Elvis Joins The Army

Published on

August 20, 2018

On Sept 22nd 1958, after receiving special permission from the US Army, Elvis Presley gave one last press conference at the Military Ocean Terminal in Brooklyn. He then joined the rest of the 3rd Armored Division on the USS General Randall for a voyage to Bremerhaven, Germany.

In 1953, well before he became the King of rock and roll, Elvis had registered with the US Selective Service System. Under the draft system, young men of good health were expected to be available from the age of 18 to serve in the military for two years.

Well, as one would expect, this was going to be one hell of a great PR exercise for the military. The most famous person on the planet was going to war (well, not quite war, but you know what I mean)!

On his 22nd birthday, the Memphis draft board held a press conference to announce that Elvis would be classified 1A and would be drafted sometime that year. With the news of Elvis’ forthcoming induction, the Navy and the Air Force offered bids for his services – the Navy offering to create a specially trained “Elvis Presley company” and the Air Force had a plan for him to tour their recruiting centers, to drum up new business. Elvis turned down both offers, not wanting any special treatment.

Elvis was going to serve his time like a regular G.I.

On March 24, 1958, at 6:35am, Elvis, accompanied by his parents and a group of family and friends, reported to the Memphis draft board. From there, he and 12 other recruits were bused to Kennedy Veterans Hospital. There, Elvis was assigned army serial number 53 310 761, and after his physical was put in charge of the group after being processed and sworn in.

Can you imagine, off you go to war, and you have Elvis in your company! The following day Elvis received his famous G.I. haircut and coined the phrase “hair today, gone tomorrow” in a comment to the news media. He was assigned to the Second Armored Division’s Hell On Wheels (is that where Paul McCartney got the name for his Jeep, which he named the song after?).

Within days, Elvis’ manager Colonel Tom Parker had received over 5,000 letters sent to Elvis at Fort Chaffee, Arkansas, wishing him well and telling him how much they missed him.

The singer, who was now earning just $78 a month, hadn’t even left the country; he was stationed in Fort Hood for ten weeks of advanced tank training. During this time his mother Gladys became very ill and sadly passed away on August 14. Elvis was granted emergency leave, flying from Fort Hood to Texas.

You can’t imagine anyone now in modern times (except maybe royalty) receiving so much media attention. This wasn’t in the plan, it became a circus. In just over a week, Elvis received over 100,000 cards and letters of sympathy at his loss.

Then, the following month the world’s most famous entertainer was finally leaving us. In Sept 1958, the troop train arrived in Brooklyn, New York at 9:00am. Along the way, his manager Colonel Tom Parker had organized a press conference at which he answered questions about his army duty, his music, and his Mom.

After the press conference, Elvis boarded the U.S.S. Randall, where he walked up the gangplank of the ship no less than eight times, toting a borrowed duffel bag, so the assembled photographers could all get a good shot.

Elvis, at last, had left the building.

Important Dates In The Life Of Elvis Presley:

