Chinese: Elvis Presley

[1]British name: Elvis Aron Presley

Born: Mississippi

Nickname: Elvis Presley

Occupation: Pop singer, actor, songwriter

Birthday: January 8, 1935 Zodiac sign: Capricorn

Died Date: August 16, 1977

Height: 184cm

Spouse: Priscilla Presley

Daughter: Lisa Marie Presley

20th century Who is the most important figure in the history of world rock music? There is no doubt that the answer is Elvis Presley - "Elvis" (The Hillbilly Cat). This nickname was given to him by his fanatical fans in the southern United States.

In the 1950s, Elvis Presley's music began to take the world by storm. His music transcended racial and cultural boundaries, integrating country music, blues music and mountain rock music to form a unique style with a distinctive personality. It strongly shocked the pop music scene at that time and allowed rock music to sweep across the world like a whirlwind. music scene. Although except in a few movies.

Elvis Presley never recorded a song in a foreign language, and apart from five shows in three Canadian cities, he never performed a concert outside the United States. His extraordinary handsome appearance, gifted musical acumen, uninhibited nature and charismatic stage performance have become Elvis Presley's label, and have also made him a star that people around the world adore. Elvis Presley's home in Graceland is filled with prizes. Gold and platinum records, as well as various accolades from countries around the world, including Norway, Yugoslavia, Japan, Australia, South Africa, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Germany, France, Canada, Belgium and the Netherlands. From the 1950s to the 1970s, his influence lasted for more than 20 years, and his songs were ever popular. He sold at least 500 million records during his lifetime. After Elvis Presley's death in 1977, his classic old works are still widely popular, and any reissued records can maintain very stable sales. Elvis Presley has sold albums around the world and is the best-selling singer in the history of the recording industry. In the United States alone, Elvis Presley already has 131 gold and platinum records awarded by RCA Records and the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). [Edit this paragraph] Elvis Presley's life Elvis Presley was born on January 8, 1935 in a poor farm worker family in the United States. He has been obsessed with gospel music since he was a child. At the same time, the strong rhythmic black music popular in the slums, as well as blues and folk songs, also deeply moved the young Elvis. The choir singing in the church gave Elvis Presley his musical enlightenment. The passionate singing and dancing of the church members had a profound impact on Elvis. His famous and controversial hip twisting action was born from this.

In 1948, Elvis Presley and his family moved to Memphis. Here, Elvis came into contact with professional musicians, and by chance he participated in a performance by the four-person gospel singing group "Blackwood Brothers" (Blackwood Brothers). It can be said that this move started the path of Elvis Presley's music career. The black soul music and R&B of Memphis, combined with white country music, became the source of Elvis Presley's unique music and singing style.

A very accidental opportunity began Elvis Presley's brilliant music career. One day in 1953, when he was recording a song for his mother in a recording studio owned by Sam Phillips, the owner of Sun Records, he met Marion Keisker, Phillips' assistant, and fell in love with her. Gained Keske's appreciation. In June 1954, Phillips asked Elvis to go to SUN to record a song from Nashville. Also invited were local musicians Scotty Moore (guitar) and Bill Black (Bill Black, bass). Division), who accompanied Elvis Presley. The combination didn't work out well until Elvis sang Arthur Crudupiz's rhythm and blues song "That's All Right" before they found their groove. The song eventually became Elvis Presley's first single on Sun Records and conquered local fans. Elvis Presley then released several records and began touring. His music, which embodies the combination of country music and rhythm and blues, and his wild and uninhibited attitude set off an unprecedented storm in rock music. Elvis Presley embarked on the road to success, and a superstar began to rise.

Sam Phillips foresaw that a white singer with a black style like Elvis Presley would definitely cause a sensation because he showed people a highly individual and innovative white music and black people. A fusion of musical styles. So Phillips was also original when making records for Elvis Presley, using the company's original recording facilities and Phillips' continuous use of echo technology to create the so-called "Sun Company sound", combined with a country music with obvious black rhythms. The basic instrumental part formed Elvis' unique style.

In the works recorded by Sun Company, Elvis showed a deep understanding of the style of black musicians. He never simply copied other people's songs; he always approached them in a new way, with the help of radio disc jockey Fontana (drums) as well as Bill Black and Scotty Moore. These works do not dilute the original power in the treatment of songs like other white singers.

