When Elvis Presley died on August 16, 1977, radio and television programs all over the world were interrupted to give the news of his death.
President Carter said:ف Elvis Presley changed the face of American popular culture.... He was unique and irreplaceable.ف Eighty thousand people attended his funeral, and Elvis Presley movies were shown on television and his records were played on the radio all day. In the year after his death, 100 million Presley albums were sold.
Elvis Presley was born on January 8, 1935, in Tupelo, Mississippi. His twin brother died at birth. His parents were very poor and Elvis never had music lessons, but Elvis regularly sang at church services. In 1948, when he was thirteen, his family moved to Memphis, Tennessee. Elvis left school in 1953 and got a job as a truck driver In the summer of 1953 Elvis paid four dollars and recorded two songs for his mother’s birthday at sun records’ studio. Sam Phillips, the owner, heard Elvis and asked him to record That’s All Right in July 1955. He met Colonel Tom Parker, who became his manager. Parker sold Elvis’s contract to RCA Records. Elvis immediately bought a pink Cadillac for his mother. In January 1956 Elvis recorded Heartbreak hotel, and million copies were sold. In 1956 he also made his first movie in Hollywood, love me Tender. In March 1958, Elvis had to join the army. When his hair was cut, thousands of women cried. He spent the next two years in Germany, where he met Priscilla Beaulieu, who became his wife eight years later, in 1967. In 1960 he left the army and went to Hollywood were he made several movies during the next few years. Most critics thought the movies were a waste of his talent. By 1968, many people had become tired of Elvis. He hadn’t performed live since 1960. But then he recorded a new album, From Elvis in Memphis, he became popular again, and went to Las Vegas, where he was paid $750,000 for four weeks. In 1972 Priscilla left him, and they were divorced in October 1973. The next few years were spent doing concert tours. Elvis died at home of a heart attack. He had been eating and drinking too much for several years. He left all his money to his only daughter, Lisa Marie Presley. Since his death, Elvis has sold more records than during his lifetime. He has become a legendary figure, and every year there rumors that he is still alive. In 1993, Elvis was the first rock musician to be featured on a U.S. postage stamp. People were asked to vote-did they want a picture of the young 1956 Elvis or of the Elvis of Las Vegas shows. You can see how they voted!