Elvis Presley

The most famous artist of the twentieth century, Elvis Aaron Presley, was born in a small town of Tupelo in the heart of the Great Depression in the USA. He inherited the Jewish, French, German, Scottish and Cherokee roots from his parents. He had an identical twin-brother, who was stillborn. Elvis's father was jailed in 1938, and the family lost their house in Tupelo. Missis Presley and her son had to move to Memphis. Wherever Elvis went to school, he was bullied for his shy temper. Nevertheless, his mother had always been a devoted friend for him. The boy learned how to play the guitar and sometimes took different jobs in the evening to support the family. Around the same time, he started to wear the bright and extravagant clothes, which was one more reason for his peers to ostracize Presley. However, in 1952 Elvis won the local festival Minstrel Show. At that time, all he could think about was music, but Presley had to become a lorry driver after he finished the school.

Elvis's family was very religious, so he loved gospel songs since childhood. He was also fond of Afro-American music and country - thus nicknamed "hillbilly" for his tastes. However, his musical preferences let Presley get a contract with Sun Records in 1954, after he recorded a disc with covers for My Happiness and That's When Your Heartaches Begin for his mother's birthday. Elvis started performing in Memphis bars after his singles Blue Moon of Kentucky and That's All Right became local radio hits. Elvis's style for the moment was determined as rockabilly. In 1956, the first album by the artist titled Elvis Presley was released and he became the guest musician at the most popular shows of the USA. Sexual movements of Presley at the scene were furiously blamed as immoral, but the US youth got crazy about Elvis’s mesmerizing voice. After the rock-single Hot Dog, the singer started active touring around his motherland. However, he got his draft notice and went to army in 1958.

During his service in Germany Presley was acquainted to amphetamines and karate, he was devoted to both things during all his life. While Elvis was in the army, his severely drinking mother died - it was a big shock for the artist. He came back to civil life no ways less popular than two years ago - all this time his songs, like It's Now Or Never, were heavily rotated on the radio. In 1960, the brilliant rock & roll album Elvis Is Back! saw light. As Presley dreamt of the drama actor fame, his infamous manager Colonel Parker made Elvis act in a stream of low-quality musicals. The only advantage of these films was the presence of Elvis's soundtracks with such hits as Love Me Tender, Jailhouse Rock and Viva Las Vegas. During 60s, Presley's popularity faded, especially after his refusal from concerts for the sake of cinema career, while the artist was in drug stupor due to personal problems. Surprisingly, in 1969, the singer came back to the studio and recorded the priceless rock & roll disc Back In Memphis. Soon he started to tour again. In 1972, he amused everyone with the passionate tune Burning Love. In 1973, Presley divorced from his unfaithful wife but did not stop touring and performing. In August 1977, on the eve of the new planned tour, Elvis died in his hotel suit. Drug overdose is called the most probable reason of his premature death. However, the legacy of Elvis is still alive - almost every year is celebrated by the release of the artist's earlier unpublished material and collections of his hits. Thus, in 2007 the Elvis: Viva Las Vegas was released.