The man and his music
Contrary to popular belief, Elvis wasn't the musician who invented rock and roll. However, he is credited for making it intensely and irrevocably popular. What Elvis did wasn't exactly unprecedented because there were other musicians like Chuck Berry and Bill Haley who were also into the music. However, it was Elvis' musical and entertaining style that set him apart.

Unlike his contemporaries, Elvis' music was a mix of country, western, gospel, rhythm and blues; the kind of popular music he grew up listening to. At a time when there was still a racial divide between blacks and whites in America, Elvis took black R&B and incorporated it into his music. During his life and career, he blurred many racial, social and musical barriers, something that many musicians during his time were unable or unwilling to do.

Sex and rock and roll
Clean-cut white rock and roll was the popular music in his era but Elvis took this seemingly tame genre and changed it overnight. With his gyrations, frenzied dancing, vocal styling, sensual good looks and unabashed sexuality, Elvis produced an image of fun and good times with a healthy dose of sensuality. It outraged conservatives but it earned Elvis millions of young fans.

His live performances and TV appearances only cemented his growing popularity. His music was hard, fast and extremely potent. Elvis became a highly commercial success. His records topped the charts, his concerts were sold-out and he even starred in 33 films. Today, his record sales have topped the one billion mark, making him the most marketable artist in history.

The legend of Elvis
Elvis' legend is multi-faceted, composed of his unique and witty style and image which richly combined his sensuality, appeal and sense of humor. Add to that the numerous stories of his good will and humility. His fame has grown over the years and continues unabated to this day, fed by a strong cult following.

Elvis probably never knew he'd become a legend and he would probably be looking on in amusement if he were alive today, but his impact on popular culture and on the lives of millions has undoubtedly made him the legend we know and love.

The life and death of Elvis Presley will always be commemorated by his loyal fans all over the globe. They all have different ways commemorating his contribution to the music business. On August 16 every year, Elvis Presley followers do a pilgrimage to Graceland while others play his CDs and listen to his music. Whichever way we honor the King, he will live on for all eternity.

In the afternoon of August 16, 1977, after playing golf, Elvis returned to his room. He was found by his girlfriend Ginger Alden crouched over and lifeless on the bathroom floor. Wearing a blue top and yellow bottoms, Elvis face was bloated and dark.

He was pronounced dead at 3:30 PM when the medical team at Baptist Memorial Hospital couldn't revive him. The official cause of death was heart failure. However, autopsies showed that his death was triggered by the prescription drugs he constantly took.

The hospital called Vernon Presley to tell him about his sons death. Joe Esposito was supposed to announce it but he was overcome with grief, Vernon announced to the United States and the whole world, My son, Elvis is dead.

Those who were alive on that fateful day remember where they were when they heard the shocking headline, Elvis is dead. Two days after, his funeral turned into a hyped-up circus. Thousands of fans flew to Memphis to pay their respects and final goodbyes to Elvis Presley whom they adored.

On August 18, 1977, after Elvis' death was a ceremony then a burial. There was a motorcade consisting of a total of fourteen white Cadillac's. The driver of Elvis' hearse was Trent Webb. Coming from Graceland, the final destination was Forrest Hill cemetery.

Rev Bradley was the minister who officiated the burial. Those who attended the funeral were his ex-wife Priscilla, his daughter Lisa Marie, his father Vernon, his grandmother Minnie Mae, Ginger Alden, Chet Atkins, Rolling Stone representative Caroling Kennedy, actress Ann-Margaret and Roger Smith, James Brown, George Hamilton, Colonel Tom Parker, Charlie Hodges, Sammy Davis Jr., Linda Thompson just to name a few.

Kathy Westmoreland sweetly sang the Heavenly Father and Jackie Kahane delivered the eulogy. The pallbearers were George Klein, Joe Esposito, Jerry Schilling, Gene Smith, Billy Smith, Dr. Nicopholous and Lamar Fike. Vernon screamed and lamented that he would follow. Two years after, Vernon died from a broken heart.

