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* [[Elvis Presley on film and television|film and television]]
}}
| alias = King of Rock and Roll
| occupation = {{flatlist|
* Singer
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'''Elvis Aaron Presley'''{{efn|name=name|Although some pronounce his surname {{IPAc-en|ˈ|p|r|ɛ|z|l|i}} {{respell|PREZ|lee}}, Presley himself pronounced it {{IPAc-en|ˈ|p|r|ɛ|s|l|i}} {{respell|PRESS|lee}}, as did his family and those who worked with him.{{sfn|Elster|2006|p=391}}<p>The correct spelling of his middle name has long been a matter of debate. The physician who delivered him wrote "Elvis Aaron Presley" in his ledger.{{sfn|Nash|2005|p=11}} The state-issued birth certificate reads "Elvis Aron Presley". The name was chosen after the Presleys' friend and fellow congregation member Aaron Kennedy, though a single-A spelling was probably intended by Presley's parents to parallel the middle name of Presley's stillborn brother, Jesse Garon.{{sfn|Guralnick|1994|p=13}} It reads Aron on most official documents produced during his lifetime, including his high school diploma, RCA Victor record contract, and marriage license, and this was generally taken to be the proper spelling.{{sfn|Adelman|2002|pp=13–15}} In 1966, Presley expressed the desire to his father that the more traditional biblical rendering, Aaron, be used henceforth, "especially on legal documents".{{sfn|Nash|2005|p=11}} Five years later, the Jaycees citation honoring him as one of the country's Outstanding Young Men used Aaron. Late in his life, he sought to officially change the spelling to Aaron and discovered that state records already listed it that way. Knowing his wishes for his middle name, Aaron is the spelling his father chose for Presley's tombstone, and it is the spelling his estate has designated as official.{{sfn|Adelman|2002|pp=13–15}}}} (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), known [[mononymMononym|mononymously]]ously as '''Elvis''', was an American singer and actor. Known as the "'''King of Rock and Roll'''", he is regarded as [[Cultural impact of Elvis Presley|one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century]]. Presley's energized interpretations of songs and sexually provocative performance style, combined with a singularly potent mix of influences across color lines during a [[civil rights movement|transformative era in race relations]], brought both great success and [[Cultural impact of Elvis Presley#Danger to American culture|initial controversy]].
 
Presley was born in [[Tupelo, Mississippi]]; his family relocated to [[Memphis, Tennessee]], when he was 13. His music career began there in 1954, at [[Sun Records]] with producer [[Sam Phillips]], who wanted to bring the sound of [[African-American music]] to a wider audience. Presley, on guitar and accompanied by lead guitarist [[Scotty Moore]] and bassist [[Bill Black]], was a pioneer of [[rockabilly]], an uptempo, [[Backbeat (music)|backbeat]]-driven fusion of [[country music]] and [[rhythm and blues]]. In 1955, drummer [[D. J. Fontana]] joined to complete the lineup of Presley's classic quartet and [[RCA Victor]] acquired his contract in a deal arranged by [[Colonel Tom Parker]], who would managemanaged him for the rest of his life. Presley's first RCA Victor single, "[[Heartbreak Hotel]]", was released in January 1956 and became a number-one hit in the United StatesUS. Within a year, RCA Victor would sell ten million Presley singles. With a series of successful television appearances and chart-topping records, Presley became the leading figure of the newly popular [[rock and roll]]; though his performative style and promotion of the then-marginalized sound of African Americans<ref name=":00" /> led to him being widely considered a [[moral panic|threat]] to the moral well-being of [[White Americans|white American]] youth.{{sfn|Brown|Broeske|1997|p=55}}
 
In November 1956, Presley made his film debut in ''[[Love Me Tender (film)|Love Me Tender]]''. Drafted into [[Military career of Elvis Presley|military service in 1958]], he relaunched his recording career two years later with some of his most commercially successful work. Presley held few concerts, however, and guided by Parker, proceeded to devote much of the 1960s to making Hollywood films and soundtrack albums, most of them critically derided. Some of Presley's most famous films included ''[[Jailhouse Rock (film)|Jailhouse Rock]]'' (1957), ''[[Blue Hawaii]]'' (1961), and ''[[Viva Las Vegas]]'' (1964). In 1968, he returned to the stage in the acclaimed NBC television comeback special ''[[Elvis (1968 TV program)|Elvis]]'', which led to an extended [[Las Vegas]] concert residency and a string of highly profitable tours. In 1973, Presley gave the first concert by a solo artist to be broadcast around the world, ''[[Aloha from Hawaii via Satellite|Aloha from Hawaii]]''. However, years of prescription drug abuse and unhealthy eating severely compromised his health, and Presley died unexpectedly in August 1977 at his [[Graceland]] estate at the age of 42.
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{{Main|Early life of Elvis Presley}}
{{multiple image
| image1 = Elvis' birthplace Tupelo, MS 2007.jpg
| width1 = 195187
| alt1 = Present-day photograph of a whitewashed house, about 15&nbsp;feet wide. Four banistered steps in the foreground lead up to a roofed porch that holds a swing wide enough for two. The front of the house has a door and a single-paned window. The visible side of the house, about 30&nbsp;feet long, has double-paned windows.
| caption1 = [[Elvis Presley Birthplace|Presley's birthplace]] in [[Tupelo, Mississippi]]
| image2 = Historic Blue Moon Museum Verona MS 023 (cropped) (cropped).jpg
| width2 = 113108
| alt2 =
| caption2 = Presley's parents
| align = right
}}
Elvis Aaron Presley was born on January 8, 1935, in [[Tupelo, Mississippi]], to Vernon and Gladys Love (''{{née'' |Smith}}) and Vernon Presley.{{sfn|Eames|2022a}}{{sfn|Eames|2022b}} Elvis' twin Jesse Garon was delivered 35 minutes before, [[Stillbirth|stillborn]].{{sfn|Earl|2017}} Presley became close to both parents, especially his mother. The family attended an [[Assembly of God]] church, where he found his initial musical inspiration.{{sfn|Guralnick|1994|pp=12–14}} Vernon moved from one [[Handyman|odd job]] to the next,{{sfn|Guralnick|1994|pp=11–12, 23–24}}{{sfn|Victor|2008|p=419}} and the family often relied on neighbors and government food assistance. In 1938, they lost their home after Vernon was found guilty of [[Cheque fraud|altering a check]] and was jailed for eight months.{{sfn|Guralnick|1994|pp=12–14}}
 
