Hail to The King, baby: Remembering Elvis Presley
With Jan. 8 marking what would have been Elvis Presley's 78th birthday, remember The King with a look at his life and career and the legacy he left behind.
Elvis Presley scored his first No. 1 hit, "Heartbreak Hotel," in 1956. His last No. 1 came in 1969 with "Suspicious Minds."
Elvis Presley scored his first No. 1 hit, "Heartbreak Hotel," in 1956. His last No. 1 came in 1969 with "Suspicious Minds."
Elvis Aaron Presley, pictured here in 1972, was born on Jan. 8, 1935, in Tupelo, Miss., to Vernon Elvis and Gladys Love Presley. His twin brother, Jesse Garon Presley, was stillborn.
The iconic cover of Elvis' 1956 self-titled debut, featuring a photo taken July 31, 1955. The best-known song on the album was a cover of Carl Perkins' "Blue Suede Shoes."
1956: "Hound Dog" was a big hit for Elvis Presley. He serenaded a basset hound in a top hat with the song on the set of "The Steve Allen Show."
On Dec. 4, 1956, Elvis dropped in at Memphis' Sun Records, where Jerry Lee Lewis (far left) and Carl Perkins (second from left) were recording and jammed with them. Fellow Sun Records artist Johnny Cash (far right) joined them for this famous photo, which became known as the "Million Dollar Quartet."
Elvis Presley is pictured in his United States Army uniform in this undated publicity photograph. Presley entered the United States Army at Memphis, Tennessee, on March 24, 1958. Presley's overseas service took place in Germany from Oct. 1, 1958, until March 2, 1960, as a member of the 1st Medium Tank Battalion, 32d Armor and he received his discharge from the Army Reserve on March 23, 1964.
Elvis made 31 films as an actor. Here are just a few of them, starting with his first movie, 1956's "Love Me Tender," a western which co-starred Debra Paget and featured Elvis' title track.
"Jailhouse Rock," seen here in this colorized promotional poster used in theaters, released in 1957.
"Kid Galahad," released in 1962.
"Follow That Dream," also released in 1962.
A promotional poster for 1962's "Girls! Girls! Girls!" plays up Elvis' image as a sex symbol.
Elvis Presley is pictured in this undated publicity photograph from his 1965 film "Harum Scarum."
A promotional poster plays up the "go-go guy" Elvis in "Viva Las Vegas."
Elvis and Ann-Margret are pictured in this undated publicity photograph from their 1964 film "Viva Las Vegas."
Presley and Ann-Margret in another publicity photo for "Viva Las Vegas."
"Frankie & Johnny," released in 1966.
"Paradise, Hawaiian Style," released in 1966.
"Clambake," released in 1967.
Presley sits cheek to cheek with his bride, the former Priscilla Ann Beaulieu, following their wedding May 1, 1967, in Las Vegas.
Simply called "Elvis," but later known as the "'68 Comeback Special," the singer wore tight black leather for a concert NBC broadcast on Dec. 3, 1968. It was the singer's first live performance since 1961.
Elvis is pictured in this undated publicity photograph, which is autographed.
This bizarre photo opportunity came on Dec. 21, 1970, when Elvis met President Richard Nixon at the White House. Presley expressed his patriotism and contempt for the hippie drug culture, asking Nixon for a Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs badge.
Elvis' last album, 1977's "Moody Blue," was released just short of a month before the singer's death. The album was a mixture of live and studio work, and included tracks from Presley's final studio recording sessions in 1976.
Elvis fans Bruce and Vickie Lancaster of Ripley, Tenn., watch an Elvis Presley concert on a screen at the Presley's Graceland home in Memphis in this Aug. 15, 2002, file photo.
Japanese fans of Elvis Presley fold their hands in prayer after placing offerings of juice and cigarettes on a bronze statue of the "king of rock and roll" in Tokyo on Aug. 16, 2002, 25 years after the singer's passing. The anniversary of Presley's death coincides with Japan's o-bon festival of spirits returning to this world, during which offerings of food and other items are made to the dead.
"Elvis on Tour," a documentary that follows The King on his 1972 tour of the U.S., made its long-awaited debut on DVD in 2010.
