Elvis Presley

Elvis Aaron Presley was born to Vernon and Gladys Presley in a two-room shotgun house in East Tupelo, Mississippi; his identical twin brother, Jesse Garon Presley, was stillborn 35 minutes before his birth. The Presley family moved to Memphis, Tennessee, when Elvis was 13, where he was exposed to the city’s rich musical mix — gospel at church, rhythm-and-blues on Beale Street, and country music — influences that shaped his style. Presley began his professional recording career in 1954 at Sun Records with producer Sam Phillips, where his recordings with guitarist Scotty Moore and bassist Bill Black fused country and R&B into rockabilly and drew rapid regional attention. In 1955–56 his contract was sold to RCA Victor by manager Colonel Tom Parker, and national stardom followed with hit singles, television appearances, and explosive live performances that provoked both adoration and controversy for his provocative style. Elvis became a film star in Hollywood, appearing in a string of commercially successful movies through the late 1950s and 1960s; while the films broadened his fame, many have been criticized for prioritizing commercial formula over artistic growth. A high-profile comeback began with the 1968 NBC TV special ('68 Comeback Special) and led to successful Las Vegas residencies and nationwide tours in the 1970s, including the worldwide satellite broadcast 'Aloha from Hawaii' in 1973. Years of prescription drug dependence, weight gain, and health problems affected his personal life and performances, and Presley died of cardiac arrhythmia at Graceland on August 16, 1977, at age 42; his cultural impact endures through record sales, influence on popular music, and ongoing fandom.