Some of Elvis Presley's single records released by HMV in the UK by Sun Company always collect a blues song on one side and a country song on the other side, and they adopt radical performances. , different ways. These records included "That's All Right" and Bill Monroe's "Blue Moon of Kentucky" and "Good Rocking Tonight"/"I Don't Care If the Sun Comes Out" (IDon'tCareIftheSunDon'tShine), "MilkCowBluesBoogie"/"You'reaHeartbreaker" (BabyLet'sPlayHouse)/"I'm on the left, You're Right, She's Gone" (I'mLeft, You'reRight, She'sGone) and "Mystery Train"/"I Forgot to Remember to Forget". Those recorded by Sun but purchased by RCA before release included two versions of "I Love You Because" (the version recorded in July 1954 was not included on the album until 1974). Elvis, Legendary Performer: Vol-1" (ElvisALegendaryPerformer: Vol-1)) and "Blue Moon" (Blue Moon), "I'll Never Let You Go (Little Darlin'), " "Just Because" and the standout "Trying to Get to You." Other unreleased songs from the period were included on an illegally released album, "Swing Well Tonight."

< p>In a poll conducted by radio disc jockeys in November 1955, he was considered the most promising "country and western" singer. At this time, "Colonel" Parker became Elvis Presley. As manager, Phillips transferred his contract with Elvis to Victor, a subsidiary of RCA that had the power to market and distribute records nationwide, for $35,000, plus Parker successfully arranged it. With Elvis's selective television appearances, Elvis immediately became a national star, and every one of his subsequent albums topped the charts. His first single with RCA was "Heartbreak Hotel/I Was The One". He created his first No. 1 song, and released his first album with RCA in March of the same year, Elvis Presley, which topped the Billboard album chart for 10 consecutive weeks. After the release of his second album Elvis, the single Love Me Tender occupied 4 No. 1 spots in the United States. . At the same time, more than 20 kinds of Elvis products including shirts, scarves, jeans, and lipsticks were released one after another, and Elvis earned 20 million US dollars in the first year after Elvis took over RCA.

The original recording session with RCA was in Nashville in January 1956, with a lineup that included Chet Atkins and the Jordanaires. Critics believed that Elvis' move to RCA, which was almost entirely recorded at the company's main studio in New York, heralded a rapid decline in the quality of his work, a trend that continued throughout this period (until 1958). The records recorded before Elvis Presley joined the army show considerable changes in the style and content of Elvis' music, but from a historical perspective, the genre formed by these works is actually the essence of mainstream rock music in the 1950s. Songs like "Don't Be Cruel" and "One Sided Love Affair" represent Elvis's transition from the light, crazy Sun style to the depressive, dark, and heavy style of later years. The latter tends to be more commercial, but still maintains its exciting and sexy characteristics. Moreover, it was this type of song, through prime time broadcast on television, especially through Elvis Presley's melancholy image, that introduced countless white teenagers to rock music, such as "Heartbreak Hotel" and "Hound Dog" ). Some works that were recorded earlier but were not released until Elvis went to Germany to serve in the military also have this style: "One Night" and "IGot Stung".

"AFoolSuchAsI" and "BigHunkO'Love".

By the late 1950s, Elvis Presley had achieved extremely high status, and his songs were becoming more and more refined and skillful. In September 1956, RCA made an unprecedented attempt to release seven of Elvis Presley's singles at the same time. As a result, from August to December, Elvis Presley topped the charts every week.

Meanwhile, "Colonel" Parker was busy further establishing Elvis' image - filming Elvis's first movie, Love Me Tender, and agreeing with manufacturers to make everything from key rings to Assorted Elvis memorabilia for pillowcases. Similarly, a kind of commercial savvy was also reflected in the recording of Elvis Presley's 1957 album "Elvis' Christmas Album" (Elvis' Christmas Album) is an ingenious mixture of folk songs and rock songs. , which also includes some religious, choral and popular program songs without missing a chance. Ten days before Christmas in 1957, the U.S. armed forces tried their best to get Elvis to enlist in the army as a singer. Elvis declined the offer and accepted the call as a civilian. After singing two performances for his hometown elders, on March 24, 1958, wearing his military uniform, he reported to the 2nd Armored Division camp in the suburbs of Killeen, Texas, and officially began his military career. In November 1959, Priscilla, the 14-year-old daughter of Air Force Captain Joseph Beaulieu, opened Elvis' love heart. In 1960, Elvis Presley began filming "G.I. Blues," his first film after his discharge from the army. After its release in October, the soundtrack quickly climbed to the top of the charts again, staying on the charts for 111 weeks, which is more weeks than any album in Elvis Presley's life. At this time, Priscilla moved into Graceland to live with Elvis.

