I don't believe it. I mean, what you're talking about is what I secretly think about all the time... there has to be a purpose... there's got to be a reason... why I was chosen to be Elvis Presley.'"[112], "Larry, je n'arrive pas à le croire. Je veux dire, tout ce que ce que tu me dis là, c'est à quoi je pense tout le temps en secret. Il doit y avoir un but. Il doit y avoir une raison pour laquelle j'ai été choisi pour être Elvis Presley". Très anxieux, il lut des tonnes de livres sur le sens de la vie tels que The Voice of Silence, Tibetan Book of the Dead, The Wisdom of the Overself et The Impersonal Life qu'il emmenait partout et considérait comme son livre de chevet. Geller devient alors son seul véritable confident et la star lui raconta tous ses déboires: "I swear to God, no one knows how lonely I get and how empty I really feel."[113]"Je jure devant Dieu que personne ne sait combien je suis seul et combien je me sens vide".

Lorsque son contrat cinématographique prend fin en 1969, Elvis, fatigué et critiqué, décide de mettre un terme à sa carrière à Hollywood.

Les années 1960 [modifier]
Suite au désastre hollywoodien, Elvis n'est plus considéré comme une valeur sûre. De plus, la musique a considérablement changé, la scène aussi, le public ne se contente plus de ces petits spectacles sans fastes, les Beatles, les Rolling Stones et The Doors ont su apporter du sang neuf au rock. Elvis reste toutefois celui qui a lancé le rock, mais n'est plus qu'une référence. Les professionnels lui conseillent de faire encore quelques films, puis de se retirer. Pourtant, Elvis est encore jeune, plus beau que jamais et il faudrait peu de chose pour le remettre en selle.

Elvis se marie à Las Vegas [modifier]
Le 1er mai 1967, il épousa Priscilla Ann Beaulieu à l'Aladdin Hotel de Las Vegas lors d'une cérémonie privée réunissant parents et amis. La sœur de Priscilla, Michelle, fut demoiselle d'honneur et les garçons d'honneur étaient Joe Esposito et Marty Lacker.

Naissance de sa fille Lisa Marie [modifier]
Lisa-Marie est née le 1er février 1968 précisément à 17h01 (5h01 PM) au Baptist Memorial Hospital de Memphis.. Elle pesait 6 livres et 15 onces, tout en mesurant 20 pouces de longueur. Le docteur T.A. Turman assista l'accouchement de Priscilla. Lisa Marie fut baptisée en l'honneur de Marie Mott, l'épouse du Colonel Thomas Parker. Elvis surnommait sa fille « Lisa ». Elle est l'héritière de toute la fortune d'Elvis.

Le « Comeback » de 1968 au réseau NBC [modifier]
Le colonel Parker fera signer un contrat qui fera relancer la carrière musicale d'Elvis. Celui-ci réapparaît à la télévision après sept ans d'absence. Sa dernière apparition date de son retour de l'armée et n'avait duré que six minutes aux côtés d'un Frank Sinatra ravi d'avoir Elvis dans son émission. Cette fois, il est seul devant la caméra, dans une sorte de « one-man show » où il interprète ses anciens succès, mais également des nouveaux. L'émission, appelée Elvis, '68 Comeback Special, est annoncée à grands frais. Elle sera diffusée le 3 décembre 1968 sur le réseau NBC. Exit l'acteur des comédies musicales à l'eau de rose, Elvis revient en pleine possession de ses moyens face à ses anciens musiciens, habillé tout de cuir, le sourire en coin et le bassin intact. Il enflamme littéralement la télévision. Jamais une émission de variétés ne connaîtra un succès comparable[réf. nécessaire].

Pour cette occasion, il sera accompagné sur scène par

D.J. Fontana : batteur utilisant une boîte à guitare comme instrument
Alan Fortas : tapant au dos d'une guitare et voix d'accompagnement
Charlie Hodge : guitare acoustique et voix d'accompagnement
Lance LeGault : tapant au dos d'une guitare et jouant du tambourin
Scotty Moore : guitariste (acoustique et électrique)
ainsi que plusieurs autres musiciens et figurants.

L'Amérique du Nord retrouve celui qu'elle n'aurait jamais dû perdre, l'Elvis sauvage, beau, ravageur et rocker. Ce retour a un tel retentissement, que son manager n'a aucun mal à remettre Elvis sur une scène.

Les années 1970 (Las Vegas (1969-1976) et plusieurs tournées américaines) [modifier]

Le 21 décembre 1970, Elvis rencontra Richard Nixon en audience privée à la Maison Blanche.Les années 1970 sont celles du triomphe. Le monde s'efface devant cette superstar devenue charismatique. En 1969, il signera un contrat pour une série de spectacles au Hilton International Hotel de Las Vegas. La première a lieu le 31 juillet. Il donnera 57 concerts en 4 semaines et il s'y produira jusqu'en 1976, tout en faisant des tournées dans les grandes villes américaines. Le colonel Parker voulait un spectacle à grand déploiement et il voulait qu'Elvis puisse être accompagné d'un orchestre et de plusieurs vocalistes sur scène. Malheureusement, Scotty Moore et D.J. Fontana seront remplacés par le TCB Band qui sera accompagné sur scène de plusieurs groupes de vocalistes dont The Jordanaires (1956-1970), The Sweet Inspirations, The Imperials Quartet, J.D Sumner & The Stamps, Charlie Hodge (musicien et ami), ainsi que la soprano Kathy Westmoreland (1970-1977). Sans oublier l'annonceur Al Dvorin qui laissa sa marque à la fin des concerts par sa fameuse phrase « Elvis has left the building, thank you and Goodnight! ». Le comédien canadien Jackie Kahane faisait aussi la première des concerts d'Elvis dans les années 1970.

Le 21 décembre 1970, Elvis aura un privilège unique. Il rencontra le président américain Richard Nixon à la Maison Blanche, en compagnie de ses gardes du corps et amis, Jerry Schilling et Sonny West. La rencontre fut initiée par Elvis. Il avait écrit une lettre de six pages au président Nixon pour le rencontrer à Washington et il lui avait suggéré la possibilité d'être nommé à titre d'agent fédéral spécial dans le « Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs » (Bureau des Narcotiques et des Drogues dangereuses). À cette occasion, Elvis lui remit un pistolet Colt 45, ainsi que des photos de famille. Ce fut une rencontre unique dans l'histoire des États-Unis.

Elvis et Priscilla se séparent en février 1972 et ils divorceront officiellement en octobre 1973. Ils auront la garde partagée de leur fille Lisa-Marie, qui ira vivre avec sa mère à Los Angeles. Elvis devient l'icône de l'Amérique profonde, la vedette qui n'hésite pas à faire entrer à Las Vegas, au milieu des machines à sous, le rock, le vrai, en y mélangeant des gospels, des trompettes et des tambours : du jamais vu. En 1972, il donnera une série de concert les 9-10-11 juin au célèbre Madison Square Garden de New York. Ce fut un grand retour à New York après 15 ans d'absence. Sa dernière visite fut lors de son passage à l'émission The Ed Sullivan Show en 1957. Par la suite, il donnera le premier concert par satellite de l'histoire à Hawaï. Ce grand événement eu lieu le 14 janvier 1973 au International Center Arena d'Honolulu que des milliards de personnes suivront en direct, l'une des plus grandes audiences jamais dépassées !

L'Amérique se retrouve en lui et Elvis retrouve son pays, chacun va se confondre. Las Vegas devient une deuxième maison pour le « King », où il y donne quelques 600 spectacles tout en délaissant les séances d'enregistrements. Il parcourt aussi le pays dans tous les sens, à bord d'un gigantesque avion personnel où, dans chaque ville, il est fêté comme un surhomme. De 1969 à sa mort, il aura donné 1 500 concerts à travers les États-Unis. D'ailleurs, il est devenu un surhomme, Elvis n'est plus que l'image de l'Amérique, la vitrine d'un pays riche, et devant des foules immenses qui crient son prénom, il arrive sur scène vêtu d'un costume nommé "jumpsuit" et d'une cape garnie de rubis et de diamants (il aura plusieurs « jumpsuits ») au son d'un impressionnant Ainsi parlait Zarathoustra de Richard Strauss. Cette pièce d'entrée était un thème d'ouverture qui était suivi par « That's All Right Mama » (1969-1972) ou le célèbre « See See Rider (1972-1977) ».

Elvis en 1970Personne avant lui ne l'a fait. Après lui, personne n'osera. Son succès sur scène est immense, même si ses apparitions ne sont plus qu'un rituel au cours desquels la star se laisse fêter, même si désormais il interprète ses chansons avec détachement et sans plus beaucoup de peine. Parfois, il redevient grand, ose bousculer son personnage que l'Amérique lui a fabriqué et qu'il semble accepter, et se met à chanter d'une façon bouleversante ses chansons qui sont devenues des hymnes et que les foules écoutent religieusement.

S'il ne se déplace jamais en dehors des États-Unis, Elvis chante à Las Vegas devant un public international, car depuis de nombreuses années. c'est le monde entier qui vient à lui et non le contraire. On vient voir une icône, une image, presque un saint. Voilà ce qu'est devenu Elvis. L'Amérique est fière de son garçon.

Psychologiquement et mentalement miné, il ne comprend pas son propre succès, ne se comprend pas lui même. Il finit par tomber dans de dangereuses dépressions au cours desquelles la folie et la mort rôde. Atteint de paranoïa aïgue et de schizophrénie, il se met à douter de tout: de lui, de son entourage, de son public et même de son propre père. Il se croit immortel, se prend pour un homme avec une mission vaste pour sauver le monde. Son comportement sur scène change également, Elvis devient un homme détaché du monde dans lequel il vit, un homme qui frise visiblement la folie.

Le dernier concert à Indianapolis en juin 1977 [modifier]
Le 26 juin 1977, il donna un concert à l'auditorium de Indianapolis, devant 18 000 personnes. La foule tremble d'émotion quand le « King » arrive devant elle sur l'immense scène. Sa voix ne l'a pas quitté : plus puissante que jamais. Le public aussi est toujours là, peut-être plus fidèle encore. Si sa voix légendaire ne l'a pas quitté, son physique s'est considérablement dégradé. Il apparait obèse, son visage est tellement bouffi qu'on aperçoit à peine ses yeux. Son jeu de scène est lourd et ses pas mal assurés. Ses chansons sont entre-coupées de furieux trous de mémoire. Mais même dans cet état Elvis reste le King, une star adulée par son public. C'est Elvis Presley, quarante-deux ans, six semaines avant sa mort.

La tournée de juin 1977 débute le 18 à Kansas City pour se terminer le 26 à Indianapolis. Elvis doit incorporer à cette occasion les caméras de télévision du réseau américain CBS lors de deux concerts. En effet, des prises « live » sont prévues pour présenter Elvis en tournée, ce qui sera le troisième spécial télé de sa carrière, prévu pour l'automne de la même année. Le 1er juin, à Macon, c'est l'annonce officielle de l'émission télévisée « Elvis on stage in person ». Les villes d'Omaha et Rapid City sont choisies dans l'ordre le 19 et 21 juin. Elvis n'est pas très en forme à ces concerts, mais comme il doit honorer le contrat qui a été passé avec CBS, il doit le faire.

Enregistrements les 19 et 21 juin 1977 dans le cadre du spécial télévisé de CBS [modifier]
19 juin : Omaha, Nebraska.
21 juin : Rapid City, Nebraska.
Le 20 juin, Elvis sera à Lincoln, Nebraska, et il donna un meilleur concert que la veille. Il interprêta notamment la chanson « Unchained Melody ». Le 21 juin, à Rapid City, Elvis loge à l'hôtel Holiday Inn et il donnera son concert en soirée devant environ 7 500 fans au Rushmore Plaza Civic Center. Avant d'entrer sur scène, Elvis reçut dans sa loge un représentant des indiens sioux de la réserve voisine, qui lui remettront un cadeau nommé « The medaillon of life », en compagnie d'une petite indienne âgée d'une dizaine d'années. Elvis les remercia avant de faire son concert.

Lors de cette dernière tournée, Elvis a présenté son père Vernon et sa fiancée Ginger Alden, pratiquement à tous les concerts.

Le spécial télévisé de CBS sera renommé « Elvis in Concert » et il sera diffusé le 3 octobre 1977 aux États-Unis. Il sortira plus tard en Europe, notamment en France, sous une version écourtée. Après la mort d'Elvis, CBS rajoutera rapidement un message de remerciement de la part de Vernon au sujet des cartes reçues suite au décès d'Elvis et il racontera très rapidement les débuts d'Elvis avec le Colonel Parker. La version américaine est plus longue que la version française, car elle présente les préparatifs de la scène avant le concert. Le montage de l'époque a été très critiqué par beaucoup de fans qui trouvaient étrange le fait de voir des messages et des commentaires de fans au milieu de ce concert. Cela brisait le rythme. Le concert télévisé n'est jamais sorti officiellement en VHS ou DVD, mais il existe des copies non-officielles qui circulent lors des conventions. La compagnie Elvis Presley Entreprises Inc. n'a pas l'intention d'autoriser prochainement la sortie officielle de ce concert en raison du mauvais état de santé d'Elvis à cette époque. Il avait pris beaucoup de poids et il était devenu la cible de plusieurs journalistes qui le ridiculisaient. Cependant, il semble qu'EPE ne soit pas contre l'idée de faire publier ce concert historique sur DVD, mais elle préfère attendre pour l'instant.

Mort [modifier]

La tombe d'Elvis dans le Jardin de la méditation à Graceland.Sa mort est due à un abus de médicaments (cortisone, somnifères puissants le soir d'où les énergisants le matin). On croit qu'il était atteint d'une maladie rare et incurable : Lupus érythémateux. Elvis mesurait 1,83 m et pesait 102 kilos.

Le 15 août 1977, Elvis loue pour la soirée le Théâtre Ridgeway de Memphis. Le dernier film qu'Elvis regarde est MacArthur. Quelques heures plus tard, il se rend chez le dentiste Lester Hofman, car il avait un rendez-vous pour 22 h 30 (des rumeurs mentionnent qu'il lui fournit une dose dangereuse d'analgésiques). Il revint à Graceland vers 00 h 30, le 16 août. C'est à ce moment que la dernière photo d'Elvis vivant fut prise, par monsieur Robert Call, de Pierceton, Indiana, au moyen d'une caméra Instamatic. Le 16 août 1977 à 1 h 30, Elvis appelle Dick Grob, le chef de la sécurité de Graceland, afin qu'il prépare des partitions musicales pour une insertion éventuelle dans sa nouvelle tournée. Par la suite, Elvis a appelé son infirmière favorite, Marian Cocke, afin de la saluer avant son départ en tournée. Elvis devait entamer une nouvelle tournée de 14 concerts à guichets fermés qui devait débuter le 17 août 1977, à Hartford au Connecticut. Durant la nuit, Elvis joue au racquetball (dans un bâtiment situé sur le terrain de Graceland) avec son cousin Billy Smith et sa femme Jo, ainsi que sa fiancée Ginger Alden. Lors de sa dernière nuit, Elvis joue du piano devant Ginger Alden, près du court de raquette, et il chante les chansons Blue Eyes Crying in the rain de Willie Nelson et Unchained Melody des Righteous Brothers. Ce fut les dernières interprétations de son existence.

Après avoir absorbé des somnifères (selon sa compagne Ginger Alden, il se coucha très tard, autour de 6 ou 7 heures le matin du 16 août), au milieu de l'après-midi, Elvis fut trouvé inanimé dans sa salle de bains par Ginger Alden. Al Strada contacta à son tour Joe Esposito. Ce dernier, de même que tante Delta Mae Presley, auraient pratiqué le bouche à bouche sur Elvis afin d'essayer de le ranimer. Sa fille Lisa Marie, alors âgée de huit ans, et qui ce jour-là séjournait chez lui, sera témoin de la scène. Appelés sur les lieux, deux ambulanciers de Memphis viendront 40 minutes plus tard à son secours. Il est trop tard, Elvis est mort d'une crise d'arythmie. Les tentatives de réanimation à l'hôpital de Memphis furent vaines. À un certain moment, une mince lueur d'espoir montrait un signe de vie, mais trop faible pour le réanimer complètement. Elvis avait plusieurs problèmes de santé depuis 1974. Il souffrait notamment d'un problème de poids, de glaucome, d'un problème aux intestins (constipation chronique) et d'une grave dépendance aux médicaments que son médecin personnel, le docteur George Constantine Nichopoulos, lui prescrivait. Celui-ci sera soupçonné de faute professionnelle grave en ayant favorisé par abus de prescriptions les nombreuses surdoses de médicaments dont il fut victime durant les dix dernières années de sa vie, et qui laisseront le soupçon d'une dernière overdose fatale. Il fut radié de l'ordre des médecins. Certaines personnes de son entourage, dont la soprano Kathy Westmoreland, persistent à dire qu'il aurait eu un cancer des os. Cette thèse était aussi soutenue par son ami Charlie Hodge. Cependant, rien n'est officiel. Il s'agit d'une rumeur et cette maladie possible ne saurait expliquer sa mort. Il semble que son problème cardiaque ait pu être génétique. Son père Vernon et son oncle Vester sont morts d'une crise cardiaque. Lors de l'autopsie, les médecins ont constaté que le côté gauche du cœur d'Elvis était deux fois plus gros que la normale. Ils ont trouvé dix médicaments dans son système sanguin[10].

L'une des théories récentes les plus intéressantes, concernant le peu d'attention qu'Elvis prêta à sa santé physique durant les dix dernières années de sa vie (outre le rythme infernal de tournées que lui faisait subir son agent, l'insatiable colonel Tom Parker), est que son guru et ami proche Jerry Schilling (auteur de Me and a Guy Named Elvis: My Lifelong Friendship with Elvis Presley, publié en 2005) le convainquit peu à peu de sa quasi-immortalité ou du moins qu'il possédait une essence divine que son existence dissolue ne pouvait en rien affecter. Elvis était dans un état dépressif. Il chantait les mêmes chansons qu'il interprétait plusieurs fois dans ses tournées. Au milieu des années 1970. il avait aussi des problèmes financiers, mais ses tournées lui permettaient de se renflouer financièrement. À sa mort, il n'avait que cinq millions de dollars sur son compte en banque. Depuis son enfance, Elvis était membre de l'église pentecôtiste « Assembly of God Church », une mouvance protestante évangélique. Sans être en manque de spiritualité et s'interrogeant sur le sens de son existence, il en serait venu à prendre pour acquis les théories bouddhistes et spiritualistes de penseurs tels que Khalil Gibran, Krishnamurti, Helena Blavatsky, Berkeley, prônant que seul l'esprit existe, et que la vraie réalité est immatérielle. Larry Geller, son coiffeur et ami personnel, lui apportait régulièrement des livres concernant la spiritualité et sur les diverses religions. Quelques heures avant sa mort, Elvis lisait un livre sur le Saint-Suaire de Turin, livre qui fut retrouvé près de lui.

La plus grande voix d'Amérique (selon John Lennon) est morte et sa mort prématurée fera l'effet d'une bombe, d'abord aux États-Unis, puis dans le monde entier. On parlera d'overdose, d'assassinat, de mort déguisée et même de fausse mort.

Ses funérailles [modifier]
Le 18 août, le corps d'Elvis fut exposé à Graceland. On estime entre 50 000 et 100 000 personnes venues rendre un dernier hommage à Elvis[11].

Le 19 août, Elvis eut des obsèques dignes d'un chef d'État.

Des funérailles intimes furent célébrées par le célèbre télé-évangéliste Rex Humbard à Graceland dans la salle de musique située près du salon. Des chants gospels furent interprétés dont How Great Thou Art et Sweet, Sweet Spirit. Sa dépouille « royale » fut transportée de Graceland dans un corbillard blanc et argenté flanqué de six motards de la garde républicaine le long de son boulevard, le Elvis-Presley Boulevard de Memphis en direction du Forest Hill Cemetery de Memphis. Le corps d'Elvis fut déposé dans une crypte. Cependant, pour des questions de sécurité, sa dépouille fut transférée, le 3 octobre 1977, sur le terrain de Graceland[12].

Ainsi, le « King » repose à Graceland au milieu des siens ; sa mère Gladys morte en 1958, son père Vernon mort en 1979 et sa grand-mère paternelle Minnie-Mae Hood décédée en 1980[13]. Selon le site web officiel d'Elvis, Graceland est visité par plus de 600 000 personnes chaque année.

Comment inhumer un dieu vivant ? Comment la plus grande voix d'Amérique pouvait-elle simplement disparaître ? Parmi les mythes fondateurs de l'Amérique contemporaine la mort d'Elvis s'inscrira rapidement parmi les théories de la conspiration, comme celle de John Kennedy et de Marilyn Monroe. Statistiquement, en 2005, 24 % des Américains interrogés sur la question dans un sondage du USA Today estimaient qu'Elvis n'était probablement pas mort. L'immense culte de la personnalité qui s'ensuivra et sa persistante influence sur la musique des années 2000 prouveront en quelque sorte son immortalité. Cette sacralisation, gérée par son ex-épouse Priscilla et sa fille Lisa-Marie, rapporte désormais d'immenses dividendes : Elvis Presley Entertainement qui administre, parmi des dizaines de produits dérivés, le mausolée pittoresque qu'est devenu Graceland a déclaré en 2007 les revenus posthumes les plus importants (près de 280 millions US) attribués à un artiste depuis sa disparition. Et Graceland demeure, entre le Capitole, le Grand Canyon et la Statue de la Liberté, une des attractions touristiques les plus fréquentées d'Amérique, le monument historique le plus visité après la Maison blanche. Au-delà de la mort le King reste toujours ... le King.

Influence mondiale [modifier]

GracelandElvis Presley est largement considéré comme la personnification du rock and roll : sa voix, sa musique, sa gestuelle provocatrice, ses habitudes vestimentaires excentriques, ainsi que son parcours (célébrité fulgurante, descente aux enfers et mort prématurée) contribuent à forger l'icône d'Elvis à la fois idole populaire et symbole d'une certaine rébellion adolescente. Elvis peut être considéré comme le principal acteur de la popularisation du rock and roll auprès du grand public blanc américain puis européen. En effet, si le jazz avait déjà associé étroitement musique et sexualité, et si plusieurs interprètes blancs étaient aux côtés d'Elvis dans son rôle de pionnier du rock (par exemple, Bill Haley), Presley est le premier blanc à associer le sex appeal (un physique avantageux, des inflexions de voix et des mouvements du bassin très suggestifs) à la nouvelle forme de musique, tout en y ajoutant un son plus dynamique et plus percutant issu des studios Sun de Memphis. Bien que considéré comme choquant par la frange conservatrice américaine, il contribue à rendre acceptable le genre musical et ouvre ainsi la voix de la reconnaissance à de nombreux artistes noirs, tels Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley et Little Richard, ainsi qu'aux rockers blancs, tels Buddy Holly et Jerry Lee Lewis.

Sa popularité, en particulier auprès des adolescentes, atteint des sommets inédits et ses concerts et ses apparitions en public donnent lieu à des mouvements de foule. Le succès d'Elvis auprès des jeunes, dont le pouvoir d'achat est grandissant, dicte la mode non seulement musicale, mais également capillaire ou vestimentaire. C'est un véritable phénomène de société.

C'est principalement grâce à Elvis Presley que l'Europe découvre le rock, même derrière le rideau de fer. Cliff Richard s'en inspire et devient la plus grande star du Royaume Uni, et John Lennon lui-même avoua que "s'il n'y avait pas eu un Elvis, il n'y aurait pas eu les Beatles". En France, Dick Rivers[14] copie Presley, mais c'est surtout Johnny Hallyday qui popularise cette musique venue d'outre-Atlantique, devenant la vedette qu'il est encore aujourd'hui. Presley ouvre la voie à de nombreux rockers américains qui vendent leurs disques en Europe et y font des tournées. Les adolescents du monde entier commencent à copier la coiffure d'Elvis et la demande pour les transistors augmente énormément, permettant ainsi à Sony de passer du statut de petit fabricant japonais de radio à celui de multinationale[réf. nécessaire].