President Jimmy Carter said that when Elvis died, a part of the United States died with him.

Elvis Presley and His Fame

It was in the 1950s that Elvis Presley successfully introduced the whole world to his kind of Rock and Roll. Teenagers and adults alike came to love his music. He then became the king of Rock and Roll. It is worth noting at the same time that he didn't excel in rock and roll music alone. He also made it to the charts and hall of fame of other music genres like R&B, gospel, blues and pop.

These feats and achievements evidenced the talent and craft of Elvis Presley. These took place in the peak of his career, the time when he was the talk of the town and everybody are going crazy over Elvis and his music.

The Elvis Presley Comeback

After achieving a certain peak in his career, Elvis Presley had a hiatus. He had to attend to some personal matters. Since he had been gone, people feared that he might not be able to make a comeback. It was 1968 when he next released an album known as '68 Comeback. However, it was the subsequent album that would make the difference.

In the Ghetto Album

The In the Ghetto album was released in 1969. In this album, Elvis Presley was able to make a turn in his choice of songs. He is still the King of Rock and Roll but in this medium, he chose to give life to songs that he really believed in. The album included the songs Kentucky Rain, Suspicious Minds and In the Ghetto.

The song In the Ghetto was the one initially released as a 45 rpm single. It tells the story of a young boy that lived in the ghetto, grew up stealing and fighting and ended up getting killed. It depicted poverty and despair. With Elvis Presley interpreting the song, the story was given a different perspective. Some were quite apprehensive of the album because of it's political leanings. Yet, this song was a hit for four years.

Priscilla Beaulieu Presley was born Priscilla Ann Wagner to James Wagner and Anna Iversen in Brooklyn, New York, on May 24, 1945. When Priscilla's father, a pilot, died after a plane crash, Anna Wagner re-married and Priscilla took on the last name of her stepfather, Paul Beaulieu.

Meeting Elvis
Beaulieu was an officer in the U.S. Air Force who moved his family to West Germany when he was stationed there. In 1958, Elvis Presley began his two-year service in the U.S. Army. It was in Wiesbaden in 1959 when a 14-year-old Priscilla met the 24-year-old Elvis. By this time, Priscilla had grown into a stunning beauty.

Elvis was so taken with Priscilla that he persuaded the Beaulieus to allow their daughter to live with Elvis' parents in the U.S. Priscilla, who was 17 at the time, was flown to Memphis with her stepfather to meet with the Presley's. The meeting resulted to a special living and schooling arrangement for the young girl.

Graceland
Priscilla moved to Elvis' estate Graceland with Elvis. Much of what is known about her time with Elvis beginning in 1963 comes from her own account and from friends and acquaintances. In spite of their living arrangement, Elvis waited until December 1966 before proposing to Priscilla. They were married on May 1, 1967 in Las Vegas with only their family and a few friends in attendance. Nine months later, Priscilla gave birth to Lisa Marie, their only child.

Elvis' Wife
Her life as the wife of the famous Elvis Presley wasn't exactly a fairy tale for Priscilla. She reportedly said that Elvis was a night owl who had to rent out restaurants just to dine out and make special arrangements with shop owners to keep shops open after store hours. She also reported that Elvis always used sleeping pills, even when they first lived together and that his use of prescription drugs increased over the years.

Life Without Elvis
Priscilla's marriage to Elvis Presley lasted only 6 years. They separated in 1972 and divorced in 1973. Priscilla, who was only in her late 20s at the time, began to work as a model and actress, starring in feature films and TV guest appearances.

When Elvis' father Vernon died in 1979, Priscilla took over the struggling estate and turned Graceland into a museum and a source of income. She became the president and chairman of Elvis Presley Enterprises. Although never remarried, she has been involved romantically with several prominent men.