On this day in music

7 Oct 2024 American soul and gospel singer Cissy Houston died age 91. She was the mother of Whitney Houston). She was a member of Sweet Inspirations, The Drinkard Singers, (with Dionne Warwick), and as a back-up singer worked with Elvis Presley, Aretha Franklin, Chaka Khan, Luther Vandross, David Bowie (Young Americans), Jimi Hendrix, Van Morrison, (Moondance), Beyoncé, (Dangerously In Love) and many others.
8 Jun 2024 American songwriter Mark James died at his home in Nashville, Tennessee, at the age of 83. He wrote hits for B.J. Thomas, Brenda Lee and Elvis Presley, including Presley's hit single 'Suspicious Minds', (which he wrote with Johnny Christopher and Wayne Carson). Willie Nelson's version of 'Suspicious Minds won James a Grammy Award for Song of the Year and Grammy Award for Best Country Song for Nelson's version. In 1987 the UK's Pet Shop Boys also covered the song.
31 Dec 2023 Taylor Swift surpassed Elvis Presley for the most No.1 weeks of any solo musician in music history. To date, Swift had logged 68 weeks with the No.1 album in America. That number tops Elvis’ previous record of 67 weeks at the top of the charts. Now, Swift sits behind only The Beatles, who spent 132 weeks at No.1 throughout their career.
23 Nov 2023 Fanita James died at the age of 85. She was a member of the American girl group The Blossoms. Although the group had a recording career in their own right, they were most famous for being the group to actually record the No. 1 hit 'He's a Rebel' which producer Phil Spector credited to The Crystals. In 1966, they provided background vocals on Ike and Tina Turner's 'River Deep – Mountain High' and in 1968, they appeared in Elvis Presley’s TV special, popularly known as "the '68 Comeback".
12 Jan 2023 American singer and songwriter Lisa Marie Presley died at the age of 54. The only daughter of Elvis Presley she married Michael Jackson in 1994. The couple separated on 10th December 1995. She was also married to actor Nicolas Cage. Lisa Marie had the UK No.16 single 'Lights Out'. On her 25th birthday in 1993, she inherited the Presley estate, which had grown to an estimated $100 million. She later sold 85 per cent of her father's estate in 2004.
16 Sep 2022 Robbie Williams overtook Elvis Presley (13 No.1s), to become the solo artist with the most UK No.1 albums ever when his latest album XXV topped the UK chart. Only The Beatles had more UK No.1 albums than Robbie with 15 across their career.
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12 Mar 2022 Stereophonics scored their eighth UK No.1 with their 25th anniversary album Oochya! The achievement made them one of the most successful chart acts of all time, tying with Taylor Swift, Oasis, Kylie Minogue and R.E.M. - who also have had eight chart toppers. The Beatles have the most, with 15, followed by Elvis Presley and Robbie Williams, both of whom have 13.
14 Jan 2022 American country musician and songwriter Dallas Frazier died aged 82. Frazier's 1957 song 'Alley Oop', taken to No. 1 in the US by The Hollywood Argyles, became his first hit, (The lyric from 'Alley Oop' "look at that caveman go" is referenced in David Bowie's 'Life on Mars'). He wrote 'There Goes My Everything', a big hit for Jack Greene in 1966 that earned him a nomination for the Grammy Award for Best Country Song. His tunes were recorded by George Jones (who recorded an entire album of Frazier's songs in 1968), Diana Ross, Engelbert Humperdinck, Jerry Lee Lewis, Willie Nelson, Charley Pride, Waylon Jennings, Merle Haggard and Elvis Presley.
22 Sep 2021 American session musician, orchestra leader, and double bassist Bob Moore died age 88. He was a member of the Nashville A-Team during the 1950s and 1960s and performed on over 17,000 documented recording sessions, backing acts such as Elvis Presley, Patsy Cline, Bob Dylan and Roy Orbison.
16 Apr 2021 English songwriter Barry Mason died age 85. A leading songwriter of the 1960s, he wrote the bulk of his most successful songs in partnership with Les Reed. His song writing credits included three UK Singles Chart No.1s, "Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)", "The Last Waltz", and "I Pretend". His songs have been recorded by many artists including Tom Jones, David Essex, The Drifters, Rod Stewart, Petula Clark, Perry Como, Elvis Presley and Engelbert Humperdinck.
12 Dec 2020 American singer, guitarist, and professional baseball player Charley Pride died age 86. In the early to mid-70s, he was the best-selling performer for RCA Records since Elvis Presley. During the peak years of his recording career (1966–1987), he had 52 top-10 hits on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, 30 of which made it to number one. He won the Entertainer of the Year award at the Country Music Association Awards in 1971.
29 Sep 2020 American country music singer, songwriter, and actor Mac Davis died age 78. During his early career he wrote for Elvis Presley, providing him with the hits 'Memories", "In the Ghetto', 'Don't Cry Daddy', and 'A Little Less Conversation'. A subsequent solo career in the 1970s produced hits such as 'Baby, Don't Get Hooked on Me'. Davis also starred in his own variety show, a Broadway musical, and various films and TV shows.
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6 Aug 2020 Wayne Fontana died from cancer at the age of 74. The English rock and pop singer is best known for the 1965 hit ‘The Game of Love’ with the Mindbenders. He took his stage name from Elvis Presley's drummer, D. J. Fontana.
9 May 2020 Little Richard died of bone cancer at the age of 87. He had his biggest hits in the 1950s and was known for his exuberant performances and flamboyant outfits. With the likes of Chuck Berry and Elvis Presley, he was one of the handful of US acts who mixed blues, R&B and gospel that led to the evolution of rock 'n' roll. He sold more than 30 million records worldwide with hits including 'Good Golly Miss Molly', 'Lucille', 'Tutti Frutti' and 'Long Tall Sally'.
6 Dec 2019 Robbie Williams became the joint most successful solo act in UK album chart history after scoring his 13th No.1, with The Christmas Present - level with Elvis Presley. The Beatles hold the overall record with 15 UK No.1 albums.
30 Oct 2019 The top-earning dead celebrities revealed by Forbes showed that Michael Jackson's earnings dwarfed others in the list for a seventh year in a row - he earned $60m (£46m) as streams of his music rose to 2.1 billion and money continued to pour in from his back catalogue. Elvis Presley was said to have made $39m (£30m), George Harrison an estimated $9m (£7m) in the last 12 months, while John Lennon made $14m (£10.8m).
22 Jun 2019 American drummer and record producer Jerry Carrigan died age 75. He first achieved widespread recognition by being part of the first wave of the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section and later as a first-call session musician in Nashville for over three decades. He recorded with Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Charlie Rich, Kenny Rogers Jerry Lee Lewis, Ray Stevens and Dolly Parton.
31 Jan 2019 Harold Bradley the American country and pop guitarist died age 93. As a session musician into the 1970s, he performed on hundreds of albums by country stars such as Patsy Cline, Willie Nelson, Roy Orbison, Elvis Presley and Slim Whitman. Bradley, who was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2006, is believed to be one of the most recorded instrumentalists in history.
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24 Oct 2018 US singer, songwriter Tony Joe White died of a heart attack on, at the age of 75. He is best known for his 1969 US No.8 single, 'Polk Salad Annie' (also recorded by Elvis Presley and Tom Jones) and ‘Rainy Night in Georgia’ which he wrote but was first made popular by Brook Benton in 1970. He also wrote 'Steamy Windows' a UK No.13 single for Tina Turner.
13 Jun 2018 Legendary Elvis Presley drummer D.J. Fontana died peacefully at his home age 87. Before joining guitarist Scotty Moore and bassist Bill Black in Presley's backing band the Blue Moon Boys, Dominic Joseph Fontana worked as the house drummer for his hometown of Shreveport's Louisiana Hayride working with the likes of Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton, Waylon Jennings, Steve Young, Melba Montgomery, Norma Jean, Vassar Clements, Carl Butler and other country artists.
24 May 2017 Sonny West, one of the original members of Elvis Presley's Memphis Mafia, died of lung cancer at the age of 79. Joining Elvis in 1960, he was abruptly fired, along with his cousin Red and bodyguard Dave Hebler, in 1976 without explanation. The following year he co-authored the book Elvis, What Happened?.
23 Nov 2016 Joe Esposito, a close friend and aide of Elvis Presley died at the age of 78. Esposito was Presley's professional assistant and a member of his inner circle, known as the "Memphis Mafia". He was one of two best men at the star's wedding to Priscilla in 1967 and a pallbearer at his funeral in 1977.
30 Oct 2016 American songwriter Curly Putman died aged 85. He wrote 'Green, Green Grass of Home' which was covered by many artists including: Elvis Presley, Johnny Darrell, Gram Parsons, Joan Baez, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash, Porter Wagoner, Merle Haggard, Joe Tex and Tom Jones. He also co-wrote (with Bobby Braddock), 'D-I-V-O-R-C-E' made famous by Tammy Wynette.
28 Oct 2016 Elvis Presley broke the record for the most No.1 albums by a solo artist. The late singer's new album The Wonder Of You beat competition from Lady Gaga and Michael Buble to become his 13th album to top the chart. Before now, Elvis and Madonna were tied record holders with 12 No.1 albums each to their names.
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6 Sep 2016 Barbra Streisand extended her US chart record after she scored her 11th US No.1 album with her Encore: Movie Partners Sing Broadway. The star had already notched up more chart toppers than any other female artist, and now extends her lead over Madonna, who has eight. She also overtook Elvis Presley, who has 10, to tie with Bruce Springsteen.
29 Jun 2016 Elvis Presley's daughter Lisa Marie filed for divorce from her fourth husband, Michael Lockwood, just months after the couple celebrated their 10th wedding anniversary last January. Lisa Marie had previously been wed to Danny Keough from 1988 until 1994, Michael Jackson from 1994 to 1999 and to actor Nicolas Cage from 2002 to 2004.
28 Jun 2016 Scotty Moore, Elvis Presley's longtime guitarist died at his home in Nashville, aged 84. Moore had been in poor health in recent months. He formed the Starlite Wrangers with bassist Bill Black and in 1954, Sun Records impresario Sam Phillips paired Moore with a teenaged Elvis Presley. Together, along with Black, they recorded Presley's first single, 'That's All Right (Mama).' The recording session was only meant to be an audition; instead, the trio made music history.
21 Jun 2016 Trumpeter Wayne Jackson, who formed the Memphis Horns duo with saxophonist Andrew Love, died of congestive heart failure at the age of 74. Jackson and Love played together on 52 No.1 songs, supporting the likes of Elvis Presley, Neil Diamond, Otis Redding, Al Green, Aretha Franklin, Peter Gabriel and the Doobie Brothers.
22 May 2016 A guitar that Elvis Presley was given by his father sold for $334,000 (£230,000) at an auction in New York. It was thought that Vernon Presley changed the finish on the Gibson Dove to black after his son earned a black belt in karate. Presley later gave the guitar to a fan during a concert in North Carolina in 1975. Auctioneers Julien's also sold John Lennon's handwritten lyrics for The Beatles' 'Being For The Benefit of Mr Kite!' for $354,400 (£244,000) and a red neoprene vinyl jacket which Michael Jackson wore for his 1996-97 HIStory world tour which sold for $256,000.
29 Jan 2016 Three weeks after his death, David Bowie lodged 12 albums in the UK top 40, equalling a record set by Elvis Presley in 1977. His last album Blackstar, spent a third week at No.1 with Best of Bowie, Hunky Dory and Ziggy Stardust all in the Top 10. Bowie's other albums in the top 40 include: Nothing Has Changed (5), Heroes (28), Diamond Dogs (30), Station to Station (32) and Scary Monsters (36).
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11 Jan 2016 David Bowie topped the UK album chart with his latest release Blackstar less than 24 hours after his death. With sales of over 43,000 units the album outsold its nearest competitor, Elvis Presley's If I Can Dream, by 25,000.
20 Nov 2015 Justin Bieber topped the UK singles chart with 'Sorry' breaking a chart record for the most tracks inside the top 40. The chart featured eight songs from Bieber's new album Purpose, the first time a living artist had so many simultaneous entries. His eight entries saw him break a record set by Elvis Presley in 1957, when he had seven songs in the top 40 singles chart.
14 Nov 2015 A pair of white boots worn by Elvis Presley during his famous '68 Comeback TV Special performance were bought by a UK collector for £29,500, ($44,500). Elvis had worn the size-11 Verde boots while singing 'If I Can Dream', two months after the assassination of Martin Luther King, the lyrics included quotes from the civil rights leader.
12 Aug 2015 A second postage stamp was issued in the US bearing the image of Elvis Presley (the first was introduced in 1993). This one featured a black and white photograph by William Speer of Elvis in 1955 and was part of the Music Icon series that began in 2013.
20 Jul 2015 American country musician, songwriter and record producer Wayne Carson died at the age of 72 after suffering congestive heart failure. He co-wrote Always On My Mind, (a hit for Elvis Presley, Willie Nelson and others), 'The Letter', (recorded by The Box Tops, Joe Cocker and Leon Russell), and 'Soul Deep'.
22 Dec 2014 Joe Cocker died of lung cancer in Crawford, Colorado aged 70. The Sheffield-born singer was known for his gritty voice, spasmodic body movement in performance and definitive versions of popular songs of varying genre. Cocker had a career lasting more than 40 years, with hits including his cover of The Beatles' With a Little Help from My Friends, 'You Are So Beautiful' and 'Up Where We Belong'. He was made an OBE in 2011. In the early Sixties Cocker was performing as Vance Arnold. The name was a combination of Vince Everett, Elvis Presley's character in Jailhouse Rock (which Cocker misheard as Vance) and country singer Eddy Arnold.