Aujourd'hui, 30 ans après la mort du rocker, il demeure une icône du XXe siècle. D'innombrables artistes de la seconde moitié du siècle se définissent par rapport à son influence, soit en revendiquant son héritage, soit pour le rejeter comme symbole d'une musique dépassée (en particulier à partir du mouvement punk). L'artiste Elvis Costello a, par exemple, emprunté le prénom Elvis pour faire décoller sa carrière. Le crooner pop Chris Isaac en est aussi la personnification directe. En France, le chanteur rockabilly Jesse Garon emprunta son nom de scène à celui du frère décédé d'Elvis et le rockeur australien Nick Cave consacra l'une de ses plus puissantes chansons (Tupelo) à la mythification d'Elvis. Le King déclencha aussi dans plusieurs pays, et en particulier dans la francophonie, une avalanche de clones plus ou moins crédibles dont parmi ceux qui lui survécurent ou en furent influencés profondément : Johnny Hallyday, Dick Rivers, Eddy Mitchell bien sûr, parmi des centaines d'imitateurs, n'en sont pas les moindres.

Mentionnons aussi que le groupe californien Dread Zeppelin avec son leader Greg Tortell (alias Tortelvis) personnifiant et parodiant Elvis jusqu'au ridicule (distribuant foulards et colliers hawaiiens dans la foule lors des concerts), connut une fructueuse carrière durant les années 80. Enfin, remarquable hommage, le groupe U2 enregistra sur l'album The Unforgettable Fire, en 1984, la très belle chanson: Elvis Presley And America. Sans oublier certains imitateurs américains dont Jimmy « Orion » Ellis (1945-1998) et Doug Church dont les voix rapprochent énormément celle d'Elvis[15].

Elvis possède une grande popularité au Québec [modifier]
À la fin des années 1970, le chanteur Johnny Farago donnera une série de concert hommage à Elvis. La station de télévision Télé-Métropole lancera un concours d'imitateurs à l'émission « Les Tannants ». Malheureusement, ce concours va ternir l'image d'Elvis au Québec jusqu'au début des années 1980. Laissant une image de mauvais goût associé à Elvis. La cause de ceci est principalement dû aux mauvaises performances de ces imitateurs.

La mégaproduction Elvis Story [modifier]
En 1995, le producteur Jean Pilote et le Théâtre du Capitole de Québec vont redorer l'image d'Elvis au Québec en présentant, sous licence, durant sept ans et avec un succès considérable une mégaproduction musicale estivale sophistiquée nommée « Elvis Story » (1995-2007) à laquelle assistèrent des centaines de milliers de personnes, venues de partout. Le spectacle sera présenté à Paris, Toronto, Biloxi au Tennessee, Atlantic City et au Japon. Les chanteurs Martin Fontaine et Jamie Aaron Kelley personnifièrent très bien Elvis avec respect, sans entrer dans le ridicule.

Le phénomène Elvis Gratton [modifier]
Toujours au Québec où, chez certains, Elvis personnifie l'excès du mythe américain face aux revendications nationalistes et culturelles, le cinéaste Pierre Falardeau consacrera à la légende une trilogie humoristique intitulée Elvis Graton qui s'avérera d'abord un succès d'estime en court métrage et vingt ans plus tard, en 2005, un vaste succès public en salle. Le personnage comique aura sa série télévisée au réseau TQS en (2006-).

Record de vente au Canada [modifier]
Par ailleurs, c'est dans la province du Québec que les albums d'Elvis sont les plus vendus au Canada. Un fait étonnant pour une province francophone.

Regain de popularité mondiale au début du XXIe siècle [modifier]
Elvis connaît aussi un regain de popularité lors de la coupe du monde de football de 2002 lorsque Nike utilise un remix de sa chanson A Little Less Conversation comme fond sonore d'une publicité mettant en scène des vedettes internationales de football. Ce morceau devient numéro 1 dans plus de 20 pays, y compris aux États-Unis. À peu près au même moment, sort une compilation qui se terminera en deux volets, des plus grandes chansons d'Elvis : Elv1s 30 #1 Hits. Le remix est ajouté à l'album comme 31e morceau, juste avant la sortie du CD en octobre 2002. 25 ans après sa mort, l'album qui regroupe ses tubes et dont la restauration sonore est rien moins que phénoménale, atteint la première place des classements.

Parmi ses nombreuses réussites, Elvis est l'un des deux chanteurs, avec Roy Orbison, à avoir eu simultanément deux albums dans le Top 5 des classements de ventes d'albums. Il fait partie du Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, du Country Music Hall of Fame et du Gospel Music Hall of Fame.

Tournée mondiale virtuelle «Elvis in Concert» (1997 à aujourd'hui) [modifier]
En 1997, le tout premier concert virtuel d'Elvis voit le jour. Intitulé « Elvis The Concert », ce spectacle présente Elvis sur grand écran et ses musiciens des années 1970 réunis sur scène. Le tout est synchronisé par ordinateur. Ils feront des tournées dans le monde entier. C'est un vœu exaucé pour Elvis, car il voulait donner des concerts à l'extérieur des États-Unis. Il n'a jamais pu réaliser son rêve, parce que le colonel Tom Parker voulait concentrer ses efforts sur Las Vegas et les tournées américaines qui lui rapportaient des millions chaque année.

L'illusion est parfaite. Le concert est dirigé par Joe Guercio avec la participation du TCB Band, des groupes vocaux The Sweet Inspirations et The Imperials. Les images vidéos d'Elvis proviennent du NBC '68 Comeback Special, du concert satellite Elvis: Aloha from Hawaii, ainsi que les concerts filmés de la MGM, That's the Way It Is (1970) et Elvis on Tour (1972). Le concert fut testé aux États-Unis en 1997 et 1998 avant d'être présenté en Europe en 1999[16].

Liste des tournées [modifier]
1997 : première tournée américaine du 10 au 22 mars
1998 : deuxième tournée américaine du 11 au 30 août
1999 : première tournée européenne du 23 janvier au 8 février en Angleterre, Belgique, Allemagne, Finlande, Suède, Danemark et Norvège.
1999 : première tournée australienne et japonaise du 5 au 23 novembre.
2000 : concert spécial à Memphis pour souligner son 65e anniversaire de naissance.
2000 : deuxième tournée européenne du 22 février au 22 mars en Allemagne, Suède, Danemark, Hollande, Angleterre, Écosse, Irlande et en France.
2000 : troisième tournée américaine du 4 mai au 15 octobre.
2001 : quatrième tournée américaine du 17 janvier au 1er février.
2001 : troisième tournée européenne du 5 mars au 1er avril en Angleterre, Écosse, Irlande, France, Hollande, Allemagne, Belgique, Autriche et la Suisse.
2001 : petite tournée américaine et canadienne du 10 au 15 juin, dont un arrêt à Toronto.
2002 : concert spécial à Memphis (The Pyramid) pour souligner le 25e anniversaire de son décès.
2002 : cinquième tournée américaine du 24 août au 18 octobre.
2003 : deux concerts aux États-Unis, les 28 et 29 mars, à Atlantic City et Uncasville au Connecticut.
2003 : quatrième tournée européenne du 24 mai au 8 juin, notamment au stade Wembley de Londres, en Écosse, Irlande, Belgique, France, Suède, Suisse et Hollande.
2004 : concert à Honolulu et à Singapore le 15 et 21 août.
2005 : concert à Uncasville, CT au Mohegan Sun Casino.
2005 : cinquième tournée européenne du 26 avril au 8 mai en Belgique, Hollande, Angleterre, et Écosse.
2006 : deuxième tournée en Australie et première visite en Nouvelle-Zélande et Thaïlande du 6 au 21 octobre.
2007 : deux concerts spéciaux le 16 août à Memphis intitulés Elvis: The 30th Anniversary Concert et Elvis: Midnight in Vegas pour souligner le 30e anniversaire de son décès.
2008-2009 : (PAUSE DU CONCERT)
2010 : sixième tournée européenne du 19 février au 16 mars en Angleterre, Hollande, Irlande et Écosse.

Discographie [modifier]
Article détaillé : Discographie d'Elvis Presley.

Filmographie [modifier]
1956 : Le Cavalier du crépuscule (Love Me Tender), de Robert D. Webb, dans le rôle de Clint Reno.
1957 : Amour frénétique (Loving You), de Hal Kanter, dans le rôle de Jimmy Tompkins (Deke Rivers)
1957 : Le Rock du bagne (Jailhouse Rock), de Richard Thorpe, dans le rôle de Vince Everett.(VF :Hubert Noel)
1958 : Bagarres au King Créole (King Creole), de Michael Curtiz, dans le rôle de Danny Fisher.(VF :Michel Roux)
1960 : Café Europa en uniforme (G.I. Blues), de Norman Taurog, dans le rôle de Tulsa McLean.(VF :Michel Roux)
1960 : Les Rôdeurs de la plaine (Flaming Star), de Don Siegel, dans le rôle de Pacer Burton.(VF :Michel Roux)
1961 : Amour sauvage (Wild in the Country), de Philip Dunne, dans le rôle de Glenn Tyler.(VF :Jacques Deschamps)
1961 : Sous le ciel bleu de Hawaï (Blue Hawaii), de Norman Taurog, dans le rôle de Chad Gates.(VF :Michel Roux)
1962 : Le Shérif de ces dames (Follow That Dream), de Gordon Douglas, dans le rôle de Toby Kwimper.
1962 : Un direct au cœur (Kid Galahad), de Phil Karlson, dans le rôle de Walter Gulick aka Kid Galahad.(VF :Michel Roux)
1962 : Des filles, encore des filles (Girls! Girls! Girls!), de Norman Taurog, dans le rôle de Ross Carpenter.(VF:Michel Roux)
1963 : Blondes, brunes, rousses (It Happened at the World's Fair), de Norman Taurog, dans le rôle de Mike Edwards.
1963 : L'Idole d'Acapulco (Fun in Acapulco), de Richard Thorpe, dans le rôle de Mike Windgren.(VF :Michel Roux)
1964 : Salut, les cousins (Kissin' Cousins), de Gene Nelson, dans le rôle de Josh Morgan/Jodie Tatum.(VF :Hubert Noel)
1964 : L'Amour en quatrième vitesse (Viva Las Vegas), de George Sidney, dans le rôle de Lucky Jackson.(VF :Hubert Noel)
1964 : L'Homme à tout faire (Roustabout), de John Rich, dans le rôle de Charlie Rogers.(VF:Michel Roux)
1965 : La Stripteaseuse effarouchée (Girl Happy), de Boris Sagal, dans le rôle de Rusty Wells.
1965 : Chatouille-moi (Tickle Me), de Norman Taurog, dans le rôle de Lonnie Beale/Panhandle Kid.
1965 : C'est la fête au harem (Harum Scarum), de Gene Nelson, dans le rôle de Johnny Tyronne.(VF:Michel Roux)
1966 : Frankie et Johnny (Frankie and Johnny), de Frederick De Cordova, dans le rôle de Johnny.
1966 : Paradis hawaïen (Paradise, Hawaiian Style), de Michael D. Moore, dans le rôle de Rick Richards.(VF :Michel Roux)
1966 : Le Tombeur de ces Demoiselles (Spinout), de Norman Taurog, dans le rôle de Mike McCoy.
1967 : Trois gars, deux filles... un trésor (Easy Come, Easy Go), de John Rich, dans le rôle de Lt. Ted Jackson.(VF :Hubert Noel)
1967 : Croisière surprise (Double Trouble), de Norman Taurog, dans le rôle de Guy Lambert.
1967 : Clambake, de Arthur H. Nadel, dans le rôle de Scott Heyward/'Tom Wilson'.
1968 : Micmac au Montana (Stay Away, Joe), de Peter Tewksbury, dans le rôle de Joe Lightcloud.
1968 : À plein tubes (Speedway), de Norman Taurog, dans le rôle de Steve Grayson.
1968 : Le Grand frisson (Live a Little, Love a Little), de Norman Taurog, dans le rôle de Greg Nolan.
1969 : Charro!, de Charles Marquis Warren, dans le rôle de Jess Wade.(VF:Claude Giraud)
1969 : Filles et show business (The Trouble with Girls), de Peter Tewksbury, dans le rôle de Walter Hale.
1969 : L'habit ne fait pas la femme (Change of habit), de William A. Graham, dans le rôle de Dr. John Carpenter.

Sur Elvis [modifier]
Films documentaires
1970 : That's the Way It Is, de Denis Sanders. Ce film présente Elvis en studio et à Las Vegas.
1972 : Elvis On Tour, de Robert Abel et Pierre Adidge. Une équipe de tournage suit Elvis en tournée. On peut y apercevoir des extraits de son concert du Madison Square Garden de New York.
2001 : Elvis Presley, réalisé par Jeremy Marre. Ponctuée d'images d'archives et d'extraits de chansons, une plongée dans la jeunesse du King, jusqu'à la naissance du phénomène «Elvis Presley»
Films biographiques
1978 : Le Roman d'Elvis, de John Carpenter, avec Kurt Russell dans le rôle titre, et Shelley Winters dans le rôle de Gladys Presley.
1980 : This is Elvis, de Malcolm Leo et Andrew Solt.
2005 : Elvis : Une étoile Est Née, de James Sadwith, avec Jonathan Rhys-Meyers dans le rôle titre et Randy Quaid dans le rôle du 'Colonel' Parker.
Films Fictions :
2002 : Bubba Ho-tep, de Don Coscarelli, avec Bruce Campbell dans le rôle titre (Sebastian Haff) et Ossie Davis dans le rôle de John F. Kennedy (Jack).
Spectacles hommages
1995-2007 : Elvis Story, spectacle canadien avec Martin Fontaine dans le rôle titre.
1997-2007 : Elvis The Concert, concert virtuel international.