Today, Priscilla is a successful businesswoman with her own line of products including perfumes and bed linens. She is still known as Elvis' wife but she has definitely gone on to build her own life since their separation and his later death.

History has always made it clear that Elvis Presley was popular with the ladies. Just imagine how many co-stars he dated and how many girls ended up going gaga over him, most especially when he performed. But as they say, everyone is destined to be with someone, he found himself with Priscilla Ann Beaulieu.

Some So-called Truths about the Matter

Perhaps its common for any marriage to be hounded by a lot of stories. There were rumors that it was Priscilla's father who forced Elvis to marry her, or else he would have divulged that he was engaged to a minor. (It was told that Priscilla was fourteen at that time). Another story circulated that Elvis wasn't really keen on his wife's father's relationship with a divorcee and decided not to attend their matrimonial union.

The Wedding of the Century

Despite of these unpleasant circumstances, at 9:30 in the morning on a very pleasant May 1, 1967, Priscilla and Elvis got married in a private small ceremony in the Aladdin Hotel in Las Vegas. The wedding was announced through a press conference, and it was followed by a breakfast reception.

The couple went on their honeymoon in Palm Springs in May 29, 1967. They held their second wedding reception in Graceland, in Elvis's trophy room. Dressed in wedding clothes, they entertained friends and family members who weren't present at the Las Vegas wedding.

Inspired Las Vegas Weddings

Everyone knows, however, that they didn't live happily ever after. After being blessed with a daughter, their marriage totally crumbled and ended up in divorce. But little did they know that a small ceremony would inspire a lot of couples to hold weddings in Las Vegas.

Today the city is known as the worlds Wedding Capital. There are a lot of wedding packages nowadays that include Elvis Presley themes. These are mostly done in Las Vegas chapels and officiated by Elvis Presley himself (or at least an impersonator). A woman acting as Priscilla can also serve as your matron of honor. You can also include a sexy girl who'll dance the hula to the tune of a Hawaiian Wedding Song.

Catch Their Wedding Online

Thanks to media, you can still relive Elvis and Priscilla's wedding online, especially in various video sharing sites. Get to know the woman who captured Elvis's heart as well as the ceremony that inspired many all over the world.

After divorcing his former wife Priscilla in 1973, Elvis Presley's career slowed down. His financial accounts were depleting and he was gaining weight rapidly. In order to get back the image that he was once famous for, he started taking diet pills and engaged in various diet regimens.

In order for him to completely lose the excess weight, it was best that he completely change his life. Since he was used to his lifestyle, this drastic change wasn't something he was ready for. Living the celebrity life, he was used to staying up all night, partying, and sleeping all day. His life had little structure which resulted in the health problems he had.

Surroundings didn't help

The bad influences surrounding him weren't much help either. The good thing though is that there were still good people who genuinely cared for him. However, these were the ones who witnessed firsthand Elvis self-destructive habits and tendencies. They tried counseling the king to no avail. He ignored them. If they insisted, they were fired.

The End
This unhealthy lifestyle resulted in his untimely death. On August 16, 1977, the King played racquet ball in the morning. He returned to his home and played Unchained Melody in his living room. Then he proceeded to his bedroom. He was found later on his bathroom floor by Ginger Alden, his girlfriend at the time. It was said that he had been face flat and lying there for more than three hours before being discovered.

There were attempts to save Elvis Presley but all these failed. At 3:30 AM in Memphis Hospital (later named Elvis Presley Memorial), he was announced dead by George Nichopoulus, his personal physician.

Exact Cause of Death
An autopsy was done in order to figure out Presley's real cause of death. The reason for his demise was clogged arteries. But what really killed him were the prescription drugs which he had been ingesting regularly. In the autopsy report, fourteen different kinds of drugs were found in his blood stream. It also included ten times the average dosage of codeine and toxic levels of methoqualone.

Such a waste of talent.

