UNCONONENT KING ELVIS PRESLEY
Elvis Presley was able to fulfill the great American dream – a slum boy became a millionaire. Although many did not even know what was hidden under a beautiful image. And the further the twentieth century moves away from us, the more mysterious becomes the figure of a simple boy who conquered half the world with his voice.
Slum fellow
January 8, 1935 in the family of immigrants from Ireland was born Elvis Aaron Presley. His twin brother died at birth, so the parents intently guarded their son. Elvis came to singing in a completely natural way – in the local children’s church choir, and later began performing at competitions. Already in 10 years, Elvis received the second prize for performing the song Old Shep. The contest of young talents was held at the Alabama fair.
Parents were happy that his son had such a respectable hobby, and on the next birthday they gave him an acoustic guitar. He himself learned the main chords, listening to the blues and ancient spiritual chants. Soon the family moved to Memphis, Elvis graduated from school and found a job as a truck driver at the Electric Company, earning a dollar and 25 cents per hour. In the evenings, he studied at the courses to get a specialty electrician.
But the career of Elvis Presley unexpectedly turned in the other direction … The well-known music company Sun, which belonged to Sam Phillips, had a subsidiary branch called “Memphis record label Elvis Presley studio.” Despite the loud name, the “studio” was a converted garage and was intended exclusively for amateur recordings. There, in July 1953, a young man came with the intention of singing a record. Most musical encyclopedias claim that the song was prepared as a gift for the mother’s birthday. However, she was born on April 25, 1912, so either Elvis decided to sign up in advance (9 months before the event, which is unlikely), or was 3 months late (which is even more implausible).
Elvis Presley is not like anyone
Phillips assistant Marion Kesker was on duty at the studio that day. Those who wanted to enroll were more than enough, and Elvis obediently stood in a queue with his battered guitar. Marion started a conversation with a young man, inquiring what style he sings, to which she received an answer: “In all styles.” To the question: “Which of the singers do you resemble?” – Elvis declared: “No one”. Something in the manner of singing of the young man made Kesker, although belatedly, turn on the tape recorder and “catch” a piece of the first song and singer Elvis Preslipolnost to record the second one. Elvis paid $ 4, took his record and left.
It took another long 8 months, during which Elvis again, in 1954, visited the studio, talked with Phillips and sang another amateur disc, before the matter got off the ground.
Phillips got a demo tape from an unknown singer from Nashville. The song was called “Without You” and was a melodic ballad performed to the accompaniment of a single guitar. Phillips tried to find out the name of the artist, but to no avail. “We’ll have to find someone else,” he said. “How about that sideburn guy?” Asked Marion Kesker. Soon the hero of our story arrived at the studio. Alas, the record did not succeed. Take a break. Phillips learned that Elvis would like to pick up his accompanying line-up, and found him musicians – Scotty and Bill.
Rising Star Elvis Presley
The summer of 1954 stood outside … On July 5, Elvis first crossed the threshold of Sun Studio as singer Elvis Presley as a professional performer. A month later, Phillips released Presley’s debut single. After the local radio disc jockey, at the request of Phillips, scrolled this song, the audience received calls from the studio. Along with the work in the studio, Elvis, Scotty and Bill, calling their trio BLUE MOON BOYS, began performing in the vicinity of Memphis, gradually climbing further and further from home.
Elvis grew in popularity, and the song Baby Let’s Play House first hit the national hit parade. Elvis’ latest single, Sun, went on sale in August 1955. The album reached the top of the American country hit-parade and lasted 40 weeks in the charts! So Elvis became a national phenomenon. One after another, the largest companies were luring Phillips with impressive amounts, wanting to acquire a rising star.
The stunning success of Elvis
On January 10, 1956, Elvis Presley appeared on the doorstep of the RCA recording studio in Nashville. His full energy singing, combined with shameless movements on the stage, became increasingly popular, millions of records were sold, and success helped rock and roll to become a profitable music genre. Opened the road to a whole generation of studio performers.
No one has caused so much violent girlish delights like Elvis, and this is the first indicator of success. Presley was entrenched by the first line in the American charts with the song “Hotel of Broken Hearts.”
No wonder that very soon he was in Hollywood. The first Elvis film was called “Love Me Tenderly.” Hero-lover – another role from an idol would be strange to expect.