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11 Nov 2014 A collection of dresses and outfits worn by Madonna during her career in music and film helped a celebrity auction raise $3.2m (£2m). The highest lot was a jacket from Desperately Seeking Susan, which fetched $252,000, while a gown from her Material Girl video reached $73,125. Other lots which attracted the bidders were a pair of John Lennon's spectacles which sold for $25,000 (£15,751) and a ring worn by Elvis Presley for $57,600 (£36,291).
27 Oct 2014 The Pet Shop Boys' Always On My Mind was voted the top cover version of all time in a BBC Music vote. The song, written by John Christopher, Mark James and Wayne Carson, was first made famous by Brenda Lee and Elvis Presley in 1972. Johnny Cash's cover of Nine Inch Nails' 'Hurt' came in second place, followed by The Stranglers' version of Dionne Warwick's 'Walk On By'. Jimi Hendrix's take on Bob Dylan's 'All Along The Watchtower' came fourth and Jeff Buckley's cover of Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah completed the top five.
30 Aug 2014 Kate Bush followed her stage comeback by becoming the first woman to have eight albums in the UK charts at the same time. Two of the singer's albums were in the top 10, and eight overall in the top 40. It came after she returned for her first live concerts for 35 years. The only artists ahead of Bush are Elvis Presley, who had 12 entries in the top 40 after his death in 1977 and The Beatles who had 11 in 2009.
20 Jun 2014 Songs by Elvis Presley, ABBA and the Spice Girls were among those being used in research that hoped to unlock the secret of how our memory works. Researchers from the University of Amsterdam had created an online game in an attempt to shed light on why some tunes get stuck in your head. Fans were asked to identify song clips and compare them by their catchiness.
19 Jan 2014 Bruce Springsteen scored his 10th UK No.1 album with High Hopes, putting him ahead of the likes of Abba, David Bowie and Michael Jackson. The achievement puts him on level pegging with The Rolling Stones and U2, who also have 10 UK No.1's. The Beatles lead the way, with 15, followed by Madonna on 12, while Elvis Presley and Robbie Williams both had 11 each.
4 Nov 2013 Rihanna joined The Beatles and Elvis Presley as one of just three acts to top the UK singles chart seven times over seven years. The singer made the No.1 spot, as the featured artist on Eminem's new track 'The Monster'.
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25 Oct 2012 Forbes magazine reported that Michael Jackson topped their list of highest-earning dead musical celebrities by earning $145 million in the past year. Elvis Presley ranked No.2 with $55 million in earnings, and Bob Marley No.3 with $17 million.
27 Sep 2012 Lil Wayne became the new king of the Billboard Hot 100 by placing his 109th song on the chart as an artist. The rapper featured on Game's latest track 'Celebration.' Elvis Presley, with 108 entries, had held the title for 45 years.
24 Jun 2012 The crypt in which Elvis Presley was first buried was withdrawn from a Los Angeles auction after protests it should be kept as a shrine. More than 10,000 fans signed a petition against the sale of the tomb at Forest Hill Cemetery in Memphis, Tennessee. Julien's Auctions said it would not sell the crypt until the cemetery "finds a plan that best suits the interests of the fans while respecting and preserving the memory of Elvis".
12 Apr 2012 Saxophone player Andrew Love died aged 70. He was best known for being a member of The Memphis Horns with trumpet player Wayne Jackson where the two created the signature horn sound at Stax Records on hit records by Otis Redding, Sam & Dave and others such as Neil Diamond, Elvis Presley and Dusty Springfield.
22 Feb 2012 American singer, songwriter, guitarist Billy Strange died aged 81. As a session musician with the famed Wrecking Crew, he appeared on hit songs for Elvis Presley, including 'A Little Less Conversation', Nancy and Frank Sinatra's 'Somethin' Stupid', played guitar on numerous Beach Boys hits, including 'Sloop John B' and the Pet Sounds album and worked with The Ventures, Willie Nelson, The Everly Brothers, Wanda Jackson, Randy Newman, and Nat King Cole, among others.
30 Aug 2011 Alleging that Elvis Presley "was unjustly exploited during his lifetime by his record company," his estate announced a multimillion dollar lawsuit against Arista Music, formerly RCA Records, demanding proper payment over new media income such as ringtones, downloads and entertainment apps.
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26 Oct 2010 Forbes Magazine released its annual list of the Top Earning Dead Celebrities. Michael Jackson led the way at $275 million, Elvis Presley was second at $60 million and John Lennon was fifth at $17 million.
23 Jul 2010 Surgical instruments allegedly used to conduct Elvis Presley autopsy were removed from an upcoming auction amid doubts about their authenticity. Forceps, needle injectors, rubber gloves and a toe tag were among the items that were expected to fetch about $14,000 at Chicago, Illinois' Leslie Hindman Auctioneers. The so-called "memorabilia" was supposedly kept by a senior embalmer at the Memphis Funeral Home where the singer's body was stored prior to his funeral, but the claims were questioned after another employee revealed that the equipment was sterilized and used again in other autopsies.
29 Oct 2009 Forbes Magazine reported that Michael Jackson had earned about 72 million dollars since his death on June 25th. That was good enough for third place on their list of dead celebrities making the most money. Fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent came in first at $350 million, songwriters Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein were second with $235 million and Elvis Presley was fourth, earning $55 million.
19 Oct 2009 A clump of hair believed to have been trimmed from Elvis Presley's head when he joined the US Army in 1958 sold for $15,000 (£9,200) at an auction in Chicago, America. Other items sold belonging to Presley included a shirt which sold for $52,000 (£32,000), a set of concert-used handkerchiefs, $732 (£450) and photos from the reception of Presley's 1967 wedding to Priscilla, sold for nearly $6,000 (£3,700).
20 Aug 2009 American keyboard player and bassist Larry Knechtel died at the age of 69 of an apparent heart attack. He is best known as a member of the Wrecking Crew who worked with such artists as Simon And Garfunkel, Duane Eddy, The Beach Boys, (The Doors, Jerry Garcia, Elvis Presley, and as a member of the 1970s band Bread.
21 Aug 2008 Drummer Buddy Harman died of congestive heart failure, aged 79. Worked with Elvis Presley (‘Little Sister’), Patsy Cline (‘Crazy’), Roy Orbison (‘Pretty Woman’), Johnny Cash (‘Ring Of Fire’), Tammy Wynette (‘Stand By Your Man’). Harman was the first house drummer for The Grand Ole Opry and can be heard on over 18,000 recordings.
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7 Aug 2008 Elvis Presley's peacock jumpsuit, was sold at auction for $300,000, making it the most expensive piece of Elvis memorabilia ever sold at an auction. The white outfit with a plunging V-neck and high collar featured a blue-and-gold peacock design, hand-embroidered on the front and back and along the pant legs.
28 May 2008 American guitarist Jerry Cole died aged 68. He first entered the pop music scene as one of The Champs along with Glen Campbell. Cole and Campbell later formed the Gee Cee's and released one single called 'Buzzsaw Twist'. He backed up Elvis Presley in 1974 and also worked with Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Orbison, Aretha Franklin, The Righteous Brothers, Little Richard, Ray Charles, Tony Orlando & Dawn, Lou Rawls, Gregg Allman, Lee Hazlewood, Blood Sweat & Tears, Kenny Rogers, Neil Diamond, Steely Dan, The Beach Boys and Isaac Hayes.
8 May 2008 American Country artist Eddy Arnold died of natural causes, one week before his 90th birthday. He sold more than 85 million records and had 147 songs on the US charts, including 28 number one hits on Billboard's Country Singles chart. He was once managed by Colonel Tom Parker (who later managed Elvis Presley). Arnold had the 1965 US No.4 hit, ‘Make The World Go Away’.
22 Apr 2008 It was revealed that 60s singer Tommy Steele took Elvis Presley on a secret tour of London in 1958 after Presley struck up a friendship with Steele. When the rock legend flew into London for a day, Steele apparently took him round the city, showing him famous landmarks such as the Houses of Parliament. For more than 50 years, Presley fans had believed the only time Elvis ever set foot in the UK was during a stop-over at Prestwick Airport in Scotland in March 1960.
3 Apr 2008 Mariah Carey smashed Elvis Presley's US chart record by scoring the 18th number one of her career with ‘Touch My Body’, from her new album E=MC2. Carey had now surpassed Elvis Presley's 17 number ones, The Beatles still held the record with 20 US No.1 hit singles.
15 Nov 2007 Jay-Z went to No.1 on the US album chart with American Gangster his 10th No.1 album. This made the rapper joint second with Elvis Presley for the most No.1 albums on the chart; only The Beatles have had more, with 19. Since 1998, all eight of Jay-Z's solo studio albums had hit No. 1, in addition to his Collision Course project with Linkin Park and his Unfinished Business collaboration with R. Kelly.
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30 Oct 2007 Forbes.com reported that Elvis Presley had regained his crown as the highest-earning dead celebrity, with an annual income of $49m (£23.7m) during the past year. John Lennon ranked second with $44m (£21.3m), while Peanuts cartoon creator Charles M Schulz was third on the list, Beatle George Harrison was fourth with $22m (£10.6m). Nirvana's Kurt Cobain topped the list in 2006.
22 Dec 2006 American songwriter Dennis Linde died aged 63 from a rare lung disease. Linde wrote one of Elvis Presley's last major hits, 'Burning Love' and also wrote 'Goodbye Earl' for the Dixie Chicks, and 'Callin' Baton Rouge' for Garth Brooks.
24 Oct 2006 Forbes.com revealed that Kurt Cobain had overtaken Elvis Presley as the highest earning dead celebrity. Cobain's work earned $50m (£27m) in the 12 months to October 2006, compared with Presley's $42m (£22m). Former Beatle John Lennon earned $35m (£19m).
17 Sep 2006 American guitarist Al Casey died aged 69. Casey is noted for his work as a session musician and as a member of the Wrecking Crew and worked with The Beach Boys, Phil Spector, Elvis Presley, Glen Campbell, The Association, The Monkees, Johnny Cash, Simon And Garfunkel, 5th Dimension, Harry Nilsson, The Partridge Family, Frank Sinatra, and Nancy Sinatra.
18 Aug 2006 US film-maker Adam Muskiewicz set up elviswanted.com as part of a documentary exploring the myth that the singer was still alive and offered a $3m (£1.59m) reward for anybody who found Elvis Presley alive. The film was due for release in August 2007, to coincide with the 30th anniversary of Presley's death.
20 Jan 2006 American music executive Johnny Bienstock died of complications from heart disease aged 83. He owned Moss Rose Music and worked with Ernest Tubb, Hank Snow, Elvis Presley, The Bee Gees, Eric Clapton, Del Shannon and Meat Loaf.
10 Jan 2006 An Australian woman appeared in court charged with repeatedly stabbing her partner with a pair of scissors in the back, shoulder and thigh because he played Elvis Presley's song 'Burning Love' over and over again.
6 Jan 2006 A collection of Elvis Presley memorabilia bought by a council worker who embezzled nearly £600,000 was set to be sold to compensate the local authority. Julie Wall, 46, from Rippon Drive in Sleaford, was jailed for three years for the offence last October. The collection - which included rare recordings and foreign pressings of Elvis songs, was to be auctioned off by a High Court receiver to provide compensation.
9 Dec 2005 A man charged with stealing more than $300,000 worth of Elvis Presley's jewelry from the Elvis-A-Rama museum appeared in a Las Vegas court. 30 year old Eliab Aguilar was arrested on November 3rd after police said he approached a retired Elvis impersonator and offered to sell him several items including Presley's 1953 class ring from Humes High School worth $32,000, a 41 carat ruby and diamond ring worth $77,000 and a gold-plated Smith & Wesson .38 special.
6 Nov 2005 Madonna scored her 36th Top Ten single with ‘Hung Up’, equaling the record with Elvis Presley for the most Top Ten singles. ‘Hung Up’ was also Madonna's 47th Top Forty single, the most for any female artist. The track sampled the instrumental riff from ABBA's 'Gimme, Gimme, Gimme'.
2 Sep 2005 Mariah Carey became only the fifth act ever to hold the top two positions in the US singles chart. The singer's ‘We Belong Together’ notched a 10th consecutive week at No.1 on the Billboard chart while ‘Shake It Off’ jumped two places to second place. The feat put Carey in a select group of acts to hold the top two with Nelly, OutKast, The Bee Gees and The Beatles. ‘We Belong Together’ was Carey's 16th number one, giving her the third highest number of chart-toppers in the US behind the Beatles and Elvis Presley.
5 Aug 2005 Bob Dylan's song 'Like a Rolling Stone' topped a poll of rock and film stars to find the music, movies, TV shows and books that changed the world. The 1965 single beat Elvis Presley's 'Heartbreak Hotel' into second place in a survey for Uncut magazine. Paul McCartney, Noel Gallagher, Robert Downey Jr, Rolling Stone Keith Richards and Lou Reed were among those who gave their opinions.
27 May 2005 Robbie Williams was voted into first place beating Elvis Presley, Jimi Hendrix and David Bowie to be named the best live solo artist. A UK nation-wide survey of 5,000 people saw the former Take That star beat music icons including Madonna, Michael Jackson and Bob Dylan. U2 were named best live band, ahead of Queen and Oasis, in a poll by Carling to celebrate the UK's live music scene.