It is 30 years since his death and Elvis Presley fans still wonder whether it was the drugs that killed him, or was it the divorce and his heartache that led to his demise?

The first woman
Elvis Presley just like most of us looks up to the first woman in our lives, and more often than not that woman is no less than our own mother. In fact, Elvis himself admitted that his closeness with his mom was highly incomparable for he considered her the no. 1 woman in the world.

The close relationship of Elvis, an only child, and his mom lead to his mom's deterioration after he left home. As a mom she would perhaps be the first person in the world who would want Elvis to succeed in his chosen career, and she never interfered. However, for her, along with his accomplishments came the unwelcome realization that he would be apart from her.

Some think due to her despondency, she started to wallow into alcohol and eventually begun to gain weight at a fast rate. She degenerated to a degree which lead to her death, which, according to many reporters left Elvis crying dementedly.

The girls he has loved before
Elvis was branded as a womanizer by many critics, due to his 'inclination' to date several different women a night. A list of all the women that he had a 'special moment' with might end up being several volumes of books. Among them were Judy Spreckels and June Juanico who were known as his early girlfriends.

It was of course inevitable in his case to have relationship rumors with his co-stars in some of his movies and some women from the industry, such as Julie Parrish, June Wilkinson, Peggy Lipton, Cassandra Peterson, Ann-Margaret, and Lori Williams. The reason behind their 'dates' are quite vague up to now, but some people say that Elvis had a habit of dating women for publicity purposes only.

Men in his life
Incidentally, Elvis also had lots of male friends in the industry. As a matter of fact he was known for having late night chitchats with employees and several friends which led them to be called the Memphis Mafia,. This group was composed of Marty Lacker , Red West, Billy Smith, Lamar Fike and Sonny West.

Being Elvis Presley was truly more exciting than you may have thought it was, especially upon learning that he lived amidst such a big social circle.

Music

1. He is one of the very few artists who was inducted to the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
2. In 1977, Elvis was considered to be the number one touring act in the U.S.
3. Heartbreak Hotel was the no.1 country song in 1956.
4. Hound Dog was recorded 33 times. He once performed with a Bassett Hound, but it wasn't too fun since the dog was in heat and grouchy.
5. Selling 30 million copies, It's Now or Never, Elvis's single recorded in 1960, was the best-selling song of all time.
6. Concerts during June 19-21, 1977, were videotaped by CBS for the Elvis in Concert special. It displayed the stars worsening condition. It was only shown on October 3, after his death.
7. Elvis's singing career was viewed as a means to survive; his ultimate dream was to be an actor.

Personal References

1. Rumors have it that Elvis was forced by Priscilla's father to marry her, or else, he would reveal that she was a minor when they both started an affair. Elvis was then 24.
2. President Jimmy Carter is Elvis's distant cousin. Isaiah Harrison, great-great grandfather of Abraham Lincoln, was his direct descendant too.
3. Elvis was a notorious woman lover, dating his co-stars before he married Priscilla.
4. He used to work odd jobs before he began singing. He worked as an usher and a truck driver.
5. Elvis was sick with chronic asthma and was prescribed very addictive sleeping pills which a lot believe caused his tragic death.
6. Elvis loved football and racquetball. He usually had three televisions running at Graceland to watch football games.
7. Elvis was once in the audience of Connie Francis. He left abruptly when she sang Mama an Italian song, which reminded him of his mother who had recently died.

After His Death

1. Elvis was known to be very generous, and his fans continued this tradition. One of them, Elvis Matters, invited a 17-year-old paralyzed girl named Michael Stroobans to their annual pilgrimage to Graceland with expenses all paid by the club.
2. Elvis's body was almost stolen in August 29, 1977. However, the plan failed. The adjustment board of Memphis granted Vernon the permission to move Elvis's and his mothers body behind Graceland, in the Meditation Garden.
3. Elvis graced a Swedish postage stamp in 2004.
4. A number of TV shows and films showcased Elvis's life, including Elvis, a telefilm. He was portrayed by Kurt Russell.

