It’s Rewind Wednesday, and today’s story isn’t exactly the most upbeat. Yesterday, it was officially 39 years since the legend Elvis Presley passed away in his Graceland home.
On August 16th, 1977, Presley was found dead at the age of Tennessee. In his mansion in Memphis, Tennessee, the singer broke hearts all over the world, with fans coming from all over to pay their respects outside his mansion home.
Presley was burn in Tupelo, Mississippi, and his musical career started early. For his 11th birthday he had asked his mother to give him a rifle, but instead she chose to give him a guitar. It was eight years later when Presley entered his first recording studio in the city and recorded two songs for his mother as a birthday present to her. When the owner of the studio, Sam Phillips heard the songs, he asked Presley to record his own version of ‘That’s All Right’. This became his first ever charted track.
Elvis soon became one of the hottest names in music, and continually charted between 1956 and 58, helping bring in the new age of rock with his double-sided ‘Hound Dog’ LP, which was accompanied by ‘Don’t Be Cruel’.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wf_TRHww9vc
Elvis became known for his unique style and his provocative dancing, and in 1972, he has his last ever top 10 hit with a song called Burning Love. It was at this point that people realized he was struggling with his health, and the media came to learn that he was addicted to prescription drugs which caused him to gain quite a lot of weight.
After his death, Presley was buried in the grounds of Gracelands, which is now one of the biggest tourist attractions in the region.
He might be gone, but Elvis lives on as a legend. He helped create the rock and roll scene and he changed music (and dancing!) forever.