GALERIA 5

2008-08-05T16:07:00.007-07:00

埃尔维斯·普雷斯利
维基百科，自由的百科全书
跳转到：导航, 搜索
汉漢▼▲为了阅读方便，本文使用標題手工轉換。
转换标题为：简体：埃尔维斯·普雷斯利；繁體：艾維斯·普利斯萊；香港：埃爾維斯·皮禮士利；
实际标题為：埃爾維斯·皮禮士利；當前顯示為：埃尔维斯·普雷斯利
为了阅读方便，本文使用全文手工轉換。转换内容：
下面采用藝人譯名組全文轉換 [編輯]
原始语言：Jessica Alba；大陆：杰西卡·阿尔巴；香港：謝茜嘉·艾芭；台灣：潔西卡·艾芭；当前用字模式下显示为→杰西卡·阿尔巴
原始语言：Woody Allen；大陆：伍迪·艾伦；香港：活地·亞倫；台灣：伍迪·艾倫；当前用字模式下显示为→伍迪·艾伦
原始语言：Julie Andrews；大陆：朱莉·安德鲁斯；香港：茱莉·安德絲；台灣：茱莉·安德魯絲；当前用字模式下显示为→朱莉·安德鲁斯
原始语言：Judd Apatow；大陆：贾德·阿帕图；香港：祖艾·柏圖；台灣：賈德·艾帕托；当前用字模式下显示为→贾德·阿帕图
原始语言：Alan Arkin；大陆：阿兰·阿尔金；台灣：亞倫·艾金；香港：艾倫·雅堅；当前用字模式下显示为→阿兰·阿尔金
原始语言：Sean Astin；大陆：肖恩·阿斯廷；香港：辛·艾斯丁；台灣：西恩·艾斯汀；当前用字模式下显示为→肖恩·阿斯廷
原始语言：David Attenborough；大陆：大卫·阿滕伯勒；香港：大衛·艾登堡；台灣：大衛·艾登堡；当前用字模式下显示为→大卫·阿滕伯勒
原始语言：Gene Autry；大陆：吉恩·奥特里；台灣：金·奧崔；当前用字模式下显示为→吉恩·奥特里
原始语言：Kevin Bacon；大陆：凯文·贝肯；香港：奇雲·貝根；台灣：凱文·貝肯；当前用字模式下显示为→凯文·贝肯
原始语言：Christian Bale；大陆：克里斯蒂安·贝尔；台灣：克里斯汀·貝爾；香港：基斯頓·比爾；当前用字模式下显示为→克里斯蒂安·贝尔
原始语言：Drew Barrymore；大陆：德鲁·巴里莫尔；香港：茱·芭莉摩；台灣：茱兒·芭莉摩；当前用字模式下显示为→德鲁·巴里莫尔
原始语言：Javier Bardem；大陆：贾维尔·巴尔登；台灣：哈維爾·巴登；香港：查維爾·巴頓；当前用字模式下显示为→贾维尔·巴尔登
原始语言：Mischa Barton；大陆：米沙·巴顿；香港：美莎·芭頓；台灣：米莎·巴頓；当前用字模式下显示为→米沙·巴顿
原始语言：Kim Basinger；大陆：金·贝辛杰；台灣：金·貝辛格；当前用字模式下显示为→金·贝辛杰
原始语言：Sean Bean；大陆：肖恩·比恩；香港：辛·般；台灣：西恩·賓；当前用字模式下显示为→肖恩·比恩
原始语言：Jamie Bell；大陆：杰米·贝尔；香港：占美·比爾；台灣：傑米·貝爾；当前用字模式下显示为→杰米·贝尔
原始语言：Halle Berry；大陆：哈莉·贝瑞；香港：荷爾·芭莉；台灣：荷莉·貝瑞；当前用字模式下显示为→哈莉·贝瑞
原始语言：Jessica Biel；大陆：杰西卡·贝尔；香港：謝茜嘉·比爾；台灣：潔西卡·貝兒；当前用字模式下显示为→杰西卡·贝尔
原始语言：Jack Black；大陆：杰克·布莱克；香港：積·伯克；台灣：傑克·布萊克；当前用字模式下显示为→杰克·布莱克
原始语言：Cate Blanchett；大陆：凯特·布兰切特；香港：姬蒂·白蘭芝；台灣：凱特·布蘭琪；当前用字模式下显示为→凯特·布兰切特
原始语言：Orlando Bloom；大陆：奥兰多·布卢姆；香港：奧蘭度·布林；台灣：奧蘭多·布魯；当前用字模式下显示为→奥兰多·布卢姆
原始语言：Humphrey Bogart；大陆：亨弗莱·鲍嘉；台灣：亨弗萊·鲍嘉；香港：堪富利·保加；当前用字模式下显示为→亨弗莱·鲍嘉
原始语言：Kate Bosworth；台灣：凱特·柏絲沃；大陆：凯特·伯茨沃斯；香港：姬蒂·寶絲禾芙；当前用字模式下显示为→凯特·伯茨沃斯
原始语言：Billy Boyd；大陆：比利·博伊德；香港：比利·包依德；台灣：比利·包依德；当前用字模式下显示为→比利·博伊德
原始语言：Adrien Brody；大陆：阿德里安·布罗迪；台灣：安德林·布洛迪；香港：艾哲倫·保迪；当前用字模式下显示为→阿德里安·布罗迪
原始语言：Charles Bronson；大陆：查尔斯·布朗森；香港：查理士·布朗臣；台灣：查爾斯·布朗森；当前用字模式下显示为→查尔斯·布朗森
原始语言：Sandra Bullock；大陆：桑德拉·布洛克；香港：珊迪娜·布洛；台灣：珊卓·布拉克；当前用字模式下显示为→桑德拉·布洛克
原始语言：Richard Burton；大陆：理查德·伯顿；香港：李察·波頓；台灣：李察·波頓；当前用字模式下显示为→理查德·伯顿
原始语言：Tim Burton；大陆：蒂姆·伯顿；香港：添·布頓；台灣：提姆·波頓；当前用字模式下显示为→蒂姆·伯顿
原始语言：Nicolas Cage；大陆：尼古拉斯·凯奇；香港：尼古拉斯·基治；台灣：尼可拉斯·凱吉；当前用字模式下显示为→尼古拉斯·凯奇
原始语言：Michael Caine；大陆：迈克尔·凯恩；台灣：米高·肯恩；香港：米高·堅；当前用字模式下显示为→迈克尔·凯恩
原始语言：Mariah Carey；大陆：玛丽亚·凯里；香港：瑪麗·嘉兒；台灣：瑪麗亞·凱莉；当前用字模式下显示为→玛丽亚·凯里
原始语言：Jim Carrey；大陆：金·凯瑞；香港：占·基利；台灣：金·凱瑞；当前用字模式下显示为→金·凯瑞
原始语言：Cars；大陆：汽车总动员；台灣：汽車總動員；香港：反斗車王；当前用字模式下显示为→汽车总动员
原始语言：Charlie Chaplin；大陆：查理·卓别林；香港：差利·卓別靈；台灣：查理·卓别林；当前用字模式下显示为→查理·卓别林
原始语言：Julie Christie；大陆：朱莉·克里斯蒂；香港：茱莉·姬絲蒂；台灣：茱莉·克莉絲蒂；当前用字模式下显示为→朱莉·克里斯蒂
原始语言：George Clooney；大陆：乔治·克鲁尼；香港：佐治·古尼；台灣：喬治·克隆尼；当前用字模式下显示为→乔治·克鲁尼
原始语言：Coen brothers；大陆：科恩兄弟；香港：高安兄弟；台灣：柯安兄弟；当前用字模式下显示为→科恩兄弟
原始语言：Sean Connery；大陆：肖恩·康纳利；香港：辛·康納利；台灣：史恩·康納萊；当前用字模式下显示为→肖恩·康纳利
原始语言：David Copperfield；大陆：大卫·科波菲尔；香港：大衛·高柏飛；台灣：大衛·考柏菲；当前用字模式下显示为→大卫·科波菲尔
原始语言：Francis Coppola；大陆：弗朗西斯·科波拉；香港：法蘭斯·哥普拉；台灣：法蘭西斯·科波拉；当前用字模式下显示为→弗朗西斯·科波拉
原始语言：Marion Cotillard；大陆：玛丽昂·歌迪亚；香港：瑪莉安·歌迪雅；台灣：瑪莉詠·柯蒂亞；当前用字模式下显示为→玛丽昂·歌迪亚
原始语言：Daniel Craig；大陆：丹尼尔·克雷格；台灣：丹尼爾·奎格；香港：丹尼爾·基克；当前用字模式下显示为→丹尼尔·克雷格
原始语言：Bing Crosby；大陆：宾·克罗斯比；香港：冰·哥羅士比；台灣：平·克勞斯貝；当前用字模式下显示为→宾·克罗斯比
原始语言：Tom Cruise；大陆：汤姆·克鲁斯；香港：湯·告魯斯；台灣：湯姆·克魯斯；当前用字模式下显示为→汤姆·克鲁斯
原始语言：Penélope Cruz；大陆：佩内洛普·克鲁兹；台灣：潘妮洛普·克魯茲；香港：彭妮露·古絲；当前用字模式下显示为→佩内洛普·克鲁兹
原始语言：John Cusack；大陆：约翰·库萨克；台灣：約翰·庫薩克；香港：尊·古錫；当前用字模式下显示为→约翰·库萨克
原始语言：Elisha Cuthbert；大陆：伊莱沙·卡思伯特；香港：伊麗莎·庫斯伯特；台灣：伊麗莎·庫斯伯特；当前用字模式下显示为→伊莱沙·卡思伯特
原始语言：Miley Cyrus；大陆：米利·赛勒斯；香港：麥莉·希拉；台灣：麥莉·希拉；当前用字模式下显示为→米利·赛勒斯
原始语言：James Cameron；大陆：詹姆斯·卡梅隆；繁體：詹姆斯·卡麥隆；香港：占士·金馬倫；当前用字模式下显示为→詹姆斯·卡麥隆
原始语言：Stephen Daldry；大陆：斯蒂芬·达尔德里；香港：史提芬·杜德利；台灣：史蒂芬·戴爾卓；当前用字模式下显示为→斯蒂芬·达尔德里
原始语言：Matt Damon；大陆：马特·戴蒙；香港：麥·迪文；台灣：麥特·戴蒙；当前用字模式下显示为→马特·戴蒙
原始语言：Frank Darabont；大陆：弗兰克·达拉邦特；香港：法蘭·達拉本特；台灣：法蘭克·戴倫邦特；当前用字模式下显示为→弗兰克·达拉邦特
原始语言：Daniel Day-Lewis；大陆：丹尼尔·戴-刘易斯；台灣：丹尼爾·戴-劉易斯；香港：丹尼爾·戴-路易斯；当前用字模式下显示为→丹尼尔·戴-刘易斯
原始语言：Robert De Niro；大陆：罗伯特·德尼罗；香港：羅拔·迪尼路；台灣：勞勃·狄尼洛；当前用字模式下显示为→罗伯特·德尼罗
原始语言：Judi Dench；大陆：朱迪·丹奇；台灣：茱蒂·丹契；香港：茱迪·丹芝；当前用字模式下显示为→朱迪·丹奇
原始语言：Johnny Depp；大陆：约翰尼·德普；香港：尊尼·特普；台灣：強尼·戴普；当前用字模式下显示为→约翰尼·德普
原始语言：Cameron Diaz；大陆：卡梅隆·迪亚兹；香港：金美倫·戴雅絲；台灣：卡麥蓉·狄亞；当前用字模式下显示为→卡梅隆·迪亚兹
原始语言：Leonardo DiCaprio；大陆：莱昂纳多·迪卡普里奥；香港：里安納度·迪卡比奧；台灣：李奧納多·狄卡皮歐；当前用字模式下显示为→莱昂纳多·迪卡普里奥
原始语言：Vin Diesel；大陆：范·迪塞尔；台灣：馮·迪索；香港：雲·迪素；当前用字模式下显示为→范·迪塞尔
原始语言：Dreamgirls；大陆：追梦姑娘；台灣：夢幻女郎；香港：夢幻女郎；当前用字模式下显示为→追梦姑娘
原始语言：Hilary Duff；大陆：希拉里·达夫；香港：希拉莉·杜芙；台灣：希拉蕊·朵芙；当前用字模式下显示为→希拉里·达夫
原始语言：Robert Duvall；大陆：罗伯特·杜瓦尔；台灣：勞勃·杜瓦；香港：羅拔·杜華；当前用字模式下显示为→罗伯特·杜瓦尔
原始语言：Bob Dylan；大陆：鲍勃·迪伦；香港：卜·戴倫；台灣：巴布·狄倫；当前用字模式下显示为→鲍勃·迪伦
原始语言：Clint Eastwood；大陆：克林特·伊斯特伍德；台灣：克林·伊斯威特；香港：奇連·伊士活；当前用字模式下显示为→克林特·伊斯特伍德
原始语言：Chris Evans；大陆：克里斯·埃文斯；香港：基斯·伊雲斯；台灣：克里斯·伊凡；当前用字模式下显示为→克里斯·埃文斯
原始语言：Farrah Fawcett；大陆：法拉·弗西；香港：花拉·科茜；台灣：法拉·弗西；当前用字模式下显示为→法拉·弗西
原始语言：Ralph Fiennes；大陆：拉尔夫·费因斯；香港：賴夫·費恩斯；台灣：雷夫·范恩斯；当前用字模式下显示为→拉尔夫·费因斯
原始语言：David Fincher；大陆：大卫·芬奇；香港：大衛·芬查；台灣：大衛·芬奇；当前用字模式下显示为→大卫·芬奇
原始语言：Laurence Fishburne；大陆：劳伦斯·菲什伯恩；香港：羅蘭士·費斯賓；台灣：勞倫斯·費許朋；当前用字模式下显示为→劳伦斯·菲什伯恩
原始语言：Harrison Ford；大陆：哈里森·福特；香港：夏里遜·福；台灣：哈里遜·福特；当前用字模式下显示为→哈里森·福特
原始语言：Megan Fox；大陆：梅根·福克斯；香港：美瑾·霍絲；台灣：梅根·福克斯；当前用字模式下显示为→梅根·福克斯
原始语言：Jamie Foxx；大陆：杰米·福克斯；台灣：傑米·福克斯；香港：占美·霍士；当前用字模式下显示为→杰米·福克斯
原始语言：Stephen Frears；大陆：斯蒂芬·弗里尔斯；香港：史提芬·費雅斯；台灣：史蒂芬·佛瑞爾斯；当前用字模式下显示为→斯蒂芬·弗里尔斯
原始语言：Morgan Freeman；大陆：摩根·弗里曼；香港：摩根·費曼；台灣：摩根·費里曼；当前用字模式下显示为→摩根·弗里曼
原始语言：Clark Gable；大陆：克拉克·盖博；香港：奇勒·基寶；台灣：克拉克·蓋博；当前用字模式下显示为→克拉克·盖博
原始语言：Richard Gere；大陆：理查·基尔；香港：李察·基爾；台灣：李察·吉爾；当前用字模式下显示为→理查·基尔
原始语言：Terry Gilliam；大陆：特里·吉列姆；台灣：泰瑞·吉連；香港：泰利·基咸；当前用字模式下显示为→特里·吉列姆
原始语言：Alejandro González Iñárritu；大陆：亚历桑德罗·冈萨雷斯·伊纳里图；台灣：阿利安卓·崗札雷·伊納利圖；香港：艾力謝路·高沙里斯·依拿力圖；当前用字模式下显示为→亚历桑德罗·冈萨雷斯·伊纳里图
原始语言：Brian Grazer；大陆：布莱恩·格雷泽；香港：白賴仁·基沙；台灣：布萊恩·葛瑟；当前用字模式下显示为→布莱恩·格雷泽
原始语言：Paul Greengrass；大陆：保罗·格林格拉斯；香港：保羅·格連加斯；台灣：保羅·葛林葛瑞斯；当前用字模式下显示为→保罗·格林格拉斯
原始语言：Jake Gyllenhaal；大陆：杰克·吉林哈尔；台灣：傑克·吉倫荷；香港：積·佳蘭賀；当前用字模式下显示为→杰克·吉林哈尔
原始语言：Michael Haneke；大陆：迈克尔·哈内克；台灣：麥克·漢內克；香港：米高·漢尼卡；当前用字模式下显示为→迈克尔·哈内克
原始语言：Tom Hanks；大陆：汤姆·汉克斯；香港：湯·漢斯；台灣：湯姆·漢克斯；当前用字模式下显示为→汤姆·汉克斯
原始语言：Teri Hatcher；大陆：泰瑞·海切爾；台灣：泰瑞·海契；香港：泰瑞·海切爾；当前用字模式下显示为→泰瑞·海切爾
原始语言：Goldie Hawn；大陆：戈尔迪·霍恩；香港：高蒂·韓；台灣：歌蒂·韓；当前用字模式下显示为→戈尔迪·霍恩
原始语言：Anne Hathaway；大陆：安妮·海瑟薇；台灣：安·海瑟薇；香港：安妮·夏菲維；当前用字模式下显示为→安妮·海瑟薇
原始语言：Salma Hayek；大陆：萨尔玛·海耶克；香港：莎瑪·希恩；台灣：莎瑪·海耶克；当前用字模式下显示为→萨尔玛·海耶克
原始语言：Katherine Heigl；大陆：凯瑟琳·海格尔；香港：嘉芙蓮·希歌；台灣：凱瑟琳·海格；当前用字模式下显示为→凯瑟琳·海格尔
原始语言：Audrey Hepburn；简体：奥黛丽·赫本；台灣：奧黛麗·赫本；香港：柯德莉·夏萍；当前用字模式下显示为→奥黛丽·赫本
原始语言：Katharine Hepburn；简体：凯瑟琳·赫本；台灣：凱瑟琳·赫本；香港：嘉芙蓮·協賓；当前用字模式下显示为→凯瑟琳·赫本
原始语言：Freddie Highmore；大陆：弗雷迪·海默；香港：費迪·夏摩亞；台灣：弗雷迪·海默；当前用字模式下显示为→弗雷迪·海默
原始语言：Dustin Hoffman；大陆：达斯汀·霍夫曼；香港：德斯汀·荷夫曼；台灣：達斯汀·霍夫曼；当前用字模式下显示为→达斯汀·霍夫曼
原始语言：Philip Seymour Hoffman；大陆：菲利普·西摩·霍夫曼；台灣：菲利浦·西摩·霍夫曼；香港：菲臘·西摩·荷夫曼；当前用字模式下显示为→菲利普·西摩·霍夫曼
原始语言：Ian Holm；大陆：伊恩·霍尔姆；香港：伊恩·荷姆；台灣：伊恩·霍姆；当前用字模式下显示为→伊恩·霍尔姆
原始语言：Katie Holmes；大陆：凯蒂·霍姆斯；香港：姬蒂·荷姆絲；台灣：凱蒂·荷姆斯；当前用字模式下显示为→凯蒂·霍姆斯
原始语言：Anthony Hopkins；大陆：安东尼·霍普金斯；香港：安東尼·鶴健士；台灣：安東尼·霍普金斯；当前用字模式下显示为→安东尼·霍普金斯
原始语言：Djimon Hounsou；大陆：吉蒙·休斯；台灣：迪蒙·杭蘇；香港：狄哲文·侯蘇；当前用字模式下显示为→吉蒙·休斯
原始语言：Ron Howard；大陆：朗·霍华德；香港：朗·侯活；台灣：朗·霍華；当前用字模式下显示为→朗·霍华德
原始语言：Jenifer Hudson；大陆：珍妮弗·赫德森；台灣：珍妮佛·哈德遜；香港：珍妮花·赫遜；当前用字模式下显示为→珍妮弗·赫德森
原始语言：Kate Hudson；大陆：凯特·赫德森；香港：姬·韓遜；台灣：凱特·哈德森；当前用字模式下显示为→凯特·赫德森
原始语言：Felicity Huffman；台灣：費麗西蒂·荷夫曼；香港：菲莉絲蒂·夏夫曼；大陆：菲丽西提·霍夫曼；当前用字模式下显示为→菲丽西提·霍夫曼
原始语言：Hugh Jackman；大陆：休·杰克曼；香港：曉治·積曼；台灣：休·傑克曼；当前用字模式下显示为→休·杰克曼
原始语言：Michael Jackson；大陆：迈克尔·杰克逊；香港：米高·積遜；台灣：麥可·傑克遜；当前用字模式下显示为→迈克尔·杰克逊
原始语言：Peter Jackson；大陆：彼得·杰克逊；香港：彼德·積遜；台灣：彼得·傑克森；当前用字模式下显示为→彼得·杰克逊
原始语言：Angelina Jolie；大陆：安吉丽娜·朱莉；香港：安祖蓮娜·祖莉；台灣：安潔莉娜·裘莉；当前用字模式下显示为→安吉丽娜·朱莉
原始语言：Scarlett Jocnson；大陆：斯佳丽·约翰逊；香港：史嘉莉·祖安遜；台灣：史嘉蕾·喬韓森；当前用字模式下显示为→斯佳丽·约翰逊
原始语言：Tommy Lee Jones；大陆：汤米·李·琼斯；香港：湯美·李·鍾斯；台灣：湯米·李·瓊斯；当前用字模式下显示为→汤米·李·琼斯
原始语言：Milla Jovovich；大陆：蜜拉·乔娃薇琪；香港：米娜·祖華域芝；台灣：蜜拉·喬娃薇琪；当前用字模式下显示为→蜜拉·乔娃薇琪
原始语言：Nicole Kidman；大陆：尼科尔·基德曼；香港：妮歌·潔曼；台灣：妮可·基曼；当前用字模式下显示为→尼科尔·基德曼
原始语言：Diane Kruger；大陆：黛安·克魯格；香港：戴安·古嘉；台灣：黛安·克魯格；当前用字模式下显示为→黛安·克魯格
原始语言：Shia LaBeouf；大陆：西亞·李畢福；台灣：席亞·李畢夫；香港：沙·拉保夫；当前用字模式下显示为→西亞·李畢福
原始语言：Burt Lancaster；大陆：伯特·兰开斯特；台灣：伯特·蘭卡斯特；香港：畢·蘭加士打；当前用字模式下显示为→伯特·兰开斯特
原始语言：John Lasseter；大陆：约翰·雷斯特；台灣：約翰·拉薩特；香港：尊·賴斯達；当前用字模式下显示为→约翰·雷斯特
原始语言：David Lean；大陆：大卫·利恩；台灣：大衛·連恩；香港：大衛·連；当前用字模式下显示为→大卫·利恩
原始语言：Heath Ledger；大陆：希斯·莱吉尔；台灣：希斯·萊傑；香港：希夫·烈達；当前用字模式下显示为→希斯·莱吉尔
原始语言：Christopher Lee；大陆：克里斯托弗·李；香港：基斯杜化·李；台灣：克里斯多福·李；当前用字模式下显示为→克里斯托弗·李
原始语言：Vivien Leigh；大陆：费雯·丽；香港：慧雲·李；台灣：費雯·麗；当前用字模式下显示为→费雯·丽
原始语言：Jet Li；大陆：李连杰；香港：李連杰；台灣：李連杰；当前用字模式下显示为→李连杰
原始语言：Ken Loach；大陆：肯·罗奇；香港：堅·盧治；台灣：肯·洛區；当前用字模式下显示为→肯·罗奇
原始语言：Lindsay Lohan；简体：林赛·罗寒；繁體：琳賽·蘿涵；香港：蓮茜·露漢；当前用字模式下显示为→林赛·罗寒
原始语言：Eva Longoria；大陆：伊娃·朗格里亚；香港：伊娃·朗歌莉亞；台灣：伊娃·朗格莉亞；当前用字模式下显示为→伊娃·朗格里亚
原始语言：Daniel Lewis；大陆：丹尼尔·刘易斯；香港：丹尼爾·路易斯；台灣：丹尼爾·劉易斯；当前用字模式下显示为→丹尼尔·刘易斯
原始语言：George Lucas；大陆：乔治·卢卡斯；香港：佐治·魯卡斯；台灣：喬治·盧卡斯；当前用字模式下显示为→乔治·卢卡斯
原始语言：Madonna；大陆：麦当娜；香港：麥當娜；台灣：瑪丹娜；当前用字模式下显示为→麦当娜
原始语言：John Malkovich；大陆：约翰·马尔科维奇；香港：尊·麥高維治；台灣：約翰·馬克維奇；当前用字模式下显示为→约翰·马尔科维奇
原始语言：Marilyn Manson；大陆：玛里琳·曼森；香港：瑪莉蓮·曼森；台灣：瑪莉蓮·曼森；当前用字模式下显示为→玛里琳·曼森
原始语言：Ewan Gordon McGregor；大陆：伊万·迈克格雷戈；台灣：伊旺·麥奎格；香港：伊雲·麥葵格；当前用字模式下显示为→伊万·迈克格雷戈
原始语言：Ian McKellen；大陆：伊恩·麦凯伦；台灣：伊恩·麥克連；香港：伊恩·麥基倫；当前用字模式下显示为→伊恩·麦凯伦
原始语言：Helen Mirren；大陆：海伦·米伦；台灣：海倫·米蘭；香港：海倫·美蘭；当前用字模式下显示为→海伦·米伦
原始语言：Dominic Monaghan；大陆：多米尼克·莫纳汉；台灣：多米尼克·莫納漢；当前用字模式下显示为→多米尼克·莫纳汉
原始语言：Viggo Mortensen；大陆：维戈·莫腾森；香港：維高·摩天臣；台灣：維果·莫天森；当前用字模式下显示为→维戈·莫腾森
原始语言：Eddie Murphy；大陆：艾迪·莫菲；台灣：艾迪·墨菲；香港：愛迪·梅菲；当前用字模式下显示为→艾迪·莫菲
原始语言：Liam Neeson；大陆：连姆·尼森；台灣：連恩·尼遜；香港：里安·尼遜；当前用字模式下显示为→连姆·尼森
原始语言：Jack Nicholson；大陆：杰克·尼科尔森；香港：積·尼高遜；台灣：傑克·尼克遜；当前用字模式下显示为→杰克·尼科尔森
原始语言：Christopher Nolan；大陆：克里斯托弗·诺兰；台灣：克里斯多福·諾蘭；香港：基斯杜化·路蘭；当前用字模式下显示为→克里斯托弗·诺兰
原始语言：Jonathan Nolan；大陆：乔纳森·诺兰；台灣：強納森·諾蘭；香港：尊立頓·路蘭；当前用字模式下显示为→乔纳森·诺兰
原始语言：Peter O'Toole；大陆：彼德·奥图；台灣：彼得·奧圖；当前用字模式下显示为→彼德·奥图
原始语言：Gary Oldman；大陆：加里·奧德曼；台灣：蓋瑞·歐德曼；香港：加利·奧文；当前用字模式下显示为→加里·奧德曼
原始语言：Al Pacino；大陆：艾尔·帕西诺；香港：阿爾·柏仙奴；台灣：艾爾·帕西諾；当前用字模式下显示为→艾尔·帕西诺
原始语言：Ellen Page；大陆：艾莲·佩奇；香港：愛倫·比芝；台灣：艾倫·佩姬；当前用字模式下显示为→艾莲·佩奇
原始语言：Gwyneth Paltrow；大陆：格温妮丝·帕特罗；香港：桂莉芙·柏德露；台灣：葛妮絲·派特洛；当前用字模式下显示为→格温妮丝·帕特罗
原始语言：Tony Parker；大陆：托尼·帕克；香港：東尼·柏加；台灣：托尼·帕克；当前用字模式下显示为→托尼·帕克
原始语言：Simon Pegg；大陆：西蒙·佩吉；香港：西蒙·柏奇；台灣：賽門·佩吉；当前用字模式下显示为→西蒙·佩吉
原始语言：Sean Penn；大陆：西恩·潘；香港：辛·潘；台灣：西恩·潘；当前用字模式下显示为→西恩·潘
原始语言：Michelle Pfeiffer；大陆：米歇尔·法伊弗；台灣：蜜雪兒·菲佛；香港：米雪·菲花；当前用字模式下显示为→米歇尔·法伊弗
原始语言：Joaquin Phoenix；大陆：杰昆·菲尼克斯；香港：祖昆·馮力士；台灣：瓦昆·費尼克斯；当前用字模式下显示为→杰昆·菲尼克斯
原始语言：River Phoenix；大陆：里弗·菲尼克斯；香港：里華·馮力士；台灣：瑞凡·費尼克斯；当前用字模式下显示为→里弗·菲尼克斯
原始语言：Brad Pitt；大陆：布拉德·皮特；香港：畢·彼特；台灣：布萊德·彼特；当前用字模式下显示为→布拉德·皮特
原始语言：Dominic Purcell；大陆：多米尼克·珀塞尔；香港：杜明歷·珀素；台灣：多明尼克·普塞爾；当前用字模式下显示为→多米尼克·珀塞尔
原始语言：Jean Reno；大陆：让·雷诺；香港：尚·連奴；台灣：尚·雷諾；当前用字模式下显示为→让·雷诺
原始语言：John Rhys-Davies；大陆：约翰·里斯-戴维斯；香港：約翰·里斯-戴維斯；台灣：約翰·萊斯-戴維斯；当前用字模式下显示为→约翰·里斯-戴维斯
原始语言：Cliff Richard；大陆：克里夫·理查德；香港：奇里夫·李察；台灣：克里夫·李察；当前用字模式下显示为→克里夫·理查德
原始语言：Alan Rickman；大陆：阿伦·瑞克曼；香港：阿倫·烈卡文；台灣：艾倫·瑞克曼；当前用字模式下显示为→阿伦·瑞克曼
原始语言：Guy Ritchie；大陆：盖伊·里奇；香港：佳·烈治；台灣：蓋·瑞奇；当前用字模式下显示为→盖伊·里奇
原始语言：Tim Robbins；大陆：蒂姆·罗宾斯；香港：添·羅賓斯；台灣：提姆·羅賓斯；当前用字模式下显示为→蒂姆·罗宾斯
原始语言：Julia Roberts；大陆：茱莉娅·罗伯茨；香港：茱莉亞·羅拔絲；台灣：茱莉亞·羅勃茲；当前用字模式下显示为→茱莉娅·罗伯茨
原始语言：Saoirse Ronan；大陆：西尔莎·罗南；香港：莎愛絲·露娜；台灣：莎柔絲·羅南；当前用字模式下显示为→西尔莎·罗南
原始语言：Seth Rogen；大陆：塞思·罗根；香港：薛夫·洛根；台灣：塞斯·羅根；当前用字模式下显示为→塞思·罗根
原始语言：Mickey Rourke；大陆：米基·洛克；台灣：米基·洛克；香港：米奇·洛基；当前用字模式下显示为→米基·洛克
原始语言：Geoffrey Rush；大陆：杰弗里·拉什；台灣：傑佛瑞·羅許；香港：謝菲·路殊；当前用字模式下显示为→杰弗里·拉什
原始语言：Kurt Russel；大陆：库尔特·拉塞尔；香港：卻·羅素；台灣：寇特·羅素；当前用字模式下显示为→库尔特·拉塞尔
原始语言：Keanu Reeves；大陆：基努·里维斯；繁體：基努·李維；香港：奇洛·李維斯；当前用字模式下显示为→基努·李維
原始语言：Yves Saint-Laurent；大陆：伊夫·圣洛朗；香港：伊夫·聖羅蘭；台灣：伊夫·聖羅蘭；当前用字模式下显示为→伊夫·圣洛朗
原始语言：Schwarzenegger；简体：施瓦辛格；繁體：史瓦辛格；香港：舒華辛力加；当前用字模式下显示为→施瓦辛格
原始语言：Martin Scorsese；大陆：马丁·斯科西斯；香港：馬田·史高西斯；台灣：馬丁·史柯西斯；当前用字模式下显示为→马丁·斯科西斯
原始语言：Ridley Scott；大陆：里德利·斯科特；香港：列尼·史葛；台灣：雷利·史考特；当前用字模式下显示为→里德利·斯科特
原始语言：Steven Seagal；大陆：斯蒂芬·西格尔；香港：史提芬·史葛；台灣：史蒂芬·席格；当前用字模式下显示为→斯蒂芬·西格尔
原始语言：Andy Serkis；大陆：安迪·塞基斯；香港：安迪·薛堅斯；台灣：安迪·瑟克斯；当前用字模式下显示为→安迪·塞基斯
原始语言：Martin Sheen；大陆：马丁·辛；香港：馬田·辛；台灣：馬丁·辛；当前用字模式下显示为→马丁·辛
原始语言：Maggie Smith；大陆：玛吉·史密斯；香港：瑪姬·史密芙；台灣：瑪姬·史密斯；当前用字模式下显示为→玛吉·史密斯
原始语言：Will Smith；大陆：威尔·史密斯；香港：韋·史密夫；台灣：威爾·史密斯；当前用字模式下显示为→威尔·史密斯
原始语言：Steven Spielberg；大陆：斯蒂芬·斯皮尔伯格；香港：史提芬·史匹堡；台灣：史蒂芬·史匹柏；当前用字模式下显示为→斯蒂芬·斯皮尔伯格
原始语言：Oliver Stone；大陆：奥利弗·斯通；香港：奧利華·史東；台灣：奧立佛·史東；当前用字模式下显示为→奥利弗·斯通
原始语言：Meryl Streep；大陆：梅丽尔·斯特丽普；台灣：梅莉·史翠普；香港：梅麗·史翠普；当前用字模式下显示为→梅丽尔·斯特丽普
原始语言：Tilda Swinton；大陆：蒂尔达·斯温顿；香港：蒂達·史雲頓；台灣：蒂妲·絲雲頓；当前用字模式下显示为→蒂尔达·斯温顿
原始语言：Uma Thurman；大陆：乌玛·瑟曼；香港：奧瑪·花曼；台灣：鄔瑪·舒曼；当前用字模式下显示为→乌玛·瑟曼
原始语言：John Travolta；大陆：约翰·特拉沃尔塔；香港：尊·特拉華特；台灣：約翰·屈伏塔；当前用字模式下显示为→约翰·特拉沃尔塔
原始语言：Christ Tucker；大陆：克里斯·塔克；香港：基斯·德加；台灣：克里斯·塔克；当前用字模式下显示为→克里斯·塔克
原始语言：Shania Twain；大陆：莎妮娅·特温；台灣：仙妮亞·唐恩；当前用字模式下显示为→莎妮娅·特温
原始语言：Liv Tyler；大陆：丽芙·泰勒；香港：莉芙·泰萊；台灣：麗芙·泰勒；当前用字模式下显示为→丽芙·泰勒
原始语言：Jean-Claude Van Damme；大陆：尚-克劳德·范·戴姆；台灣：尚-克勞德·范·達美；香港：尚格·雲頓；当前用字模式下显示为→尚-克劳德·范·戴姆
原始语言：Gus Van Sant；大陆：格斯·范·桑特；香港：吉斯·雲·遜；台灣：葛斯·范·桑；当前用字模式下显示为→格斯·范·桑特
原始语言：Mark Wahlberg；大陆：马克·沃尔伯格；台灣：馬克·華柏格；香港：麥克·華堡；当前用字模式下显示为→马克·沃尔伯格
原始语言：Wachowski Brothers；大陆：沃卓斯基兄弟；香港：華高斯基兄弟；台灣：華卓斯基兄弟；当前用字模式下显示为→沃卓斯基兄弟
原始语言：Denzel Washington；大陆：丹泽尔·华盛顿；台灣：丹佐·華盛頓；香港：丹素·華盛頓；新加坡：丹泽尔·华盛顿；当前用字模式下显示为→丹泽尔·华盛顿
原始语言：Hugo Weaving；大陆：雨果·威文；香港：曉高·韋榮；台灣：雨果·威明；当前用字模式下显示为→雨果·威文
原始语言：Rachel Weisz；大陆：雷切尔·魏斯；台灣：瑞秋·懷茲；香港：麗素·慧絲；当前用字模式下显示为→雷切尔·魏斯
原始语言：Forest Whitaker；大陆：福里斯特·惠特克；台灣：佛瑞斯特·懷特克；香港：科力士·韋德加；当前用字模式下显示为→福里斯特·惠特克
原始语言：Bruce Willis；大陆：布鲁斯·威利斯；香港：布斯·韋利士；台灣：布魯斯·威利；当前用字模式下显示为→布鲁斯·威利斯
原始语言：Kate Winslet；大陆：凯特·温斯莱特；台灣：凱特·溫斯蕾；香港：琦·溫斯莉；当前用字模式下显示为→凯特·温斯莱特
原始语言：Robert Wise；大陆：罗伯特·怀斯；香港：羅拔·懷斯；台灣：勞勃·懷斯；当前用字模式下显示为→罗伯特·怀斯
原始语言：Reese Witherspoon；大陆：里斯·威瑟斯庞；香港：麗絲·韋花絲潘；台灣：瑞絲·薇斯朋；当前用字模式下显示为→里斯·威瑟斯庞
原始语言：Elijah Wood；大陆：伊莱贾·伍德；香港：伊力查·活；台灣：伊利亞·伍德；当前用字模式下显示为→伊莱贾·伍德
原始语言：Jamie, Jimmy；占美⇒香港：占美；当前用字模式下显示为→占美
原始语言：Leonardo；大陆：莱昂纳多；台灣：李奧納多；香港：里安納度；当前用字模式下显示为→莱昂纳多
原始语言：Saint Laurent；大陆：圣洛朗；香港：聖羅蘭；台灣：聖羅蘭；当前用字模式下显示为→圣洛朗
原始语言：Wachowski；大陆：沃卓斯基；香港：華高斯基；台灣：華卓斯基；当前用字模式下显示为→沃卓斯基
原始语言：Witherspoon；大陆：威瑟斯庞；香港：韋花絲潘；台灣：薇斯朋；当前用字模式下显示为→威瑟斯庞
原始语言：James Bond；大陆：詹姆斯·邦德；香港：占士·邦；台灣：詹姆斯·龐德；当前用字模式下显示为→詹姆斯·邦德
原始语言：James Carter；大陆：詹姆斯·卡特；香港：占士·卡特；台灣：詹姆斯·卡特；当前用字模式下显示为→詹姆斯·卡特
原始语言：Caspian；大陆：凯斯宾王子；香港：卡斯柏王子；台灣：賈思潘王子；当前用字模式下显示为→凯斯宾王子
原始语言：Gabrielle Solis；大陆：嘉百莉·马尔克斯；香港：蘇嘉碧；台灣：賈柏莉兒·馬爾克斯；当前用字模式下显示为→嘉百莉·马尔克斯
原始语言：Willy Wonka；大陆：威利·旺卡；香港：王卡衛；台灣：威利·旺卡；当前用字模式下显示为→威利·旺卡
原始语言：Golden Raspberry Awards；大陆：金酸莓；香港：金草莓；台灣：金酸莓；当前用字模式下显示为→金酸莓
原始语言：Grammy Awards；大陆：格莱美；香港：格林美；台灣：葛萊美；当前用字模式下显示为→格莱美
原始语言：Chronicles of Narnia, The；大陆：纳尼亚传奇；香港：魔幻王國；台灣：納尼亞傳奇；当前用字模式下显示为→纳尼亚传奇
原始语言：Finding Nemo；大陆：海底总动员；台灣：海底總動員；香港：海底奇兵；当前用字模式下显示为→海底总动员
原始语言：Mask, The；大陆：变相怪杰；台灣：摩登大聖；香港：變相怪傑；当前用字模式下显示为→变相怪杰
原始语言：Shrek；大陆：怪物史莱克；台灣：史瑞克；香港：史力加；当前用字模式下显示为→怪物史莱克
原始语言：Shrek the Third；大陆：怪物史莱克3；台灣：史瑞克三世；香港：史力加3；当前用字模式下显示为→怪物史莱克3
原始语言：Once；大陆：曾经拥有；台灣：曾經。愛是唯一；香港：一奏傾情；当前用字模式下显示为→曾经拥有
原始语言：Band；大陆：乐队；香港：樂隊；台灣：樂團；当前用字模式下显示为→乐队
原始语言：Cannes；大陆：戛纳；香港：康城；台灣：坎城；当前用字模式下显示为→戛纳
原始语言：DreamWorks；大陆：梦工厂；香港：夢工場；台灣：夢工廠；当前用字模式下显示为→梦工厂
原始语言：Guitar；大陆：吉他；香港：結他；台灣：吉他；当前用字模式下显示为→吉他
原始语言：Hollywood；大陆：好莱坞；香港：荷里活；台灣：好萊塢；当前用字模式下显示为→好莱坞
原始语言：Lucasfilm；大陆：卢卡斯电影；香港：魯卡斯電影；台灣：盧卡斯電影；当前用字模式下显示为→卢卡斯电影
原始语言：Pixar Animation Studios；简体：皮克斯动画工作室；繁體：皮克斯動畫工作室；香港：彼思動畫製作室；当前用字模式下显示为→皮克斯动画工作室
原始语言：Pixar；简体：皮克斯；繁體：皮克斯；香港：彼思；当前用字模式下显示为→皮克斯
原始语言：Weakest Link；大陆：汰弱留强·智者为王；繁體：智者生存；香港：一筆OUT消；当前用字模式下显示为→智者生存
原始语言：Weakest Link；大陆：最弱一环；繁體：最弱一環；香港：至弱嗰位；当前用字模式下显示为→最弱一環
原始语言：Weakest Link；大陆：最强一环；繁體：最強一環；香港：至醒嗰位；当前用字模式下显示为→最強一環
大陆：通天塔；台灣：火線交錯；香港：巴別塔；当前用字模式下显示为→通天塔
大陆：窃听风暴；台灣：竊聽風暴；香港：竊聽者；当前用字模式下显示为→窃听风暴
大陆：雷恩·高斯林；台灣：雷恩·葛斯林；当前用字模式下显示为→雷恩·高斯林
大陆：婚礼之后；台灣：婚禮之後；香港：婚宴背後；当前用字模式下显示为→婚礼之后
大陆：光荣岁月；台灣：光榮歲月；香港：歲月榮光；当前用字模式下显示为→光荣岁月
大陆：波拉特；台灣：芭樂特：哈薩克青年必修（理）美國文化；香港：波叔出城：哈薩克鄉下佬去美國搵著數；当前用字模式下显示为→波拉特
大陆：启示；台灣：阿波卡獵逃；香港：亞波卡獵逃；当前用字模式下显示为→启示
于美人当前用字模式下显示为→于美人
以下為本條目單獨的全文轉換，請從本頁面進行編輯：