In March 1960, Elvis Presley returned from military service in Germany. The wild, rough and "going his own way" style of 1958 remained unchanged. But Elvis Back seems to be hesitating between revisiting rhythm and blues and country music and embarking on a new, gentle approach to singing. There is nothing new in this gentle voice and singing style, but it has lost its previous enthusiasm and unrestrainedness. This style continued in most of Elvis' subsequent works.

On February 25, 1961, the governor of Tennessee declared this day as "Elvis Day". From then on, Elvis Presley would perform a charity concert in his hometown every Christmas. Between the release of the album "Stuck on You" and the beginning of Beatlemania in the United States, Elvis Presley still maintained his status as the most outstanding singer who mainly published singles, although only a few records were produced: Such as "Blues Mass" (AMessOfBlues) and "This is the Last Flame" (ItisLatestFlame)/"Little Sister" (Little Sister) - the glory is not inferior to his 1950s. However, from this time on, Elvis shifted his career focus to Hollywood and acted in 25 movies including "Blue Hawaii". Although Elvis Presley was at the peak of his career in terms of sales, in fact his image was far less radiant than it was in the 1950s. Most of the songs being praised are tender, soothing compositions such as "It's Now Or Never," "Are You Lonesome Tonight" and "Surrender," or It is an episode selected from movies such as "Wooden Heart" and "Wildin the Country". In addition, he released a number of albums, much of which consisted of outtakes from a long list of Hollywood musicals in which he began to star.

In the early 1960s, Elvis Presley began to make three movies a year. Although these typical Hollywood films were more disappointing than the last, Elvis Presley sang all the songs himself. These songs, meant to fill empty movie plots, were often third-rate and inconsistent with his earlier films: "Love Me Tender" (1956), "Loving You" (1957), "Jailhouse Rock" ( The standards of songs and songwriters used in Jailhouse Rock (1958) are simply different. Thereafter, the films specifically shot for Elvis, such as "Flaming Star" (1960) and "The Wild Country" (1961), attracted little interest. There were more than 20 of these films. Records from this period included a series of singles starting with "Good Luck Charm", "She's Not for You", "Return to Sender" and "Selling a Broken Heart". "OneBrokenHeartforSale" (OneBrokenHeartforSale).

The relationship between Elvis Presley and Priscilla ended in 1966. He formally proposed to Priscilla, and the following year they got married at the Aladdin Hotel in Las Vegas.

In 1968, the daughter of the two, Lisa Marie Presley, was born, and Elvis began to enjoy a relaxed and happy home life. However, the good times did not last long. In 1972, Elvis Presley and Priscilla broke up. Priscilla left with her daughter LisaMarie and chose to file for divorce on Elvis Presley's birthday the following year. The court ruled that Priscilla had custody of her daughter. Although Elvis Presley was passionate and romantic and had constant scandals, Priscilla was the only love of Elvis' life and the only legally married wife in his life.

After 1968, Elvis Presley was seen as the epitome of cynicism, weakness and regression in the pop music world. In addition, the profits of his films continued to decline, and the quality became increasingly poor, and even Elvis himself made it obvious that he was as disgusted and angry with these films as he was with the audience.

He then tried to expand his career on television for the first time since 1960. This time he had his own TV special, donning a black leather suit and performing in front of an audience. Performing on a small stage. He gave off the feeling of a reborn Elvis: charismatic, effortless and with an ominous undertone that thrilled fans around the world.

The success of this show forced Elvis to a fork in the road that gave him a headache: Either use this as a starting point to start a new, but very risky musical attempt, or else return to his In the past, the old production program only needed to slightly change the details. At first, his records seemed to maintain a balance between the two. The single "If I Can Dream" ("If I Can Dream") from his TV show was very powerful, as if trying to break away from his softness in the 1960s, and he returned to Memphis in early 1969 to record the album "El Wes in Memphis" (Elvis in Memphis), he used Chips Moman's "American Recording Studio" and formed his backing group with some outstanding local musicians. This album once again excited his Fans, becoming his most inspiring work in some time.

Elvis then performed live in Las Vegas for the first time since 1961. Despite the strength of his band and the excellence of his work, people did not see the Elvis they expected, expectations that had been sparked by Elvis' television specials. Elvis soon returned his music to the style of the past, as safe as his movies, as evidenced by his series of "live recording" albums from New York, Hawaii and Las Vegas. These works only include some random covers of old songs, and none of the songs can compare with its original version. Still, when the Hawaiian live album topped the U.S. charts in 1973, it - and other 1970s hits - proved what was almost doubtful: Elvis Presley was still the biggest-selling music artist At home, his artistic career is not over. Although it is no longer what it used to be, Elvis' influence and supporters can still make him proud.

