Elvis Presley: The Early Years 1935-1960

January 8 1935
Elvis Aron Presley was born in East Tupelo, Mississipi one of twins, his brother was stillborn. His parents were Vernon and Gladys Presley. That's a copy of his birth certificate above.

He was born into poverty amongst what is often described as the white trash of the American South West

January 9 1935
Elvis's twin brother Jesse Garon Presley was buried in the Priceville Cemetery near Tupelo

June 1 1938
Elvis's Father, Vernon, was imprisoned for forgery in the Parchman Penitentiary.

Above is a copy of Elvis Presley's School Report Card from 1943.

October 3 1945
Elvis won second prize in a talent contest at the Mississippi Alabama Fair where he sung Old Shep.

It was while at Lawhon Elementary School that a teacher discovered his talent for singing. This started from early days when Elvis sang gospel songs with his parent's in Church. It was she that arranged for him to eneter the talent contest.

January 8 1946
Elvis received his very first guitar on this his 11th birthday. It cost $12.75.

September 12 1948
The Presley family moved home. They left Tupelo for Memphis where they got a one bedroom apartment at 572 Poplar Avenue.

September 13 1948
Elvis began school at L.C. Humes High School.

September 20 1949
The Presley family moved again, this time to a two bedroom apartment in the Luderdale Courts at 185 Winchester Street.

January 7 1953
The Presley family were evicted from their home and moved to 398 Cypress Street, Memphis.

April 15 1953
The Presley's moved yet again, this time to a two story apartment house at 462 Alabama Street, Memphis.

June 3 1953
Elvis graduated from L.C. Humes High School.

June ? 1953
Elvis began to work for the Precision Tool Company.

July ? 1953
He was sacked from his job at the Precision Tool Company and managed to get a job instead at the Crown Electric Company.

In the summer of 1953 the very first record was made by Elvis Presley - and there was just the one copy! He recorded My Happines and That's When Your Heartaches Begin on a 10" record at the Memphis Recording Service.

In January 1954 he made another record at the Memphis Recording Service. This time he recorded Casual Love Affair and I'll Never Stand In Your Way. Significantly he also met Sam Phillips.

In the Spring of 1954 Sam Phillips met up with Elvis to try and record Without You. It wasn't however quite the sound Phillips was looking for. He also tried other songs but still nothing met with Sam's approval.

On the 4th of July 1954 Elvis met Scotty Moore and Bill Black and they rehearsed several songs prior to doing recordings at Sun Records.

July 5 1954: Elvis did his very first commercial recordings at Sun Studios. They recorded I Love You Because, That's All Right (Mama) and Blue Moon of Kentucky ....

... and so the real Elvis Presley story began.

July 7 1954
This was to be the first time that Elvis Presley was heard on the radio. DJ Dewey Phillips of Memphis radio WHBQ played That's All Right (Mama), It was played at approximately 9.30pm and later that evening Elvis gave his very first media interview on Phillips program 'Red Hot and Blue'.

July 12 1954
Elvis, together with his parents, signed a one year contract making Scotty Moore his manager. Photo shows Bill Black, Elvis and Scotty Moore in 1954.

July 19 1954
That's All Right (Mama) and Blue Moon of Kentucky became Elvis's first commercial record release.

July 28 1954
Elvis's first newspaper interview was for the Memphis Press Scimitar.

July 30 1954
Elvis was in concert for the first time, on a bill headed by Slim Whitman, at the Overton Park Shell in Memphis.

Elvis then made a few other concert dates including one at the Grand Ole Opry where he sung Blue Moon of Kentucky.

September 25 1954
Another Elvis record release, this time Good Rockin' Tonight and I Don't Care If The Sun Don't Shine.

In late 1954 the Presley family moved to 2414 Lamar Avenue, Memphis.

January 1 1955
Bob Neal, with agreement from Scotty Moore, became Elvis's new manager.

January 8 1955
Sun records released another single by Elvis: Milkcow Blues Boogie and You're A Heartbreaker.

In February of 55 Col. Thomas Parker became involved in Elvis's career and helped Bob Neal arrange a gig in New Mexico.

March 5 1955
The first Elvis Presley television performance on Louisiana Hayride.

April 1 1955
Another record released by Sun: Baby Let's Play House and I'm Left, You're Right, She's Gone.

Elvis made various concert appearances and in mid 1955 the Presley family was on the move again. This time to 141 Getwell Street, Memphis.

In August 1955 another record release: Mystery Train and I Forgot to Remember to Forget.

In the September 1955 Country Song Roundup became the first magazine to feature Elvis.

And then .... it all really takes off!

September 7 1955
Elvis's First Number 1! Both sides of Mystery Train and I Forgot to Remember to Forget top Billboard's Country chart.

Autumn of 1955 and Bill Randle becomes the first DJ in the North of the USA to play an Elvis record.

November 22 1955
Sun Records sell Elvis's contract to RCA for $25,000. Elvis received $5000 in lieu of future royalties he may have got from Sun.

January 10 1956
I Got A Woman was the first track recorded by RCA.

January 27 1956
RCA released Heartbreak Hotel and on the B side I was The One. Elvis was now on the map!