简体：埃尔维斯；繁體：艾維斯；香港：埃爾維斯；当前用字模式下显示为→埃尔维斯
简体：普雷斯利；繁體：普里斯萊；香港：皮禮士利；当前用字模式下显示为→普雷斯利

顯示↓關閉↑字詞轉換说明
字詞轉換是中文维基的一項自動轉換，目的是通過计算机程序自動消除繁简、地区词等不同用字模式的差異，以達到閱讀方便。字詞轉換包括全局轉換和手動轉換，本說明所使用的标题转换和全文转换技術，都屬於手動轉換。

如果您想对我们的字词转换系统提出一些改进建议，或者提交应用面更广的转换（中文维基百科全站乃至MediaWiki软件），或者报告转换系统的错误，请前往Wikipedia:字词转换请求或候选发表您的意见。

艾維斯·普利斯萊艾維斯·普利斯萊（英文：Elvis Presley），暱稱貓王（英文：The Hillbilly Cat and King of the Western Bop），1935年1月8日－1977年8月16日，知名美国摇滚乐歌手與演員。普萊斯里出生於密西西比州圖珀洛（Tupelo, MS），曾經在德國美軍基地服役，與他同期的搖滾歌手還有Dean Martin、Bill Haley、Chuck Berry、Buddy Holly、Jerry Lee和Little Richard等。美國南方歌迷為他取的暱稱「The Hillbilly Cat」，意為「來自南方的小貓」。

歌壇

1957年艾维斯·艾伦·普里斯利于1月8日诞生于密西西比州塔佩洛镇，他有一個雙胞胎兄弟杰西盖伦，但出生時已早夭。母親葛莱蒂丝很寵他，父親佛農曾因詐騙入獄多年。

1944年5月5日，9歲的貓王首次登台表演，他在密西西比州的亞拉巴馬博覽會上演唱了鄉村歌曲《老牧師》（Old Shep），不久搬到田納西州的孟菲斯，開始和一些職業樂手接觸，參加「黑森林兄弟」（Black Wood Brothers）的演出。高中畢業，隔天便立即到“皇冠电子公司”担任卡车司机的工作，同年在圣菲利浦公司的曼菲斯录音部门录下两首歌，《My Happiness》和《That's When Your Heartaches Begin》。1954年7月7日，貓王發行生平第一張單曲唱片，《That's All Right, Mama》，他舞台上獨特的扭臀動作，加上將黑人的節奏藍調（rhythm & blues）和白人的鄉村歌曲融為一體，讓聽眾如痴如醉，結果聽眾瘋狂打到電台要求重播。他在演唱時雙腳會不住的抖動，美國一位紅衣主教認為他帶壞美國青少年。當時的電視台鏡頭只敢在他上半身打轉。1955年11月，Sun Records老闆Sam Phillips以35000美元把貓王的合約轉讓予RCA的分公司Victor，上校汤姆帕克（Colonel Tom Parker，真名安德列冯凯克）成為他的经理人。汤姆帕克是一位精明的生意人，他成功塑造了貓王的形象。是年3月貓王推出加盟RCA首张专辑《Elvis Presley》，蝉连了Billboard专辑榜10周冠军。同年单曲《Love Me Tender》就占据了全美4项排行冠军。1956年9月，RCA公司将猫王的7首单曲同时发行，至12月皆排行榜首。1957年出版了专辑《埃尔维斯的圣诞集锦》（Elvis' Christmas Album）。

[编辑] 電影

Elvis Presley by Bottelho1956年貓王進軍影壇，拍下首部電影《Love Me Tender》」，1957年拍攝自傳電影《Loving You》，1960年，猫王开拍退伍后的首部电影《G.I. Blues从军乐》，1961年2月25日田纳西州州长宣布此日为“猫王日”。1961年十一月，貓王的第8部電影《藍色夏威夷》和原聲帶專輯同時推出，歌曲包括了《Blue Hawaii》、《No More》、《Moonlight Swim》和《Can't Help Falling in Love》。專輯榜首停留了20週。1961年到1968年之间主演了21部电影，这些好莱坞影片大多粗制滥造，貓王忙著拍電影，歌曲也都是為電影而唱，成績平平。

[编辑] 入伍
1957年12月21日，美国國防部争取猫王入伍，猫王以平民身份接受徵召，召集令上通知他在隔年1月25日入伍。當時他正在拍一部新片，派拉蒙公司為他辦理緩召，先把電影拍完。1958年3月24日，貓王應召入伍，前往位在德州Killeen郊区的第二装甲师营区报到，剪短了頭髮，兵籍號碼是US-53310761，月薪78元。一些唱片評論家都說他不久就會被青少年遺忘。該年母亲葛莱蒂丝过世，貓王相當傷心。1960年3月5日，貓王退伍。在德國服役期間，每星期至少收到一萬封歌迷的來信。同時他與空軍上尉Joseph Beaulieu十四歲的女兒普莉西拉·普萊斯里（Priscilla Beaulieu Presley）戀愛，Priscilla搬進Graceland與貓王同居，兩人於1966年結婚，隔年1967在拉斯維加斯的Aladdin飯店結婚。1972年兩人宣布分手，並於隔年離婚，法院判定Priscilla擁有女兒Lisa Marie Presley的監護權。

雖然猫王生平曾與不少知名女性相恋，據悉與他有過性關係的女性超過3,000人，當中包括性感女神瑪麗蓮·夢露[1]，但卻只曾與普莉西拉·普萊斯里結婚，生有一女麗莎·普萊斯里（Lisa Marie Presley）。

貓王擁有很多凱迪拉克車，他也喜歡贈送給親人朋友，他曾經購買過超過100輛的凱迪拉克各式轎車。

[编辑] 下滑

1970年尼克森總統在白宮辦公室接見貓王1960年以後貓王突出的作品非常少，很明顯在走下坡。1967年，艾維斯發表了一張福音歌曲專輯《How Great Thou Art》，佳評如潮，奪得唯一的一座葛萊美獎。這時英國的披頭四征服了歐美流行音樂市場，使貓王的地位備受威脅。1968年，他以「U.S. Male」證明其無可動搖的地位。

貓王的生活充滿了壓力，喜歡吃垃圾食物，尤喜歡吃烤得焦熟的食物，如果侍者遞出來的食物不夠熟，他就會說：“我可沒有點寵物一客”，暴饮暴食的結果，使得步入中年的貓王體態發胖，貓王常擔心自己是否失去往日風采，同時患有焦慮、失眠等疾病，開始吃藥治療，甚至酗酒、服食麻醉劑、興奮劑。美國總統尼克森的幕僚打電話給湯姆．派克上校，邀請他去白宮為總統安排一場表演[2]。1970年2月，尼克森在白宮接見貓王。1971年6月，Graceland前方的南51號高速公路更名為「貓王大道」（Elvis Presley Boulevard）。

1970年的貓王1970年代以後健康、经济、艺术方面都遇到了严重的问题，整日处在昏睡状态，醫生說他的身體狀況比八十歲的老人還糟。到1977年他去世之前的4年中，有5次被送進醫院急救的記錄。1973年10月貓王因肺炎以及肝炎住院，医生建议他多休息，汤姆帕克向貓王謊稱出現財務危機，為了解決經濟問題，貓王疲於奔命的巡迴演唱，1976年整年都在巡迴演唱。貓王生平記憶力驚人，小時候能從收音機裡記下所有的歌詞，讓雙親感到吃驚，1977年6月，貓王最后一次在拉皮德城举行演唱会时，连《温柔地爱我》（Love Me Tender）歌词都记不起来了。

[编辑] 遽世

埃爾維斯之墓1977年8月16日被發現在浴室昏倒，經緊急送往醫院急救後，因心律嚴重失常導致心臟病突發過世，享年僅42歲。田納西州檢調則推測為藥物濫用[3]，也有傳聞可能是吸毒或酗酒過量。當晚所有電視網絡播出數千人穿著黑衣聚集在格雷斯蘭大樓悼念貓王。1977年的8月18日，貓王被葬於森林山公墓，他母親的墓旁。不久竟有三名歹徒意圖盜走艾維斯的遺體。又在貓王之父的決定下，母子遷葬到「雅園」（Graceland）內。

[编辑] 影響
普萊斯里經常被認為是摇滚乐历史上影响力最大的歌手，發行過77張唱片和101支單曲，曾經在一天之內同時發行7張唱片，多達149歌曲進入美國Bill Board唱片排行榜前100名，40首進入前10名，全球總發行量超過10億張，因此又有搖滾樂之王（The King of Rock 'n' Roll）的譽稱。從1969年至1977年貓王共舉行1,100場演唱會。共演出31部電影。樂隊披頭四成員約翰·藍儂說，「貓王雖死，但搖滾不滅，貓王萬歲。」

自猫王以后，具有鲜明的思想性和强烈的现实批判性的摇滚乐迅速流传。也因为他的魅力，摇滚乐成为美国的全民运动。猫王开辟了摇滚乐艰难的前进道路，之后摇滚开始成为对美国社会影响最深远的文化之一。

[编辑] 文化
1993年美國發行的貓王紀念郵票，共計發行1.24億張，面值29美分，總值3600萬美元。
1974年貓王首次穿著“孔雀服”參加洛杉磯的一個公開活動，並且穿著拍攝大碟《Promised Land》的封面，貓王相信孔雀能為他帶來好運，2008年8月11日在紐約拍賣出30萬美元，刷新了“貓王”遺物拍賣的最高紀錄。

[编辑] 注釋
^ 名人淫媒拜倫·拉菲爾（Byron Raphael）在接受《花花公子》雜誌、《纽约邮报》等媒體採訪時曾大揭貓王私生活秘史。
^ 《如何是好》（How to Be Good），P.66
^ 田納西州檢調當局透露，由貓王之體內檢出十種以上之管制藥品，推測可能是因濫用藥物過量致死。由於龐大的工作壓力，使得貓王不斷需要鎮定劑，貓王的私人醫生常開立大量第二級管制藥品予貓王。

[编辑] 外部連結
埃尔维斯·皮礼士利网上纪念馆

来自“http://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%9F%83%E7%88%BE%E7%B6%AD%E6%96%AF%C2%B7%E7%9A%AE%E7%A6%AE%E5%A3%AB%E5%88%A9”
分类: 1935年出生 | 1977年逝世 | 美国歌手 | 美國電影演員 | 蘇格蘭裔美國人 | 好萊塢星光大道 | 40至49歲逝世的藝人 | 雙胞胎

GALERIA 6

2008-08-05T16:07:00.005-07:00

Elvis Aaron[3] Presley (Tupelo, 8 gennaio 1935 – Memphis, 16 agosto 1977) è stato un cantante, chitarrista e attore statunitense. È stato uno dei più celebri musicisti rock and roll di tutti i tempi e ispirazione per musicisti e rockabilly [4] , tanto da essere soprannominato Il Re del Rock and Roll o anche solo The King (Il Re in lingua inglese) [5]

La sua presenza scenica ha avuto un impatto senza precedenti sulla cultura statunitense e mondiale. Stimato da fans e critici, come da molte altre personalità dello star system del suo tempo - da Marilyn Monroe ai Beatles - ha saputo andare oltre l'arte musicale finendo per diventare una vera e propria icona della cultura pop del XX secolo. [6]

Eccetto cinque concerti tenuti in Canada, non si esibì mai fuori dagli Stati Uniti. [7]

Nel corso della sua carriera Elvis Presley ha visto le sue canzoni approdare più volte ai vertici della Top Chart della rivista Billboard, punto di riferimento per le vendite nel mercato discografico statunitense. [8] Sul mercato britannico, il cantante di Tupelo piazzò ventuno singoli in vetta alle classifiche di vendita, con ottanta settimane di permanenza al primo posto. I suoi dischi a 45 giri rimasero in classifica 1.277 settimane, mentre i long playing con le sue canzoni stazionarono nella Top 10 dal novembre 1958 al luglio del 1964.[senza fonte]

In tutta la sua carriera, Presley, ha pubblicato 61 album, vendendone oltre 1 miliardo di copie in tutto il Mondo [9][10][11] risultando come uno degli artisti dal maggior successo commerciale nella storia della musica.

Le origini [modifica]
Elvis nacque l'8 gennaio 1935 a Tupelo, Mississippi, sopravvissuto al gemello, che morì appena nato. [12]

Il padre,di origini scozzesi [13] , non aveva un lavoro fisso e la madre aggiustava come poteva i conti domestici, facendo piccoli lavori serali. Abitavano in una modestissima casa appena fuori Tupelo, vicino al quartiere della gente di colore, in un'unica grande stanza senza nemmeno il bagno.

Assidui frequentatori della Chiesa Evangelica delle Assembly of God, fu propriò lì che Elvis ebbe il primo contatto con la musica. Per il suo ottavo compleanno, Elvis scelse una chitarra e imparò i primi accordi osservando uno zio di sua madre che suonava durante le riunioni di famiglia.

Dal momento che Vernon non riusciva a trovare un lavoro a Tupelo, i Presley decisero di partire alla volta di Memphis, Tennessee, che in quegli anni era in pieno sviluppo. Elvis ormai era adolescente, ma nella nuova città non riusciva a farsi troppe amicizie. Il suo carattere era schivo e timido ed era terribilmente attaccato ai genitori, soprattutto alla madre. Il suo look, oltretutto, non lo rendeva affatto popolare tra i compagni di scuola: mentre gli altri ragazzi avevano pettinature in stile militare e t-shirt, Elvis portava i capelli con un ciuffo lungo e con le basette e vestiva con colori sgargianti acquistando i suoi capi d'abbigliamento a Beale Street, nel cuore di Memphis, dove la gente di colore aveva il suo centro e dove, proprio per questo, poteva trovare ciò che cercava a buon mercato.

Elvis, contrariamente alla maggioranza della popolazione del sud degli Stati Uniti d'America non faceva distinzioni di razza e, indifferentemente, frequentava ambienti sia della comunità bianca che di colore. Da qui il suo approccio disinvolto anche con la musica.

Negli anni Cinquanta le stazioni radio statunitensi erano nettamente divise tra quelle che trasmettevano esclusivamente musica bianca e quelle di musica nera; Elvis ascoltava indistintamente canzoni di B.B. King o Howlin' Wolf.

Per aiutare economicamente la famiglia, Elvis decise di fare il camionista per la Crown Electric di Memphis. Un giorno passando sulla Union Street, vide che alla Sun Records di Sam Phillips, pagando un dollaro, chiunque poteva registrare un disco da portarsi a casa.

Elvis decise di fare un regalo alla madre per il compleanno e decise di registrarle un disco, una vecchia ballata che aveva sentito per radio fin dai tempi di Tupelo, My Happiness. Sam Phillips, ascoltato il ragazzo, convocò immediatamente due session men che già avevano lavorato nel suo studio in passato, il contrabbassista Bill Black e il chitarrista Scotty Moore. In una notte di luglio del 1954, dopo aver provato per ore senza aver trovato niente di buono o di originale, Elvis vinse la sua timidezza e disse agli altri due: "La conoscete questa?", ed iniziò a suonare un vecchio pezzo country di Arthur Crudup, intitolato That's All Right Mama con un ritmo frenetico; Sam Phillips uscì dalla regia e li fermò dicendo ad Elvis: "io di questo ne faccio un disco!".

"Re del Rock" [modifica]

Elvis in una foto promozionale per il film Jailhouse Rock, 1957.I primi dischi che Elvis fece per la Sun entrarono nella storia del rock: That's All Right (Mama), Blue Moon Of Kentucky, Good Rockin' Tonight, Baby Let's Play House, titoli che catapultarono il giovane Elvis tra le stelle della musica del sud degli Stati Uniti.

La musica proposta da Elvis era così nuova che gli ascoltatori telefonavano ai DJ delle radio per chiedere chi fosse quel nero che cantava canzoni country, oppure chi fosse quel bianco che cantava pezzi blues. Inoltre Elvis era l'unico artista che appariva sia nelle classifiche di vendita di rhythm and blues, che in quelle di country.

Nel 1955 il contratto di Elvis venne venduto da Sam Phillips, che con la sua piccola etichetta non poteva far fronte all'incredibile ascesa della sua giovane scoperta, alla RCA per l'allora cifra record di 35.000 dollari. Il manager di Elvis era il colonnello Tom Parker e lo sarebbe rimasto fino alla morte del cantante.