The irony of Elvis's downward trend from 1960 onwards is that he tended to favor less commercial music in his compositions rather than his older songs. His early practice of recording black music continued into the 1970s. He recorded songs by Ivory Joe Hunter in 1958 and 1973, and his post-service recordings included selections from the likes of Chuck Jackson and Little Walter. LittleWalter, O-C-Smith, Coasters, Jerry Butler, Ketty Lester, Chuck Berry, Axle "Clovers", "Drifters", Rufus Thomas, Willie Dixon and other musicians. In addition, Elvis also sang the songs of a new generation of southern writers. Works such as Jerry Reed's "Guitar Man", MacDavis's "In the Ghetto", Tony Joe White's "Polk Salad Annie" and "Burning Love" by Dennis Linde.

This series of efforts and risks in selecting songs makes it even more inexplicable that Elvis Presley's records have not been successful. In fact, there are very few of his works since 1960 that are as prominent as those in the 1950s.

The 1960 religious-style album "His Handin Mine" (His Handin Mine) is very delicate and pure in vocal processing, while the B-side "It Hurts Me" (1965) of the record "Kissin' Cousins" ), people suddenly saw the exciting and adventurous spirit of Elvis Presley in the 1950s flashing. Worth mentioning are the albums "Elvis in Memphis" (From Elvis in Memphis) and "Elvis Country" (1971), as well as the live recording of the "American Trilogy" album "Elvis: Aloha from Hawaiivia Satellite" (1973) .

By the mid-1970s, Elvis once again seemed to have despairingly given up on any attempt to gain respectability as an artist and to dwell entirely in his last ruts. His voice is more loose, lazy and careless than ever. It seems rough and harsh when the volume is high, and wavering when the volume is low, and has completely lost its original vitality and delicacy. His mind seemed to become confused. To make matters worse, heavy drug use, overeating, and a debauched private life also broke down his body.

In October 1973, Elvis Presley was hospitalized due to recurrence of pneumonia and pleurisy, colon dilation, and hepatitis. Agent Parker exploited his own squeeze brokerage strategy to push Elvis, who was in poor health, into financial crisis. There are accusations that Parker deliberately failed to pay royalties to Elvis Presley before 1973. In order to relieve his economic misfortune, Elvis Presley had to perform exhausting tours. Physically and mentally exhausted, he could only rely on sedatives and other drugs, and his health problems increasingly serious.

Even so, the whole year of 1976 was a tight tour schedule. At the end of November, Elvis Presley met his new girlfriend Ginger Alden, and Ginger became Elvis Presley's last girlfriend during his lifetime. In early April 1977, Elvis Presley fell ill again and was admitted to the hospital. After being discharged from the hospital, he managed to continue his singing schedule until June. The concert in Indianapolis, Indiana, on June 26 turned out to be Elvis Presley's last concert before his death. [Edit this paragraph] Death of Elvis Presley On August 16, 1977, Presley's fiancée Ginger Arden found him on the bathroom floor. Doctors found 14 kinds of drugs with different ingredients in his body and believed that he died of drug overdose. Two days later, a grand funeral was held for him, which was huge: a white coffin, 17 white limousines and 50,000 fans who came to pay their respects.

The 42-year-old American rock music icon "Elvis Presley" has passed away, but he seems to be more famous after his death than in his lifetime. After Jackson, no one can rival him. Every August, thousands of fans come to his hometown, light candles, and commemorate the "King of Rock" in their own way. "Although he is a formidable young man, and there are many powerful competitors and people who covet the 'throne' among them, no one can replace his position as king." The famous rock singer Springsteen said. The news was released in the afternoon, shocking the world, and thousands of music fans came to Graceland to express their condolences. Elvis Presley's body was finally buried with his mother in the 'Garden of Silence' behind Graceland.

After Elvis’ father passed away in 1979, Elvis’ huge estate was inherited by his only daughter, LisaMarie, who was only 11 years old at the time. After four lawsuits in the past two years, it was finally determined that the agent Parker was forced to transfer Elvis to All of his videos and recordings were returned to RCA and the Elvis Presley family. In the fall of 1982, Graceland became a tourist attraction, attracting an average of nearly 600,000 people every year. The value of Elvis Presley's legacy has already exceeded 100 million. In 1986, Elvis Presley became the top ten singers in the music industry to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. As of August 1999, RCA Records and the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) have awarded 131 gold and platinum records to Elvis Presley's daughter Lisa Marie. This is the most gold and platinum records awarded in history. Record records show that Elvis Presley is undoubtedly the greatest singing artist in history.

At the same time, RCA also awarded the ArtsitOfTheCentury special commemorative award to express gratitude to this generation of superstars