Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis in 1970
Background information
Birth name
Elvis Aaron Presley[1]
Also known
as
Elvis, The King, The King of
Rock ’n’ Roll, Elvis the Pelvis,
The Hillbilly Cat[2]
Born
January 8, 1935(1935-01-08)
Tupelo, Mississippi, USA
Died
August 16, 1977 (aged 42)
Memphis, Tennessee, USA
Genre(s)
Rock & roll, pop, rockabilly
Occupation(s) Singer, musician, actor
Instrument(s) Vocals, guitar, piano
Voice type(s)
Baritone (D2[3]-C#5[3])
Years active
1953 – 1977
Label(s)
Sun, RCA Victor
Website
Elvis.com
Elvis Aaron Presley[1][4] (January 8, 1935 –
August 16, 1977; middle name sometimes
written Aron)a was an American singer, act-
or, and musician. A cultural icon, he is com-
monly known simply as "Elvis," and is also
sometimes referred to as "The King of Rock
’n’ Roll" or "The King".
In 1954, Presley began his career as one
of the first performers of rockabilly, an up-
tempo fusion of country and rhythm and
blues with a strong back beat. His novel ver-
sions of existing songs, mixing "black" and
"white" sounds, made him popular—and con-
troversial[5][6][7]—as did his
uninhibited
stage and television performances. He recor-
ded songs in the rock and roll genre, with
tracks like "Hound Dog" and "Jailhouse Rock"
later embodying the style. Presley had a ver-
satile voice[8] and had unusually wide suc-
cess encompassing other genres, including
gospel, blues, ballads and pop. To date, he
has been inducted into four music halls of
fame.
In the 1960s, Presley made the majority of
his 31 movies, most of which were poorly re-
viewed but financially successful musicals.[9]
In 1968, he returned to live music in a televi-
sion special,[10] and performed across the
U.S., notably in Las Vegas. Throughout his
career, he set records for concert attend-
ance,
television
ratings and recordings
sales.[11] He is one of the best-selling and
most influential artists in the history of mu-
sic. Health problems, drug addiction[12] and
other factors led to his death at age 42.
Biography
Early life
Elvis Presley owed his an