Elvis Presley The King
Surely, when pronouncing the name of Elvis, the images that come to mind are that of the man loaded with excess, with his suits full of shine, his superlative sideburns; the rings, glasses, bracelets, golden pistols ... all accompanied by the neon lights in Las Vegas and the shouts of the audience every time he approached the edge of the stage to put flower necklaces on her. Or perhaps, the image that jumps like a flash in the retinas, is that of a rebellious young man clad in leather, with a toupee combed to perfection with the sole objective that when dancing he would disheveled and with a guitar in his hand singing in the movie of the moment. Whatever your image of Elvis, there was much more behind the owner of the most visited mansion in the United States, after the White House or the missing artist, along with his ex-son Michael Jackson, who continues to earn more money per year.
He was so shy that his legs were shaking when he presented his first concerts back in 1954. At that time, Elvis Presley had acne and stuttered. The girls were screaming and Elvis thought they were making fun of him. To counter the shaking, he exaggerated the movement of his legs even more. He transformed it into a daring dance, to pure rock'n'roll rhythm. Elvis and his pelvis. And so, as if it were the work of fate, he added the finishing touch to a style that would first scandalize the conservative American society of the 1950s, then earn a place of honor in the popular culture of this country.
Fame came swiftly. It started at age 11, when Elvis wanted to buy a rifle for his birthday and Gladys convinced him to give up his warlike impulses and choose a guitar. Years later, he appeared at the offices of the brand new Sun Records label, where he was discovered by its president, Sam Phillips. Together, Phillips and Presley made history with millions of record sales and a series of recordings that still smell of innovation today.
Musically, Elvis experienced splendid moments during the 1970s, putting on lavish concerts that expressed his charisma and the eclecticism of his repertoire. But the excesses of his fortune and a virulent addiction to all kinds of pills led him to a state of permanent paranoia. He began to rave during his concerts, he shared inconsistencies with his audience and little by little he would become a caricature of himself.
Elvis was the most successful artist of his time; He influenced artists or bands such as Kiss, The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, Michael Jackson and still continues to be an inspiration for thousands of singers and musical groups around the world. His musical legacy helped consolidate genres such as rockabilly, blues rock, jazz rock, garage rock, among other derivatives. Some experts say that Elvis along with Bill Halley are the creators of rock and roll.
After his time on the big screen, Elvis in 1968 had his only Presley daughter, Lisa Marie, born on February 1 of that year. From 1967 to 1977 Elvis resumed his singing career, at the end of 1973 his health began to seriously deteriorate, however he recorded hits such as "Promised Land" (1975) or "Moody Blue" (1977).
El Rey passed away on August 16, 1977 at age 42, his last albums were not as successful as the first of his career. Elvis, despite his deteriorating health, gave his best in all the concerts and recordings of him, until the last day of his life.