Parker, intuite le potenzialità del suo assistito, fece esibire Elvis alla televisione nazionale, facendolo entrare in tutte le case d'America. L'opinione pubblica si scandalizzò sia della musica che delle movenze selvagge che Presley portò in TV, ma le canzoni Heartbreak Hotel, Jailhouse Rock (che come singolo ha per ora ha venduto più di 9 milioni di copie), Hound Dog (13 milioni di copie), Love Me Tender (5 milioni di copie), All Shook up (7 milioni di copie) divennero successi discografici che valsero l'appellativo "Re del Rock and Roll". Inoltre tutti questi singoli risultano tra i più venduti nella storia della musica.

Il famoso produttore Hal Wallis firmò con il colonnello Parker un contratto in esclusiva per avere Elvis nei suoi film e, negli anni tra il 1956 e il 1958, Presley interpretò 4 pellicole diretto da registi del calibro di Robert Wise e Michael Curtiz.

Nel 1958 Elvis fu chiamato per il servizio militare e dovette partire alla volta della Germania e rimase lontano dalle scene per ben due anni.
Il colonnello seppe però mantenere vivo l'interesse del pubblico e la popolarità di Elvis rimase intatta.

La sua carriera [modifica]

Elvis.Durante la sua permanenza in Germania, conobbe quella che sarebbe diventata sua moglie: Priscilla Beaulieu, la figlia di un colonnello americano anche lui di stanza in territorio tedesco, ma gli inizi del nuovo decennio furono piuttosto duri. La madre Gladys morì il 14 agosto 1958 all'età di 46 anni e la cosa ebbe su Elvis effetti devastanti e dai quali, forse, non si è più ripreso.

Le nuove rock band avevano ormai invaso il mercato dei primi anni Sessanta, e i ragazzi avevano nuovi idoli musicali come i Beatles, i Beach Boys o i Rolling Stones.

Nonostante Presley continuasse a incidere dischi interessanti, non vendeva più come un tempo e il colonnello decise di sfruttare il remunerativo filone cinematografico. In otto anni Elvis interpretò ben 29 film, dei quali solo tre o quattro erano artisticamente validi. Gli altri erano tutti film B-movie, girati, a volte, in due settimane con trame leggere, ma incassavano bene. Elvis aveva una certa propensione alla recitazione anche se gli furono sempre affidati ruoli poco favorevoli a mostrare le sue doti.[senza fonte] Fu scelto da Barbra Streisand per recitare nel film "È nata una stella" ma le richieste esose del col. Parker lo impedirono, come accadde anche per le sue candidature ad altri due film di notevole spessore: "La gatta sul tetto che scotta", nel ruolo che fu di Paul Newman e "Un uomo da marciapiede", nel ruolo che fu di Jon Voight.

Nel 1960 fu ospite nello show televisivo di Frank Sinatra, che gli volle dare la possibilità di riacquistare la visibilità di un paio di anni prima. Elvis andò allo show pochi giorni dopo essere rientrato dal servizio militare.

Nel 1968 Elvis, a 33 anni, sposato e padre di una bambina, Lisa Marie Presley, stanco di fare film di poco conto, volle ritornare a fare ciò che sapeva meglio e che gli piaceva di più: musica.

Il colonnello organizzò uno special televisivo natalizio per la NBC, la regia venne affidata al giovane Steve Binder, che aveva già diretto un paio di documentari sul mondo del Rock & Roll e che aveva intenzione di fare uno special su quello che, secondo lui, era il solo Re del Rock'n' Roll. Quello che fu poi chiamato "68 Comeback Special" non prese però le sembianze di una celebrazione del Natale, ma bensì la celebrazione del ritorno di Elvis Presley.

Elvis si presentò nella migliore forma di sempre, vestito di pelle nera e dando sfogo alla grinta che aveva dovuto reprimere negli anni dei film, regalando al pubblico americano uno spettacolo entrato nella storia della televisione.

L'incredibile successo dello show rinnovò in Elvis il desiderio di fare musica di qualità. Decise così di ritornare a Memphis e di chiudersi in studio per una session di registrazione. Il frutto di questo lavoro furono due album acclamatissimi da critica e pubblico, Back In Memphis e From Elvis In Memphis, con canzoni In The Ghetto e Suspicious Minds.

Tornò anche la voglia di esibirsi dal vivo e, mentre Elvis sceglieva personalmente i membri di quella che sarebbe diventata la TCB Band, che lo avrebbe accompagnato in tour, e che annoverava tra le sue fila il chitarrista James Burton, il bassista Jerry Scheff e il batterista Ronnie Tutt, il colonnello firmava un contratto di esclusiva con l'International Hotel di Las Vegas per una serie di concerti che avrebbero avuto un grandissimo successo di pubblico e critica.

Gli anni Settanta [modifica]

Elvis con il Presidente Richard Nixon
Un'altra foto con NixonElvis iniziò il nuovo decennio con una seconda serie di spettacoli, fra il 26 gennaio e il 23 febbraio 1970, sempre all'International Hotel di Las Vegas. Da quel momento sembrò deciso a voler recuperare tutti gli anni perduti lontano dal pubblico e nell'arco di sette anni, fra il 1970 e il 1976, si esibì in quasi un migliaio di concerti, con una media di uno ogni due giorni e mezzo circa, anche due o tre nello stesso giorno.

Malgrado insistenti voci di possibili tour esteri, Presley non si esibì mai al di fuori dei confini degli Stati Uniti. Di conseguenza furono migliaia gli appassionati che da tutto il mondo si recarono negli USA per poter assistere ad una sua esibizione.

Aloha from Hawaii [modifica]
Il 14 gennaio 1973 venne trasmesso in TV il primo show via satellite da Honolulu, Elvis: Aloha From Hawaii seguito da un pubblico stimato in oltre un miliardo di telespettatori in quaranta paesi.
[14]Dal concerto emerge Aloha From Hawaii Via Satellite (1973), primo disco quadrifonico a diventare un million seller.

La produzione discografica complessiva fu comunque enorme per tutto il decennio: a fianco di una serie di album pubblicati sull'etichetta economica Camden, sottomarca della RCA, che raccoglievano brani provenienti dalle colonne sonore dei film degli anni Sessanta, furono pubblicati numerosi album con materiale inciso in studio.

Fra questi si possono ricordare Elvis Country (I'm 10,000 Years Old) (1971), un concept album di country, The Wonderful World Of Christmas (1971) e He Touched Me (1972), con materiale natalizio e gospel, e più tardi Promised Land e Today (entrambi del 1975).

Numerose furono anche le antologie con materiale dei decenni precedenti. I maggiori successi da classifica come singoli, nel periodo furono: Kentucky Rain (1970), The Wonder Of You (1970), There Goes My Everything (1971), Burning Love (1972), Steamroller Blues (1973), Promised Land (1974), My Boy (1975), T-R-O-U-B-L-E (1975) e Moody Blue (1977).

Presley troncò, invece, ogni rapporto con Hollywood, e le uniche testimonianze della sua attività concertistica per immagini furono i due documentari Elvis, That's The Way It Is (1970) ed Elvis On Tour (1972).

Fin dal ritorno dal servizio militare, nel 1960, Presley si era mostrato sempre più guardingo nei rapporti con la gente, e così attorno a lui si era andata formando una impenetrabile barriera di parenti, amici e guardie del corpo, denominata Memphis Mafia, che lo proteggeva, ma gli impediva, tuttavia, di avere contatti con l'esterno.

Tipico esempio di questa situazione, il fatto di affittare un teatro o un intero parco di divertimenti per passare una serata con gli amici, senza estranei. Verso la fine degli anni Sessanta la situazione del cantante era già quella di un quasi recluso e ciò può in parte motivare l'entusiasmo che negli anni Settanta lo portò a cercare, con incredibile frequenza, il contatto con il pubblico.

Gli ultimi giorni [modifica]
I lunghi periodi di lontananza e i difficili rapporti con la Memphis Mafia spinsero poi la moglie Priscilla a dividersi da lui, nel febbraio del 1972. Il 9 ottobre del 1973 venne sancito il divorzio a Santa Monica, e, sebbene l'amicizia tra Elvis Presley e la ex moglie Priscilla sia durata per tutta la vita del cantante, ciò gli provocò un lungo periodo di acuta depressione.

La casa di Presley a Graceland
La tomba di Presley a GracelandIl suo fisico ben presto iniziò a non rispondere adeguatamente alle sollecitazioni e, conseguentemente, Presley dovette aumentare il consumo di medicinali. Barbiturici, tranquillanti e anfetamine diventarono suoi compagni di tutte le ore del giorno e della notte. La cosa non fu senza conseguenze, e frequenti furono i ricoveri in ospedale.

A quella che sembrava la crescita di uno stato ipocondriaco, si aggiungevano i risultati di una alimentazione disordinata, che portarono Presley a ingrassare vistosamente e a sottoporsi a diete dimagranti a base di medicinali.

L'ultima esibizione di Presley fu a Indianapolis al "Market Square Arena" il 26 giugno 1977.

Un'altra era prevista per il 17 agosto ma il giorno prima, il 16 agosto del 1977 Elvis fu trovato morto nella stanza da bagno dalla compagna Ginger Alden nella sua dimora a Graceland, a Memphis. Trasportato al Baptist Memorial Hospital, ne fu dichiarata la morte alle 3:30 del pomeriggio per un attacco cardiaco[15]. Aveva 42 anni.

Meno di un'ora dopo l'annuncio della morte di Elvis, un migliaio di persone si erano riunite davanti al cancello di Graceland. Un'ora più tardi erano 3 mila. Il pomeriggio diventarono 20 mila. In tarda serata erano 80 mila. Da tutto il mondo piovvero ordini ai fioristi di Memphis perché confezionassero dei cuscinetti floreali a forma di chitarre, cani, orsacchiotti, cuori spezzati e corone. Furono organizzati due voli speciali che trasportarono 5 tonnellate di fiori dalla California e dal Colorado.

Graceland, la maestosa tenuta di Elvis Presley, è oggi un museo. Aperta al pubblico nel 1982, essa è divenuta una sorta di santuario del rock, meta del pellegrinaggio continuo dei suoi fan. [16]

I dubbi sul decesso [modifica]
Per approfondire, vedi la voce Avvistamenti di Elvis.

Immediatamente dopo la scomparsa del cantante, si diffusero voci, in stile leggenda metropolitana, che sostenevano e sostengono tuttora, elencando possibili avvistamenti di Elvis, come egli fosse in realtà vivo, e che la sua morte fosse stata una sorta di messa in scena.

Ad oggi, esistono associazioni e ricercatori [17] [18] [19] [20] specialmente statunitensi, impegnati nel sostenere tali affermazioni.

Tra le teorie più gettonate, spiccano la possibile origine aliena del cantante, il suo inserimento in un programma dell'Fbi per la protezione dei testimoni, e il volontario esilio del cantante stanco della vita condotta fino ad allora. [21] [22]

Discografia [modifica]

Album [modifica]

Anni 50 [modifica]
Elvis Presley (23 marzo, 1956)
Elvis (19 ottobre, 1956)
Loving You (1° luglio, 1957)
Elvis' Christmas Album (15 ottobre, 1957)
Elvis' Golden Records (21 marzo, 1958)
King Creole (19 settembre, 1958)
For LP Fans Only (6 febbraio, 1959)
A Date With Elvis (24 luglio, 1959)
Elvis' Gold Records Volume 2 (13 novembre, 1959)

Anni 60 [modifica]
Elvis is Back! (8 aprile, 1960)
G.I. Blues (1° ottobre, 1960)
His Hand in Mine (10 novembre, 1960)
Something for Everybody (17 giugno, 1961)
Blue Hawaii (1° ottobre, 1961)
Pot Luck (5 giugno, 1962)
Girls! Girls! Girls! (9 novembre, 1962)
It Happened at the World's Fair (10 aprile, 1963)
Elvis' Golden Records Volume 3 (11 agosto, 1963)
Fun in Acapulco (1° novembre, 1963)
Kissin' Cousins (2 aprile, 1964)
Roustabout (20 ottobre, 1964)
Girl Happy (1° marzo, 1965)
Elvis for Everyone (10 agosto, 1965)
Harum Scarum (3 novembre, 1965)
Frankie and Johnny (1° marzo, 1966)
Paradise, Hawaiian Style (10 giugno, 1966)
Spinout (31 ottobre, 1966)
How Great Thou Art (20 febbraio, 1967)
Double Trouble (1° giugno, 1967)
Clambake (10 ottobre, 1967)
Elvis' Gold Records Volume 4 (2 gennaio, 1968)
Speedway (1° maggio, 1968)
NBC-TV Special (22 novembre, 1968)
From Elvis in Memphis (17 giugno, 1969)
From Memphis To Vegas/From Vegas To Memphis (14 ottobre, 1969)

Anni 70 [modifica]
On Stage: February 1970 (23 giugno, 1970)
Almost in Love (1° ottobre, 1970)
That's The Way It Is (11 novembre, 1970)
Elvis Country (I'm 10,000 Years Old) (2 gennaio, 1971)
You'll Never Walk Alone (22 marzo, 1971)
Love Letters from Elvis (16 giugno, 1971)
Elvis Sings The Wonderful World of Christmas (20 ottobre, 1971)
Elvis Now (20 febbraio, 1972)
He Touched Me (3 aprile, 1972)
Elvis: As Recorded At Madison Square Garden (18 giugno, 1972)
Burning Love & Hits From His Movies Volume 2 (1° novembre, 1972)
Separate Ways (Elvis Presley album) (1° dicembre, 1972)
Aloha From Hawaii: Via Satellite (4 febbraio, 1973)
Elvis (16 luglio, 1973)
Raised on Rock/For Ol' Times Sake (1° ottobre, 1973)
Elvis: A Legendary Performer Volume 1 (2 gennaio, 1974)
Good Times (20 marzo, 1974)
Elvis: As Recorded Live On Stage In Memphis (7 luglio, 1974)
Promised Land (8 gennaio, 1975)
Today (7 maggio, 1975)
Elvis: A Legendary Performer Volume 2 (8 gennaio, 1976)
The Sun Sessions (22 marzo, 1976)
From Elvis Presley Boulevard, Memphis, Tennessee (20 aprile, 1976)
Welcome to My World (17 marzo, 1977)
Moody Blue (19 luglio, 1977)
Elvis in Concert (3 ottobre, 1977)

Singoli [modifica]

Anni 50 [modifica]
That's All Right / Blue Moon Of Kentucky (19 luglio, 1954)
Good Rockin' Tonight / I Don't Care If The Sun Don't Shine (25 settembre, 1954)
Milkcow Blues Boogie / You're A Heartbreaker (28 dicembre, 1954)
Baby Let's Play House / I'm Left, You're Right, She's Gone (10 aprile, 1955)
Mystery Train / I Forgot To Remember To Forget (6 agosto, 1955)
Heartbreak Hotel / I Was The One (27 gennaio, 1956)
I Want You, I Need You, I Love You / My Baby Left Me (4 maggio, 1956)
Don't Be Cruel / Hound Dog (13 luglio, 1956)
Love Me Tender / Any Way You Want Me (28 settembre, 1956)
Too Much / Playing For Keeps (4 gennaio, 1956)
All Shook Up / That's When Your Heartaches Begin (22 marzo, 1957)
(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear / Loving You (11 giugno, 1957)
Jailhouse Rock / Treat Me Nice (4 settembre, 1957)
Don't / I Beg Of You (7 gennaio, 1958)
Wear My Ring Around Your Neck / Doncha Think It's Time (1 aprile, 1958)
Hard Headed Woman / Don't Ask Me Why (10 giugno, 1958)
One Night / I Got Stung (21 ottobre, 1958)
(Now And Then There's) A Fool Such As I / I Need Your Love Tonight (10 marzo, 1959)
A Big Hunk O' Love / My Wish Came True (23 giugno, 1959)

Anni 60 [modifica]
Stuck On You / Fame And Fortune (23 marzo, 1960)
It's Now Or Never ('O sole mio) / A Mess Of Blues (5 luglio, 1960)
Are You Lonesome Tonight? / I Gotta Know (1 novembre, 1960)
Surrender / Lonely Mna (7 febbraio 1961)
I Feel So Bad/ Wild In The Country (2 maggio 1961)
(Marie's The Name) His Latest Flame / Little Sister (8 agosto 1961)
Can't Help Falling In Love / Rock-A-Hula Baby (22 novembre, 1961)
Good Luck Charm / Anything That's Part Of You ( 27 febbraio 1962)
She's Not You / Just Tell Her Jim Said Hello (17 luglio 1962)
Return To Sender / Where Do You Come From (2 ottobre 1962)
One Broken Heart For Sale / They Remind Me Too Much Of You (29 gennaio 1963)
(You're The) Devil In Disguise / Please Don't Drag That String Around (18 giugno 1963)
Bossa Nova Baby / Witchcraft (1 ottobre 1963)
Kissin' Cousins / It Hurts Me (10 febbraio 1964)
Kiss Me Quick / Suspicion (14 aprile 1964)
What'd I Say / Viva Las Vegas (28 aprile 1964)
Such A Night / Never Ending (14 luglio 1964)
Ask Me / Ain't That Loving You Baby (22 settembre 1964)
Blue Christmas / Wooden Heart (9 novembre 1964)
Do The Clam / You'll Be Gone (9 febbraio 1965)
Crying In The Chapel / I Believe In The Man In The Sky (6 aprile 1965)
(Such An) Easy Question / It Feels So Right (28 maggio 1965)
I'm Yours / (It's A) Long Lonely Highway (10 agosto 1965)
Puppet on A String / Wooden Hear (20 ottobre 1965)
Blue Christmas / Santa Claus Is Back In Town (26 ottobre 1965)
Tell Me Why / Blue River (3 dicembre 1965)
Joshua Fit The Battle / Known Only To Him (15 febbraio 1966)
Milky White Way / Swing Down Sweet Chariot (15 febbraio 1966)
Frankie And Johnny / Please Don't Stop Loving Me (1 marzo 1966)
Love Letters / Come What May (8 giugno 1966)
Spinout / All That I Am (13 settembre 1966)
If Everyday Was Like Christmas / How Would You Like To Be (15 novembre 1966)
Indescribably Blue / Fools Fall In Love (10 gennaio 1967)
Long Legged Girl (With The Short Dress On) / That's Someone You Never Forget (28 aprile 1967)
There's Always Me / Judy (8 agosto 1967)
Big Boss Man / You Don't Know Me 26 settembre 1967)
Guitar Man / Hi-Heel Sneakers (9 gennaio 1968)
U.S. Male / Stay Away (28 febbraio 1968)
You'll Never Walk Alone / We Call On Him (26 marzo 1968)
Your Time Hasn't Come Yet / Let Yourself Go (21 maggio 1968)
Almost In Love / A Little Less Conversation (3 settembre 1968)
If I Can Dream / Edge Of Reality (5 novembre 1968)
Memories / Charro! (25 febbraio 1969)
His Hand In Mine / How Great Thou Art (25 marzo 1969)
In The Ghetto / Any Day Now (27 maggio 1969))
Clean Up Your Own Backyard / The Fair Is Moving On (17 giugno 1969)
Suspicious Minds / You'll Think Of Me (26 agosto 1969)
Don't Cry Daddy / Rubberneckin' (11 novembre 1969)

Anni 70 [modifica]
Kentucky Rain / My Little Friend - 29 gennaio 1970
The Wonder Of You / Mama Liked The Roses - Aprile 20, 1970
I've Lost You / The Next Step Is Love - Luglio 14, 1970
You Don't Have To Say You Love Me / Patch It Up - Ottobre 6, 1970
I Really Don't Want To Know / There Goes My Everything - Dicembre 8, 1970
Rags To Riches / Where Did They Go, Lord - Febbraio 23, 1971
Life / Only Believe - Maggio 25, 1971
I'm Leavin' / Heart Of Rome - Giugno 22, 1971
It's Only Love / The Sound Of Your Cry - Settembre 21, 1971
Merry Christmas Baby / O Come, All Ye Faithful - Novembre 9, 1971
Until It Is Time For You To Go / We Can Make The Morning - Gennaio 4, 1972
He Touched Me / Bosom Of Abraham - Febbraio 4, 1972
An American Trilogy / The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face - Aprile 4, 1972
Burning Love / It's A Matter Of Time - Agosto 1, 1972
Separate Ways / Always on My Mind - Ottobre 31, 1972
Steamroller Blues / Fool - Marzo 4, 1973
Raised On Rock / For Ol' Times Sake - Settembre 22, 1973
I've Got A Thing About You Baby / Take Good Care Of Her - Gennaio 11, 1974
If You Talk In Your Sleep / Help Me - Maggio 10, 1974
Promised Land / It's Midnight - Settembre 27, 1974
My Boy / Thinking About You - Gennaio 4, 1975
T-R-O-U-B-L-E- / Mr Songman - Aprile 22, 1975
Pieces Of My Life - Settembre 30, 1975
Hurt / For The Heart - Marzo 12, 1976
Moody Blue / She Thinks I Still Care - Novembre 29, 1976
Way Down / Pledging My Love - Giugno 6, 1977

Filmografia [modifica]
Anno Titolo Ruolo
1969 Change of Habit Dr. John Carpenter
1969 The Trouble with Girls Walter Hale
1969 Charro! Jess Wade
1968 Live a Little, Love a Little Greg Nolan
1968 Speedway Steve Grayson
1968 Stay Away, Joe Joe Lightcloud
1967 Clambake Scott Heyward/’Tom Wilson’
1967 Double Trouble Guy Lambert
1967 Easy Come, Easy Go Lt. Ted Jackson
1966 Spinout Mike McCoy
1966 Paradise, Hawaiian Style Rick Richards
1966 Frankie and Johnny Johnny
1965 Harum Scarum Johnny Tyrone aka Harem Holiday
1965 Tickle Me Lonnie Beale / Panhandle Kid
1965 Girl Happy Rusty Wells
1964 Roustabout Charlie Rogers
1964 Viva Las Vegas Lucky Jackson
1964 Kissin' Cousins Josh Morgan / Jodie Tatum
1963 Fun in Acapulco Mike Windgren
1963 It Happened at the World's Fair Mike Edwards
1962 Girls! Girls! Girls! Ross Carpenter
1962 Kid Galahad Walter Gulick aka Kid Galahad
1962 Follow That Dream Toby Kwimper
1961 Blue Hawaii Chad Gates
1961 Wild in the Country Glenn Tyler
1960 Flaming Star Pacer Burton
1960 G.I. Blues Tulsa McLean
1958 King Creole Danny Fisher
1957 Jailhouse Rock Vince Everett
1957 Loving You Jimmy Tompkins / Deke Rivers
1956 Love Me Tender Clint Reno

Curiosità [modifica]
Nelle versioni italiane dei film da lui interpretati, Elvis era solitamente doppiato da Pino Locchi, noto soprattutto come voce italiana di Sean Connery, Roger Moore (in particolare nella serie di pellicole su James Bond) e di Terence Hill. Più raramente, Presley fu doppiato anche da Massimo Turci.
Dal 2004 sono iniziati a scadere i diritti d'autore sulle prime incisioni di Elvis. La normativa italiana, in linea con quella europea, prevede che tale diritto decada dopo 50 anni dalla pubblicazione. [23]
Nel 2008 il suo record di "Artista rimasto più settimane alla #1 della Hot 100" è stato battuto da Mariah Carey, che lo ha superato anche per numero di singoli piazzati alla #1(17 contro i 18 della cantante) [24]
Il 13 ottobre 2008 è uscito un CD contenenti duetti con star country in canzoni natalizie.
Nel 2008,nell'annuale classifica dei singoli più scaricati di iTunes compare tra i primi posti "Baby Let's play house[25]
Nell'agosto del 2008, la Mattel ha lanciato sul mercato americano una coppia di bambole ispirate sia nelle fattezze che negli abiti ad Elvis e la moglie Priscilla nel giorno delle loro nozze. [26]

