Elvis Presley
Elvis PresleyElvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was born into a poverty stricken family on January 8, 1935. He and his twin brother (Jessie Garon who died at birth) were the sons of Vernon Elvis Presley and Gladys Love Smith Presley. Gladys Smith gave birth in two-room house built by her husband and her brother - in -law. His way of life was rough in Tupelo, Mississippi where he was born. He was born during the Great Depression. Elvis and his parents attended the Assembly of God Church; the music and preaching registered very deeply in Elvis. In 1945, ten year old Elvis stands on a chair at a microphone and sings " Old Sheep " in a contest at the Mississippi - Alabama Fair and Dairy Show, which was held in Tupelo. Elvis wins second prize, which was $5.00 and free admissions to all rides at the fair. In 1946, Elvis's parents couldn�t afford the bicycle that Elvis wanted, so Gladys talked him into accepting a guitar instead. The guitar cost $12.95 and was purchased at the Tupelo Hardware
Company. He and his family moved to Memphis, Tennessee in 1948 to pursue a better life. They lived in low - income housing. He buys his clothes on the famous, Beadle Street, and he absorbs the gospel and blues that he hears there. Elvis graduated from Hughes High School in 1953. He recorded an album for his mother as a present at Sun Records in 1954. In late 1955 his recording contract was sold to RCA Records. The songs that he recorded was " My Happiness and "That's When Your Heartaches Begin". Sam Phillips, finally calls him in to record "Big Boy" Crudup's " That's All Right" and song was backed by "Blue Moon of Kentucky". By 1956, he was an international sensation. With a sound and style that uniquely combined his diverse musical influences and challenged the social and racial barriers of the time, he began a whole new style of music. He was highly criticized for his music that had African American roots and his swiveling hip movements. Elvis was a total original! August 15, 1955, Elvis signs a management contract with Hank Snow Attractions, which was equally owned by Snow and Colonel Tom Parker. Colonel Tom Parker will be Elvis' manager from this time to the time of his death. Snow, soon is no longer connected to Elvis. On November 20, 1955 Elvis signed his first contract with RCA Records, which will be his label to the time of his death. Colonel Parker negotiated the sale of Elvis's contract to RCA, which included Elvis's first five singles with SUN and unreleased material of SUN. The final price was a whopping $40,000 with $5,000 bonus. No artist at that time was paid that much. September 9, 1956 " Elvis Presley Day" was proclaimed in Tupelo, Mississippi. December 31, 1956, the front page of the Wall Street Journal reported...
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