19 Apr 2005 It was announced that two 30-second television commercials designed to attract vacationing families to Graceland to experience the "real" Elvis Presley would air nationally in the US starting in April 2006. It was the first time in the history of Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc. that the company has used television advertising to promote Graceland tourism.
16 Jan 2005 Elvis Presley's single ‘One Night’ made chart history by becoming the 1,000th UK No.1. Elvis, who led last week's chart with ‘Jailhouse Rock’, had now scored more No.1 UK hits than any other artist with 20, beating The Beatles 17 chart toppers.
13 Jan 2005 A report showed that more songs had been written about Elvis Presley than any other artist. It listed over 220 songs including: ‘Graceland’ by Paul Simon, ‘A Room At The Heartbreakhotel’ by U2, ‘Calling Elvis’, Dire Straits, ‘Happy Birthday Elvis’, Loudon Wainwright III, ‘There's A Guy Works Down The Chip Shop Swears He's Elvis’, Kirsty MacColl, ‘I Saw Elvis in a UFO’, Ray Stevens. ‘Elvis Has Left the Building’ by Frank Zappa and 'My Dog Thinks I'm Elvis' by Ray Herndon.
9 Jan 2005 Elvis Presley went to No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Jailhouse Rock.' The single sold just 21,262 copies to reach No.1, the lowest sales ever for a UK chart topper since data began in 1969. The single was released to celebrate the 70th anniversary of his birth, a previous Elvis chart topper was re-released each week.
17 Dec 2004 Elvis Presley's daughter Lisa Marie Presley agreed to sell 85% of his estate to businessman Robert Sillerman in a deal worth $100m. Sillerman would run Presley's Memphis home Graceland, and own Elvis' name and the rights to all revenue from his music and films. In the deal Lisa Marie would retain possession of Graceland and many of her father's ‘personal effects.’
10 Dec 2004 One of three RCA microphones used by radio station KWKH for the historic Elvis Presley appearance at the Louisiana Hayride was sold for $37,500. The microphone was one of three used during 50 performances by Elvis Presley when he performed for the radio show in Shreveport from 1954 to 1956.
26 Oct 2004 Elvis Presley came top of a list of the highest-earning dead celebrities. Forbes.com listed the Top 5 dead music earners; 1. Elvis Presley $40m (£22m), 2. John Lennon $21m (£11m), 3. George Harrison $7m (£3.8m), 4. Bob Marley $7m and at 5. George and Ira Gershwin $6m.
12 Sep 2004 American drummer and arranger Kenny Buttrey died in Nashville, Tennessee, Worked with Neil Young, (Harvest, and After the Gold Rush), Bob Dylan (Blonde on Blonde, Nashville Skyline & John Wesley Harding), and Bob Seger, Elvis Presley, Donovan, George Harrison, Joan Baez, Dan Fogelberg, Kris Kristofferson, Jimmy Buffett, Chuck Berry and Area Code 615.
22 Aug 2004 Al Dvorin the announcer who popularised the phrase "Elvis has left the building" died in a car crash, on his way home from an Elvis Presley convention in California. Dvorin aged 81, was in a car driven by Elvis photographer Ed Bonja. Dvorin was never paid for recordings of his words, and was bitter towards the multimillion pound Elvis Presley Enterprises. In the early 1970s, Colonel Parker asked Dvorin to inform fans at a gig that Presley would not be appearing for an encore. He took the stage and announced: "Ladies and gentlemen, Elvis has left the building. Thank you and goodnight."
22 Mar 2004 A new book claimed that Elvis Presley's ancestors came from a small village called Lonmay in the North East of Scotland. Author Allan Morrison said he'd found evidence that Elvis's great-great-great-great-great-great grandfather was married in the village 300 years ago.
28 Jan 2004 Elvis Presley fans expressed their anger at plans to cut up a rare tape of the singer's early songs and sell the snippets at auction. The tape, which featured a recording made by Presley during the early 1950s, was now too fragile to play. US firm Master Tape Collection said the tape would be cut into two-inch snippets and sold for £270 ($460) each.
22 Dec 2003 The annual list of all-time music greats by the Guinness book of hit singles was again topped by Elvis Presley. The list based on the number of weeks spent on the UK singles chart looked like this; 1. Elvis Presley (1193), 2. Cliff Richard (1152), 3. The Shadows (771), 4. Elton John (623), 5. Madonna (606), 6. Diana Ross (560), 7. Michael Jackson (509), 8. Rod Stewart (477), 9. The Beatles (456) and 10. David Bowie (452).
11 Oct 2003 Mojo magazine readers voted the studio session for Elvis Presley's debut single 'That's All Right' the most pivotal moment in rock history. Bob Dylan's switch from acoustic to electric guitars in 1965 came second, and 'White Riot, the debut single by The Clash released in 1977 was voted third.
15 Sep 2003 ABBA tribute acts overtook Elvis Presley impersonators in the battle of British covers singers according to a survey. The Swedish group jumped from third most tributed act in 2001 to top in 2002 with imitators like Abba Fever and Voulez Vous putting on Abba shows. Elvis dropped to number two while The Beatles dropped to three. The Performing Right Society carried out the research.
22 Aug 2003 Kjell Henning Bjoernestad a Norwegian Elvis Presley impersonator set a world record by singing the rock 'n' roll legend's hits non-stop for over 26 hours. The previous record was set by British Elvis fan Gary Jay who sang for 25 hours 33 minutes and 30 seconds.
30 Jul 2003 Sam Phillips the founder of Sun Records and studio died of respiratory failure at St. Francis Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee. In the 1940s, Phillips worked as a DJ for Muscle Shoals, Alabama radio station WLAY. Phillips recorded what some consider to be the first rock and roll record, ‘Rocket 88’ by Jackie Brenston and his Delta Cats in 1951. He discovered Elvis Presley, worked with Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison, Ike Turner, B.B. King and Jerry Lee Lewis.
20 Jul 2003 A tooth said to have been pulled out of Elvis Presley's mouth after an injury failed to sell on the auction site eBay . The tooth had been put on a 10-day sale with a reserve price of $100,000 (£64,100). Bids had pushed the price up to $2m (£1.28m) but they were later found out to be fraudulent.
5 Jun 2003 A Grandfather who set up his own pirate radio station in Wakefield, Yorkshire was under investigation by local broadcasting authorities. The man known as Ricky Rock had erected a 32ft transmitter in his garden and had been playing hits by The Beach Boys, The Beatles and Elvis Presley. Ricky said he set the station up because 'talent-less boy bands and dance music' featured on local stations did not cater to the tastes of his generation.
22 Apr 2003 Songwriter Felice Bryant died of cancer. Wrote many hits with her husband Boudleaux including; The Everly Brothers, 'Bye Bye Love', 'All I Have To Do Is Dream', 'Wake Up Little Susie' and 'Raining In My Heart' a hit for Buddy Holly. Other acts to record their song include Bob Dylan, The Beatles, Tony Bennett, Simon And Garfunkel, Sarah Vaughan, Grateful Dead, Dolly Parton, Elvis Presley, The Beach Boys, Roy Orbison, Elvis Costello, Count Basie, Dean Martin, Ruth Brown, Cher, R.E.M. and Ray Charles.
9 Jan 2003 A grand piano once owned by Elvis Presley was sold for $685,000 (£425,711). Music producer Robert Johnson and partner Larry Moss sold the piano to the chairman of the Blue Moon Group, Michael Muzio who was planning to take the piano on a casino-sponsored promotional tour. He was then planning for the piano to be shown at the proposed rock museum at Walt Disney World.
9 Nov 2002 Viewers of the UK music channel VH1 voted 'I Will Always Love You' by Whitney Houston as the number 1 most romantic song ever. In second place Elvis Presley 'You Were Always On My Mind' and third place went to 'My Heart Will Go On' by Celine Dion.
16 Jun 2002 46 years after his first hit, Elvis Presley started a four week run at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'A Little Less Conversation', (Elvis vs. JXL), giving Elvis a total of 18 UK No.1 singles, the most by any artist in chart history. This also set a new record for the longest span of No.1 hits with 44 years, 11 months and 9 days. His first UK No.1 single was 'All Shook Up' in 1957.
3 Dec 2001 American session guitarist Grady Martin died aged 72. He was a member of the legendary Nashville A-Team, playing guitar on hits ranging from Roy Orbison's ‘Oh, Pretty Woman’, Marty Robbins' ‘El Paso’ and Loretta Lynn's ‘Coal Miner's Daughter’. During a 50-year career, Martin backed such names as Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, Woody Guthrie, Arlo Guthrie, Johnny Cash, Patsy Cline, Joan Baez and J. J. Cale.
30 Jun 2001 American guitarist and producer Chet Atkins died in Nashville aged 77. Recorded over 90 albums during his career, produced records for Perry Como, Elvis Presley, Don Gibson, Jim Reeves and Waylon Jennings. He was a major influence on George Harrison and Mark Knopler.
20 Jul 2000 The Evergreen Ballroom in Lacey, Washington was destroyed by a fire. During the ballroom's heyday in the 1950s, 60s and 70s, many of music's greats played there: Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Duke Ellington, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Ike and Tina Turner and Fats Domino. Glen Campbell had lived in the kitchen at the venue for a while before he became famous.
20 Dec 1999 Canadian Country singer Hank Snow died. 'The Singing Ranger' released over 100 albums and scored more than seventy singles on the Billboard country charts from 1950 until 1980. A regular at the Grand Ole Opry, in 1954 Snow persuaded the directors to allow a new singer by the name of Elvis Presley to appear at the Grand Ole Opry.
26 Oct 1999 American singer, songwriter and actor Hoyt Axton died of a heart attack in Victor, Montana aged 61. He wrote songs for, Elvis Presley, Three Dog Night, (1971 US No.1 'Joy To The World'), John Denver, Ringo Starr, Glen Campbell. His mother Mae Boren Axton wrote 'Heartbreak Hotel'.
17 Oct 1999 Thomas Durden died aged 79. Wrote the lyrics to Heartbreak Hotel, one of Elvis Presley's early hits. Durden had read a newspaper account of a man who had committed suicide, the man had left a note saying, ''I walk a lonely street,'' Durden used the phrase as the basis for 'Heartbreak Hotel.’
10 Oct 1999 A charity auction selling Elvis Presley's belongings was held at The Grand Hotel, Las Vegas. A wristwatch sold for $32,500, a cigar box $25,000, an autographed baseball sold for $19,000, and a 1956 Lincoln Continental sold for $250,000.
7 Jun 1998 Songwriter Wally Gold died in a New Jersey hospital aged 70. He wrote 'It's My Party' hit for Lesley Gore and It’s Now or Never, a hit for Elvis Presley. Member of late 50s group The Four Esquires and he produced Kansas & Gene Pitney.
7 May 1998 Eddie Rabbitt, US singer, songwriter died of lung cancer aged 56. During his career, he scored over 20 No.1's on Billboard's country singles chart including 1981 'I Love A Rainy Night'. Elvis Presley, Dr Hook, Tom Jones, Kenny Rogers, Crystal Gayle and Lynn Anderson all recorded his songs.
19 Jan 1998 American singer, songwriter Carl Perkins died aged 65 from throat cancer. He wrote the classic rock & roll song 'Blue Suede Shoes', the first record on the Sun label to sell a million copies. His songs were recorded by Elvis Presley, The Beatles Jimi Hendrix and Johnny Cash. Paul McCartney claimed that "if there were no Carl Perkins, there would be no Beatles."
10 Nov 1997 American session guitarist Tommy Tedesco died of lung cancer aged 67. Described by "Guitar Player" magazine as the most recorded guitarist in history recording with The Beach Boys, Everly Brothers, Supremes, The Monkees, The Association, Barbra Streisand, Elvis Presley, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Zappa, Sam Cooke, Cher and Nancy and Frank Sinatra. And played on many TV themes including Bonanza, The Twilight Zone, MAS*H and Batman.
16 Aug 1997 On the 20th anniversary of Elvis Presley death over 30,000 fans descended on Memphis Tennessee for a 10-minute mourning circuit circling his grave. A poll found that almost a third of the fans were keeping an eye out for him in the crowd.
25 May 1997 A report showed that Elvis Presley was now the world's bestselling posthumous entertainer with worldwide sales of over one billion, over 480 active fan clubs and an estimated 250,000 UK fans who still buy his records. Ironically he had died owing $3 million (£1.76 million).
9 Apr 1997 Songwriter Mae Boren Axton died aged 82 after drowning in her bath at her home in Hendersonville, Tennessee after an apparent heart attack. Known as the 'Queen Mother of Nashville' she wrote over 200 songs including a co-writing credit on the Elvis Presley hit 'Heartbreak Hotel'. She was the mother of country singer, songwriter Hoyt Axton.
17 Mar 1997 Elvis Presley Enterprises of Memphis, Tennessee, lost its Court of Appeal battle to stop London trader Sid Shaw using the name of 'The King' on his souvenirs. The legal tussle with Mr Shaw, who ran a memorabilia shop called 'Elvisly Yours', had been going on for over 17 years. Speaking after the ruling, Mr Shaw said: 'I'm delighted. I've proved that Elvis belongs to all of us - Elvis is part of our history, part of our culture'.
21 Jan 1997 'Colonel' Tom Parker, Elvis Presley's manager and agent died of a stroke in Las Vegas, Nevada, at the age of 87. Born Andreas van Kuijk, a Dutch immigrant who changed his name as soon as he arrived in the US, Parker never applied for a green card and feared deportation his entire life. He briefly managed country singers Eddy Arnold and Hank Snow.
17 Mar 1996 American singer and songwriter Terry Stafford died of liver failure, at the age of 54. He is best known for his 1964 US Top 10 hit, ‘Suspicion’, (also recorded by Elvis Presley) and the 1973 country music hit, ‘Amarillo by Morning’. ‘Suspicion’ had the distinction of being sixth on the Billboard Hot 100 on April 4, 1964, when the Beatles held down the top five spots. 'Amarillo by Morning', was later covered by George Strait on his 1982 album Strait from the Heart. The song was once named the No.12 country song of all-time by Country Music Television.
