"My knees shaking while cooking bacon and eggs. Elvis is the best! Period!"
"The greatest singer in the world."
Elvis Presley was the most influential artist of all-time."
"NEVER has there been nor will there ever be a singer who could sing all types of music as incredibly as Elvis. Country, rock, gospel, R and B, ballads,,etc."
"The King of Cool."
"The voice. The tone. The sheer diversity, soul and depth. The king possessed a chameleon voice that was indeed ever changing. No artist living or dead is his equal."
"Elvis made rock and roll accepted, and popular....the most iconic, influential and beloved figure in rock history...and the greatest entertainer of all time !!!"
"An icon in his lifetime and an unforgettable, electric performer."
"He was the greatest of all-time."
"I never saw more swagger in my life This guy was the real deal!"
"Nobody will ever touch his talent. To think of all he achieved in such a short life. And to do so much for others without wanting recognition for it. He will forever be loved and missed for all he did and for all the love 💘💘💘 he showed to us his fans. You might say we had a great love affair with the greatest entertainer of our time!!!😊"
"In his generation Elvis was groundbreaking. Nobody since has even come close. Long live the "King"."
"What an incredible performer he was! His voice a total miracle, uniting people all over the world. He died 40 years ago, but he is still missed by millions. The man with every "IT" factor you can mention. The coolest cat ever to walk the earth."
"He's not just Elvis Presley... he's da king of rock :)"
"It was a great time, to be there and getting to listen to all these great hits one after the other, it was an endless stream of million sellers for years on end."
"The man just went for it. He did what he felt and I respect that. A handsome, generous and charismatic soul. He is and always has been my idol."
"The MAN, the KING, the LEGEND. In the future when people rate the greatest singers, Elvis will always be number 1."
"Wow, this man was truly a legend."
"The best singer of all time. ♪"
"Elvis Presley - the best singer and performer of all time!!!"
"It's still unbelievable that after so many years of listening to him, when he sings it just penetrates the heart and he doing that with so much emotion and meaning."
"He's the template for so many rock icons that followed just by looking at his style, charisma, charm, and connection to the audience."
"They never saw him coming and now the WORLD will never forget him."
"Elvis was the greatest entertainer of the twentieth century. Nobody else even comes close."
"He's the best there ever was or ever will be."
"Simply the greatest, no competition. Yes, there are many great and talented people out there. But there was only one who was truly magical, and who will stand the test of time, from here till the end of time. He paid the ultimate price, totally removing himself from society, dealing with depression, isolation and desperation."
"Brilliant then, brilliant now. God bless Elvis."
"The coolest man that ever walked on earth. Long live the king and his legacy!"
"I grew up obsessed with Elvis. Absolute legend!"
"Absolutely wonderful and unbeatable."
"His songs will go on for a long time and the talent that made them was a gift from GOD."
"This guy really had the moves. And it doesn't look like he got them from anyone else- seems like it just comes natural to him."
"The greatest rocker that ever lived."
"He heard the music not only with his ears, but with his heart and soul, and that's why friends he is the KING of Rock n Roll."
"Elvis Presley is the most gifted man that ever sang."
"He was king of music period. Yes he could sing most anything and do a good job. Love all his songs especially the spiritual songs. Nobody does them better!"
"His range of tones is amazing."
"What a treat it would have been to see this man perform in the 50s."
"Good looks, great talent, charisma and a big heart. Elvis had it all."
"Elvis Presley is a great artist. My legs don't stay in place while listening."
"Something verry great and amazing was given to the world when Elvis was born ,we thank you so verry much... unforgetable man always and for ever. I never get enough of your music, talent, and charm.❤️"
"Elvis transcends all space and time!! ❤️"
"Elvis brought instant electric to the room when he sang+. Like no other past or present. Age 5 or age 85 was glued to this singer..."
"The greatest of all times...Love this beautiful man!!"
"The king's legendary voice still remains unmatched and unbeaten and it'll always remain so, all the love and respect for you Elvis Presley the King ❤"
"Elvis the king immortal."
Elvis always had this special sound in his songs that I just love! He's the best singer I've ever heard!"
"His swag was off the charts but especially for that time period, he had them going crazy. You felt his soul when he sang and danced. An all time iconic musician and performer."
"This guy's amazing... the greatest ever 🤘"
"I just discovered Elvis and he is so mesmerizing I cannot stop listening to his music and he is so good looking. Wish I could have seen him at a concert. I can hardly breathe when I hear Elvis sing. He has the power to go to my soul. No other singer I have listened to has done that...."
"Elvis's sound sends you to another world...."
"Thank You Elvis for doing it all right!! You will always be in a galaxy all your own!"
"Such a handsome, generous, sweet loving gentlemen, the one and only Elvis Presley, we love you with all our hearts."
"He was ABSOLUTELY AMAZING !!"