Record [modifica]
Ha ricevuto 149 dischi d'oro, platino e multiplatino.[senza fonte]
È l'unico artista ad essere inserito in quattro Hall of Fame: rock, gospel, country e rockabilly.
La sua casa è stata dichiarata monumento nazionale e ed è la seconda casa più visitata d'America dopo la Casa Bianca.[27]
Ha vinto tre Grammy.[28]
Detiene il record di presenze contemporanee in classifica con 12 brani. Il vecchio record di 11 brani era sempre suo.[senza fonte]
Negli anni 70 riuscì a fare il tutto esaurito per più di 380 spettacoli consecutivi.[senza fonte]
Il suo concerto "Aloha from Hawaii", primo concerto nella storia della tv ad essere trasmesso via satellite, fu visto da più di un miliardo di persone (meno persone videro lo sbarco sulla luna). [29]
La prima volta che entrò in classifica fu nel 1956 con Heartbreak Hotel e l'ultima volta è stato nel 2003 con la versione remixata di Rubberneckin' diventando così l'artista che è entrato in classifica per l'arco di tempo maggiore.
Fino ad oggi ha venduto oltre 1 miliardo di dischi in tutto il mondo.
"Love me tender" fu disco d'oro ancora prima di uscire grazie alle prenotazioni.
L' LP di "G.I.Blues" rimase in classifica per 111 settimane consecutive.
Maggior numero di settimane al primo posto in America: 79.
dal 1956 al 2003 sono apparsi nella classifica Hot 100 di Billboard 151 suoi singoli.
Elvis è il cantante con il maggior numero di incisioni certificate dalla Recording Industry Association of America(RIAA) con 262 titoli(148 d'oro,82 di platino,32 di multiplatino)tra album e singoli.
Detiene il record dell'arco di tempo più lungo tra due n.1 in Inghilterra: 1957:"All shook up" - 2005:riedizione "It's now or never"

2008-08-05T16:07:00.003-07:00

VIDEOS 1

2008-08-05T16:07:00.001-07:00

"elvis presley - always on my mind"
"Elvis Presley Jailhouse Rock 1957 colour"
"Suspicious Mind - Elvis Presley"
"A MI MANERA- ELVIS PRESLEY CON SUBTITULOS"
"elvis presley blue suede shoes color"
"Elvis - Suspicious Minds"
"Elvis Presley"
"Elvis Presley - Heartbreak Hotel 56"
"Return to Sender- Elvis Presley"
"Elvis Presley_ an american trilogy"

VIDEOS 2

2008-08-05T16:06:00.003-07:00

"Elvis Presley - Omaha 74 Concert"
"Elvis Presley - Loving you 1975"
"Elvis Presley - Live on Stage in las Vegas"
"Elvis Presley - Lawdy miss clawdy 1968"
"Elvis Presley - Jailhouse Rock"
"Elvis Presley - I'll Remember you 1973"
"Elvis Presley - Hound dog ( Tupelo goldsuit 1957 )"
"Elvis Presley - Guadalajara ( Fun in Acapulco )"
"Elvis Presley - Don' t be Cruel"
"Elvis Presley - Don't be Cruel ( 1968 Comeback )"

VIDEOS 3

2008-08-05T16:06:00.001-07:00

"Elvis Presley - Blue Suede Shoes 1956"
"Elvis Presley - Always on my mind 1972"
"Elvis Presley - What' d I say (Movie Clip- Viva las Vegas)"
"Elvis Presley - Dixieland rock"
"ELVIS IN CONCERT- TCB Drum Solo/What'd I Say/Johnny B. Goode"
"ELVIS - Hot Winter Night in Dallas [LIVE 12-28-76] Part 1"
"Elvis Presley Medley Live in Memphis 1974"
"Elvis ~ Unchained Melody (live April 24, 1977)"
"Elvis Presley - Unchained Melody (Live June 21, 1977)"
"Elvis ~ I Shall Be Released"

VIDEOS 4

2008-08-05T16:05:00.001-07:00

"Elvis - Miracle Of The Rosary (alternate take)"
"Elvis ~ Lady Madonna"
"Elvis Presley Hey Jude"
"Elvis Presley - Yesterday"
"Elvis Presley: I'll Be There"
"Elvis Presley - I´ve lost you"
"Elvis Presley - First Time Ever I Saw Your Face"
"Elvis Presley - Angel (Follow that dream- 1962)"
"Follow That Dream"
"Elvis Presley - Edge Of Reality"

VIDEOS 5

2008-08-05T16:03:00.000-07:00

"Elvis Presley - Song Of The Shrimp"
"Elvis Presley - Mirage"
"Elvis Presley He'll Have To Go"
"Elvis Presley Put Your Hand in The Hand, Fantastic Video"
"ELVIS PRESLEY "WORDS"
"Elvis Presley Words, fantastic Mix Video"
"The twelfth of never [unreleased dubbed"
"Elvis Presley - The Twelfth Of Never"
"Elvis Presley - Edge of Reality"
"Elvis Presley - Separate Ways"

2008-08-05T15:53:00.001-07:00

BIOGAFRIA

2008-08-05T15:46:00.000-07:00

Elvis Aaron Presley (Tupelo, Mississippi, 8 de enero de 1935 - Memphis, Tennessee, 16 de agosto de 1977), cantante de rock estadounidense e icono de la música popular del siglo XX. Inspiró a muchos cantantes tanto dentro como fuera del género rock.

Considerado el Rey del Rock and Roll, también protagonizó numerosas películas, muchas de las cuales estuvieron consagradas a sus canciones. A menudo es llamado simplemente Elvis o El Rey.

A pesar de su muerte, Elvis sigue vendiendo discos y actualmente ha superado la cifra de los 1000 millones de discos vendidos.

Tabla de contenidos
1 Biografía
1.1 Infancia
1.2 Primeras grabaciones
1.3 Camino al estrellato
1.4 Servicio militar
1.5 Los años de Hollywood
1.6 Vuelta a los escenarios
1.7 Sus últimos años
2 Discografía
3 Filmografía
4 Leyenda
5 El legado
6 Enlaces externos

Biografía

Infancia

Elvis Presley por BottelhoHijo de Vernon y Gladys Presley, fue fruto de un embarazo de mellizos, aunque su hermano, Jesse Aaron Presley, murió al nacer. Elvis tuvo una infancia dura y difícil en Tupelo, (Mississippi), hasta que, después de muchas vicisitudes, sus padres y él se mudaron a Memphis, donde poco a poco consiguieron cierta estabilidad económica. Su padre le compró su primera guitarra al cumplir 10 años. Desde niño, le apasionaba por igual la música blues, el gospel, el Doo wop así como la música country y el pop, incluyendo los temas musicales favoritos de su madre, que incluían la música mariachi y la ópera. Su cantante favorito era el tenor Mario Lanza, pero tenía gran predilección por Dean Martin, así como por Arthur Crudup, y todos los cantantes y músicos de lo que se llamaba entonces la música blues rural. Exploró asimismo las raíces musicales indias, ya que Elvis tenía ascendencia cherokee, por el lado materno.

Primeras grabaciones
A los 19 años (en 1954), como regalo de cumpleaños para su madre, grabó un disco con dos temas en los estudios Sun Records, My Happiness y That's When Your Heartaches Begin. El propietario de la compañía, Sam Phillips, no llegó a oírlo, hasta que regresó dos veces más, también grabando dos canciones en cada oportunidad, tras lo cual quedó gratamente sorprendido. Tres meses después, le contrató para grabar un disco que tendría gran éxito en Memphis.

Muchos consideran que Presley fue el creador del rockabilly, una fusión del country y del blues, aunque a la hora de encontrar a la persona responsable por su mayor auge y desarrollo, la mayoría se inclina por Carl Perkins, autor del hit Blue Suede Shoes. Con la edición de su primer tema de este género, That's All Right Mama, de Arthur Crudup, (género que por cierto dejaría en menos de 17 meses para lanzarse sobre otros ritmos cada vez más sofisticados), creó una de las imágenes más clásicas del rock and roll. Habiendo conquistado la ciudad de Memphis, así como algunos mercados regionales en el sur de los Estados Unidos, en 1955, fue observado por el Coronel Tom Parker quien gestionó, a finales de ese año, su traslado de la pequeña discográfica Sun Records, a la RCA, a cambio de 35.000 dólares, y un Cadillac para Presley.

Camino al estrellato
Con su primer tema para la RCA, Heartbreak Hotel, consiguió su primer número uno, de los 18 que consiguió en su carrera en Estados Unidos. Su modo de bailar, con sus movimientos pélvicos, resultó escandaloso, aunque entusiasmó a los jóvenes. En algunos programas de televisión, como lo fue durante su tercera aparición en el Show de Ed Sullivan, sólo se le enfocó de cintura para arriba. Antes de su ingreso al servicio militar, rompió todos los récords de venta, alcanzando once números uno seguidos en la lista de sencillos, y cuatro números uno en la de los discos de larga duración. Interpretó, asimismo, cuatro películas, todas enormes éxitos de taquilla.

Tumba de Elvis Presley, Graceland, Memphis, Tennessee.
Servicio militar
Entre 1958 y 1960 estuvo ausente de los escenarios para realizar el servicio militar en Bad Nauheim, (Alemania). Allí conoció a la que después sería su mujer, Priscilla Ann-Beaulieu (Priscila Presley). Su regreso al escenario fue espectacular, al aparecer como estrella invitada en el programa de Frank Sinatra con quien interpretó a dúo los temas Love me Tender / Witchcraft.

Como la cadena televisiva ABC consideró el precio demandado por Parker, como muy elevado, fue el propio Frank Sinatra quien la financió. Para éste ultimo y a pesar del elevado monto, la inversión dio resultado, especialmente al final de la semana cuando se anunció que los ratings televisivos del show de Sinatra en que había aparecido Presley habían roto todos los récords de audiencia televisiva del referido show, que fue visto por 40 millones de personas. Presley recibió 125.000 dólares por su actuación, que duró unos diez minutos.

Los años de Hollywood
En los años 60 Presley se dedicó a actuar en películas de mediana a baja calidad, rodando tres películas en promedio por año, hasta un total de 31. Sus actores favoritos a los que admiraba y copiaba fueron James Dean y Marlon Brando. El 27 de agosto de 1965, durante la visita de los Beatles en su casa de Bel-Air, (California), le comentó a John Lennon con respecto a su próxima película: "Seré un chico de campo que conoce chicas y canta canciones. La última vez que nos alejamos de esa fórmula perdimos dinero". Presley admiraba sinceramente a Los Beatles, pero luego al cambiar éstos su imagen a finales de los años sesenta, los acusó de inducir a la juventud a consumir drogas. En 1964 comenzó el descenso en la hegemonía que ostentaba en el mundo del rock, tanto a nivel de ventas como de popularidad.

Vuelta a los escenarios
El 1 de mayo de 1967 Presley se casó con Priscilla Ann-Beaulieau (conocida como Priscila Presley), con la que tuvo un año después a su hija Lisa Marie Presley. En 1968, volvió al top de los hits parades norteamericanos después de su exitoso 1968 Comeback Special para la televisión. Al año siguiente reafirmó su vuelta a los conciertos en directo en el Hotel Internacional de Las Vegas, Nevada. En ese mismo año, nace su única hija, Lisa Marie Presley.

El 21 de diciembre de 1970, Elvis visitó al Presidente Richard Nixon en la Casa Blanca donde -después de un intercambio de regalos- charlaron sobre la influencia de las drogas en la juventud.

Sus últimos años
Los años 70's serían los años en los que Elvis se convertiría de gran ídolo a mito musical. En julio de 1972 se divorcia de Priscilla, dejándolo en un profundo estado de depresión del que nunca se recobraría.

En 1973 realizaría el primer concierto televisado vía satélite de la historia, desde el paradisíaco Hawaii conocido como Aloha From Hawaii, y visto por un número estimado de 1500 millones de personas.

También es en ésta década en donde los excesos en sus hábitos alimenticios y su dependencia a las drogas, deterioran drásticamente su salud, tanto física como mental. En repetidas ocasiones es ingresado en el hospital. En 1973, Priscila Presley presenta la demanda de divorcio y consigue la tutela de su hija. Su ex-mujer declaró que no podía seguir en el ambiente de soledad, insatisfacción, infidelidades que dejaba la estela de fama que rodeaba a su marido y culpó directamente al "coronel" Tom Parker por sus ansias de dinero y de llevar a Elvis por rumbos de decadencia .

Para 1976-1977 Elvis dista mucho del muchacho vigoroso y lleno de energía que conquisto al mundo, convirtiéndose en una imagen burda, sobrepasado en peso y con dificultades para cantar y memorizar la letra de las canciones. Su último concierto lo daría el 26 de Junio de 1977 en Indianapolis, en el Idiana’s Market Square Arena.

En la madrugada del 16 de agosto, Elvis regresa a su mansión Graceland después de una consulta dental, durante la mañana se encarga de revisar detalles de su próxima gira y descansa con su familia y amigos. Debe de tomar un vuelo para Portland esa misma noche para seguir con la gira, y alrededor de las 7 am, se retira a su habitación para dormir. Alrededor del medio día, Elvis es encontrado inconsciente en el baño de su habitación, es trasladado urgentemente al hospital Baptist Memorial en Memphis, y poco tiempo después es declarado muerto.

Discografía
Artículo principal: Discografía de Elvis Presley
Elvis grabó 75 álbumes de estudio desde 1956 hasta el año de su muerte en 1977, entre los que se incluyen 22 bandas sonoras de sus películas, varios recopilatorios y 8 discos en directo.

Filmografía
Artículo principal: Lista de películas de Elvis Presley
Rodó más de una treintena de películas incluyendo varios documentales de sus giras y/o conciertos.

Leyenda
Artículo principal: Elvis está vivo
Hay muchas leyendas sobre Elvis, principalmente acerca de su muerte, pero una es la que tiene más fuerza. Según cuentan, dos horas después de la muerte de Elvis, un hombre llamado John Burrows sacó un billete de avión con dirección a Argentina. Lo peculiar de este hombre es que era muy parecido a Elvis y lo más sorprendente es que el nombre con el que firmó era el pseudónimo muchas veces utilizado por Elvis. Años después este Burrows, con el nombre artístico de Orion, se puso a cantar imitando a Elvis y sus espectáculos eran muy parecidos, pero llevaba un antifaz que le cubría parte de la cara, con lo que se empezó a especular que este hombre en verdad era Presley. Seguramente esto no se podrá comprobar nunca debido a que Orion murió en el año 98. Algunos datos que contribuyen a esta leyenda son los hechos de que el segundo nombre de Elvis esté mal escrito en su tumba, Aaron en vez de Aron, que es el nombre que figura en su partida de bautismo. Otro dato es el hecho de que la familia de Elvis no haya cobrado aún el millonario seguro de vida. En EE.UU. no es delito fingir tu propia muerte, pero sí lo es fingirla y cobrar el seguro. Elvis deseaba ser enterrado junto a su madre en el Jardín de la Meditación de su mansión de Graceland, pero su tumba no la pusieron a su lado como era su voluntad.

El legado
Elvis Aaron Presley es considerado el Rey del Rock'n Roll. Su estilo único de cantar, sus movimientos agresivos en el escenario, su carisma, y demás cualidades es lo que actualmente le permite ser la mayor figura musical de la historia. Además de sus innumerables récords, la calidad en las canciones que interpretó es lo que sigue generando que nuevas generaciones engrosen las filas de sus fervorosos seguidores.

Ha encabezado por muchos años, la lista de de los artistas fallecidos con mayor recaudación por sus productos, solamente desbancado en el 2006 por Kurt Cobain. Anualmente su casa-mansión Graceland es visitada por millones de personas de todo el mundo. Es la segunda casa más visitada de los Estados Unidos, detrás de la Casa Blanca.

Son muchos los músicos y cantantes que reconocen que Elvis fue la chispa que cambio la música popular y a toda una generación, y que gracias a él, ellos tomaron el mismo camino.

En resumidas cuentas, Elvis Presley ha de dejado de ser un icono estadounidense, para convertirse en el icono mundial de la música.

BIOGRAPHY

2008-08-05T15:41:00.000-07:00

Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935–August 16, 1977, middle name sometimes written Aron,a) was an American singer, musician and actor. He is considered a cultural icon, recognized simply by his first name. He is also referred to as the "The King of Rock 'n' Roll", or as "The King".

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

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

Contents
1 Biography
1.1 Early life
1.2 Early musical influences
1.3 First recordings and performances
1.4 Breakthrough, 1956
1.5 Controversial King
1.6 Military service and mother's death
1.7 Acting career
1.8 Sex symbol
1.9 Family
1.10 Influence of Colonel Parker and others
1.11 1968 comeback
1.12 1970-1972
1.13 Divorce from Priscilla
1.14 Aloha From Hawaii
1.15 1973-1976
1.16 Final year and death
2 Legacy
3 Discography
4 See also
5 Notes
6 Footnotes
7 References
8 Further reading
9 External links

Biography

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

Presley was born in a two-room shotgun house, built by his father, in East Tupelo. He was an identical twin—his brother was stillborn and given the name Jesse Garon. Growing up as an only child he "was, everyone agreed, unusually close to his mother." The family lived just above the poverty line and attended an Assembly of God church. Vernon has been described as "a malingerer, always averse to work and responsibility." His wife was "voluble, lively, full of spunk" and had a fondness for drink. In 1938, Vernon was jailed for an eight dollar check forgery. During his absence, his boss, Mr. Bass, called in a note Vernon had signed for the money he borrowed to build their house. Because Gladys couldn't make the payment, she and her son lost the family home and had to move in with relatives.

In September, 1942, Presley entered first grade at Lawhorn School in Tupelo. Presley was sometimes bullied; classmates threw "things at him—rotten fruit and stuff—because he was different... he stuttered and he was a mama's boy." Despite this, he was considered a "well-mannered and quiet child".

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

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

In September, 1950, Presley occasionally worked evenings as an usher at Loew's State Theater—his first job—to boost the family income, but his mother made him quit as she feared it was affecting his school work. He did eventually return to Loew's in June the following year, but was fired after a fistfight over a female employee. He began to grow his sideburns and, when he could afford to, dress in the wild, flashy clothes of Lansky Brothers on Beale Street. He stood out, especially in the conservative Deep South of the 1950s, and was mocked and bullied for it. Despite any unpopularity or shyness, he was a contestant in his school's 1952 "Annual Minstrel Show" and won by receiving the most applause and thus an encore (he sang "Cold Cold Icy Fingers" and "Till I Waltz Again With You").

After graduation, Presley was still rather shy, a "kid who had spent scarcely a night away from home". His third job was driving a truck for the Crown Electric Company. He began wearing his hair longer with a "ducktail"—the style of truck drivers at that time.

Early musical influences
Initial influences came through his family's attendance at the Assembly of God, a Pentecostal Holiness church. Rolling Stone wrote: "Gospel pervaded Elvis' character and was a defining and enduring influence all of his days." During breaks at recording sessions or after concerts, Presley often joined in private with others for informal gospel music sessions.

The young Presley frequently listened to local radio; his first musical hero was family friend Mississippi Slim, a hillbilly singer with a radio show on Tupelo’s WELO. Presley performed occasionally on Slim’s Saturday morning show, Singin’ and Pickin’ Hillbilly. "He was crazy about music... That’s all he talked about," recalls his sixth grade friend, James Ausborn, Slim’s younger brother. Before he was a teenager, music was already Presley’s "consuming passion". J. R. Snow, son of 1940s country superstar Hank Snow, recalls that even as a young man Presley knew all of Hank Snow’s songs, "even the most obscure".

In Memphis, Presley went to record stores that had jukeboxes and listening booths, playing old records and new releases for hours. He was an audience member at the all-night black and white "gospel sings" downtown. Memphis Symphony Orchestra concerts at Overton Park were another Presley favorite, along with the Metropolitan Opera. His small record collection included Mario Lanza and Dean Martin. Presley later said, "I just loved music. Music period."

Memphis had a strong tradition of blues music and Presley went to blues as well as hillbilly venues. Many of his future recordings were inspired by local African American composers and recording artists, including Arthur Crudup, Rufus Thomas and B.B. King. King says that he "knew Elvis before he was popular. He used to come around and be around us a lot ... on Beale Street."

Presley "was an untrained musician who played entirely by ear. 'I don't read music,' he confessed, 'but I know what I like.' ... Because he was not a songwriter, Presley [would] rarely [have] material prepared for recording sessions..." When later, as a young singer, he "ventured into the recording studio he was heavily influenced by the songs he had heard on the jukebox and radio."

First recordings and performances
Main article: Elvis Presley's Sun recordings
On July 18, 1953, Presley went to Sun Records' Memphis Recording Service to record "My Happiness" with "That's When Your Heartaches Begin", supposedly a present for his mother. During his initial introduction at Sun Records, assistant Marion Keisker asked him who he sounded like. Presley replied: "I don't sound like nobody." On January 4, 1954, he cut a second acetate. Sun Records boss Sam Phillips was on the lookout for someone who could deliver a blend of black blues and boogie-woogie music; he thought it would be very popular among white people. When Phillips acquired a demo recording of "Without Love (There Is Nothing)" and was unable to identify the vocalist, Keisker reminded him about the young truck driver. She called him on June 26, 1954. Presley was not able to do justice to the song (though he would record it years later). Phillips would later recall that "Elvis was probably as nervous as anybody, black or white, that I had seen in front of a microphone." Despite this, Phillips invited local musicians Winfield "Scotty" Moore and Bill Black to audition Presley. Though they were not overly impressed, a studio session was planned.

During a recording break, Presley began "acting the fool" first with Arthur Crudup's "That's All Right (Mama)". Phillips got them all to restart and began taping. This was the sound he had been looking for. The group recorded other songs, including Bill Monroe's "Blue Moon of Kentucky". "That's All Right" was aired on July 8, 1954, by DJ Dewey Phillips.b Listeners to the show began jamming the phone lines, eager to find out who the singer was. Requests for the song were so high, that Phillips ended up playing it fourteen times during the one show. During an interview on the show, Phillips asked Presley what high school he went to (a polite way of letting the audience know what colour Presley was). After its release, both sides of "That's All Right"/"Blue Moon of Kentucky" began to chart across the South.

Moore and Black began playing regularly with Presley. They gave a few performances in July 1954 to promote the Sun single at the Bon Air, a rowdy music club where the band was not well-received.On July 30 the trio, billed as The Blue Moon Boys, made their first paid appearance at the Overton Park Shell, with Slim Whitman headlining. A nervous Presley's legs were said to have shaken uncontrollably during this show: his wide-legged pants emphasized his leg movements, apparently causing females in the audience to go "crazy". Scotty Moore claims it was just the natural way he moved and had nothing to do with "nerves." Presley consciously incorporated similar movements into future shows.

DJ and promoter Bob Neal became the trio's manager (replacing Scotty Moore). Moore and Black left their band, the Starlite Wranglers and, from August through October 1954, appeared with Presley at The Eagle's Nest. Presley debuted at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville on October 2; Hank Snow introduced Presley on stage. He performed "Blue Moon of Kentucky" but received only a polite response. Afterwards, the singer was allegedly told by the Opry's Jim Denny: "Boy, you’d better keep driving that truck.", though others deny it was Denny. Country music promoter and manager Tillman Franks booked Presley for the Louisiana Hayride on October 16. Before Franks saw Presley, he referred to him as "that new black singer with the funny name".During Presley's first set, the reaction was muted; for the second, Franks advised Presley to "Let it all go!" As house drummer D.J. Fontana (who had worked in strip clubs) complemented Presley's movements with accented beats and Bill Black engaged in his usual stage antics, the crowd was more responsive.

According to one source, "Audiences had never before heard [such] music... [or] seen anyone who performed like Presley either. The shy, polite, mumbling boy gained self-confidence with every appearance... People watching the show were astounded and shocked, both by the ferocity of his performance, and the crowd’s reaction to it... Roy Orbison saw Presley for the first time in Odessa, Texas: 'His energy was incredible, his instinct was just amazing... I just didn’t know what to make of it. There was just no reference point in the culture to compare it.'" Sam Phillips said Presley "put every ounce of emotion ... into every song, almost as if he was incapable of holding back."