26 May 1994 Michael Jackson married Lisa Marie Presley, daughter of Elvis Presley. The couple divorced in 1995. They had first met when the seven-year-old Presley attended several of Jackson's concerts in Las Vegas.
24 Jul 1993 UB40 started a seven week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Can't Help Falling In Love'. Elvis Presley had the first hit with the song, in 1961, Corey Hart was next up with a top 30 hit in 1987, and Hall and Oates recorded the song for 1990’s, The Last Temptation of Elvis charity album. UB40 originally covered the song for the Honeymoon in Vegas soundtrack, but Bono’s version was chosen instead. Also on the same day UB40 went to No.1 on the UK album chart with 'Promises And Lies'.
14 May 1993 During an auction at Christies in London the acoustic guitar that Elvis Presley used to make his first recordings in 1954, 'That's All Right Mama' and 'Blue Moon of Kentucky', sold for £130,285, ($152,000).And four 'Super Hero', Costumes worn by the group Kiss sold for £20,000, ($35,385).
19 Apr 1993 American saxophonist and flautist Steve Douglas died aged 54. He recorded with Duane Eddy, Aretha Franklin, Elvis Presley Willy DeVille, Bob Dylan Ramones and others.
8 Oct 1992 The US Postal Service issued a set of commemorative stamps to celebrate pop music legends. The stamps included Elvis Presley, Bill Haley, Buddy Holly, Otis Redding Ritchie Valens, Clyde McPhatter and Dinah Washington.
15 Aug 1992 Boyz II Men started a 13 week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'End Of The Road' the group's first US No.1. Taken from the Eddie Murphy film Boomerang, it broke the 36-year-old record held by Elvis Presley for the longest run at No.1
4 Jun 1992 The US Postal Service announced the results of a poll conducted to see which picture of Elvis Presley should be used on a commemorative stamp. The young Elvis beat the (older and larger) Vegas Elvis.
29 Feb 1992 U2 kicked off their north American leg of the 'Zoo TV Tour', at The Lakeland Civic Centre Arena, Florida. Many acts have appeared here, including Elvis Presley, The Rolling Stones, Rush and Bob Dylan. It was here where Kiss guitarist Ace Frehley was nearly electrocuted, during a concert on December 11, 1976.
4 Nov 1989 Elton John scored his 50th UK chart hit when 'Sacrifice', entered the charts. Only Cliff Richard and Elvis Presley had also achieved this feat. Sacrifice was initially released as a single in 1989, but stalled at No.55 in the UK and at No.18 in the US. English DJ, Steve Wright, began playing the song on BBC Radio 1 and the song was then re-released as a double A-side single, along with 'Healing Hands'.
22 Oct 1989 English folk singer, songwriter, poet, and record producer Ewan MacColl died aged 74. He wrote 'Dirty Old Town' and 'The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face', (became a No.1 hit for Roberta Flack in 1972). Acts including Planxty, The Dubliners, Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash recorded his songs. He was the father of singer, songwriter Kirsty MacColl.
29 Sep 1989 While travelling on his motorbike from Los Angeles, Bruce Springsteen called in at Matt's Saloon in Prescott, Arizona and jammed with the house band. Bruce played a bunch of rock and roll classics, including Elvis Presley's 'Don’t Be Cruel,' and Chuck Berry's 'Sweet Little Sixteen' and 'Route 66.’ Bruce also donated $100,000 to a barmaid's hospital bill.
12 Jun 1989 The Elvis Presley Autoland Museum opened at Graceland. The museum contained over 30 cars which were owned by Presley including his famous Pink Cadillac, Harley-Davidson motorcycles, Stutz Blackhawks, a 1975 Dino Ferrari, a 1956 Cadillac Eldorado Convertible, and the red MG that Elvis drove in the film Blue Hawaii.
19 Aug 1988 'Crazy' by Patsy Cline and Elvis Presley's 'Hound Dog' were announced as the most played jukebox songs of the first hundred years. The jukebox had been around since 1906, but earlier models had been first seen in 1889.
29 Jul 1988 American record producer and pedal steel guitar player Pete Drake died of lung disease. Worked with Elvis Presley, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. Played on such hits as Lynn Anderson's ‘Rose Garden’, Charlie Rich's ‘Behind Closed Doors', Bob Dylan's ‘Lay Lady Lay' and Tammy Wynette's ‘Stand by Your Man’.
19 Dec 1987 The Pet Shop Boys had their third UK No.1 single with their version of 'Always On My Mind. The duo had performed a version of 'Always on My Mind' on Love Me Tender, an TV special commemorating the tenth anniversary of Elvis Presley's death, their performance was so well-received that the group decided to record the song and release it as a single.
25 Jun 1987 Songwriter Boudleaux Bryant died. Wrote with his wife Felice, The Everly Brothers hits, 'Bye Bye Love', 'All I Have To Do Is Dream', 'Wake Up Little Susie' and 'Raining In My Heart' a hit for Buddy Holly. Other acts to record their song include Bob Dylan, The Beatles, Simon And Garfunkel, Grateful Dead, Dolly Parton, Elvis Presley, The Beach Boys, Roy Orbison, Dean Martin, Ruth Brown, Cher, R.E.M. and Ray Charles.
11 Feb 1987 The Smiths were at No.1 in the UK indie charts with 'Shoplifters Of The World Unite.' The title alludes to the communist slogan "Workers of the world, unite!", and the 1966 David and Jonathan hit 'Lovers of the World Unite'. The photograph on the sleeve is of a young Elvis Presley.
25 Jul 1984 Willie Mae ‘Big Mama’ Thornton died at the age of 58 died in Los Angeles of heart and liver complications. She had a No.1 R&B hit in 1953 with ‘Hound Dog’ (later covered by Elvis Presley). She also wrote and recorded ‘Ball 'n' Chain,’ which Janis Joplin recorded.
28 Mar 1983 American singer Jean King from the Phil Spector produced girl group the Blossoms died from a heart attack age 44. King had also performed in Ray Charles' backing group the Raelettes and sung backup for Elvis Presley, Tom Jones, Nancy Sinatra, and Bill Medley.
18 Jul 1982 Willie Nelson was at No.1 on the country album chart with Always On My Mind, which became the Billboard No.1 country album of the year. The album spent 22 weeks at the top of the charts and stayed for a total of 253 weeks on the Billboard Country charts. The track 'Always on My Mind' was originally recorded by B.J. Thomas in 1970, and has since been recorded by dozens of performers including Elvis Presley, Brenda Lee, John Wesley Ryles and Pet Shop Boys.
5 Jul 1982 Sun records musical director Bill Justis died of cancer aged 55. He worked with Sam Phillips at Sun Records, worked with also worked with Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison, Charlie Rich and Jerry Lee Lewis. Had the 1957 US No. 2 single 'Raunchy' (the first Rock and Roll instrumental hit). Also had a No.1 hit in Australia in 1963 with ‘Tamoure.’
30 Jan 1982 Paul McCartney guested on BBC radios Desert Island Discs his selections include, Elvis Presley's 'Heartbreak Hotel', Chuck Berry's 'Sweet Little Sixteen', John Lennon's 'Beautiful Boy 'and Little Richard's 'Tutti Frutti'.
1 Aug 1981 Welsh singer Shakin' Stevens had his second UK No.1 single with his version of 'Green Door', which had been a hit in the US for Jim Lowe in 1956 (squeezing out 'Love Me Tender' by Elvis Presley). Frankie Vaughan also scored a UK No.2 hit with the song in 1956.
28 Feb 1981 Country music star Eddie Rabbitt crossed over to the Pop chart to score a US No.1 hit with 'I Love a Rainy Night'. He had earlier written the Elvis Presley smash 'Kentucky Rain' before having a No.5 hit with 'Drivin' My Life Away'. Although it sounds like he made up a stage name, his real name is Edward Thomas Rabbitt.
21 Jun 1980 German orchestra leader and songwriter Bert Kaempfert died aged 56. Both Frank Sinatra (Strangers In The Night) and Elvis Presley (Wooden Heart) covered his songs. Kaempfert released over 50 albums. In 1961, he hired The Beatles to back Tony Sheridan on recording sessions for Polydor, (these were the Beatles' first commercial recordings).
19 Dec 1979 Elvis Presley's personal physician, George Nichopoulos, was charged with 'illegally and indiscriminately' prescribing over 12,000 tablets of uppers, downers, and painkillers for the star during the 20 months preceding his untimely death. Although he was acquitted this time, he was charged again in 1980 and again in 1992 and was stripped of his medical license in July 1995.
28 Oct 1978 Queen played the first night on their 79-date ‘Jazz’ tour at the Dallas Convention Center, Dallas, Texas. Many other acts have appeared here, including, The Beatles, Elvis Presley, Santana and Led Zeppelin.
2 Oct 1977 The body of Elvis Presley and his mother Gladys were moved from the cemetery where they were buried to Graceland's after an unsuccessful attempt was made to body snatch the coffin.
3 Sep 1977 The month after his death, Elvis Presley had 27 albums and 9 singles in the Top 100 charts in the UK. 'Moody Blue' was the No.1 album while 'Way Down' was No.1 on the singles chart, (putting him equal with The Beatles each amassing 17 No.1 hits).
16 Aug 1977 Elvis Presley was found dead lying on the floor in his bathroom by his girlfriend Ginger Alden, he had been seated on the toilet reading 'The Scientific Search For Jesus'. He died of heart failure at the age of 42. His first record for RCA, 'Heartbreak Hotel' was also his first US No.1. He starred in 31 films. Elvis holds the record for the most entries on the US Hot 100 chart with 154. Elvis became the first rock 'n' roll artist to be honoured by the US Postal Service with a stamp.
26 Jun 1977 Elvis Presley made his last ever live stage appearance when he appeared at the Market Square Arena in Indianapolis. Presley would die less than two months later. The last two songs he performed were ‘Hurt’ and ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water.’ Before the show Elvis was presented with a plaque commemorating the 2 billionth record to come out of RCA’s pressing plant.
25 Apr 1977 Elvis Presley made the last recordings of his life during a concert at the Saginaw, Michigan Civic Centre. Three songs from the show appeared on the posthumously released Presley album, 'Moody Blue'.
23 Mar 1977 Elvis Presley appeared at the Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona. This was the first date of 49 date US tour over three months and Presley's last ever tour. (His last ever show was on 26th June 1977 at the Indianapolis Indiana Market Square Arena).
23 Nov 1976 Ten hours after his last arrest, Jerry Lee Lewis was nicked again after brandishing a Derringer pistol outside Elvis Presley's Graceland's home in Memphis, demanding to see the 'King'. When police arrived they found Lewis sat in his car with the loaded Derringer pistol resting on his knee.
29 Apr 1976 After a gig in Memphis Bruce Springsteen took a cab to Elvis Presley's Graceland home and proceeded to climb over the wall. A guard took him to be another crank fan and apprehended him.
17 Apr 1975 Elvis Presley bought a Convair 880 Jet formally owned by Delta Airlines for $250,000, which he re-christened Lisa Marie. Presley spent a further $600,000 refurbishing the Jet to include personal quarters, a meeting area and a dance floor.
28 Mar 1975 At an Elvis Presley concert at the Hilton in Las Vegas, Barbra Streisand went backstage and offered Elvis the lead role in her upcoming film A Star Is Born. Elvis was interested, but on the advice of his manager Colonel Parker, he demanded too much money and top billing. Kris Kristofferson was chosen for the role instead.
8 Jun 1974 Dolly Parton was at No.1 on the US country chart with 'I Will Always Love You'. Elvis Presley indicated that he wanted to cover the song. Parton was interested until Presley's manager, Colonel Tom Parker, told her that it was standard procedure for the songwriter to sign over half of the publishing rights to any song Elvis recorded. Parton refused. 'I Will Always Love You' later became a worldwide No.1 hit for Whitney Houston in 1992 when featured in The Bodyguard.
11 May 1974 Led Zeppelin attended an Elvis Presley show at the Los Angeles Forum in California. After a shaky start to the show, Elvis stopped the band and jokingly said: ‘Wait a minute, if we can start together fellas, because we’ve got Led Zeppelin out there, lets try to look like we know what we're doing.’ All four members of Zeppelin met with Elvis after the show, spending over 2 hours backstage. Elvis asked for all the group’s autographs for his daughter Lisa Marie.
28 Mar 1974 Delta blues singer and guitarist Arthur 'Big Boy' Crudup died of a stroke at the age of 69. He wrote 'That's All Right (Mama)' covered by Elvis Presley and 'My Baby Left Me'.
16 Mar 1974 During a US tour, Elvis Presley played the first of four nights at the Midsouth Coliseum in Memphis Tennessee. This was the first time Elvis had played in Memphis since 1961.
26 Nov 1973 John Rostill former bassist with The Shadows died after being electrocuted at his home recording studio. A local newspaper ran the headline, 'Pop musician dies, guitar apparent cause'. After the break up of The Shadows Rostill worked with Tom Jones and wrote songs covered by Elvis Presley and Olivia Newton-John.
15 Oct 1973 Having experienced respiratory problems for the past four days, Elvis Presley was admitted for two weeks to Memphis Baptist Memorial Hospital with "pneumonia." Dr. George Nichopoulos, Elvis's physician, discovered his patient's addiction to Demerol.
9 Oct 1973 Elvis Presley and Priscilla divorced after six years of marriage. Priscilla was awarded property, $725,000 cash and $4,200 a month support.
11 Apr 1973 The Beach Boys appeared at the Omni Coliseum in Atlanta, Georgia. The Beach Boys were at a very low ebb in popularity in America and this show proved a financial disaster for the promoter, with less than 3,000 tickets sold for the 16,000 capacity venue. Opening act was Mothers Finest and middle of the bill was Bruce Springsteen who played a 60-minute set. Elvis Presley performed twice in the Omni and a plaque was placed on an interior wall to that effect after his death.
6 Mar 1973 An attempt to bring Elvis Presley to the UK for shows at London's Earl's Court failed. Promoters had hoped that Elvis would be available during the summer but were told that Elvis now had US tour and filming commitments.
