1. Elvis Presley was born in Tupelo, Mississippi during the Great Depression.
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| Elvis' location of birth. Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b0/Elvis_Presley_house_in_Tupelo_3.jpg |
Born on January 8, 1935, he was born in a two-bedroom house right in the middle of the American Great Depression. His middle name was originally Aron, but it was later changed to Aaron.
2. He was actually born as a twin.
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| The current grave site of Elvis, his mother and father, and his brother Jesse. Source: http://papiblogger.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Screen-shot-2011-07-15-at-10.18.41-PM.png |
Unfortunately, his identical twin brother, Jesse Garon was a stillborn.
3. Elvis wanted a rifle when he was 11. His mother got him a guitar instead.
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| Elvis at 11 years old. Source: http://www.mshistorynow.mdah.ms.gov/images/68.gif |
In fact, he got so good that he was offered to play on a local radio station at 12. He was too shy and backed out.
4. Elvis never performed outside of North America.
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| Source: http://i.imgur.com/0JGPDb4.jpg |
According to Elvis' official biographical website Graceland.com, Elvis only had 5 concerts outside of the US, all of which were from a three-day tour in Canada. It was rumored that he never went on international tours due to the fact that his manager, Tom Parker, was an illegal immigrant from Holland and didn't want to leave the country in fear of being deported.
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| Source: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/83/1a/8d/831a8de86f75d179401a4634f17c515c.jpg |
His filmography career includes the movies Viva Las Vegas, Girls! Girls! Girls!, and Frankie and Johnny.
6. Elvis was a controversial figure when it came to race.
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| Source: http://theroundplaceinthemiddle.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/elvis3.jpg |
African American newspaper The Memphis World reported that Presley "cracked Memphis's segregation laws" by attending the local amusement park on what was designated as its "colored night". Due to anti-black prejudice, many white adults did not like him. It was also rumored that Elvis said at one point, "The only thing Negroes can do for me is buy my records and shine my shoes." He later denied this rumor.
7. Elvis served in the army while he was famous.
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| Elvis in the army Source: http://theroundplaceinthemiddle.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/elvis3.jpg |
He also inspired the musical Bye Bye Birdie, where famous heartthrob Conrad Birdie was drafted into the military.
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| Source: https://www.graceland.com/!userfiles/Biography/Achievements_RecordSales500x332.jpg |
At the time, this was more than any other artist. He also earned gold, platinum, and multi-platinum awards from American sales alone.
9. Elvis recorded over 600 songs, but didn't write any of them.
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| Source: http://www.elvis-history-blog.com/images/LeiberStoller.jpg |
Notable songwriters were Aaron Schroeder, Jerry Leiber, and Mike Stoller. But still, how disappointing.
10. He was distantly related to Presidents Abraham Lincoln and Jimmy Carter.
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| Source: http://weeklyview.net/wp-content/themes/eastsidevoice/timthumb/timthumb.php?src=http://weeklyview.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/LincolnPresleyweb.jpg&w=300&&zc=1 |
According to ACX.com, "Genealogists discovered that the great-great-grandfather of our 16th President, Abe Lincoln, was Isaiah Harrison, an ancestor to Elvis. The 39th President, Jimmy Carter is a 6th cousin, once removed from Elvis."
While Elvis' fame quickly faded out with the rise of bands such as the Beatles and Rolling Stones, he kicked off a movement in the music industry that is still prevalent today: rock n' roll. Without him, music would not be where it is today.
Sources
https://www.graceland.com/elvis/biography.aspx
http://askheatherjarvis.com/blog/25-fun-facts-about-elvis-presley-the-king-of-rock-roll
https://www.graceland.com/elvis/biography/quickfacts.aspx
http://www.history.com/news/7-fascinating-facts-about-elvis
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elvis_Presley
http://www.axs.com/elvis-presley-5-things-you-didn-t-know-about-elvis-presley-44076
http://www.elvis-history-blog.com/elvis-songwriters.html
Interesting format! I didn't know Elvis didn't write any of his songs. The fact that he never performed outside of North America is an interesting testament to the globalization that has occurred in the world today. A modern artist as popular as Elvis would likely never pass up the opportunity of a global presence.
ReplyDeleteThis was a great post! It really provided me with insight on his background and explains his music background, his successes, and his family connections. I also liked the format that you put it in so it made for an easy read.
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