"E = EXTRAORDINARY
"Elvis was a true rock & roll pioneer!"
"You could just lose yourself in those dreamy eyes. Then add the voice, and body you're done for. 😊"
"There will never be anyone like him again We will never forget you Elvis!!!!!😢😢😢😢😢"
"Isn't he just marvelous??? 😍😍"
"Unforgettable ! Elvis is in our hearts forever!"
"The coolest man that ever lived."
"Gorgeous singer with an incredible voice and charismatic personality. Priceless."
"2021 and still fresh! Imagine the feeling when an Elvis song was first played back in the day."
"The truly greatest innovator of Rock/Pop music."
"I always search for that "what is it" enigma. What is it that everyone feels that makes you bond with him. That emotion that feels your heart when he sings that makes your worries melt away. Elvis felt it too, that's why he was so connected & loyal to his fans."
"Elvis is just legendary."
"Elvis had a ton of charisma, and some people are just born with it along with a magnetic personality, Elvis had both."
"He gave us dozens and dozens of classics!"
"No doubt Elvis was the rock n roll pioneer.. and also the king of rock.. Gracias Elvis."
"Elvis was something else! He was such a charismatic man!"
"Elvis is the easily one of the greatest singers, he could sing anything."
"He is so handsome and talented and LEGENDARY."
"Elvis Presley was the best singer ever and he was a angel from heaven."
"Elvis forever! The inimitable vocal talent of the king."
"Elvis is full of dynamite and energy."
"Elvis Presley will always be the king of rock and roll."
"He was called the King for a reason. He had the looks, the voice and the sound. Long Live the King!"
"A voice of pure velvet never to be replaced."
"There are no words to express how incredible this man's voice was ...We were lucky to have his talent in this world ..."
"Legendary 💖"
"This guy was born to rock."
"So supple, so full of authority, rebellion, pathos, passion, defiance; note and pitch perfect; Elvis Presley's voice was the spokesman for OUR generation."
"Elvis Presley, the greatest of all-time."
"Total package. One=off legend. Voice so clear, music so fresh. Forever young and beautiful."
"All hail the King!"
"Elvis was most definitely one of the GREATEST singers of all time."
"That fantastic marvelous God-given voice, talent and charisma that only Elvis had. Miss those days and of course Elvis. RIP Elvis."
"Elvis Presley had it all ! He had natural swag, voice and looks..."
"There will never be another that can move like that."
"In the world of rock and roll there are a lot of legends but only one king...."
"Elvis , you will never be forgotten!"
"What a Voice..... Thank you so much Elvis for giving us your gift of God... You are forever be missed.."
"This dude is the greatest and what a legacy he left behind for us to enjoy."
"Legends never die."
"A miracle voice, incredible looks, and a heart of gold."
"No one sounded like him, looked like him or moved like him. This guy took sex appeal to a whole new level. He dominated a cultural explosion musically which the world is still stunned at."
"The one and only legend!! Awesome!!!"
"Still the King 🤴 of Rock and Roll. The immortal Elvis Presley. 👏"
"One of the greatest voices of the 20th century."
"Elvis may have left the building for good, but he'll never leave the hearts and minds of his loyal fans."
"The King will be forever remembered and loved."
(Elvis at the Fair, far right)
Vernon was unable to hold a steady job for long and the family needed help from neighbors and the government to subside. Elvis went to grade school at East Tupelo Consolidated in 1941. He entered a singing contest at the encouragement of his teacher after she heard him sing Red Foley's "Old Shep". On October 3, 1945 ten-year-old Presley competed with other youths live at radio station WELO and placed fifth, winning $5 and a free ticket to all the fair rides.at the Mississippi-Alabama Fair and Dairy Show.
Elvis received an old guitar for his birthday and he learned to play from his uncles and the pastor at his Pentecostal Church, where he was greatly influenced by listening to the Psalms and the Gospel songs.
Presley was shy as a child but he began taking his guitar to school at Milam, his new school in 1946. Elvis played and sang at lunchtime but was teased often. A schoolmate whose brother was a DJ (Mississippi Slim) at Tupelo radio station WELO took Elvis to the station to meet him. Slim taught Elvis about chords and invited him onto his show to perform.
The Presleys moved to Memphis, Tennessee in 1948 and lived in a two-bedroom apartment in the Lauderdale Courts, a public housing complex. Elvis enrolled at L.C. Humes High School, but his music teacher told him he had no aptitude for singing.
Elvis honed his guitar skills further by studying with neighbor Lee Denson. They and three other boys, including Dorsey and Johnny Burnette, began an informal group that played around the Courts. Elvis worked at Loew's State Theater, Precision Tool, and MARL Metal Products.
Presley began to lose his shyness during his junior year and spent much of his free time on Beale Street, where Blues was blaring out of the now-famous nightclubs. He competed in the Humes "Minstrel" show in 1953. Presley told author Peter Guralnick for his book Last Train to Memphis: The Rise of Elvis Presley, "It was amazing how popular I became in school after that."