9 Jun 1972 Elvis Presley made entertainment history by performing four sold-out shows at New York's Madison Square Garden. George Harrison, John Lennon, David Bowie, Bob Dylan and Art Garfunkel were among music stars that attended the shows. The shows were recorded and became the album 'Elvis as recorded at Madison Square Garden'.
27 Mar 1972 Elvis Presley recorded what would be his last major hit, 'Burning Love,' which became a No.2 hit on the US chart. Written by Dennis Linde and originally recorded by country soul artist Arthur Alexander, who included it on his 1972 self-titled album. It was soon covered and brought to fame by Elvis, becoming his biggest hit single in the United States since 'Suspicious Minds' in 1969.
23 Feb 1972 After nearly five years of marriage, Priscilla Presley moved out of Elvis Presley's California home and into a two bedroom apartment near the Pacific Ocean. Their divorce would be finalized on October 9, 1973, with Priscilla being awarded an outright cash payment of $725,000 as well as spousal support, child support, 5% of Elvis' new publishing companies and half the income from the sale of their Beverly Hills home.
17 Jan 1972 A section of Bellevue Boulevard in Memphis was renamed Elvis Presley Boulevard. The remaining length of road kept its original name after protests from the Bellevue Baptist Church.
5 Nov 1971 Elvis Presley kicked off a 15-date North American tour at the Metropolitan Sports Center in Minneapolis. Announcer Al Dvorin uttered the well known phrase: "Elvis has left the building" at the end of the show. He was asked to make the announcement in an effort to quiet the fans who continued to call for an encore.
1 Jun 1971 The two-room shack in Tupelo, Mississippi, where Elvis Presley was born on January 8, 1935 was opened to the public as a tourist attraction.
21 Dec 1970 A stretch limousine carrying Elvis Presley pulled up outside the White House in Washington, D.C. The driver handed over a letter from Elvis addressed to President Nixon requesting a meeting to discuss how the King of Rock and Roll could help Nixon fight drugs. The President agreed to give Presley a Narcotics Bureau badge - but only after learning that the chief of the narcotics bureau had turned down the same request earlier that day and told Presley the only person who could overrule his decision was the President. At Elvis' request, the meeting remained secret for more than a year, until the Washington Post broke the story on January 27th, 1972.
28 Aug 1970 During a four-week engagement at The International Hotel in Las Vegas, a security guard at the hotel received a phone call in which he was told Elvis Presley would be shot during his last show. The person demanded $50,000 to reveal the name of the potential killer. Later that day a menu was found in Elvis’ mail at the hotel on which Elvis’ face was destroyed and a gun had been drawn pointing to his heart. The threats were taken very seriously. Elvis played his last show without any incident.
16 Aug 1970 This week's UK Top 5 singles: No.5, Free, 'All Right Now', No.4, Shirley Bassey, 'Something', No.3, Hotlegs, 'Neanderthal Man', No.2, The Kinks, 'Lola' and No.1, Elvis Presley, 'The Wonder Of You', (his 16th UK No.1).
10 Aug 1970 Elvis Presley played the first night of a four-week engagement, playing 2 shows most nights at The International Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada.
2 Aug 1970 Elvis Presley was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with his version of 'The Wonder Of You' his sixteenth No.1. Ray Peterson recorded the original version in 1959 which gave him a Top 30 hit.
28 Feb 1970 Simon and Garfunkel started a six week run at the top of the US singles chart with 'Bridge Over Troubled Water', also No.1 in the UK in March the same year. It became one of the most performed songs of the twentieth century, with over 50 artists, among them Elvis Presley and Aretha Franklin, covering the song.
1 Nov 1969 Elvis Presley went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Suspicious Minds', his 18th US No.1 single. A No.2 hit in the UK.
31 Jul 1969 Elvis Presley kicked off a four week run at the Las Vegas International Hotel, (his first live show since 1961). He reportedly netted $1.5m for the shows. On the menu an Elvis special, polk salad with corn muffins & honey.
13 Jan 1969 Elvis Presley began a ten day recording session that would produce his final US number one record, 'Suspicious Minds'. The tracks were laid down at American Sound Studios in Memphis and marked the first time Presley had recorded in his hometown since his Sun Records days in 1956.
28 Sep 1968 American radio DJ Dewey Phillips died of heart failure aged 42. He was one of rock 'n' roll's pioneering disk jockeys. In July 1954, he was the first DJ to play the young Elvis Presley's debut record, 'That's All Right/Blue Moon Of Kentucky.'
27 Jun 1968 Elvis Presley appeared on an NBC TV show that was billed as his "comeback special". The show featured the king performing on a small, square stage, surrounded by a mostly female audience. Presley was outfitted in black leather and performed many of his early hits.
10 Sep 1967 Elvis Presley recorded 'Guitar Man' at RCA studio, Nashville, Tennessee. The Jerry Reed song became the last of eleven number one country hits for Presley.
19 Jul 1967 Elvis Presley was working on his latest movie Speedway co-starring Nancy Sinatra at the MGM Soundstage, Hollywood, California. (It was Presley's twenty-seventh film).
1 May 1967 32 year old Elvis Presley married 21 year old Priscilla Beaulieu, a girl he first met in 1959 when she was just 14 years old. When Elvis got out of the army in 1960, Beaulieu moved into the singer's Graceland mansion with her family's blessing. The wedding ceremony took place at the Aladdin Hotel in Las Vegas and although the marriage license was only $15, the wedding cake cost $3,500. The couple divorced after five years of marriage on October 9, 1973.
7 Oct 1966 Smiley Lewis, New Orleans R&B singer, died of stomach cancer. He wrote 'One Night' covered by Elvis Presley and 'I Hear You Knocking' 1955 US No.2 for Gale Storm plus UK No.1 & US No.2 for Dave Edmunds'.
21 Oct 1965 Bill Black, Elvis Presley's bass player, (1954-57), died four months after receiving surgery to remove a brain tumour, aged 39. With guitarist Scotty Moore, and Elvis Presley on rhythm guitar, Black played on ‘That's All Right (Mama)’, Heartbreak Hotel, ‘Baby Let's Play House’, ‘Mystery Train’, ‘Hound Dog’; ‘Jailhouse Rock’ in the late 1950s. Black, Scotty Moore and drummer D. J. Fontana toured extensively during Presley's early career. After leaving Presley Black formed Bill Black's Combo.
27 Aug 1965 On the last day of a five-day break from their North American tour, The Beatles attended a recording session for The Byrds. Later that afternoon, The Beatles met Elvis Presley at his mansion in Beverly Hills. It was an awkward meeting, leaving The Beatles with the impression that Presley's personality was decidedly "unmagnetic". John Lennon remarked soon after, ‘Where’s Elvis’ It was like meeting Engelbert Humperdinck.’
7 Aug 1965 Herman's Hermits went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'I'm Henry VIII I Am'. The single was only released in the US. Singer Peter Noone once interviewed Elvis Presley for UK music paper New Musical Express.
24 Apr 1965 Wayne Fontana and the Mindbenders went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Game Of Love', a No.2 hit in the UK. Wayne took his name from DJ Fontana the Elvis Presley drummer. Eric Stewart guitarist in the Mindbenders went on join Hotlegs and 10CC.
2 Jan 1965 Elvis Presley went to No.1 on the US album chart with the soundtrack from 'Roustabout,' Presley's eighth No.1.
7 Dec 1963 The Beatles second album 'With The Beatles' started a 21-week run at No.1 on the UK album chart. It replaced their first album 'Please Please Me' which had been at the top of the charts since it's release 30 weeks previously. Also today, all four Beatles appeared on BBC TV's 'Juke Box Dury'. Some of the songs The Beatles judged were ‘Kiss Me Quick’ by Elvis Presley, ‘The Hippy Hippy Shake’ by the Swinging Blue Jeans. ‘Did You Have a Happy Birthday’ by Paul Anka and ‘Where Have You Been All My Life’ by Gene Vincent.
7 Aug 1963 This weeks UK Top 5 albums: No.5, Elvis Presley, 'It Happened At The World Fair', No.4, 'West Side Story', Soundtrack, No.3, Cliff Richard, 'Cliff's Hit Album', No.2, The Shadows, 'Greatest Hits', No.1, The Beatles, 'Please Please Me.'
29 Jul 1963 Elvis Presley was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with '(You're The) Devil In Disguise'. His 14th UK No.1. In 1963, when the song was debuted to a British audience on the BBC television show Juke Box Jury, the celebrity guest John Lennon voted the song "a miss" stating on the new song that Elvis Presley was "like Bing Crosby now."
13 Dec 1962 Elvis Presley was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Return To Sender', his 13th UK No.1. Elvis performed 'Return To Sender' in the film Girls! Girls! Girls!. The opening bars and backing on baritone saxophone was performed by Bobby Keys who later went on to work with The Rolling Stones, The Who, Harry Nilsson, George Harrison and Eric Clapton.
24 Sep 1962 Elvis Presley received an invitation to appear at the Royal Variety Performance in the UK which is attended by members of the British Royal Family. Presley's manager, Colonel Tom Parker graciously declined, citing motion picture commitments. The real reason was that Parker was an illegal Dutch immigrant living in the United States who feared he might not be allowed to return if he left the country.
24 May 1962 Elvis Presley was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Good Luck Charm' his 11th UK No.1 single. It completed his second hat-trick of chart topping singles in the UK.
21 Apr 1962 Elvis Presley started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Good Luck Charm', his fifth US No.1 of the 60s. Also an UK No.1 hit.
22 Feb 1962 Elvis Presley was at No.1 o the UK singles chart with 'Rock-A- Hula Baby / Can't Help Falling In Love.' The tracks were from his latest film 'Blue Hawaii' and became the singers tenth UK No.1
6 Jan 1962 Elvis Presley had his third UK No.1 album with 'Blue Hawaii'; it spent a total of 18 weeks at the top of the charts.
11 Dec 1961 Elvis Presley started a 20-week run at No.1 on the US album chart with 'Blue Hawaii', his seventh US No.1 album.
28 Aug 1961 Joe Dowell went to No.1 on the US singles chart with his version of 'Wooden Heart'. The song is best known for its use in the 1960 Elvis Presley film G.I. Blues, which gave Elvis a No.1 hit in the United Kingdom.
21 Aug 1961 Elvis Presley started a three-week run at No.1 on the US album chart with 'Something For Everybody' his sixth US No.1 album.
1 Jun 1961 Elvis Presley was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Surrender', his eighth UK No.1. The song was based on the 1911 Italian song, 'Return To Sorrento.'
15 May 1961 Floyd Cramer was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'On The Rebound.' The US singer's only UK No.1. The Nashville pianist played on many Elvis Presley hits.
23 Mar 1961 Elvis Presley had his seventh UK No.1 single with 'Wooden Heart.' The song was based on a German folk song and was featured in Presley's film GI Blues.
20 Mar 1961 Elvis Presley started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Surrender', his fifth No.1 of the 60s. It also made No.1 in the UK. The song was based on the 1911 Italian song, 'Return To Sorrento.'
1 Mar 1961 Elvis Presley signed a five-year movie deal with producer Hal Wallis. During his career, Elvis made 31 feature films and two documentary feature films.
14 Feb 1961 The Beatles performed at the Cassanova Club, Liverpool, and at Litherland Town Hall, Liverpool where they played a special Valentine's Day show. Paul McCartney sang Elvis Presley's 'Wooden Heart', wearing a wooden heart pinned to his coat, covered with satin and embroidered with the names "John", "Paul", "George", and "Pete". The heart was raffled off, and the winner also won a kiss from Paul.
26 Jan 1961 Elvis Presley was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Are You Lonesome Tonight'. The singers sixth UK No.1. The song which was written by Roy Turk and Lou Handman in 1926 first became a hit in 1950 when the Blue Barron Orchestra version reached the top twenty on Billboard's Pop chart. Elvis recorded the song at the suggestion of his manager Colonel Tom Parker as it was Parker's wife, Marie Mott's, favorite song.
14 Jan 1961 Elvis Presley's 'GI Blues' started a seven-week run at No.1 on the UK chart. Also on this day Elvis was promoted to Acting-Sergeant in the US Army, receiving a pay increase of $22.94 per month.
5 Dec 1960 Elvis Presley started a ten-week run at No.1 on the US album chart with 'G.I. Blues'. His fifth US No.1 album. Music on this album comprised songs that had appeared in the film of the same name.
28 Nov 1960 Elvis Presley started a six week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Are You Lonesome Tonight', his third US No.1 of 1960. The single included a spoken passage loosely based on Shakespeare.
3 Nov 1960 Elvis Presley had his fifth UK No.1 single with It’s Now or Never, which stayed at No.1 for eight weeks. Based on the Italian song, 'O Sole Mio', it gave Presley his first post-army No.1.
20 Oct 1960 Roy Orbison had his first UK No.1 single with 'Only The Lonely' and his first of 33 hits. The song was turned down by The Everly Brothers and Elvis Presley so Orbison decided to record the song himself.
15 Aug 1960 Elvis Presley started a five week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with It’s Now or Never also No.1 in the UK. The song which was based on the Italian song, 'O Sole Mio', gave Presley his first post-army No.1.
28 Jul 1960 Roy Orbison entered the UK chart with 'Only The Lonely', which went on to give Roy his first of three UK chart toppers. As an operatic rock ballad, it was a sound unheard of at the time, and is seen as a seminal event in the evolution of Rock and Roll. Released as a 45rpm single by Monument Records in May, 1960, 'Only The Lonely' went to No. 2 on the United States. The song was turned down by The Everly Brothers and Elvis Presley, so Orbison decided to record the song himself.
