Elvis Aaron Presley, also known as Elvis, was an American singer, musician and actor. He is regarded as one of the most significant cultural icons of the 20th century. He died suddenly in 1977 at his Graceland estate at the age of 42. In 2018, he was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
About Elvis Presley in brief
Elvis Aaron Presley, also known as Elvis, was an American singer, musician and actor. He is regarded as one of the most significant cultural icons of the 20th century. His energized interpretations of songs and sexually provocative performance style led him to great success and controversy. Presley is the best-selling solo music artist of all time, and was commercially successful in many genres, including pop, country, R&B, adult contemporary, and gospel. He won three Grammy Awards, received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award at age 36, and has been inducted into multiple music halls of fame. In 1973, Presley gave the first concert by a solo artist to be broadcast around the world, Aloha from Hawaii. He died suddenly in 1977 at his Graceland estate at the age of 42. In 2018, he was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. He was born in Tupelo, Mississippi, and relocated to Memphis, Tennessee, with his family when he was 13 years old. His music career began there in 1954, recording at Sun Records with producer Sam Phillips, who wanted to bring the sound of African-American music to a wider audience. In 1955, drummer D. J. Fontana joined to complete the lineup of Presley’s classic quartet and RCA Victor acquired his contract in a deal arranged by Colonel Tom Parker, who would manage him for more than two decades. His first RCA single, \”Heartbreak Hotel\”, was released in January 1956 and became a number-one hit in the United States.
With a series of successful network television appearances and chart-topping records, he became the leading figure of the newly popular sound of rock and roll. In November 1956, he made his film debut in Love Me Tender. In 1968, following a seven-year break from live performances, he returned to the stage in the acclaimed television comeback special Elvis, which led to an extended Las Vegas concert residency and a string of highly profitable tours. His father, Vernon, was of German or Scottish origin, through his mother, Gladys, was Scots-Irish, with some French Norman. Elvis became close to both parents and formed an especially close bond with his mother. The family attended an Assembly of God church, where he found his initial musical inspiration. In 1938, they lost their home after Vernon was found guilty of altering a check written by his landowner and sometime-employer, while Gladys and Elvis moved in with relatives. Vernon moved from one odd job to the next, evincing little ambition, and often relied on help from neighbors and government assistance. In September 1941, Elvis entered a school singing contest after impressing his teachers with a rendition of Red Foley’s “Old Red Foley” He was encouraged to enter a country school and was regarded as an average student, but his teachers encouraged him to enter the contest as well. In October 1941, he entered the country school with his first grade classmates and won.
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