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It was a well-known fact that Elvis Presley loved his mother Gladys dearly. She lived to see her only living son become a star, and when she died later, Elvis grieved.
His mother was Gladys Love Smith, and she was an out going woman who loved to sing and dance. She met Vernon Elvis Presley at church, and they soon were married on June 17, 1933. The Presleys made their home in a shack that Vernon built in Tupelo.
The following year, Gladys and Vernon learned that she was pregnant, with not one, but two babies. They chose to name the twins Jesse and Elvis if they were boys. One January 8, 1935, Gladys Presley gave birth to two baby boys. The first baby born, they named Jesse Garon, and he was still born. The second baby boy was named Elvis Aaron, and he was healthy and he survived. And Gladys dwelled on her only living son.
Vernon Presley had a difficult time keeping a job, so Elvis worked after school and on Saturdays to help his family survive. Finally, the family hit the hardest of times when Vernon was sent to the state penitentiary for three years for forging a check. Gladys and Elvis lost their home, and they were forced to move in with relatives.
On Elvis' eleventh birthday, he got his first guitar, and the church pastor helped him learn how to play the chords. This was a definite step towards Elvis' career. Up until now, his singing had been unaccompanied.
And then, in 1948, with Vernon out of prison, the Presleys moved to Memphis, Tennessee. Elvis had loved music all of his life, and Memphis exposed him to new experiences that would mold his life, and later, his career forever.
Elvis continued to attend school and to work part time jobs to help support his family. And, he continued to enter every amateur contest he could find. He had already won a few, but his claim to fame was localized and short-lived.
In 1953, Elvis Presley became the first Presley to ever graduate from high school. He also became the first to ever cut a record. For a fee, Sun Records offered musicians the opportunity to cut a vanity record. In hopes of wooing Sun's Sam Phillips, Elvis paid the fee and recorded "My Happiness" and "That's When Your Heartaches Begin." Nothing came of the record, but still, Elvis Presley kept waiting for his chance to make it big. He didn't have to wait long.
Elvis made his television debut in 1956, as well as additional appearances on Stage Show which was hosted by Jimmy and Tommy Dorsey. He sang "Shake, Rattle and Roll", "I Was the One", "Blue Suede Shoes", "Money Honey", and "Heartbreak Hotel."
In the same year, Elvis appeared on the Milton Berle Show where he again sang "Hound Dog", as well as another song called "I Want You, I Need You, I Love You." Milton Berle also presented Elvis with a Billboard Award for "Heartbreak Hotel" on the show.
Steve Allen picked him up for his show, but since it was a family-oriented show, Allen had Elvis dress up in white tails. Elvis sang "I Want You, I Need You, I Love You," and he also sang "Hound Dog" to a Bassett Hound.
Things continued to go well for Elvis' career, and he ended up making a total of thirty-three movies. He also won three Grammy Awards, three Platinum Record Awards, and thirty Gold Record Awards. Even when Elvis served in the Army in 1958 and 1959, his popularity did not wane.
During his career, Elvis recorded such songs as "Heartbreak Hotel," "Don't Be Cruel," "Hound Dog," "Love Me Tender," "Jailhouse Rock," 'All Shook Up," "Treat Me Nice," "Teddy Bear," "Loving You," "Wear My Ring Around Your Neck," "Hard Headed Woman," "A Fool Such As I," "A Big Hunk of Love," and many, many more songs.
On May 5, 1967, Elvis took time from his busy career to marry Priscilla Beaulieu. The couple had one child together, a daughter named Lisa Marie Presley.
In 1973, after his divorce from Priscilla, Elvis' life took a turn for the worst. And, finally, Elvis Presley's musical career came to an abrupt end on August 16, 1977. Elvis was just forty-two years old. The King of Rock and Roll, as had come to be known, was found unconscious in Graceland, his Memphis, Tennessee home. He was pronounced dead and was later buried at Graceland. Thousands upon thousands of Elvis Presley fans visit his gravesite every year.
It is not surprising that the will of Elvis Aaron Presley is thirteen pages long. He left the bulk of his estate to his daughter, Lisa Marie, his grandmother, Minnie Mae, and his father Vernon. Elvis Presley had sold more than forty-five million records at that time, and the fortune that he left to his family was huge.
Elvis Presley also left a legacy that will live on forever in the hearts of his countless number of fans.
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