It was not Elvis Presley who invented rock and roll, but he undoubtedly did much to popularize it. Presley is considered one of the most successful performers in the twentieth century and one of the brightest figures of American mass culture. He was called "the king of rock and roll."
Elvis Presley: childhood, youth and the beginning of a career
On January 8, 1935, two twin boys were born to the Presley couple from the small town of Tupelo. One of them died immediately after birth, and the second survived, he was given the name Elvis. Elvis's father was not a qualified specialist, he took on any paid work. And in general, the financial situation of the family, as a rule, was difficult.
Elvis periodically attended church as a child and even participated in a choir with her. And at home, the radio always played, so the boy could get acquainted with country-style songs.
In 1948, the family moved to the larger city of Memphis - it was easier to find work there. It was here that Elvis became acquainted with the styles of music that are common in the African American environment - boogie-woogie and rhythm and blues, which later reflected on his work.
In 1953 he graduated from school and later wanted to engage exclusively in music. But in order to have a living and to help his parents, he temporarily got a job as a truck driver.
Elvis once wandered into Sam Phillips recording studio Sun Records. Then he recorded a couple of songs with a guitar for his own money. Elvis, firstly, wanted to surprise his mother, and secondly, wanted to listen to his voice in the recording. The owner of the studio, having discerned the talent in the young man, promised to call him.
The next meeting of Presley and Phillips took place in March 1954. For a few weeks at the Sun Records studio, the aspiring singer rehearsed with musicians, but nothing good came of it. Once, during a break, Presley began to hum a classic country composition in a non-standard, fast rhythm, and the musicians played along with him. Sam Phillips liked what the guys did (and they, in fact, were one of the first to play rock and roll), and he decided on an experiment. The success of the Presley record on Sun Records was impressive: twenty thousand copies were sold.
Elvis at the pinnacle of fame and in the movies
In the late summer of 1954, Presley and the musicians were given the opportunity to organize a tour of the southern states, their team was called Blue Moon Boys. In the fall of 1955, a contract was signed between Presley and the influential RCA Records studio, and in 1956 the singer had already become world famous.
Touching compositions of Elvis very often appeared on the first lines in charts, and his vinyl records were published in gigantic circulations not only in the USA, they had quite a lot of fans, for example, in Great Britain and in Germany.
Especially resonant were the first performances of Presley on American TV. Viewers only spoke about them: older people, as a rule, recognized his manners as mediocre and tasteless. Young people admired Elvis and imitated him in everything, even in clothes.
Musical success has contributed to the fact that Hollywood producers turned their eyes on Elvis Presley. The first film with the participation of the singer was released in 1956, it was the film "Love me dearly." Elvis was not entrusted with a very big role here, but four of his compositions sound in the film.
Over the next thirteen years, Elvis Presley starred in three dozen films, including The Burning Star, The Savage, The Fun in Acapulco, The Worker for Employment, Blue Hawaii, etc.
Personal life of Elvis Presley
In early 1958, Elvis, despite the status of a rock and roll star, was drafted into the army. And he decided not to evade his duty - he served two years in a tank division in Germany. It should be noted that during the service he was allowed to rent a separate house where he could calmly engage in creativity.
It was in the army that Elvis met his future first wife - Priscilla Bouillet. Three years after meeting Priscilla moved to the States, and began to openly meet with Elvis. And three years later, the king of rock and roll proposed to her. They got married in the spring of 1967. In a marriage that lasted five years, until 1972, the singer had a daughter named Lisa-Marie.
Elvis's next marriage was a civil marriage - the cohabitant of rock and roll was a participant in beauty contests Linda Thompson. They lived together for four years.
And in the last months before his death, Elvis lived with model and actress Ginger Alden.
