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"Truth is like the sun. You can shut it out for a time, but it ain't goin' away." Elvis Presley is as much of a legend as he is an actual human being. Born in Tupelo, Mississippi, Presley would reach a level of celebrity that few, if any, musicians will ever mimic. As the King of Rock and Roll, Presley was as influential a figure on mainstream music as there ever has been. He was prevalent in every facet of the industry, from radio and television to the silver screen.

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Despite becoming one of the greatest music icons in history, Presley's untimely demise would leave a cloud lurking over his work. In the intervening years since his death, Presley has transitioned into something of an ephemeral figure, someone known as much for his legend as for what he actually did. Today, we are going to go back to the early days of Presley's career in order to see how he became who he became.

Making Tupelo Famous

Elvis Presley was born in Tupelo, Mississippi, on January 8, 1935.  Presley was born the child of Gladys Love Presley (1912 – 1958) and Vernon Elvis Presley (1916 – 1979). Elvis was born 35 minutes after his identical twin brother, Jesse Presley, who would tragically be delivered stillborn. Presley would become incredibly close to his family while growing up, and they would attend the Assembly of God in Memphis, together.

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Elvis was raised in a working-class household where money was hard to come by and a steady home was even harder to find. The Presley family frequently moved while Presley was a child but one thing that stayed consistent was their adherence to the church. Raised by his mother's strong Christian roots, Presley became fascinated by the Gospel, and he would frequently perform while in church. Presley began playing guitar on his 11th birthday, and he would go on to win a talent show at Humes High School as a musician. Presley would graduate from Humes High School in 1953, and he would record his first demo a year later.

Once Presley left high school, his career almost instantly kicked into overdrive. Known as much for his musical skills as his charming good looks, Presley quickly found himself under the wing of Sam Philips. In the blink of an eye, Presley was suddenly touring the country while showcasing his first single, 'That's All Right' in 1954.

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King of Rock and Roll

It didn't take long for Elvis Presley to develop a cult following. By 1995, Presley had fans from all over the country flocking to his concerts. Thanks to his unique musical style and his overtly provocative dances, Presley was quick to emerge as a superstar. Presley would release his first #1 single in 1956, Heartbreak Hotel, as well as his first studio album, Elvis Presley. In a moment, Elvis was signing major contracts with Paramount Pictures while appearing on variety shows, talk shows, and television shows all around the country. Presley would appear in the 1956 film, Love Me Tender to critical and commercial acclaim. 

Unfortunately, Presley's star-status was put on hold when he was served his enlistment papers in 1957. Presley would join the army a year later before serving in Germany for 18 months. Right before Elvis went into service, his beloved mother passed away. Presley was allowed leave in order to attend the funeral. In Germany, Presley would meet, fall in love with, and eventually marry Priscilla Beaulieu. The two would tie the knot during a Las Vegas ceremony in 1967.

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After Elvis left the Army in 1960, he was back on track with his career. Elvis immediately found himself at the top of the charts for his work on the soundtrack of G.I. Blues. Presley would continue acting in his post-Army career with appearances in Blue Hawaii (1961), Girls! Girls! Girls! (1962) and finally, Viva Las Vegas (1964). Though Presley failed to find consistent critical success in his acting career, his films always sold well. During this period, Presley was starting to experience success-fatigue. His stardom was reaching a standstill and Presley knew that he needed to do something special to get his glow going again. Presley would release the critically acclaimed TV special, King of Rock 'n' Roll in 1968 in order to begin his historic '68 Comeback'.  Presley would step away from working on middling films in order to fully embrace his musical work.

Elvis would go on to release From Elvis in Memphis in 1969 and From Memphis to Vegas/From Vegas to Memphis later on that same year.  These iconic recording sessions would become the first secular, non-soundtrack recordings in Presley's last decade of work.  These records were considered a masterpiece at the time, and they've since gained almost historic status. In the Ghetto would reach #3 on the pop charts. This momentous comeback, when combined with Presley's recent wedding, would put the King of Rock 'n' Roll in a healthy headspace. Unfortunately, their divorce in 1973 would lead directly to Presley's downswing. He would begin to battle addiction and weight problems due to his destructive lifestyle. Despite his high-profile struggles, Presley continued to remain a star wherever he would host performances.

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Despite how high Presley had soared, his life would come crashing down on the morning of August 16, 1977. At some point in the early hours of the day, Presley would tragically succumb to heart failure at the age of 42, effectively cutting off the life of the biggest star in music history. In the wake of his passing, Presley would transform into a legend with many stories from his career becoming almost mythical. He would be buried in Graceland at the family burial site.

Before passing on, Presley would leave behind a legacy that might never be matched. Presley helped to shift America's musical sensibilities while remaining an Award-Winning force. Presley would win three Grammy Awards, score 18 #1 singles, and he would be one of the first people ever inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In the intervening years since his death, Elvis has been a popular figure in pop-culture. He is frequently featured in Hollywood adaptations with Jonathan Rhys-Meyers most recently donning the sideburns in a 2005 miniseries.