Presley could not read music but played by ear. He listened to jukeboxes and listening booths in record stores. Elvis was further influenced by African-American spiritual music, which he heard at monthly All-Night Singings in downtown Memphis. By the time he was a senior in 1953, Presley knew exactly what he wanted to do.
Elvis returned in January of 1954 to record "I'll Never Stand In Your Way" and "It Wouldn't Be The Same Without You". He was rejected for a place in the Songfellows singing group after they told him he couldn't sing. Discouraged, Presley took a job as a truck driver with Crown Electric.
But Elvis pressed on and soon his friend Ronnie Smith suggested he contact Eddie Bond, who was the leader of a band Smith played in. However, Bond told Presley to stick to truck driving "because you're never going to make it as a singer." What an embarrassment for all-time for Bond to live with.
(Elvis, Bill Black, Scotty Moore and Sam Phillips)
Meanwhile at Sun, Phillips heard a demo by Jimmy Sweeney singing "Without You" that Sam thought might be perfect for the young aspiring Elvis. When Elvis came into the studio and sang it, it didn't sound right but Phillips asked Presley to sing several songs. He was impressed enough that Sam invited guitarist Scotty Moore and upright bassist Bill Black to work with Elvis for a recording session.On July 5, the three musicians met but most of the session wasn't productive. However, just as they were about to call it quits for the night, Elvis picked up his guitar and began playing the 1946 Arthur Crudup song "That's All Right (Mama)", twice as fast as the original. As Moore told Guralnick:
All of a sudden, Elvis just started singing this
song, jumping around and acting the fool,
and then Bill picked up his bass, and he
started acting the fool, too, and I started
playing with them. Sam had the door to the
control booth open...he stuck his head out
and said "What are you doing?" And we
said, "We don't know." "Well, back up," he
said, "try to find a place to start, and do it
again."
What Phillips heard that night was exactly what he had been looking for. Sam began taping and three days later, Memphis WHBQ DJ Dewey Phillips played "That's All Right" on the radio. Listener response was phenomenal, so much so that Phillips played the song over and over for the last two hours of his show.
Presley had the single he wanted, but was having a tough time getting the B-side. They were nearly out of time in the session without a promising possibility. Then Black began singing the Bill Monroe song "Blue Moon Of Kentucky". Intrigued, Presley began singing and playing the song, much faster than the original slow waltz in 3/4 time. Moore joined in and Phillips pressed the record button. The musicians recorded both a slow and a fast version, but it is the up-tempo one that made it as the flip side of "That's All Right".
Sam had the trio record Bill Monroe's "Blue Moon Of Kentucky" and the single was pressed with "That's All Right" as the A-side. "That's All Right" became an immediate regional hit and was later included on the compilation album For LP Fans Only.
After the Overton show, Moore and Black both left their regular band to back Presley full-time, and Presley hired Bob Neal to be his manager. Elvis played at the Eagle's Nest club and continued to record at Sun Studios.
"I Don't Care If The Sun Don't Shine", was released on September 25 as Presley's next single, but the B-side attracted more attention and the sides were reversed. Elvis came across with even more passion than Blues screamer Wyonie Harris did in his big 1948 R&B hit--"Good Rockin' Tonight".
(From left to right: Moore, Presley, Fontana and Black)
Elvis performed on Louisiana Hayride in November of 1954, with the show broadcast to 198 radio stations in 28 states. After the second show, Elvis was asked to play on the Hayride for one year. Elvis purchased a Martin guitar and began playing in places as far away as Houston, Texas as word began to spread about his shows.
Presley appeared on television for the first time when KSLA-TV broadcast the Hayride. He failed an audition to be on Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts on CBS, but by early 1955, Presley's notoriety was growing. Neal introduced Elvis to Colonel Tom Parker (he was an honorary colonel, a title given him by Louisiana governor Jimmie Davis). Parker was known as one of the best promoters in the music business, having managed Eddy Arnold and Hank Snow. Landing Elvis as a client would put millions of dollars in the Colonel's pocket.
Elvis started out slow with this Kokomo Arnold song before kicking it into overdrive--"Milkcow Blues Boogie". The song was later released on the album A Date with Elvis.
Elvis recorded this song in December of 1954 during the fourth of his legendary eight sessions at Sun. "You're A Heartbreaker" was the flip of "Milkcow Blues Boogie" above.
Parker booked Elvis (billed as "The King of Western Bop" and "The Hillbilly Cat") on Snow's February tour, which attracted 19-year-old Roy Orbison to attend the show in Odessa, Texas:
His (Presley's) energy was incredible, his
instinct was just amazing. I just didn't know
what to make of it. There was just no
reference point in the culture to compare it.
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