Elvis Presley

Elvis Presley
Background information
Also known as	The Hillbilly Cat (1953–55)[1]
Born	(1935-01-08)January 8, 1935 Tupelo, Mississippi, U.S.
Origin	Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.
Died	August 16, 1977(1977-08-16) (aged 42) Memphis, Tennessee, U.S
Genres	Rock and roll, pop, rockabilly, rhythm and blues, country, gospel
Occupation(s)	Singer, musician, actor
Instruments	Vocals, guitar, piano
Years active	1954–1977
Labels	Sun, RCA Victor
Website	Elvis.com

Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was an American singer, musician and actor. He is widely considered as one of the most influential and most famous musicians of the 20th century, widely regarded as one of the 20th century’s greatest cultural icons. Presley is one of the biggest selling musical artists of all time.^[2] He was one of the first and the most famous recording artist in rock and roll music. He also starred in over 30 movies. His global fame has continued till today almost 47 years after his death. He’s considered by many to be one of the most popular men in history.^[3] He is so popular that some people know him as only "Elvis". He is also referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll", or simply "The King".

Presley was born in Tupelo, Mississippi. He and his family moved to Memphis, Tennessee, when he was 13 years old. His music career began there in 1954. He first started to work with Sam Phillips who was the owner of Sun Records. RCA Victor acquired his contract in a deal arranged by Colonel Tom Parker. Presley's first RCA single, "Heartbreak Hotel" was released in January 1956. It was a number-one hit in the US. Presley became the leading figure of rock and roll after many TV appearances and chart-topping records. His energetic attitude towards his music and his performance style, made him very popular—and controversial.

In November 1956, he made his film debut in Love Me Tender. In 1958, he was drafted into military service. When he resumed his recording career two years later, he made some of his most successful work. In the 1960s, Presley gave most of his time to making Hollywood movies. After a long seven-year break from live performances, he returned to the stage in 1968. In 1973, Presley was featured in the first globally broadcast concert. Several years of prescription drug abuse damaged his health, and he died in 1977 at the age of 42. Before Presley died, he had type 2 diabetes, Hypertension and Cholesterol that he was diagnosed with on April 29, 1974, due to his weight gain and after a medical check-up

1. ↑ "Elvis Presley 1953–1955 : The Hillbilly Cat". Retrieved 2008-08-16.
2. ↑ "Elvis Presley". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 2017-10-25.
3. ↑ Skiena, Steven; Ward, Charles B. (10 December 2013). "Who's Biggest? The 100 Most Significant Figures in History". Time – via ideas.time.com.