25 Jul 1960 Roy Orbison reached No.2 on the US singles chart with ‘Only the Lonely,’ his first hit. The song was turned down by The Everly Brothers and Elvis Presley, so Orbison decided to record the song himself.
25 Apr 1960 Elvis Presley started a four week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Stuck On You', his first hit single after his two-year stint in the US Army. It became his first No.1 single of the 1960s and thirteenth overall.
4 Apr 1960 RCA Victor Records announced that it would be release all Pop singles in mono and stereo simultaneously, the first record company to do so. Elvis Presley's single, 'Stuck on You' was RCA's first mono / stereo release.
3 Apr 1960 During recording sessions at RCA studios in Nashville, Tennessee, Elvis Presley recorded It’s Now or Never ‘Fever’ and ‘Are You Lonesome Tonight’.
31 Mar 1960 Lonnie Donegan was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'My Old Man's A Dustman', his third No.1. Donegan became the first British artist to enter the UK chart at No.1, the only other artist to achieve this feat at this time was Elvis Presley. The song which was recorded live at the Gaumont cinema in Doncaster was a music hall novelty song.
20 Mar 1960 Elvis Presley started his first recordings since being discharged from the US Army. A 12 hour session in a Nashville recording studio produced his next No.1 single, ‘Stuck On You’. Scotty Moore and Bill Black, who had quit Presley's touring band in 1957, were in the studio with him for the last time.
2 Mar 1960 After completing his national service and flying back to America, Elvis Presley stepped on British soil for the first and only time in his life when the plane carrying him stopped for refuelling at Prestwick Airport, Scotland.
17 Feb 1960 Elvis Presley won his first Gold record for his second studio album 'Elvis'. It spent four weeks at No.1 on the Billboard Top Pop Albums chart, making Presley the first recording artist to have both albums go straight to No.1 in the same year.
24 Aug 1959 In the US, a headline in Billboard magazine read, "Rock and Roll Ain't Ready For The Ol' Rockin' Chair Yet." The story stated that Rock 'n' Roll was losing popularity a year ago, but the record buyers now like Elvis Presley, Lloyd Price and Fats Domino along with newcomers, The Everly Brothers, The Drifters and Ricky Nelson.
15 May 1959 Elvis Presley scored his fourth No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'A Fool Such As I / I Need Your Love Tonight.' His first ballad to hit No.1.
31 Jan 1959 Elvis Presley had his third UK No.1 single 'One Night / I Got Stung' a double A side, (originally written and recorded under the title 'One Night of Sin') a revival of the Smiley Lewis's R&B hit. Presley was in the army by the time this song reached No.1.
9 Nov 1958 Elvis Presley's 'Hound Dog', exceeded three million copies sold in the USA, becoming only the third single to do so. Bing Crosby's 'White Christmas' & 'Rudolph The Red Nose Reindeer' by Gene Autry being the other two.
3 Nov 1958 Elvis Presley went on manoeuvres for the first time with the US Army's 32nd Tank Regiment near the German, Czech border.
22 Sep 1958 After receiving special permission from the US Army, Elvis Presley gave one last press conference at the Military Ocean Terminal in Brooklyn. He then joined the rest of the 3rd Armored Division on the USS General Randall for a voyage to Bremerhaven, Germany.
16 Aug 1958 After being drafted in the US Army, Elvis Presley was assigned to the 3rd Armored Division in Friedberg, West Germany. On the anniversary of his death today in 1977, listen to how the world's most popular recording artist adapted to military life and kept his career on track.
14 Aug 1958 Elvis Presley's mother Gladys died. At her funeral two days later Presley was so overcome with grief he was unable to stand and had to be supported. Over 500 police were at the service to keep the gigantic crowd at bay.
25 Mar 1958 Having been sworn in as Private 53310761 the previous day Elvis Presley received the regulation short back and sides haircut from army barber James Peterson. Presley would earn $78 per month as an army private.
24 Mar 1958 At 6.35am, Elvis Presley reported to the Memphis draft board. From there Elvis and twelve other recruits were taken by bus to Kennedy Veterans Memorial Hospital where the singer was assigned army serial number 53310761.
24 Jan 1958 Elvis Presley was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Jailhouse Rock'. It became the first ever single to enter the chart at No.1 and was Presley's second UK No.1. It went on to sell over 4 million copies in the US.
11 Jan 1958 The release date for the Elvis Presley single 'Jailhouse Rock' was put back a week after Decca Records pressing plant in the UK were unable to meet the advance orders of 250,000 copies. Some of the characters named in the song are real people. Shifty Henry was a well-known LA musician, not a criminal. The Purple Gang was a real mob. "Sad Sack" was a U.S. Army nickname in World War II for a loser.
19 Dec 1957 Elvis Presley had his draft notice served on him for the US Army. He went on to join the 32nd Tank Battalion third Armor Corps based in Germany.
2 Dec 1957 Al Priddy a DJ on US radio station KEX in Portland was fired after playing Elvis Presley's version of 'White Christmas' The station management said, 'it's not in the spirit we associate with Christmas'.
11 Nov 1957 Elvis Presley appeared at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, this was Presley’s last concert of the 50’s. Presley served in the United States Army between March 1958 and March 1960 and at the time of his draft he was one of the most well-known names in the world of entertainment.
28 Oct 1957 After a show at the Pan Pacific Auditorium in Los Angeles, local police told Elvis Presley that he was not allowed to wiggle his hips onstage, the local press also ran headlines saying Elvis would have to clean up his act. The next night, the Los Angeles Vice Squad filmed his entire concert, to study his performance.
4 Oct 1957 Winners at this years Annual NME readers poll included Pat Boone who was voted the world's No.1 singer, with Elvis Presley voted second. The top two UK group's were The King Brothers and The Stargazers.
24 Sep 1957 The Elvis Presley classic, ‘Jailhouse Rock’ was released. It became his ninth US number one single and stayed on the Billboard chart for nineteen weeks. The film clip from the movie where he sang the song is considered by many historians to be the first rock video.
31 Aug 1957 Elvis Presley appeared at the Empire Stadium in Vancouver, Canada. This was only the third time ever Presley had performed outside of the U.S. and for Elvis it would be the last. 26,000 fans attended the show with tickets costing $1.50, $2.50 and $3.50.
7 Jul 1957 Elvis Presley scored his first UK No.1 with 'All Shook Up', (his tenth UK single release). It stayed at No.1 for seven weeks.
14 May 1957 Elvis Presley was rushed to a Los Angeles hospital after swallowing a porcelain cap from one of his front teeth, which then lodged its-self in one of his lungs.
30 Apr 1957 Elvis Presley recorded the Leiber and Stoller song 'Jailhouse Rock' as featured in his third motion picture of the same name. In the movie, Mike Stoller had a small role as a piano player. 'Jailhouse Rock' later became the first song to debut at No.1 in Great Britain.
27 Apr 1957 In a rare appearance outside the United States, Elvis Presley performed at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto, Canada where he wore his full gold lame suit for the last time.
22 Apr 1957 Elvis Presley had his custom built 'Music Gates' installed at Gracelands. The gates were designed by Abe Saucer and custom built by John Dillars Jr, of Memphis Doors inc.
20 Apr 1957 Elvis Presley started an eight week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'All Shook Up.' It went on to be the biggest single of 1957 selling over 2 million copies.
31 Mar 1957 Billed as the nation's only atomic powered singer, Elvis Presley played two shows (2pm and 6pm), at the Olympia in Detroit, Michigan in front of 24,000 fans.
17 Mar 1957 Elvis Presley bought the Graceland mansion from Mrs Ruth Brown-Moore for $102,500. (£60,295). The 23 room, 10,000 square foot home, on 13.8 acres of land, would be expanded to 17,552 square feet of living space before Elvis moved in a few weeks later. The original building had at one time been a place of worship, used by the Graceland Christian Church and was named after the builder's daughter, Grace Toof.
29 Dec 1956 Elvis Presley made chart history by having 10 songs on Billboards Top 100 for week ending Dec 19th.
15 Dec 1956 Elvis Presley gave his final performance on Louisiana Hayride, a live radio program that was broadcast on KWKH in Shreveport, Louisiana. Presley made 50 appearances on the show. At the end of the show, Horace Logan first made the now legendary phrase ‘Elvis has left the building’.
4 Dec 1956 The so-called 'Million Dollar Quartet' impromptu jam session took place at Sun Studios in Memphis with Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash and Carl Perkins.
23 Nov 1956 Sheet metal worker Louis Balint was arrested after punching Elvis Presley at a Hotel in Toledo. Balint claimed that his wife's love for Elvis had caused his marriage to break up. He was fined $19.60 but ended up being jailed because he was unable to pay the fine.
15 Nov 1956 Elvis Presley's first movie, Love Me Tender, premiered at the Paramount Theater in New York City. The film a Civil War drama was going to be called The Reno Brothers, but when Elvis became a major star during the shoot, it was re-titled after his hit song, with Elvis given top billing.
1 Nov 1956 Elvis Presley bought a new Harley Davidson motorbike and spent the day riding round Memphis on his new bike with actress Natalie Wood.
28 Oct 1956 Elvis Presley made his second appearance on US TV’s The Ed Sullivan Show, where the host presents him with a gold record for ‘Love Me Tender’.
18 Oct 1956 21-year-old Elvis Presley pulled into a Memphis gas station where he started to attract a small crowd of autograph seekers. After repeatedly asking Elvis to move on so he could resume normal business, station manager Ed Hopper slapped Presley on the head and found himself on the receiving end of a punch in the face from Elvis. Station employee Aubrey Brown tried to help his boss, but was no match for Presley. After police are called, Hopper and Brown were charged with assault and were fined $25 and $15 respectively.
10 Oct 1956 Elvis Presley's 'Love Me Tender' entered the US chart for a 19 week stay, peaking at No.1 for 5 weeks. The song, from Presley's first film of the same name, was adapted from the tune "Aura Lee", written in 1861.
1 Oct 1956 After test audiences gave a negative reaction to Elvis Presley dying at the end of the film Love Me Tender, The King was called back to re-shoot the scene. In the new ending, the hero lived.
26 Sep 1956 Elvis Presley returned to his hometown of Tupelo, Mississippi, to play the Mississippi-Alabama Fair and Dairy Show. One of the many obsessed teenage girls in the audience is Wynette Pugh, who goes on to stardom as Tammy Wynette. Security issues soon made small-time appearances like this impossible for Elvis.
15 Sep 1956 Elvis Presley started a five-week run at No.1 on the US charts with 'Don't Be Cruel'. The track went on to become Presley's biggest selling single, with sales over six million by 1961. This "double-sided hit" which had 'Hound Dog' on the B side, became the most successful on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart. One side reached No.1 on the chart, the other No.2. The two titles spent a combined 55 weeks in the Top 100 in 1956-1957.
9 Sep 1956 Elvis Presley made his first appearance on 'The Ed Sullivan show', performing 'Don't Be Cruel', 'Love Me Tender' and 'Ready Teddy' from the CBS TV Studios in Los Angeles.
5 Sep 1956 Elvis Presley surprised his mother with a gift of a pink Cadillac. The car remained in the Presley family and eventually went on display at Graceland.
22 Aug 1956 Elvis Presley began working on his first movie, Love Me Tender. In the drama that was set during and just after the Civil War, Elvis played Clint Reno, the youngest of four brothers. The original title for the movie was The Reno Brothers, but was changed to take advantage of the 'Love Me Tender' song recorded for the film.
11 Aug 1956 Elvis Presley's double sided hit 'Don't Be Cruel / Hound Dog was released. The single went to No.1 on the US chart, where it stayed for 11 weeks - a record that would not be broken until 1992's Boyz II Men hit 'End of the Road'.
29 Jul 1956 Carl Perkins was on the UK singles chart with his debut UK hit 'Blue Suede Shoes'. Johnny Cash planted the seed for the song in the fall of 1955, while Perkins, Cash, Elvis Presley toured throughout the South. Cash told Perkins of a black airman whom he had met when serving in the military in Germany. He had referred to his military regulation air shoes as "blue suede shoes." Cash suggested that Carl write a song about the shoes.
2 Jul 1956 Elvis Presley recorded 'Hound Dog' at RCA Studios, New York. Take 31 being the version they released. This was the first time The Jordanaires worked with Presley. The single sold over 10 million copies globally, became his best-selling song and topped the pop chart for 11 weeks, a record that stood for 36 years.
1 Jul 1956 Elvis Presley appeared on NBC- TV's 'The Steve Allen Show' and performed 'Hound Dog', to a live Hound Dog. US TV critic John Crosby panned Elvis' performance, calling him an 'unspeakable, untalented and vulgar young entertainer.'
22 Jun 1956 Elvis Presley started a three-day run playing 10 shows at the Paramount Theater in Atlanta, Georgia. The stage manager was told; "Pull all white lights. Presley works all in color, Presley act has no encore. When he leaves the stage, immediately close curtains."
10 Jun 1956 American singer, actor Pat Boone was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'I'll Be Home.' Boone scored over 30 UK Top 40 hit singles during the 50s and early 60s and was the second biggest charting artist behind only Elvis Presley.
