| Memories of Elvis | |
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Elvis Aaron Presley was born on January 8, 1935 in a two-room cabin on North Saltillo Road in East Tupelo, Mississippi, the son of Vernon and Gladys Presley. From his humble beginnings he grew to become one of the most popular entertainers of the 20th century.
He worked as a truck driver out of high school to make ends meet. In 1953, he recorded some songs as a birthday gift for his mother at a Memphis, Tennessee studio. The studio owner, Sam Phillips liked what he heard, and this lead to Elvis recording on Phillips' Sun Records label. By age 21, Elvis was recording for RCA. His first songs being the ever popular "Heartbreak Hotel" and later on the successful double-sided single record, "Hound Dog"/"Don't Be Cruel" in 1956, and "All Shook Up" in 1957.
From 1956 through 1958, Elvis appeared in four motion pictures. Love Me Tender (1956), Jailhouse Rock (1957), Loving You (1957), and King Creole (1958). He then served in the Armed Services from 1958 to 1960, appearing in several musical films, Flaming Star (1960), Blue Hawaii (1961), Girls! Girls! Girls! (1962), Viva Las Vegas (1964), Roustabout (1964), Frankie and Johnny (1966), and Live a Little, Love a Little (1968).
During the 1970s he retreated from public appearances, and faced personal difficulties, including long-term drug dependency, and was rarely seen outside his Memphis mansion, Graceland. His death is surrounded in controversy. Officially the cause of death was heart failure, but more likely, it was due to his overuse of perscription drugs.
Many people over the age of 30, and some even younger can remember exactly where they were when they heard that Elvis had passed away. I personally remember being in my car, and hearing on the radio, The King is dead. I was shocked and thought for sure it had to be a mistake. While I appreciated Elvis' music, I wasn't what you'd call a die-hard fan. I've never been to Graceland, however I would like to visit one day to see where he lived.
Feel free to share your feelings about Elvis on our Country Forums, and answer the poll to the right.
Kathy Coleman has helped me compile a list of Elvis albums, containing what we feel are his best Live albums, Studio albums, and Soundtracks. You'll find them listed below.
Top Five Picks - Elvis Live Albums
Top Five Picks - Elvis Soundtracks
Top Ten Picks - Elvis Studio Albums