Elvis started to make television appearances and then, unfortunately, on

March 15 1956
Col. Tom Parker became Elvis's manager.

In April 1956 the Presley's were on the move once more this time to 1034 Audubon Drive, Memphis.

Elvis was now a busy man recording, doing concerts and television.

July 1 1956
Hound Dog was introduced on The Steve Allen Show. See Hound Dog video below.

July 2 1956
The first recording session by RCA in New York City which included The Jordanaires.

August 22 1956
Elvis puts on his acting hat and starts to film Love Me Tender.

September 9 1956
Elvis makes his first legendary appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show. He went on to do three shows, one of which was filmed only from the waist up so as not to upset viewers with his pelvic action i.e. Elvis the Pelvis.

November 15 1956
Love Me Tender, Elvis's first movie is released.

March 1957, another memorable month as this was when Elvis bought Graceland from Ruth Brown Moore.

The world was All Shook Up from April 20th to June 15th 1957 when the song was number 1 on the Billboard's Hot 100 Chart for 8 weeks. The song also went to number 1 in the UK.

July 9 1957
Elvis's second film, Loving You, was released.

October 21 1957
Yet another film. This time it was Jailhouse Rock which hit the theatres and cinemas. Elvis continued his non stop acting by filming King Creole.

March 24 1958
Elvis was inducted into the US Army and ...

...things started to change.

March 25 1958
Elvis had his hair cut - army style

June 4 1958
The film King Creole was released.

August 11 1958
Elvis received first Gold Disc for Hard Headed Woman - a song from the film King Creole.

August 14 1958
Elvis is shattered by his mother's death. She died of a heart attack which was complicated by hepatitus. Photo shows Elvis with Gladys.

This was a difficult time for Elvis. Gladys was a dominant influence in his life, they were very close. He is quoted as saying at her graveside, "Oh God, everything I have is gone. I lived my whole life for you."

It cannot be emphasised enough the change this made to Elvis. It also allowed more influence to be exerted by the scheming Col. Tom Parker.

August 16 1958
Gladys Presley buried in Memphis at the Forest Hill Cemetery.

September 22 1958
Along with his army unit Elvis heads for West Germany, as it then was.

June 1 1959
Elvis got promoted to Specialist Fourth Class.

January 14 1960
Elvis promoted to Sergeant.

March 3 1960
On his way from W. Germany Elvis's plane touched down ar Prestwick Airport in Scotland. This was his one and only time on UK soil.

March 5 1960
Elvis is discharged from the US Army.

July 3 1960
Elvis's father Vernon marries Davada 'Dee' Stanley.

October 20 1960
The movie G.I. Blues released.

October 30 1960
It's Now Or Never is number 1 in the UK and remains there for eight weeks - the longest period for any Elvis single.

December 20 1960
Yet another movie released, this time Flaming Star.

December 25 1960
Priscilla Beaulieu visits Graceland for the first time ...

and so a new chapter of the Elvis Presley story began - a treadmill of many, mostly second rate, movies and his career generally declined in the 60's thanks to the likes of the Beatles and wrong direction by his manager.

In his career Elvis Presley made 32 films but the best were his early ones, especially Loving You and Jailhouse Rock. They are obviously a bit dated now but it's possible to glimpse what made Elvis so special.

He could have become an excellent actor. If only he had been allowed to concentrate on perhaps a few good roles instead of some of the stuff that was churned out.

When you think, from 1961 to 1970 he made 26 films in nine years. Some are okay but what a wasted talent. That man Col Tom Parker had a lot to answer for.

The photo is a promotional pic for Jailhouse Rock, issued by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Inc.

Love Me Tender
November 1956 20th Century-Fox

Loving You
July 1957 Paramount

Jailhouse Rock
October 1957 Metro Goldwyn Mayer

King Creole
May 1958 Paramount

G.I. Blues
October 1960 Paramount

Flaming Star
December 1960 20th Century-Fox

I've got to be honest, though I'm an Elvis fan, especially his early stuff, I'm not much into the tribute artists who impersonate him.

My wife and I, however, were given two tickets to see 'Elvis On Tour' with Lee Memphis King as a present. So we went along to the show, me being my usual sceptical self.

But I actually enjoyed myself!

Lee Memphis King is a UK Elvis impersonator and there were two things I liked about the show:

Firstly Lee's voice. On most tracks he got it pretty much spot on and from where I was sitting at times he looked like Elvis and moved well.

The second thing I liked was the fact that he did various Elvis's during the show. He started out with the gold jacket of the early Elvis and sang lots of the 50's material: That's All Right (Mama), One Night and so on.

He then moved on to the leather suited Elvis in his 1968 Comeback Show and finally it was the Las Vegas Presley. The audience seemed actually to respond more to this latter Elvis and many got quite excited!

Lee Memphis King was backed by an 8 piece band and 2 girl singers. The sound wasn't always perfect but that was perhaps down to the venue.

I would recommend the show to UK residents: Details are on his website One Night With Elvis.

No one can capture Elvis fully but this guy had a good try and the audience loved him. Many had been to see him three, four and five times. So, yes, worth the ticket price - especially if you get it for free!

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