By August 1955, Sun Studios had released ten sides credited to "Elvis Presley, Scotty and Bill", all typical of the developing Presley style. That style proved hard to categorize; he was billed or labeled in the media as "The King of Western Bop", "The Hillbilly Cat" and "The Memphis Flash". He was also dubbed "Elvis the Pelvis" which Presley disliked, calling it "one of the most childish expressions I ever heard."

On August 15, 1955, "Colonel" Tom Parker became Presley's manager, signing him to a one year contract plus renewals.Several major record labels had shown interest in signing Presley and, by the end of October 1955, three major labels had made offers up to $25,000. On November 21, 1955, Parker and Phillips negotiated a deal with RCA Victor Records to acquire Presley's Sun contract for an unprecedented $40,000, $5,000 of which was a bonus for the singer for back royalties owed to him by Sun Records (Presley, at 20, was officially still a minor, so his father had to sign the contract). By December 1955, RCA had begun to heavily promote its newest star, and by the month's end had re-released all of his Sun recordings.

Breakthrough, 1956

The iconic cover of Elvis Presley's debut RCA Victor album. Photo taken on January 31, 1955To increase the singer's exposure, Parker finally brought Presley to television (In March 1955, Presley had failed an audition for Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts). He booked six Dorsey Brothers' Stage Show appearances (CBS), beginning January 28, 1956, when Presley was introduced by Cleveland DJ Bill Randle. Parker also obtained a lucrative two-show deal with Milton Berle (NBC).

On January 10, Presley made his first recordings for RCA in Nashville, Tennessee. The session produced "Heartbreak Hotel/I Was The One" which was released on January 27. The public reaction to "Heartbreak Hotel" prompted RCA to release it as a single in its own right (February 11). By April it had hit number one in the U.S., selling in excess of one million copies. On March 23, RCA Victor released Elvis Presley, his first album. Like the Sun recordings, the majority of the tracks were country songs.

On April 1, Presley launched his acting career with a screen-test for Paramount Pictures. His first motion-picture, Love Me Tender, was released on November 21 (See 'Acting career').

Presley appeared on The Milton Berle Show from the deck of the USS Hancock in San Diego on April 3. His performance was cheered by a live audience of appreciative sailors and their dates. A few days after this appearance, a flight taking Presley's band to Nashville for a recording session left all three badly shaken (the plane lost an engine and almost went down over Texas). After more hectic touring, Presley returned to The Milton Berle Show on June 5 and performed "Hound Dog" (without his guitar). Singing it uptempo, he then began a slower version. His exaggerated, straight-legged shuffle around the microphone stand stirred the audience—as did his vigorous leg shaking and hip thrusts in time to the beat. Presley's "gyrations" created a storm of controversy—even eclipsing the 'communist threat' headlines prevalent at the time. The press described his performance as "vulgar" and "obscene". Presley was obliged to explain himself on the local New York City TV show Hy Gardner Calling: "Rock and roll music, if you like it, and you feel it, you can't help but move to it. That's what happens to me. I have to move around. I can't stand still. I've tried it, and I can't do it."

From April 23, Presley was scheduled to perform four weeks at the New Frontier Hotel and Casino on the Las Vegas Strip—billed this time as "the Atomic Powered Singer". His shows were so badly received by critics and the conservative guests, that Colonel Parker cut short the engagement from four weeks to two. . While in Vegas, Presley saw Freddie Bell and the Bellboys live, and liked their version of Leiber and Stoller's "Hound Dog". By May 16, he had added the song to his own act.

The Berle shows drew such huge ratings that Steve Allen (NBC), not a fan of rock and roll, booked him for one appearance in New York on July 1. Allen wanted "to do a show the whole family can watch" and introduced a "new Elvis" in white bow tie and black tails. Presley sang "Hound Dog" for less than a minute to a Basset Hound in a top hat. According to one author, "Allen thought Presley was talentless and absurd... [he] set things up so that Presley would show his contrition..."The day after (July 2), the single "Hound Dog" was recorded and Scotty Moore said they were "all angry about their treatment the previous night".(Presley often referred to the Allen show as the most ridiculous performance of his career.) A few days later, Presley made a "triumphant" outdoor appearance in Memphis at which he announced: "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."

Country vocalists The Jordanaires accompanied Presley on The Steve Allen Show and their first recording session together produced "Any Way You Want Me", "Don't Be Cruel" and "Hound Dog". The Jordanaires would work with the singer through the 1960s.

Though Presley had been unhappy, Allen's show had, for the first time, beaten The Ed Sullivan Show in the ratings, causing a critical Sullivan (CBS) to book Presley for three appearances for an unprecedented $50,000.

Presley's first Ed Sullivan appearance (September 9, 1956) was seen by some 55–60 million viewers. "Compared to moments on the Dorsey shows and on the Berle show, it was ice cream." On the third Sullivan show, Presley sang only slow paced ballads and a gospel song.The fact that Presley was only shown from the waist up and "stepped out in the outlandish costume of a pasha, if not a harem girl" during this last broadcast has led to claims that Sullivan had "censored" or even "buried" the singer, or that Colonel Parker had orchestrated the episode to generate publicity. In spite of any misgivings about the controversial nature of his performing style (see 'Sex symbol'), Sullivan declared at the end of the third appearance that Presley was "a real decent, fine boy" and that they had never had "a pleasanter experience" on the show.

On December 4, Presley dropped into Sun Records where Carl Perkins and Jerry Lee Lewis were recording. Sam Phillips made sure the session of the three performing was recorded; the results would later appear on a bootlegged recording titled The Million Dollar Quartet in 1977 (Johnny Cash is often thought to have performed with the trio, but he was only present briefly at Phillips' instigation for a photo opportunity). RCA would eventually iron out legal difficulties and release an authorized version a few years later.

On December 29, Billboard revealed that Presley had the most songs in the Top 100 since the chart began.

Controversial King

Crowd frenzy at the Mississippi-Alabama Fair and Dairy Show, 1956
Presley in a promotional photo for Jailhouse Rock released by MGM on November 8, 1957Main article: Cultural impact of Elvis Presley
When "That's All Right" was played, many listeners were sure Presley must be black, and most white disc-jockeys wouldn't play his Sun singles. However, black disc-jockeys didn't want anything to do with a record made by a white man. To some, Presley had undoubtedly "stolen" or at least "derived his style from the Negro rhythm-and-blues performers of the late 1940s", though such criticism ignored Presley's use of "white" musical styles. Some black entertainers, notably Jackie Wilson, 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."

By the spring of 1956, Presley was becoming popular nationwide and teenagers flocked to his concerts. Scotty Moore recalled: "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." Bob Neal wrote: "It was almost frightening, the reaction... from teenage boys. So many of them, through some sort of jealousy, would practically hate him." In Lubbock, Texas, a teenage gang fire-bombed Presley's car. Some performers became resentful (or resigned to the fact) that Presley's unmatched hustle onstage before them would "kill" their own act; he thus rose quickly to top billing. At the two concerts he performed at the 1956 Mississippi-Alabama Fair and Dairy Show, one hundred National Guardsmen were on hand to prevent crowd trouble.

To many adults, the singer was "the first rock symbol of teenage rebellion. ... they 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." In 1956, a critic for the New York Daily News wrote that popular music "has reached its lowest depths in the 'grunt and groin' antics of one Elvis Presley" and the Jesuits denounced him in its weekly magazine, America. Even Frank Sinatra opined: "His kind of music is deplorable, a rancid smelling aphrodisiac. It fosters almost totally negative and destructive reactions in young people." Presley responded to this (and other derogatory comments Sinatra made) by saying: "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 [rock and roll] is a trend, just the same as he faced when he started years ago."

Presley was even seen as a "definite danger to the security of the United States." His actions and motions were called "a strip-tease with clothes on" or "sexual self-gratification on stage." They were compared with "masturbation or riding a microphone." Some saw the singer as a sexual pervert, and psychologists feared that teenaged girls and boys could easily be "aroused to sexual indulgence and perversion by certain types of motions and hysteria—the type that was exhibited at the Presley show." In August 1956, a Florida judge called Presley a "savage" and threatened to arrest him if he shook his body while performing in Jacksonville. The judge declared that Presley's music was undermining the youth of America. Throughout the performance (which was filmed by police), he kept still as ordered, except for wiggling a finger in mockery at the ruling.(Presley recalls this incident during the '68 Comeback Special.)

In 1957, despite Presley's demonstrable respect for "black" music and performers, he faced accusations of racism: he was alleged to have said in Boston, Massachusetts: "The only thing Negro people can do for me is to buy my records and shine my shoes." The singer always denied saying, or ever wanting to say, such a racist remark. Jet magazine, run by and for African Americans, was subsequently keen to investigate the story. Presley's acquaintances in Memphis were pursued for any other racist anecdotes, but none were found. Nor could any evidence be found of the date, location and persons involved when the alleged remark was made (Presley had never visited Boston). However, the Jet journalist did find plenty of testimony that Presley judged people "regardless of race, color or creed".

His parents moved home in Memphis, but the singer lived there briefly. With increased concerns over privacy and security, Graceland was bought in 1957, a mansion with several acres of land. This was Presley's primary residence until his death.

Presley's record sales grew quickly throughout the late 1950s, with hits like "All Shook Up", "(Let me Be Your) Teddy Bear" and "Too Much".

Military service and mother's death
Rank and Insignia Date of Rank
Private Drafted
1958-03-24
Private First-Class 1958-11-27
Specialist 4 1959-06-01
Sergeant 1960-01-20
Staff Sergeant Upon honorable discharge
1960-03-05

3rd Armored DivisionOn December 20, 1957, Presley received his draft notice. Hal Wallis and Paramount Pictures had already spent $350,000 on the film King Creole, and did not want to suspend or cancel the project. The Memphis Draft Board granted Presley a deferment to finish it. On March 24, 1958, he was inducted as US Army private #53310761 and completed basic training at Fort Hood, Texas on September 17, 1958, before being posted to Friedberg, Germany with the 3rd Armored Division, where his service took place from October 1, 1958 until March 2, 1960.

Presley had chosen not to join 'Special Services', which would have allowed him to avoid certain duties and maintain his public profile. He continued to receive massive media coverage, with much speculation echoing Presley's own concerns about his enforced absence damaging his career. However, early in 1958, RCA Victor producer Steve Sholes and Freddy Bienstock of Hill and Range (Presley's main music publishers) had both pushed for recording sessions and strong song material, the aim being to release regular hit recordings during Presley's two-year hiatus.[100] Hit singles—and six albums—duly followed during that period.

As Presley's fame grew, his mother continued to drink excessively and began to gain weight. She had wanted her son to succeed, "but... [the] hysteria of the crowd frightened her." In early August 1958, doctors had diagnosed hepatitis and her condition worsened. Presley was granted emergency leave to visit her, arriving in Memphis on August 12. Two days later, Gladys Presley died of heart failure, aged forty-six. Presley was distraught, "grieving almost constantly" for days.

Some months later, in Germany, "[a] sergeant had introduced [Presley] to amphetamines when they were on maneuvers at Grafenwöhr... it seemed like half the guys in the company were taking them." Friends around Presley, like Joe Esposito, also began taking them, "if only to keep up with Elvis, who was practically evangelical about their benefits."[33] The army also introduced Presley to karate—something which he studied seriously, even including it in his later live performances.

In 2008, it was claimed that Presley had flown to London (1958) for a one-day trip: his only visit to the UK was thought to have been a stop-over at Prestwick Airport, Scotland in 1960. Tommy Steele, (Presley's alleged chaperone) said that he'd sworn not to divulge details of the visit. Friends of Presley, including Army buddy Lamar Fike, insist that the trip never took place.

Presley returned to the U.S. on March 2, 1960, and was honorably discharged with the rank of staff sergeant on March 5. Recording sessions in March and April yielded some of his best-selling songs—including "It's Now or Never". Although some tracks were uptempo, none could be described as "rock and roll". Most found their way on to an album—Elvis is Back!—described by one critic as "a triumph on every level... It was as if Elvis had... broken down the barriers of genre and prejudice to express everything he heard in all the kinds of music he loved". The album was also notable because of Homer Boots Randolph's acclaimed saxophone solo during the blues standard "Reconsider Baby".

Acting career
See also: Elvis Presley filmography
In 1956, Presley launched his career as a film actor. He screen-tested for Paramount Pictures by lip-synching "Blue Suede Shoes" and performing a scene as Bill Starbuck in The Rainmaker. Despite being quietly confident that The Rainmaker would be his first film—even going as far as saying so in an interview —the role eventually went to Burt Lancaster.

After signing a seven-year contract with Paramount, Presley made his big-screen début with the musical western, Love Me Tender. It was panned by the critics but did well at the box office. The original title—The Reno Brothers—was changed to capitalize on the advanced sales of the song "Love Me Tender". The majority of Presley's films were musical comedies made to "sell records and produce high revenues." He also appeared in more dramatic films, like Jailhouse Rock and King Creole. The erotic, if not homoerotic, dance sequence to the song "Jailhouse Rock", which Presley choreographed himself, "is considered by many as his greatest performance ever captured on film." To maintain box office success, he even "shifted into beefcake formula comedy mode for a few years." He also made one non-musical western, Charro!.

Presley stopped live performing after his Army service with the exception, ironically (given Sinatra's previously scathing criticism), of a guest appearance on The Frank Sinatra Timex Show: Welcome Home Elvis (1960). He also performed three charity concerts—two in Memphis and one in Pearl Harbor (1961).

In the Army, Presley had said on many occasions that "more than anything, he wanted to be taken seriously as a dramatic actor." His manager, with an eye on long-term earnings, negotiated a multi-picture seven-year contract with Hal Wallis. The singer would star alongside several famous, if not reputable, actors, including Walter Matthau, Carolyn Jones, Angela Lansbury, Charles Bronson, Barbara Stanwyck—and even a very young Kurt Russell in his screen debut. Although Presley was praised by directors, like Michael Curtiz, as polite and hardworking (and as having an exceptional memory), "he was definitely not the most talented actor around."

The Presley vehicles, and the AIP beach movies (which were mainly made for an early sixties teenage audience) were generally criticized as a "pantheon of bad taste." The scripts of his movies "were all the same, the songs progressively worse." Sight and Sound wrote that in his movies "Elvis Presley, aggressively bisexual in appeal, knowingly erotic, [was] acting like a crucified houri and singing with a kind of machine-made surrealism." Others noted that the songs seemed to be "written on order by men who never really understood Elvis or rock and roll." For Blue Hawaii, "fourteen songs were cut in just three days." Julie Parrish, who appeared in Paradise, Hawaiian Style, says that Presley hated such songs and that he "couldn't stop laughing while he was recording" one of them. Critics would later claim that "No major star suffered through more bad movies than Elvis Presley."

Elvis in the film Viva Las Vegas (1964)Presley movies were nevertheless very popular, and he "became a film genre of his own." Hal Wallis would later remark: "An Elvis Presley picture is the only sure thing in Hollywood." Elvis on celluloid was the only chance to see him in the absence of live appearances, especially outside of the U.S. (the only time he toured outside of the U.S. was in Canada in 1957). His Blue Hawaii even "boosted the new state's tourism. Some of his most enduring and popular songs came from those [kind of] movies," like "Can't Help Falling in Love," "Return to Sender" and "Viva Las Vegas." His 1960s films and soundtracks grossed some $280 million. On December 1, 1968, the New York Times wrote: "Three times a year Elvis Presley ... [makes] multimillion-dollar feature-length films, with holiday titles like "Blue Hawaii", "Fun in Acapulco", "Viva Las Vegas", "Tickle Me", "Easy Come, Easy Go", "Live a Little, Love a Little" and the latest in the series, "Chataqua" [released as Charro!]. For each film Elvis receives a million dollars in wages and 50 per cent of the profits. ... [E]very film yields an LP sound-track record which may sell as many as two-million copies."

In 1964, Richard Burton and Peter O'Toole had starred in Hal Wallis' acclaimed Becket. Wallis admitted to the press that the financing of such quality productions was only possible by making a series of profitable B-movies starring Presley. He branded Wallis "a double-dealing sonofabitch" (and he thought little better of Tom Parker), realizing there had never been any intention to let him develop into a serious actor.

Presley was similarly exploited the following year with the film Tickle Me. Allied Artists had serious financial problems and hoped a Presley film would help them "stay afloat". By agreeing to a lower fee, using previously recorded songs and filming on the studio back-lot, Allied Artists were able to keep costs very low. Considered one of the weakest of all Presley pictures, it became the third highest grossing picture in Allied Artists' history, and saved them from bankruptcy at the time.

Presley was one of the highest paid actors during the 1960s, but times were changing. "[The] Elvis Presley film was becoming passé. Young people were tuning in, dropping out and doing acid. Musical acts like Jefferson Airplane, Grateful Dead, The Doors, Janis Joplin and many others were dominating the airwaves. Elvis Presley was not considered cool as he once was." Priscilla Presley recalls: "He blamed his fading popularity on his humdrum movies" and "... loathed their stock plots and short shooting schedules." She also notes: "He could have demanded better, more substantial scripts, but he didn't."

Presley's final movie role was in Change of Habit (1969). His last two films were concert documentaries in the early 1970s, though Presley was keen to consider dramatic movie roles. (See: 'Influence of Colonel Parker and others').

As well as the formulaic movie songs of the 1960s, Presley did make noteworthy studio recordings, including "Suspicion," "(You're the) Devil in Disguise" and "It Hurts Me." In 1966 he recorded a cover of Bob Dylan's "Tomorrow is a Long Time" (which RCA Victor relegated to a bonus track on the soundtrack album for Spinout). He also produced two gospel albums: His Hand in Mine (1960) and How Great Thou Art (1966). In 1967, he recorded some well-received singles in collaboration with songwriter/guitar player Jerry Reed, including Reed's "Guitar Man." However, "during the Beatles era (1963-70), only six Elvis singles reached number ten or better. 'Suspicious Minds' was the lone number one."

Sex symbol
Main article: Relationships of Elvis Presley
Presley's sexual attraction and photogenic looks have been acknowledged. Director Steve Binder, not a fan of Presley's music at the time, recalled from the '68 Comeback Special: "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."

According to Marjorie Garber, a "male rock critic writing in 1970 praised Elvis as 'The master of the sexual simile, treating his guitar as both phallus and girl.' ... rumor had it that into his skin-tight jeans was sewn a lead bar to suggest a weapon of heroic proportions." She cites a boyhood friend of Presley's who claims the singer actually used a cardboard toilet roll tube to make it "look to the girls up front like he had one helluva thing there inside his pants." Ed Sullivan had apparently heard similar rumors and instructed his director Marlo Lewis to film only Presley's chest and head for his final Sullivan appearance. However, Lewis was skeptical about Presley wearing such a device and says simply: "It wasn't there".

Accounts of Presley's numerous sexual conquests may be exaggerated Cybill Shepherd reveals that Presley kissed her all over her naked body - but refused to have oral sex with her. Girlfriends Judy Spreckels and June Juanico had no sexual relationships with Presley. Byron Raphael and Alanna Nash have stated that the star "would never put himself inside one of these girls..."Cassandra Peterson ("Elvira") says she knew Presley for only one night, but all they did was talk. Peggy Lipton claims that he was "virtually impotent" with her, but she attributed this to his boyishness and drug misuse. Guralnick concurs with others, "he wasn't really interested", preferring to lie in bed, watch television and talk.

Ann-Margret (Presley's co-star in Viva Las Vegas) refers to Presley as her "soulmate" but has revealed little else. A publicity campaign about Presley and Margret's romance was launched during the filming of Viva Las Vegas,which helped to increase Margret's popularity. Presley apparently dated many female co-stars for publicity purposes. Lori Williams dated him for a while in 1964. She says their "courtship was not some bizarre story. It was very sweet and Elvis was the perfect gentleman."

Family
Main articles: Priscilla Presley and Lisa Marie Presley
Elvis and Priscilla met in the summer of 1959 at a party in Germany during his stay in the army. She was 14 at the time they met, while he was 24. They quickly began a serious relationship and frequently visited each other until he left Germany in 1960. In her autobiography, Elvis and Me, Priscilla says that Elvis refused to have sex with her until they were married. However, biographer Suzanne Finstad writes that Priscilla and Elvis slept together on their second date.Priscilla moved to Graceland in 1962 where she lived in a guest house with Elvis' father and stepmother, only officially moving in with him after she graduated high school. They married on May 1, 1967. According to Finstad, this marriage was part of a mastermind for fame hatched by Priscilla and her mother. Their only child, Lisa Marie Presley, was born on February 1, 1968.

Influence of Colonel Parker and others
Main articles: Colonel Tom Parker, Memphis Mafia
By 1967, Colonel Tom Parker had negotiated a contract that gave him 50% of Presley's earnings. Parker's gambling addictions—and his subsequent need to have Presley signed up to commercially lucrative contracts—may well have adversely affected the course of Presley's career. Parker's own concerns about his U.S. citizenship may have also been a factor (see: '1973-1976'). It has been claimed that Presley's original band was fired because Parker wanted no one else to offer him a better management deal.

As well as signing Presley to RCA Victor, Parker also cut a deal with Hill and Range Publishing Company to create a separate entity— "Elvis Presley Music Incorporated"—to handle all of Presley's songs and accrued royalties. Parker would later use this set-up to make songwriters relinquish some of their royalties; this ultimately resulted in the better writers refusing to provide songs for Presley, causing a marked decline in the quality of his output over the years. Presley apparently disliked several songs—even some of the earliest top sellers he became famous for (which suggests commercial influences were sometimes greater than his own desires). Jerry Schilling, one of a coterie of Presley's trusted friends, known as the "Memphis Mafia", relates that one way to really annoy the singer was to play a song, like "All Shook Up", on a jukebox at one of his private parties. "Get that crap off," was his typical reaction.

In 1969, record producer Chips Moman and Presley had agreed to record with Moman's own musicians at his American Sound studios in Memphis. Given the control exerted by RCA and the music publishers, this was a significant achievement. Moman still had to deal with Hill and Range staff on site and was not happy with their song choices. Moman could only get the best out of the singer when he threatened to quit the sessions and asked Presley to remove the "aggravating" publishing personnel from the studio. RCA Victor executive Joan Deary was later full of praise for the song choices and superior results of Moman's work, like "In the Ghetto" and "Suspicious Minds", but despite this, no producer was to override Hill and Range's control again.

According to life-long friend George Klein, over the years Presley was offered lead roles in the film Midnight Cowboy and in West Side Story. Robert Mitchum personally offered him the lead in Thunder Road. In 1974, Barbra Streisand approached Presley to star with her in the remake of A Star is Born. In each case, any ambitions the singer may have had to play such parts were thwarted by his manager's negotiating demands, or his flat refusals.

"Memphis Mafia" member Marty Lacker regarded Parker as a "hustler and scam artist" who abused Presley's trust, but Lacker acknowledged that Parker was a master promoter. Priscilla Presley noted that "Elvis detested the business side of his career. He would sign a contract without even reading it."

Presley's father distrusted the members of the "Memphis Mafia"; he thought they collectively exercised an unhealthy influence over his son. "[I]t was no wonder" that as the singer "slid into addiction and torpor, no one raised the alarm: to them, Elvis was the bank, and it had to remain open." Musician Tony Brown noted the urgent need to reverse Presley's declining health as the singer toured in the mid-1970s. "But we all knew it was hopeless because Elvis was surrounded by that little circle of people... all those so-called friends and... bodyguards."

Larry Geller became Presley's hairdresser in 1964. Unlike those in the "Memphis Mafia", Geller was interested in 'spiritual studies', and was subsequently viewed with suspicion and scorn by the singer's manager and friends. From their first conversation, Geller recalls how Presley revealed his secret thoughts and anxieties, how "there's got to be a reason... why I was chosen to be Elvis Presley.'"[165] He then poured out his heart in "an almost painful rush of words and emotions," telling Geller about his mother and the hollowness of his Hollywood life, things he could not share with anyone around him. Thereafter, Presley voraciously read books Geller supplied, on religion and mysticism. Perhaps most tellingly, he revealed to Geller: "I swear to God, no one knows how lonely I get and how empty I really feel."[166] Presley would be preoccupied by such matters for much of his life, taking trunkloads of books with him on tour.

