The Legacy of Elvis Presley

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Many of us have a dream in life to be remembered by all for something great. It’s a lofty goal that only few have, or ever will achieve. Elvis Presley was one of the few people in our American history that achieved this status. Known as “The King of Rock and Roll”, his achievements have influenced our country like none of its precedents. This paper will explain Elvis Presley’s life, his death, and his profound influence after life.

On January 8th, 1935 in Tupelo, Mississippi, the “King of Rock and Roll” was born. His name was Elvis Presley. He was the son of Vernon Presley who was a truck driver, and his mother was Gladys, a sewing machine operator. He had a twin brother named Jesse, but he was still born, leaving Elvis to grow up as an only child. His father was hardly around, and he was imprisoned for three years for forgery. Surrounding him as a child though, was the gospel music of the Pentecost church, where his love for music first took roots in his heart. In the fifth grade his teacher Oletta Grimes asked Elvis to participate in the talent contest on Children’s Day at the Mississippi – Alabama Fair and Dairy Show. At age ten, he donned his cowboy hat and slipped into a cowboy suit to sing in the talent show, but he was in need of a chair in order to reach the microphone. He sang his personal rendition of Red Foley’s “Old Shep”; it won him a second prize and a free ticket for all the numerous rides in the park. His following Birthday, he received his first guitar from the Tupelo Hardware Store and took lessons from his dad’s brother. In 1948 his family picked up their life and moved to Memphis, Tennessee. It was there that he was exposed to the rhythmic sound of the blues, as well as Jazz on Beale Street, where he grew up...

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...'Embarrassing' Case of Chronic Constipation - FoxNews.com." FoxNews.com - Breaking News | Latest News | Current News. Web. 6 May 2011. .

Rohter, Larry, and Tom Zito. "WashingtonPost.com: Rock Idol Elvis Presley Dies at 42." The Washington Post: National, World & D.C. Area News and Headlines - The Washington Post. Web. 6 May 2011. .

"Top 10 People Rumored To Be Alive After Death." Top 10 Lists - Listverse. Web. 6 May 2011. .

Wisconsin. 1994 ed. Vol. 21. Chicago: World Book, 1994. Print. The World Book Encyclopedia.

Zeinert, Karen. Celebrate The States. New York: Marshall Cavendish, 1998. Print.

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