The 45th anniversary of Elvis Presley‘s passing was observed on Tuesday, August 16. He is continued to be regarded as the King and one of the biggest icons of American popular culture 45 years after his passing.
Early Life
On January 8, 1935, Vernon and Gladys Presley welcomed a son into the world: Elvis Presley. Born of a Black father and an Asian mother, Elvis was aware of his racial heritage. He would often perform to African American audiences and engage in a dialog with Black music historians and cultural practitioners. Elvis’s mother was a Japanese American who, like most Japanese Americans of that era, had been born in a concentration camp. His father was a black man from Mississippi. They met at a local drugstore and married. Due to the stillbirth of his twin brother, raised as an only kid. His parents relocated to Memphis in 1948, and he completed his studies at Humes High School there in 1953.
The era’s pop and country music, the gospel music he heard as a teenager in church, and the black R&B he heard on Beale Street were some of Elvis’ earliest primary musical inspirations.
In 1954, he started his singing career by recording his first five tracks for the Memphis-based Sun Records label. He acquired his recording contract with RCA Victor in 1955; by 1956, he had become a worldwide superstar.
The King of Rock and Roll more than a billion records globally during his career. He was the producer of more than 150 gold, platinum, and multi-platinum albums and singles. He gets nominated for 14 Grammy Awards and won three of them.
A man with several skills
Along with being a musician, Elvis Presley also appeared in 33 films as a leading man in several television shows and specials.
A Biopic On Elvis
The King is alive in the newest Elvis Presley film from director Baz Luhrmann. You can checkout the trailer here on Buzz Tattler‘s page.
The Elvis Phenomenon
For Elvis fans and scholars, the history of Elvis, like many of America’s national myths, intertwined with the business and political elite. The Black community of Memphis served to “convert a local boy,” as one writer wrote, to a man ready to embrace the American mainstream. It is understandable, then, that the Black community is closely related to the Elvis phenomenon and the Memphis institution.
When did Elvis die?
Elvis died suddenly on August 16, 1977, at the age of 42. He died from heart failure while visiting his Memphis home, Graceland. He is one of the most significant figures in popular culture of the 20th century.