Presley showed interest in many beliefs, including Mormonism. A Book of Mormon owned by Presley (containing notes allegedly written by the singer) was given to Alan Osmond after his death, and is now said to be in the church's archives in Salt Lake City (A second copy may have been given to Presley by Mormon Ed Parker, a karate instructor). However, Linda Thompson, Presley's girlfriend after his separation, notes: "[H]e really followed the bible and he also was on a spiritual quest to find out how other people of other faiths lived their lives... he used to wear an Egyptian ankh, a star of David and a crucifix around his neck. And when people would say are you confused, he would say, no, not at all. I just don't want to miss heaven on a technicality."

1968 comeback
Main article: Elvis Presley's '68 Comeback Special

Elvis Presley in his '68 Comeback Special, airing on NBC, December 3, 1968Presley entered 1968 as barely a blip on the radar screen of a generation. He was still issuing movie soundtrack albums but garnering nowhere near the sales figures of a smash hit like Blue Hawaii. It had been nearly six years since "Good Luck Charm" had topped the Billboard Hot 100. His most recent single, Jerry Reed's hook-laden "Guitar Man," had failed to enter the Top 40.

By mid-1968, Presley had become deeply unhappy with his career. Realising the importance of television, Colonel Parker arranged for Presley to make his own special. Elvis hadn't been on TV since Frank Sinatra's Timex special for ABC welcomed him back from the service in May 1960. Parker shrewdly manoeuvred a deal from NBC-TV's Tom Sarnoff, which included the network's commitment to financing for a feature film, which was becoming increasingly harder to secure.

In June, Presley made a Christmas telecast on NBC simply called Elvis. Later dubbed the '68 Comeback Special by fans and critics, the show aired on December 3, 1968, and featured some lavishly staged studio productions. Other songs however, were performed live with a band in front of small audience—Presley's first live appearance as a performer since 1961. The live segments saw Presley clad in black leather, singing and playing guitar in an uninhibited style—reminiscent of his rock and roll days. Rolling Stone called it "a performance of emotional grandeur and historical resonance." Its success was helped by director and co-producer, Steve Binder, who worked hard to reassure the nervous singer[136]n and to produce a show that was not just an hour of Christmas songs, as Colonel Parker had originally planned.

In November, RCA shipped the single version of "If I Can Dream." By the end of the month it was Top 40, eventually reaching number 12 in January 1969. The soundtrack album broke into the Top 10. On December 4, when the ratings were released, NBC reported that Elvis captured 42 percent of the total viewing audience. It was the network's biggest ratings victory for the entire year and the season's number-one rated show.

Jerry Schilling recalled, "The '68 special inspired Elvis; reminding him 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. What he had to wear. He was out of prison, man." Steve Binder would also later recall 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."

Buoyed by the experience, Presley engaged in the prolific series of recording sessions at American Studios, which lead to the acclaimed From Elvis in Memphis (Chips Moman was its uncredited producer). It was followed by From Memphis To Vegas/From Vegas To Memphis, a double-album.

The same sessions lead to the hit singles "In the Ghetto", "Suspicious Minds", "Kentucky Rain" and "Don't Cry Daddy".

In 1969, Presley was keen to resume regular live performing and made record-breaking appearances at the International Hotel in Las Vegas. At a press conference after his opening show, when a reporter referred to him as "The King", Presley pointed to Fats Domino, standing at the back of the room. "No," he said, "that’s the real king of rock and roll."

1970-1972

Elvis meets U.S. President Richard Nixon in the White House Oval Office, December 21, 1970In January 1970, Presley returned to the International Hotel for a month-long engagement, performing two shows a night. RCA recorded some shows and the best material appeared on the album On Stage - February 1970. In late February, Presley performed six more attendance-breaking shows at the Houston Astrodome in Texas. In August at the International Hotel, MGM filmed rehearsal and concert footage for a documentary: Elvis - That's The Way It Is. He wore a jumpsuit—a garment that would become a trademark of Presley's live performances in the 70's. Although he had new hit singles in many countries, some were critical of his song choices and accused him of being distant from trends within contemporary music.

Around this time Presley was threatened with kidnapping at the International Hotel. Phone calls were received, one demanding $50,000; if unpaid, Presley would be killed by a "crazy man". The FBI took the threat seriously and security was stepped up for the next two shows. Presley went on stage with a Derringer in his right boot and a .45 in his waistband, but nothing untoward transpired. (The singer had had many threats of varying degrees since the fifties, many of them made without the singer's knowledge).

After closing his Las Vegas engagement on September 7, Presley embarked on his first concert tour since 1958. Feeling exhausted, Presley spent a month relaxing and recording before touring again in October and November. He would tour extensively in the U.S. up to his death; many of the 1,145 concerts setting attendance records.

On December 21, 1970, Presley met with President Richard Nixon at the White House (Presley arrived with a gift—a handgun. It was accepted but not presented for security reasons). Presley had engineered the encounter to express his patriotism, his contempt for the hippie drug culture and his wish to be appointed a "Federal Agent at Large". He also wished to obtain a Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs badge to add to similar items he had begun collecting. He offered to "infiltrate hippie groups" and claimed that The Beatles had "made their money, then gone back to England where they fomented anti-American feeling." Nixon was uncertain and bemused by their encounter, and twice expressed concern that Presley needed to "retain his credibility".

January 1971 saw Presley return to Las Vegas. On January 16 Presley was named 'One of the Ten Outstanding Young Men of the Nation' by the U.S. Junior Chamber of Commerce (The Jaycees). That summer, the City of Memphis named part of Highway 51 South "Elvis Presley Boulevard", and he won the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (the organization that presents Grammy awards).

In April 1972 MGM again filmed Presley, this time for Elvis on Tour, which won a 1972 Golden Globe for Best Documentary. A fourteen-date tour started with an unprecedented four consecutive sold-out shows at Madison Square Garden, New York. RCA taped the shows for a live album. In July, plans were made for another TV special, to be broadcast from Hawaii. After the tour, Presley released the 1972 single "Burning Love"—his last top ten hit in the U.S. charts.

Divorce from Priscilla
Off stage, Presley had continuing problems. His lifelong friend, Joe Esposito, said Elvis "could never be true to any one woman." It was widely known that Presley had several affairs during his 13-year union with Priscilla, notably with Anita Wood and Ann-Margret. In spite of his own infidelity, Presley was furious that Priscilla was having an affair with a mutual acquaintance—Mike Stone, a karate instructor. He raged obsessively: "There's too much pain in me... Stone [must] die." A bodyguard, Red West, felt compelled to get a price for a contract killing and was relieved when Presley decided: "Aw hell... Maybe it's a bit heavy..." The Presleys separated on February 23, 1972 and divorced on October 9, 1973, agreeing to share custody of their daughter.

After his separation from Priscilla, he lived with Linda Thompson, a songwriter and one-time Memphis beauty queen, from July 1972 until just a few months before his death.

Aloha From Hawaii

Elvis Presley, in Aloha From Hawaii television broadcast via satellite on January 14, 1973In January 1973, Presley performed two charity concerts in Hawaii for the Kui Lee cancer foundation. The first (January 12) was primarily a practice run for the main show which was broadcast live on January 14 (The first show also served as a backup if technical problems affected the live broadcast). The "Aloha from Hawaii" concert was the world's first live concert satellite broadcast, reaching at least a billion viewers live and a further 500 million on delay. The show's album went to number one and spent a year in the charts. The album also proved to be Presley's last U.S. Number One album during his lifetime.

1973-1976
After his divorce in 1973, Presley became increasingly isolated and overweight, with prescription drugs affecting his health, mood and his stage act. He overdosed twice on barbiturates, spending three days in a coma in his hotel suite after the first.[167] According to Dr. George C. Nichopoulos, Presley's physician, the singer was "near death" in November of 1973 because of side effects of Demerol addiction. Nichopoulos notes that the hospital admission "was crazy", with lab technicians exploiting Presley's ill-health by selling samples of his blood and urine.[189]

In his book, Elvis: The Final Years, Jerry Hopkins writes: "Elvis' health plummeted as his weight ballooned." At a University of Maryland concert on September 27th (1974), band members "had trouble recognizing him. ... 'He walked on stage and held onto the mike for the first thirty minutes like it was a post. Everybody was scared.' Guitarist John Wilkinson ... recalled, ... 'He was all gut. He was slurring. ... It was obvious he was drugged, that there was something terribly wrong with his body. It was so bad, the words to the songs were barely intelligible. ... We were in a state of shock.' "

Despite this, his "thundering" live version of "How Great Thou Art" won him a Grammy award in 1974 Presley won three competitive "Grammies" for his gospel recordings: "How Great Thou Art"—the album, as well as the single—and for the album He Touched Me (1972) (He had fourteen nominations during his career, though it has been claimed that "Elvis has never been adequately appreciated by those who give the Grammies.")

In April 1974, rumours began that he would be playing overseas. An offer of a $1,000,000 was received from a source in Australia for him to tour there, but Colonel Parker was uncharacteristically reluctant to take advantage of such potentially lucrative deals. This prompted those closest to Presley to speculate about Parker—including his apparent unwillingness to apply for a passport to travel abroad. He scotched the notion by citing poor security in other countries, and the lack of suitable venues for a star of his status. Presley apparently accepted such excuses, at the time.

Presley continued to play to sell-out crowds in the U.S.; a 1975 tour ended with a concert in Michigan, attended by over 62,000 fans. However the singer now had "no motivation to lose his extra poundage... he became self-conscious... his self-confidence before the audience declined... Headlines such as 'Elvis Battles Middle Age' and 'Time Makes Listless Machine of Elvis' were not uncommon." According to Marjorie Garber, when Presley made his later appearances in Las Vegas, he appeared "heavier, in pancake make-up... with an elaborate jewelled belt and cape, crooning pop songs to a microphone ... [He] had become Liberace. Even his fans were now middle-aged matrons and blue-haired grandmothers, ... Mother's Day became a special holiday for Elvis' fans."

On July 13, 1976, Presley's father fired "Memphis Mafia" bodyguards Red West, Sonny West and David Hebler. All three were taken by surprise, especially the Wests, who had been with Presley since the beginning of his career.Presley was away in Palm Springs when it happened, and some suggest the singer was too cowardly to face them himself. Vernon Presley cited the need to "cut back on expenses" when dismissing the three, but David Stanley has claimed that the real reason was that the bodyguards were becoming more outspoken over Presley's drug dependency. A "trusted associate" of Presley, John O'Grady, also stated, in agreement with Parker and Vernon Presley, that the bodyguards "were too rough with the fans... resulting in a lot of unnecessary lawsuits" and lawyers' fees. The Wests and Hebler would later write a devastating indictment of Presley in the book: Elvis: What Happened?, published August 1, 1977. (See: 'Final year and death').

Almost throughout the 1970s, RCA Victor had been increasingly concerned about making money from Presley material: they often had to rely on live recordings because of problems getting him to attend studio sessions. RCA Victor's mobile studio was occasionally sent to Graceland in the hope of capturing an inspired vocal performance. Once in a studio, he could lack interest or be easily distracted; often this was linked to his health and drug problems.

Final year and death
In 2006, a journalist recalled: "Elvis Presley had [in 1977] become a grotesque caricature of his sleek, energetic former self... he was barely able to pull himself through his abbreviated concerts." In Alexandria, Louisiana, the singer was on stage for less than an hour and "was impossible to understand."In Baton Rouge, Presley failed to appear: he was unable to get out of his hotel bed, and the rest of the tour was cancelled. In Knoxville, Tennessee on May 20, "there was no longer any pretense of keeping up appearances. The idea was simply to get Elvis out on stage and keep him upright..." Despite his obvious problems, shows in Omaha, Nebraska and Rapid City, South Dakota were recorded for an album and a CBS-TV special: Elvis In Concert.

In Rapid City, "he was so nervous on stage that he could hardly talk... He was undoubtedly painfully aware of how he looked, and he knew that in his condition, he could not perform any significant movement." His performance in Omaha "exceeded everyone's worst fears... [giving] the impression of a man crying out for help..."[202] According to Guralnick, fans "were becoming increasingly voluble about their disappointment, but it all seemed to go right past Elvis, whose world was now confined almost entirely to his room and his [spiritualism] books." A cousin, Billy Smith, recalled how Presley would sit in his room and chat, recounting things like his favourite Monty Python sketches and past japes, but "mostly there was a grim obsessiveness... a paranoia about people, germs... future events", that reminded Smith of Howard Hughes.

Elvis Presley's final resting place at GracelandThe book Elvis: What Happened? was published just fifteen days before Presley's death. It was the first exposé to detail Presley's years of drug misuse, and was apparently the authors' revenge for them being sacked and also a plea to get Presley to recognize the extent of his drug problems.The singer "was devastated by the book. Here were his close friends who had written serious stuff that would affect his life. He felt betrayed."

Presley's final performance was in Indianapolis at the Market Square Arena, on June 26, 1977.

Another tour was scheduled to begin August 17, 1977, but at Graceland the day before, Presley was found on the floor by fiancée, Ginger Alden. According to the medical investigator, Presley had "stumbled or crawled several feet before he died"; he had apparently been using the toilet at the time. Death was officially pronounced at 3:30 pm at the Baptist Memorial Hospital.

At his funeral, hundreds of thousands of fans, the press and celebrities lined the streets and many hoped to see the open casket in Graceland. One of Presley's cousins accepted $18,000 to secretly photograph the corpse; the picture duly appeared on the cover of the National Enquirer, making it the largest and fastest selling issue of all time. Among the mourners were Ann-Margret (who had remained close to Presley) and his ex-wife.z U.S. President Jimmy Carter issued a statement (See 'Legacy').

Presley was buried at Forest Hill Cemetery, Memphis, next to his mother. After an attempt to steal the body, his—and his mother's—remains were reburied at Graceland in the Meditation Gardens.

Presley had developed many health problems, some of them chronic. He started taking drugs (amphetamines) regularly in the army, though it has also been claimed that pills of some form were first given to him by Memphis DJ Dewey Phillips. Priscilla Presley writes that by 1962, he was taking placidyls to combat severe insomnia in ever-increasing doses and later took Dexedrine to counter the sleeping pills' after-effects. She later saw "problems in Elvis' life, all magnified by taking prescribed drugs." Presley's physician, Dr. Nichopoulos, has said: "[Elvis] felt that by getting [pills] from a doctor, he wasn't the common everyday junkie getting something off the street. He... thought that as far as medications and drugs went, there was something for everything."

According to Guralnick: "[D]rug use was heavily implicated... no one ruled out the possibility of anaphylactic shock brought on by the codeine pills...to which he was known to have had a mild allergy." In two lab reports filed two months later, each indicated "a strong belief that the primary cause of death was polypharmacy," with one report "indicating the detection of fourteen drugs in Elvis' system, ten in significant quantity." It appears he died of Combined Drug Intoxication.

The medical profession has been seriously questioned. Medical Examiner Dr. Jerry Francisco had publicly offered a cause of death while the autopsy was still being performed and before toxicology results were known. Dr. Francisco dubiously stated that cardiac arrhythmia was the cause of death, a condition that can only be determined in a living person—not post mortem. Many doctors had been flattered to be associated with Presley (or had been bribed with gifts) and supplied him with pills which simply fed his addictions. The singer allegedly spent at least $1 million annually during his latter years on drugs and doctors' fees or inducements. Although Dr. Nichopoulos was exonerated with regard to Presley's death, "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. On January 20, 1980, the board found [against] him... but decided that he was not unethical [because he claimed he'd been trying to wean the singer off the drugs]." His license was suspended. In July 1995, it was permanently revoked after it was found he had improperly dispensed drugs to several patients.

In 1994, the autopsy into Presley's death was re-opened. Coroner Dr. Joseph Davis declared: "There is nothing in any of the data that supports a death from drugs [i.e. drug overdose]. In fact, everything points to a sudden, violent heart attack." However, there is little doubt that long-term drug abuse caused his premature death.

Legacy
Further information: Cultural depictions of Elvis Presley; Cultural impact of Elvis Presley; Elvis Presley phenomenon
Elvis Presley's death deprives our country of a part of itself. He was unique and irreplaceable. More than 20 years ago, he burst upon the scene with an impact that was unprecedented and will probably never be equaled. His music and his personality, fusing the styles of white country and black rhythm and blues, permanently changed the face of American popular culture. His following was immense, and he was a symbol to people the world over of the vitality, rebelliousness, and good humor of his country.

– President Jimmy Carter, 1977-08-17,

Author Samuel Roy has argued: "Elvis' death did occur at a time when it could only help his reputation. Just before his death, Elvis had been forgotten by society."

Biographer Ernst Jorgensen has observed that when Presley died, it was as if all perspective on his musical career had been lost. His latter-day song choices had been seen as poor; many who disliked Presley had long been dismissive because he did not write his own songs. Others complained—incorrectly—that he could not play musical instruments. Such criticism of Presley continues.i The tabloids had ridiculed his obesity and his kitschy, jump-suited performances. Comedian George Carlin made the teasing remark, "America got what it deserved in Elvis Presley: a big fat, drug-addicted squealer." Sade Adu said about Presley: "when I see him in his fifties movies, Jailhouse Rock and King Creole, that's an image I desire to look like. But when he's in his jumpsuit I just think of him as a drag queen." His sixties' film career was mocked. (In 1980, John Lennon said: "[Presley] died when he went into the army. That's when they killed him, that's when they castrated him.") Acknowledgment of his vocal style had been reduced to mocking the hiccuping, vocalese tricks that he had used on some early recordings—and to the way he said "Thankyouverymuch" after songs during live shows. This was only countered by the uncritical adulation of die-hard fans, who had even denied that he looked "fat" before he died.j Any wish to understand Elvis Presley—his genuine abilities and his real influence—"seemed almost totally obscured."

Presley has featured prominently in a variety of polls and surveys designed to measure popularity and influence.k However, sociologist Philip Ennis writes: "Perhaps it is an error of enthusiasm to freight Elvis Presley with too heavy a historical load" because, according to a opinion poll of high school students in 1957, Pat Boone was nearly the "two-to-one favorite over Elvis Presley among boys and preferred almost three-to-one by girls..." However, Presley's early music and live performances are credited with helping to lay a commercial foundation which allowed established African American acts of the 1950s to receive due recognition. Performers like Fats Domino, Chuck Berry and Little Richard, came to national prominence after Presley's mix of musical styles was accepted among White American teenagers.ac Rather than Presley being seen as a white man who 'stole black music', Little Richard argued: "He was an integrator, Elvis was a blessing. They wouldn't let black music through. He opened the door for black music." Al Green agreed, saying; "He broke the ice for all of us." It has also been claimed that Presley's sound and persona helped to relax the rigid color line and thereby fed the fires of the civil rights movement.

In the late 1960s, composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein remarked: "Elvis is the greatest cultural force in the twentieth century. He introduced the beat to everything, music, language, clothes, it's a whole new social revolution... the 60's comes from it."

Other celebrated pop and rock musicians have acknowledged that the young Presley inspired them. The Beatles were all big Presley fans. John Lennon said: "Nothing really affected me until I heard Elvis. If there hadn't been an Elvis, there wouldn't have been a Beatles." Deep Purple's Ian Gillan said: "For a young singer he was an absolute inspiration. I soaked up what he did like blotting paper... you learn by copying the maestro." Rod Stewart declared: "Elvis was the King. No doubt about it. People like myself, Mick Jagger and all the others only followed in his footsteps." Cher recalls from seeing Presley live in 1956 that he made her "realize the tremendous effect a performer could have on an audience." Bob Dylan said: "When I first heard Elvis' voice I just knew that I wasn't going to work for anybody; and nobody was going to be my boss. Hearing him for the first time was like busting out of jail."

By 1958, singers obviously adopting Presley's style, like Marty Wilde and Cliff Richard (the so-called "British Elvis"), were rising to prominence in the UK. Elsewhere, France's Johnny Hallyday and the Italians Adriano Celentano and Bobby Solo were also heavily influenced by Presley.

Presley's recorded voice is seen by many as his enduring legacy. Music critic Henry Pleasants writes: "Elvis 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. The voice covers two octaves and a thirdad... Moreover, he has not been confined to one type of vocal production. In ballads and country songs he belts out full-voiced high G's and A's that an opera baritone might envy. He is a naturally assimilative stylist with a multiplicity of voices—in fact, Elvis' is an extraordinary voice, or many voices." It has also been noted that "Presley’s comprehensive musical knowledge and talent also surprised and impressed songwriters Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller... [They] considered Presley to be an 'idiot savant' because he knew so many songs. His knowledge of the blues especially impressed them. Leiber remembers that Presley "could imitate anything he heard. He had a perfect ear,"... Presley could sing and/or play a song on the piano after hearing it only once or twice. His natural ear for music, ability to play by ear, and to improvise were well known to his friends and musical associates."

Gospel tenor Shawn Nielsen, who sang backing vocals for Presley on tour, said: "He could sing anything. I've never seen such versatility... He had such great soul. He had the ability to make everyone in the audience think that he was singing directly to them. He just had a way with communication that was totally unique."

Presley's informal jamming in front of a small audience in the '68 Comeback Special is regarded as a forerunner of the so-called 'Unplugged' concept, later popularized by MTV.

The singer has been inducted into four music 'Halls of Fame': the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (1986), the Rockabilly Hall of Fame (1997), the Country Music Hall of Fame (1998), and the Gospel Music Hall of Fame (2001). In 1984, he received the W. C. Handy Award from the Blues Foundation and the Academy of Country Music’s first Golden Hat Award. In 1987, he received the American Music Awards’ first posthumous presentation of the Award of Merit.

Presley has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 7080 Hollywood Boulevard. He was also honored by the Mississippi Blues Commission with a Mississippi Blues Trail historic marker placed in Tupelo, his birth place, in recognition of his contribution to the development of the blues in Mississippi.

In 1994, the 40th anniversary of Presley's "That's All Right" was recognized with its re-release, which made the charts worldwide, making top three in the UK.

During the 2002 World Cup a Junkie XL remix of his "A Little Less Conversation" (credited as "Elvis Vs JXL") topped the charts in over twenty countries and was included in a compilation of Presley's U.S. and UK number one hits, Elv1s: 30.

In the UK charts (January 2005), three re-issued singles again went to number one ("Jailhouse Rock", "One Night"/"I Got Stung" and "It's Now or Never"). Throughout the year, twenty singles were re-issued—all making top five.

In the same year, Forbes magazine named Presley, for the fifth straight year, the top-earning deceased celebrity, grossing US$45 million for the Presley estate during the preceding year. In mid-2006, top place was taken by Nirvana's Kurt Cobain after the sale of his song catalogue, but Presley reclaimed the top spot in 2007.[239]

Paul F. Campos has written: "The Elvis cult touches on so many crucial nerves of American popular culture: the ascent of a workingclass boy from the most obscure backwater to international fame and fortune; the white man with the soul of black music in his voice; the performer whose music tied together the main strands of American folk music – country, rhythm and blues, and gospel; and, perhaps most compellingly for a weight-obsessed nation, the sexiest man in America's gradual transformation into a fat, sweating parody of his former self, straining the bounds of a jewel-encrusted bodysuit on a Las Vegas stage. The images of fat Elvis and thin Elvis live together in the popular imagination." The singer continues to be imitated—and parodied—outside the main music industry and Presley songs remain very popular on the karaoke circuit. People from a diversity of cultures and backgrounds work as Elvis impersonators ("the raw 1950s Elvis and the kitschy 1970s Elvis are the favorites.")

In 2002, it was observed:

For those too young to have experienced Elvis Presley in his prime, today’s celebration of the 25th anniversary of his death must seem peculiar. 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’s breakthroughs are underappreciated because in this rock-and-roll age, his hard-rocking music and sultry style have triumphed so completely.

– The New York Times

Discography
For a detailed discography, see Elvis Presley discography.
For a list of all of his songs, see List of Elvis Presley songs.
For a list of Presley's singles, see Elvis Presley hit singles.

See also
List of best-selling music artists
List of artists by total number of USA number one singles
List of artists by total number of UK number one singles
Honorific titles in popular music