Handwriting-L - Handwriting Analysis Archive (Elvis Presley)

Biography of Elvis Presley

Many volumes could be (and have been) written about Elvis the entertainer and personality. So rather than document areas that others have done so well, we thought we might cover some of the less well publicized parts of Elvis' life.

Background:

Elvis:

was born January 8, 1935 in Tupelo, Mississippi.
had a twin brother (Jesse) who died at birth.
spent his early years in poverty.
won a talent contest at age 6 singing "Old Shep".
first played guitar at age 11
moved to Memphis, Tennessee. in 1948 at age 13.
after graduation from High School was an usher and truck driver.
first recorded for Sun Records in 1954.
had a celebrated career that made him "king" in the music business.
influenced many other top-name artists such as the Beatles.
sang mostly ballads and rhythm and blues tunes loved by millions.
had his 1st hit record with "Heartbreak Hotel" in 1956.
his 1st movie was "Love Me Tender" in 1956.
had 107 records on billboard charts.
had 18 records that were # 1 on the charts.
did a hitch with the US Army from March '58 through March '60.
was honored with a lifetime Grammy award in 1971.
later years were filled with personal disappointment and problems.
had his last live performance in Indianapolis June 26, 1977.
died August 16, 1977 at age 42 of heart failure due to prescription drug abuse.
was inducted into the rock-n-roll hall of fame in 1986

Thumbnail History:

Elvis exhibited many compulsive/obsessive qualities throughout his life which both helped and hindered his personal and public life. One of the areas that Elvis wanted to excel in was acting. He wanted to be the next James Dean and as a result was obsessed with Dean. He anguished over the fact that the roles he was given in movies were not (in his mind) substantial. Elvis knew all the words to "Rebel Without A Cause" that featured James Dean and Natalie Wood. Elvis sought out Wood because of her connection to James Dean. That relationship ended when Natalie came to visit Graceland and Elvis' mother Gladys (who was domineering and jealous) drove Natalie away. Natalie confided to her sister Lana that "he can sing, but he can't do much else".

Elvis served in the army between 1958 and 1960 stationed in Germany.

Right after Elvis was discharged from the Army, he brought the then 16 year old Priscilla Beaulieu to Graceland where she was kept in a pristine state until Elvis married her on 5/1/67. His obsessive control over Priscilla extended to forcing her to dye her hair black (like his own) and the wearing of heavy eye makeup. After the birth of their daughter Lisa Marie (9 months to the day after being married), Elvis would not become intimate with Priscilla again. Their marriage ended in divorce in 1973.

Elvis was very generous both to friends and acquaintances and was known to lavish expensive gifts when the whim hit him. One of his gifts, a pink Cadillac (for his mother) is permanently displayed on a huge cement pedestal on Elvis Presley Blvd in Memphis. In fact, his overly generous nature cost him most of his personal fortune. That fortune was not restored until Priscilla, who as executor, managed the Presley estate (that Lisa Marie inherited), and built it up again.

Elvis is reported to have been somewhat of a voyeur and enjoyed watching others have sex, particularly women. Elvis also preferred the dark and had rooms at Graceland painted black for that reason. Elvis' lifestyle was hard for many to keep up with. He would sleep all day and party all night.

Elvis liked rich food and was fond of peanut butter and banana sandwiches that were fried in butter. He also like grits cooked in the same manner and had a refrigerator in his room well stocked with junk food. He could consume large quantities of popsicles at a sitting. This compulsion for eating would carry over into eating binges in his later life.

Elvis had a gun collection and was a karate expert, earning a black belt. President Nixon gave him a position as a special agent dealing with, ironically, drugs which later dramatically affected his life.

Elvis didn't like to be alone and would surround himself with others, some his friends and others paid to accompany him. The Memphis Mafia as it was called and Elvis would frequent many night spots in Memphis.

A little known fact is that two of Elvis' hit records were adaptations of Italian ballads. One of the songs, "It's Now Or Never", was a rework of the Italian ballad "O Sole Mio" written in 1899.

The preceeding information was researched by Rosa Silvestri and Marie Crouch.