5 Jun 1956 Elvis Presley appeared on ABC-TV's 'Milton Berle Show'. During the performance, Presley abruptly halted an uptempo rendition of 'Hound Dog' with a wave of his arm and launched into a slow, grinding version accentuated with energetic, exaggerated body movements. Presley's gyrations created a storm of controversy.
5 May 1956 Elvis Presley scored his first US No.1 single and album when 'Heartbreak Hotel' went to the top of the charts. 'Heartbreak Hotel' became his first million-seller, and was the best-selling single of 1956. The lyrics were based on a newspaper article about the suicide of a lonely man who jumped from a hotel window.
23 Apr 1956 Elvis Presley (with Scotty Moore and Bill Black), played the first night of a two-week engagement (playing 2 shows a day) at the New Frontier Hotel, Las Vegas. Presley was not the typical Las Vegas Strip entertainer of the time and his shows were met with a cool reception.
11 Apr 1956 Travelling from Amarillo to Nashville, the plane that Elvis Presley was flying on developed engine trouble and was forced to make an emergency landing. The incident created a fear of flying for Presley.
4 Apr 1956 Elvis Presley played the first of two nights in San Diego Arena in San Diego, California. The local Police chief issued a statement saying if Elvis ever returned to the city and performed like he did, he would be arrested for disorderly conduct.
3 Apr 1956 Elvis Presley appeared on ABC-TV's 'The Milton Berle Show' live from the flight deck of the USS Hancock in San Diego, California. He performed 'Heartbreak Hotel' 'Shake Rattle And Roll' and 'Blue Suede Shoes.' It was estimated that one out of every four Americans saw the show.
23 Mar 1956 Elvis Presley released his self titled studio album in mono on RCA Victor. The album spent ten weeks at No.1 on the Billboard Pop Albums chart in 1956, the first rock and roll album ever to make it to the top of the charts, and the first million-selling album of that genre. The iconic cover photograph was taken at the Fort Homer Hesterly Armory in Tampa, Florida, on July 31, 1955.
21 Mar 1956 Elvis Presley appeared at the 4,000 seated YMCA Gymnasium in Lexington, North Carolina. Also on the bill, Mother Maybelle and the Carter Sisters, featuring June Carter, Rod Brasfield, Hal and Ginger. Tickets cost $1 for general admission and $1.50 for reserved seats.
10 Mar 1956 RCA Records placed a half page advert in Billboard Magazine claiming that Elvis Presley was 'the new singing rage.'
25 Feb 1956 Elvis Presley had his first national hit when 'I Forgot To Remember To Forget' went to No.1 on the Billboard Country & Western chart. The single was the fifth and final single released on Sun Records before Elvis moved to RCA Records. The Beatles covered this song once for the BBC radio show, From Us To You, on 1 May 1964, with George Harrison on lead vocals.
11 Feb 1956 Elvis Presley appeared on American TV's 'Stage Show' and performed 'Heartbreak Hotel' and 'Blue Suede Shoes.'
30 Jan 1956 Elvis Presley started recording what would be his first album at RCA's New York Studios. Songs recorded included his version of the Carl Perkins song 'Blue Suede Shoes'. Johnny Cash planted the seed for the song in the fall of 1955, while Perkins, Cash, Elvis Presley and other Louisiana Hayride acts toured throughout the South. Cash told Perkins of a black airman, C. V. White, whom he had met when serving in the military in Germany, who had referred to his military regulation airmen's shoes as "blue suede shoes."
28 Jan 1956 Elvis Presley (with Scotty Moore and Bill Black), made his first National Television appearance on the Dorsey brother's "Stage Show". It was the first of six appearances on the show and the first of eight performances recorded and broadcast from CBS TV in New York City. After the success of their first appearance they were signed to five more in early 1956.
27 Jan 1956 Elvis Presley's single, 'Heartbreak Hotel' was released by RCA Records, who had just purchased Presley's contract from Sun Records for $35,000. The song sold 300,000 copies in its first week and would eventually sell over a million, becoming Elvis' first Gold record.
10 Jan 1956 Elvis Presley made his first recordings for RCA Records at The Methodist television, radio & TV Studios in Nashville. 'Heartbreak Hotel' was one of the songs recorded during this session.
6 Jan 1956 Elvis Presley performed in the gym at Randolph High School, Mississippi; this was the last time he ever appeared in a small auditorium.
3 Dec 1955 Elvis Presley's first release on RCA Victor Records was announced. The first two songs ‘Mystery Train’ and ‘I Forgot to Remember to Forget’ had been purchased from Sam Phillips of Sun Records. Elvis was described by his new record company as 'The most talked about personality in recorded music in the last 10 years.'
21 Nov 1955 RCA Records purchased Elvis Presley's recording contract from Sam Phillips at Sun Records for an unprecedented sum of $35,000. In September 1931, RCA Victor introduced the first 33⅓ rpm records sold to the public, and later in 1949, RCA Victor introduced the 7-inch 45 rpm fine-grooved vinyl record.
10 Nov 1955 Elvis Presley attended the fourth Country Music Disc Jockey Convention in Nashville Tennessee. Back at his hotel Mae Boren Axton played him a demo of a new song she had written with Tommy Durden called 'Heartbreak Hotel'. Presley released the track as a single on January 27, 1956, his first on his new record label RCA Victor. The song gave him his his first No.1 one pop record.
20 Oct 1955 Elvis Presley and Bill Haley and his Comets both appeared at Brooklyn High School auditorium, Cleveland.
15 Oct 1955 Buddy & Bob (Buddy Holly) opened for Elvis Presley at the ‘Big D Jamboree’, held at Lubbock’s Cotton Club, Texas. Nashville talent scout Eddie Crandall was in audience and arranged for Holly to audition and record demos for the Decca US label.
11 Oct 1955 Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins and Johnny Cash kicked off an eleven date tour of the Southern US states in Abilene, Texas.
17 Aug 1955 Elvis Presley released what would become his first No.1 hit, 'I Forgot to Remember to Forget / Mystery Train'. It hit the top of the country charts several months later and stayed there for 5 weeks.
15 Aug 1955 Elvis Presley attended a meeting in Memphis with his manager Bob Neal, Colonel Tom Parker and Vernon Presley, at which a new contract was signed that named Colonel Parker as "special advisor" with control of virtually every aspect of Elvis' career. Parker was not really a Colonel at all, but a Dutch immigrant named Andreas Cornelius van Kujik, whose honorary title was given to him in 1948 by Governor Jimmie Davis of Louisiana. He was a flamboyant promoter whose pre-Elvis experience included shows called The Great Parker Pony Circus and Tom Parker And His Dancing Turkeys and was a veteran of carnivals, medicine shows and various other entertainment enterprises.
31 Jul 1955 Elvis Presley performed 3 shows at Fort Homer Hesterly Armory in Tampa, Florida, (2 matinee and 1 evening). A full scale riot broke out after the show when Elvis announced to the 14,000 strong crowd, "Girls, I'll see you backstage." Fans chased Elvis into the dressing room, tearing off his clothes and shoes.
16 Jul 1955 Elvis Presley made his first appearance on the national charts when 'Baby, Let's Play House' entered the Cash Box country charts at No.15. Written by Arthur Gunter and recorded by him in 1954, Presley's version differs greatly from the original: Elvis started the song with the chorus, where Gunter began with the first verse, and he replaced Gunter's line "You may get religion" with the words "You may have a Pink Cadillac", referring to his custom-painted 1955 Cadillac that had been serving as the band's transportation at the time.
26 Jun 1955 Elvis Presley (with Scotty Moore and Bill Black) played the first of three nights at the Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Mississippi. The local paper ran a preview which read; ‘A good looking youngster who has become a juke-box favorite with his That's Alright, Mama, and Blue Moon of Kentucky. Presley is expected to repeat some of his hit tunes at the Airmen's Club show in addition to mixing up a few country tunes with some "bop" and novelty numbers.’
17 Jun 1955 After a month of booking gigs in larger venues in Dallas and Houston, Colonel Tom Parker arranged a meeting with Elvis Presley's manager, Bob Neal, resulting in an agreement that saw the Colonel handle Presley's gigs and career strategy from now on.
2 Apr 1955 Elvis Presley (with Scotty Moore and Bill Black), Slim Whitman, Hoot and Curley, Johnny Horton, Tibby Edwards and Floyd Cramer all appeared at the Louisiana Hayride broadcast from Shreveport Auditorium in Shreveport, Louisiana, and shown on KWKH Television.
15 Mar 1955 Elvis Presley signed a management contract with Colonel Tom Parker. Parker had previously managed the 'Great Parker Pony Circus' with one of the acts being a troupe of dancing chickens.
15 Mar 1955 Ray Charles peaked at No.2 on the US R&B charts with the Atlantic single 'I Got A Woman', widely considered the first song to be labelled "soul" - a blending of R&B and gospel. Elvis Presley recorded a version of the song and it was a staple in most of Presley's shows during the 1950s and when he returned to perform live in 1969 all the way through 1977. The Beatles also recorded versions of the song for the BBC Pop Go the Beatles radio show.
5 Mar 1955 Elvis Presley made his TV debut when he appeared on the weekend show 'Louisiana Hayride' on KWKH TV, broadcast from Shreveport Auditorium in Shreveport, Louisiana.
2 Mar 1955 Elvis Presley appeared at Porky's Rooftop Club in Newport, Arkansas. Constantly on the road, performing night after night this was the group's 46th show this year, (Elvis along with Scotty Moore and Bill Black).
3 Jan 1955 Elvis Presley appeared in Boonesville, Virginia. The 20 year-old singer was still a regional star, but by the end of 1956 he had become a national sensation, recording two albums, (which included 'Heartbreak Hotel' and 'Blue Suede Shoes'), appeared on national television 11 times, played over 100 concerts and signed a seven year contract with Paramount Pictures.
25 Sep 1954 Elvis Presley released his second single on Sun Records, 'Good Rockin' Tonight,' a song made popular in 1948 by Wynonie Harris.
9 Sep 1954 Elvis Presley played at the opening of the Lamar-Airways Shopping Center in Memphis Tennessee. Johnny Cash was in the audience and after the show met Elvis for the first time.
4 Sep 1954 To coincide with the release of his second Sun single, 'Good Rockin' Tonight', Elvis Presley along with Bill Black and Scotty Moore made their first appearance at The Grand Old Opry. The audience reaction was so poor, the Opry's manager, Jim Denny told Elvis that he should go back to driving a truck.
7 Aug 1954 Elvis Presley appeared at the Eagles Nest in Memphis Tennessee, (the first of 12 shows at the venue in this year). The advertisement in the local paper read; ‘See and hear Elvis singing That’s All Right and The Blue Moon of Kentucky.’
30 Jul 1954 Slim Whitman, Billy Walker, Sugarfoot Collins, Sonny Harvelle, Tinker Fry, Curly Harris and a young Elvis Presley, all appeared at the Hillbilly Hoedown, Overton Park Shell, in Memphis Tennessee. Elvis was so nervous he stood up on the balls of his feet and shook his leg in time with the music, when he came offstage he asked why people were yelling at him. Someone told him it was because he was shaking his leg, which with the baggy pleated pants created a wild gyrating effect in time with the music.
20 Jul 1954 The Blue Moon Boys made their live debut appearing on the back of a flatbed truck outside a new drug store for its grand opening in Memphis. The band line up was Elvis Presley Scotty Moore and Bill Black. The name was taken from a song they had recorded just two weeks previously, 'Blue Moon of Kentucky.'
19 Jul 1954 Sun Records released the first Elvis Presley single, 'That's All Right', a cover of Arthur Crudup's 1946 tune 'That's All Right, Mama'. Only about 7,000 original copies were pressed, but the disc became a local hit in Memphis.
12 Jul 1954 19 year old Elvis Presley signed a recording contract with Sun Records. He also gave in his notice at his day job at The Crown Electric Company. Sam Phillips from Sun Records originally wanted to use the 19 year old to make demos of songs meant for other artists, but soon realized that here was the man who could bridge the gap between white and black performances.
9 Jul 1954 Elvis Presley recorded ‘Blue Moon of Kentucky', (the B-side for his first single) at Sun Studio in Memphis, Tennessee. Presley had recorded the A-side ‘That’s Alright’ four days earlier.
8 Jul 1954 Producer Sam Phillips took an acetate recording of Elvis Presley singing 'That's All Right' to Memphis radio station WHBQ DJ Dewey Phillips. He played the song just after 9.30 that evening, the phone lines lit up asking the DJ to play the song again.
5 Jul 1954 Working together for the first time in a recording studio with Scotty Moore and Bill Black, Elvis Presley fools around during a break with an up-tempo version of 'That's All Right.' Producer Sam Phillips has them repeat the jam and records it. It became Presley's first release on Sun Records.
4 Jan 1954 Four days before his 20th birthday Elvis Presley made his second visit to the Memphis Recording service and cut two songs onto a 10 acetate, 'Casual Love Affair 'and 'I'll Never Stand In Your Way'. Studio boss Sam Phillips asked Presley to leave his phone number.
18 Jul 1953 Truck driver Elvis Presley made his first ever recording when he paid $3.98 at the Memphis recording service singing two songs, 'My Happiness' and 'That's When Your Heartaches Begin'. The so-called vanity disc, was a gift for his mother. It would surface 37 years later as part of an RCA compilation called 'Elvis - the Great Performances'.
3 Jun 1953 Elvis Presley graduated from J.C. Hulmes High School in Memphis; his graduation photo shows him to have a split curl in the middle of his forehead, later to become his trademark. He was the first member of his family to graduate high school.
3 Oct 1945 Elvis Presley made his first ever-public appearance in a talent contest at the Mississippi Alabama Dairy Show singing 'Old Shep', Elvis was 10 years old at the time and came second.