Elvis Presley

From an early age, Tupelo’s Elvis Presley had a strong interest in music, influenced by the pop and country hits of the day, gospel songs he heard at church, and R&B music performed on Beale Street (his family moved to Memphis in 1948).

In 1954, Presley’s musical career was launched when he recorded a song with Sun Records. It took only two years for the young singer to become an international sensation. He released “Heartbreak Hotel” and made his film debut in Love Me Tender in 1956. He would go on to star in 33 films.

The way Presley sang, performed, and challenged social and racial barriers made him the leading figure of rock and roll music. He helped to pave the way for not only a new era of American music, but also a new era of popular culture. He was The King.

He received 14 Grammy nominations, three Grammys, and the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, and he was featured in the first globally broadcast concert.

In August 1977, at the age of 42, Elvis Presley died in his Memphis home, Graceland. But death did not diminish his influence. He has been inducted into numerous halls of fame, has sold over 1 billion records globally, and is recognized as one of America’s most influential and important icons.