Elvis Presley was an American musician and actor and is regarded as one of the most significant cultural icons ever. He is often referred to as “the King of Rock and Roll”, or simply, “the King”. I’m sure you guys are very familiar with Elvis Presley, but do you know details about his early life? Do you know how he started out? Here we tell you the Elvis Presley story not everyone knows about.
Elvis Aaron Presley
Elvis was born on January 8, 1935, in Tupelo, Mississippi to parents Gladys Love and Vernon Elvis Presley. Jesse Garon Presley, his identical twin brother, was delivered stillborn 35 minutes before him. Being an only child, Elvis was known to be really close to his parents, especially his mother.
Raised by loving, working-class parents, Elvis had humble beginnings. His family had little money, and they moved from place to place frequently too. Some sources even say that the family often relied on help from neighbors and government food assistance. Presley attended the Assembly of God Church with his parents, where gospel music became an important influence for him.
His First Public Performance
In September 1941, Presley entered first grade at East Tupelo Consolidated. His first experience in singing was probably when he was encouraged to enter a singing contest. This happened after impressing his schoolteacher with a rendition of Red Foley’s country song “Old Shep” during morning prayers. The contest, held at the Mississippi-Alabama Fair and Dairy Show on October 3, 1945, was his first public performance too. He was dressed as a cowboy, stood on a chair to reach the microphone, and sang “Old Shep”. Sources say that he landed on fifth place but that did’t stop him, surely.
His First Musical Success
Elvis then received his first guitar as a gift from his mother on his 11th birthday in 1946. Entering a new school, Milam, for sixth grade in September of that same year, Presley was regarded as a loner. The following year, he began bringing his guitar in on a daily basis. He played and sang during lunchtime, and was often teased as a “trashy” kid who played hillbilly music. A few years later, he had his first taste of musical success when he won a talent show at Humes High School in Memphis.
From that moment on, Elvis wanted to pursue a career in music. After graduating in 1953, he worked a number of jobs while pursuing his musical dream. He cut his first demo record at what later became known as Sun Studio that year. Before long, Sam Phillips, the record label owner, decided to give Elvis a chance. Stay tuned and we’ll tell you more about Elivs’ life soon!
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