Elvis Presley is one of the most famous musicians of the 20th century. Born into poverty, Elvis’s unique baritone voice and lively movements on stage catapulted him to fame at a young age. His fame and fortune could not save him from tragedy. From problems with his management, divorce, and drug addiction to a premature death, Elvis’s fame did not ensure an easy life. Despite this, Elvis remains influential in American music, having sold over a billion records worldwide.
Humble Beginnings
Elvis was born in 1935 in a small two-room home in Tupelo, Mississippi, to Gladys and Vernon Presley. The Presleys lived in the eastern section of Tupelo. Often referred to by its residents as the “roughest town in north Mississippi.” Elvis later said that he could fit his entire childhood home into the living room of his mansion, Graceland. Elvis’s life would become worse before it would get better.
The Presleys, like many other Americans during the Great Depression, suffered greatly. In 1937, when Elvis was only two years old, his father was sent to the Mississippi State Penitentiary for attempting to cash a fake check at the local bank. His father served eight months for the crime. When Vernon Presley was released, Elvis and his mother had lost their home to the bank.
With nowhere else to go, Elvis and his parents rented a small one-room shack in the African American section of Tupelo. It was here that Elvis fell in love with music. In 1948, the Presleys moved from Tupelo, Mississippi, 70 miles north to Memphis, Tennessee, in search of better economic opportunities. This decision led to Elvis becoming the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll.
Early Tragedy
Elvis’s parents were expecting twins in 1935. Unfortunately, his twin brother Jesse was stillborn. Living in poverty, the Presleys were unable to afford a coffin. Jesse would be buried in a shoebox tied with a red ribbon and laid to rest in the local cemetery next to other members of the Presley family who preceded him in death.
Later in life, Elvis stated that he often thought about his brother and that the experience impacted his life, especially his connection with his parents. Due to this connection, one of Elvis’s goals was to buy his mother a Cadillac.
He accomplished that goal in 1957 and would soon surpass it, worth nearly 25 million dollars in today’s money at the time of his death. Besides the Cadillacs, Elvis owned a 10,000 square foot mansion and two jet airplanes, the Lisa Marie and Hound dog II, the former he named after his daughter.
A Dream Come True
Elvis was first introduced to music in Tupelo at his local African American church. He fell in love with the way gospel music made people “feel the spirit” and caused them to move their bodies with the song. It was at the Black church Elvis learned to sing and dance. This experience led to Elvis needing to move with the music when he performed, a signature aspect of his shows.
When he moved to Memphis in 1948, Elvis frequented Beale Street in the segregated part of the city. Growing up in the African American section of Tupelo, Elvis felt more at home on Beale Street than he did in the non-segregated section of the city. It was there that Elvis was introduced to several famous Black blues musicians. His first hit single in 1954 was a sped-up cover of blues musician Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup’s That’s All Right.
Many of Elvis’s hit songs throughout his career would be covers of famous Black blues musicians’ songs, such as “Big Momma” Thorton’s Hound dog. As Elvis aged, however, he gravitated back to gospel music. Priscilla Presley, Elvis’s wife, said that he was always happier when playing Gospel tunes and would even “lose himself” in the music.
Conservative America Pushes Back
Following a performance on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1956, where over 60 million people, 80 percent of the national TV audience, watched the soon-to-be “King of Rock’ n Roll” shake his hips to several of his hits, music venues began to worry about the impact of his behavior on stage.
The gyrating of Elvis’s body was seen as too explicit and suggestive for teenagers, who were the majority of his fanbase. These claims were sparked by many of the reactions young women would exhibit while watching Elvis’s live performances. Screaming was common and when Elvis began to shake his hips, the noise would intensify and lead to some of the audience even fainting at the sight.
Before he took to the stage in Jacksonville, Florida in August of 1956, Elvis was warned that there would be “no hip-swiveling and no suggestive body movements,” otherwise, he would be arrested. Elvis obeyed the order and avoided jail time. This pushback would lead to Elvis toning down his act at the suggestion of his manager as not to lead to issues with booking future shows.
A Global Superstar Forced Into Domesticity
Despite being one of the world’s biggest sensations, Elvis never left the United States on a World Tour. His manager, the self-proclaimed “Colonel” Tom Parker, insisted on micromanaging his career. This included accompanying Elvis to every show. While Elvis was eager for a world tour, not for the money but for the experience and to grow his fanbase, Parker was not keen.
An undocumented immigrant from Norway, Parker feared he would not be allowed back into the United States if he were to leave with Elvis. Rather than allow Elvis to embark on the tour himself, Parker had Elvis set up residency at the International Hotel in Las Vegas from 1969 through 1976. For seven years, Elvis performed 636 consecutive sold-out shows, averaging one show every four days. The grueling schedule mixed with his unhealthy habits and drug addiction led to his premature death in 1977 at only 42 years old.
Graceland: A Home and Tourist Destination
Elvis bought the now-famous home, “Graceland” in 1957 for just over $100,000. Sitting on over 13 acres and boasting over 10,000 square feet, Elvis purchased the home for himself and his mother and father.
Many people called Graceland home during Elvis’s life, including his wife, Priscilla, and his only child, Lisa-Marie. After he died in 1977, Graceland remained in the family. In June of 1982, Graceland was opened to the public for tours. Today, Graceland has over 600,000 visitors each year. Making it one of the most toured homes in America.
Visitors to Graceland can step back in time as the home looks the same as it did at the time of Elvis’s death. From Elvis’s favorite jungle room to the kitchen, where his famous “fried peanut butter and banana sandwiches” were made, and even the “hall of gold” where all of Elvis’s gold and platinum records are stored, visitors are given unprecedented access to Graceland. The upstairs rooms, however, are off limits to visitors, which includes Elvis’s bedroom and the room in which he died. These remain available only to the Presley family. Many employees at Graceland have never seen those rooms. However, Nicholas Cage is reported to be the only non-Presley family member to see the upstairs room. Cage was married to Lisa Marie from 2002-2004. During their marriage, Cage was able to convince Lisa Marie to let him see the mysterious rooms.
The Next Generation
Talent runs deep in the Presley family. Lisa Marie followed in her father’s footsteps, releasing several albums. However, she never reached the fame of her father. Her single, Lights Out, reached number 14 on Billboard’s Top 100 list, marking the high point of her career as an artist.
Elvis’s granddaughter Riley Keough, the eldest child of Lisa-Marie Presley, is an actress. Despite her family history, she never performed music until landing the lead role in the hit show Daisy Jones and the Six, which premiered in 2023. Most of Keough’s castmates had no idea she was the granddaughter of Elvis until the press tour for their show as she wanted to earn her roles on her acting ability and not due to who she is related to. As of 2025, Keough has 45 acting credits and has earned one Primetime Emmy nomination for Daisy Jones and the Six.
Upon her mother’s passing in 2023, Keough inherited Graceland. Despite some wanting the home to be closed to the general public, Keough is determined to keep Graceland open for the people of Memphis and all his fans worldwide.