Early Life

Elvis Presley was born in Tupelo, Mississippi, to Vernon Presley and Gladys Love Smith. He was of Scottish, French, Jewish, and German descent. He had an identical twin named Jesse Garon who was stillborn.

His first public performance was when he was ten, in a singing competition of a dairy show. The young Elvis, so short, reached for the microphone using a chair and sang Old Shep by Red Foley. He was the second runner-up.

Celebrity Career

It was in 1954 that he started singing for the well-known Sun Records in Memphis. The following year, he found himself at RCA Victor, when his contract was sold. In 1956, he was already a very big star. Because of his distinct voice and style that perfectly combined different kinds of musical influences that transcended racial barriers, he introduced a new type of American pop culture and music.

Along with his music, he also started acting, appearing in 33 box-office films. He also made history with his television specials and appearances. He held great acclaim for his record-breaking concerts in Las Vegas and other tours.

His records have sold billions all over the world and garnered him gold multi-platinum recognitions that 149 singles and albums. He was nominated in the Grammy's 14 times and was named TOYM of the Nation in 1970.

Military Service

Elvis became part of the 1st Battalion, 2nd Armor when he was drafted into the military on December 20, 1957. He was assigned to Friedberg, Germany. He requested for no special treatment and was respected for not participating in Special Services, where he could avoid specific duties. It was in Germany, however, that he was introduced to amphetamines by friends. Because almost all were into it, he himself began taking them.

He went back in March 2, 1960, to the United States and was given a sergeant ranking. He then continued his recording sessions after almost three years of hiatus.

Death of Presley

During the 1970s, Presley began to decline. He was often criticized for veering away from rock and pop music. Added to that were the marital problems with his wife, Priscilla, and his womanizing ways. He also started to gain weight and drugs slowly started taking control of his health. His last performance should have been in Market Square Arena in Indianapolis. A day before, however, he was found dead in the bathroom by his fiance, Ginger Alden.

Elvis bought a 16-acre ranch in Tennessee called Graceland. He had been interested in riding horses after he bought a horse for Priscilla. This hobby was Elvis's therapy whenever he was unhappy or frustrated about the state of his career.

May 1, 1967 was their wedding day. The venue was Aladdin Hotel, located in Las Vegas. It was a secret wedding. It only cost Elvis $15 to get the marriage license. Elvis was clad in all black while Priscilla donned white chiffon with a satin train measuring six feet. Her ring included a three carat diamond plus twenty small ones.

The reception had a five-tiered cake and served breakfast for a hundred guests and a string trio. The newlyweds indulged their fans by granting a press conference. Afterwards, they left for Palm Springs where they spent four days in Honeymoon bliss.

After they returned to Memphis, Elvis and Priscilla wore their wedding clothes again for a second wedding that was held in the trophy room of Graceland in order to grant the wishes of family and friends who were not present for their Las Vegas wedding.

Their daughter Lisa Marie was born in February 1, 1968. Outside, the King seemed to have it all. A booming singing career and a couple of movies, a beautiful wife, a charming daughter, a grand estate. He couldn't ask for anything more. However, what the public and his adoring fans didn't know was that there were problems in the marriage.

Priscilla was unhappy for some time. She didn't like the Memphis Mafia and the fact that Elvis constantly traveled. She also believed that her husband spoiled their daughter too much by letting her stay up really late, eat whatever she wanted and getting everything she desired. She asked for a divorce. They formally divorced in 1973.

Their divorce was granted and they agreed to be close friends. Priscilla had custody of Lisa Marie. Elvis didn't have formal schedule of visitation rights. The court allowed him to spend time with his daughter as much as he wanted. He did this regularly.

It has been said that the divorce led to Elvis's untimely death. His finances were depleted and he wasn't taking care of himself as well.