Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley was known as the King of Rock and Roll. He led an interesting life full of surprises and troubles. It has been 20 years since Elvis died, yet people still remember and love him. His enormous success has changed the shape of American culture.Elvis was born on January 8, 1935 in Tupelo, Mississippi. Elvis had a twin named Jesse but he died about six (6) hours after birth. His mother had a daughter, but she died shortly after birth. Because of having lost two children Elvis’s mom was overprotective and followed him everywhere.
Once when Elvis was 8 years old, a teacher heard him sing "Old Shep," a sentimentle song about the death of an old dog. He was entered in a talent contest at a state fair and won second place. He got $5 and free rides for the rest of the day but he did not get much attention toward his music skills for a long time after that. Elvis’s favorite kind of music was gospel music. He was in the church choir for a while.
The first guitar that Elvis ever played belonged to his Uncle Vester. He was given a less battered one for his birthday, (instead of the bicycle he wanted that his parents could not afford), and he became attached to it. He learned to play it alongside music on the radio that he heard.
Among the movie stars who particuarly impressed him was Tony Curtis, who’s pompador hairstyle Elvis began to copy during his final years at school in the early 1950’s.
When Elvis started playing for money his father did not approve. Nevertheless, Elvis kept playing until he became famous. Once Elvis said, "I’ve never been seriously hurt. I’ve had my hair pulled and a few scratches, and I’ve lost a few suits of clothes too, but as far as I’m concerned, if they want my shirt they can have it. After all they put it on my back to start with."
One time Elvis and his band(Scotty, Bill, and D.J.) flew to New York for a nationally networked television apperance on the Jackie Gleason Stage Show.
Elvis continued writing songs and acting in movies even after his mother passed away in 1958. He acted in more than 5 movies featuring himself.
When Elvis was drafted for the Army he said, " I reckon I’ll be able to handle the Army assignment OK. I’ll do whatever they tell me, and I won’t be asking for special favors."When he was at war in Germany he met a girl named Priscilla, who he fell in love with. Seven years later on May 1st, 1967 around 3:00a.m. with less than a dozen people there Elvis married Priscilla. Exactly nine months after that on February 1st, 1968 Elvis became the father of a baby girl named Lisa Marie.
Sadley Elvis and Priscilla got a divorce. Elvis had more girlfriends though. When Elvis got into his older years he got fat. Elvis went to bed at 6:00a.m. on August 16, 1977, taking 8 sleeping pills of varying types. Still not able to sleep, he made a phone call to "Dr. Nick’s" office. He asked a nurse for more medication; the nurse was probably the last one to have a conversation with Elvis. His girlfriend, Ginger Alden, who was over at his house woke up at 2:00p.m. She found herself alone in bed. Elvis made no reply to her calls, and she found him face down on the bathroom floor.
She raised the alarm immediately and Elvis was rushed to the Memphis Baptist Memorial Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
For more information on the affect of sleeping pills, and other drugs, click on the following link. <http://unisci.com/stories/0501983.htm>