In September 1941, Presley entered first grade at East Tupelo Consolidated, where his teachers regarded him as "average".{{sfn|Guralnick|1994|pp=15–16}} His first public performance was a singing contest at the Mississippi–Alabama Fair and Dairy Show on October 3, 1945, when he was 10; he sang "Old Shep" and recalled placing fifth.{{sfn|Guralnick|1994|pp=17–18}} A few months later, Presley received his first guitar for his birthday;{{sfn|Guralnick|1994|p=19}}{{sfn|Dundy|2004|p=101}} he received guitar lessons from two uncles and a pastor at the family's church. Presley recalled, "I took the guitar, and I watched people, and I learned to play a little bit. But I would never sing in public. I was very [[shyness|shy]] about it."{{sfn|Guralnick|1994|p=23}}
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In September 1946, Presley entered a new school, Milam, for sixth grade. The following year, he began singing and playing his guitar at school. He was often teased as a "trashy" kid who played [[hillbilly music]].{{sfn|Guralnick|1994|pp=23–26}} Presley was a devotee of [[Mississippi Slim (country singer)|Mississippi Slim]]'s radio show. He was described as "crazy about music" by Slim's younger brother, one of Presley's classmates. Slim showed Presley chord techniques.{{sfn|Guralnick|1994|pp=19–21}} When his [[Mentorship|protégé]] was 12, Slim scheduled him for two on-air performances. Presley was overcome by stage fright the first time but performed the following week.{{sfn|Dundy|2004|pp=95–96}}
 
In November 1948, the family moved to [[Memphis, Tennessee]].{{sfn|Guralnick|1994|pp=32–33}} Enrolled at [[Humes Preparatory Academy Middle School|L. C. Humes High School]], Presley received a C in [[Music education|music]] in eighth grade. When his music teacher said he had no aptitude for singing, he brought in his guitar and sang a recent hit, "Keep Them Cold Icy Fingers Off Me".{{sfn|Guralnick|1994|p=36}} He was usually too shy to perform openly and was occasionally [[bullying|bullied]] by classmates for being a "[[mama's boy]]".{{sfn|Guralnick|1994|pp=35–38}} In 1950, Presley began practicing guitar under the tutelage of [[Lee Denson]], a neighbor. They and three other boys, including two future [[rockabilly]] pioneers, brothers [[Dorsey Burnette|Dorsey]] and [[Johnny Burnette]]—formed a loose musical collective.{{sfn|Guralnick|1994|pp=40–41}}
 
During his junior year, Presley began to stand out among his classmates, largely because of his appearance: he grew his [[sideburns]] and styled his hair. He would head down to [[Beale Street]], the heart of Memphis' thriving [[blues]] scene, and admire the wild, flashy clothes at [[Lansky Brothers]]. By his senior year, he was wearing those clothes.{{sfn|Guralnick|1994|pp=44, 46, 51}} He competed in Humes' Annual "Minstrel" Show in 1953, singing and playing "[[Till I Waltz Again with You]]", a recent hit for [[Teresa Brewer]]. Presley recalled that the performance did much for his reputation: <blockquote>I wasn't popular in school&nbsp;... I failed music—only thing I ever failed. And then they entered me in this talent show&nbsp;... when I came onstage, I heard people kind of rumbling and whispering and so forth, 'cause nobody knew I even sang. It was amazing how popular I became in school after that.{{sfn|Guralnick|1994|pp=52–53}}</blockquote>
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==== Early live performances and RCA Victor contract ====
The trio played publicly for the first time at the Bon Air club on July 17, 1954.{{sfn|Guralnick|1994|pp=105, 139}} Later that month, they appeared at the [[Overton Park#Levitt Shell|Overton Park Shell]], with [[Slim Whitman]] headlining. Here Elvis pioneered "[[Rubber legs|Rubber Legs]]", his signature dance movement.{{sfn|Miller|2021}}{{sfn|Rodman|2013|p=151}} A combination of his strong response to rhythm and nervousness led Presley to shake his legs as he performed: His wide-cut pants emphasized his movements, causing young women in the audience to start screaming.{{sfn|Guralnick|1994|pp=106, 108–111}} Moore recalled, "During the instrumental parts, he would back off from the mikemic and be playing and shaking, and the crowd would just go wild."{{sfn|Guralnick|1994|p=110}}
 
Soon after, Moore and Black left their old band to play with Presley regularly, and disc jockey/promoter Bob Neal became the trio's manager. From August through October, they played frequently at the Eagle's Nest club, a dance venue in Memphis. When Presley played, teenagers rushed from the pool to fill the club, then left again as the house [[western swing]] band resumed.{{sfn|Guralnick|1994|p=139}} Presley quickly grew more confident on stage. According to Moore, "His movement was a natural thing, but he was also very conscious of what got a reaction. He'd do something one time and then he would expand on it real quick."{{sfn|Guralnick|1994|p=119}} Amid these live performances, Presley returned to Sun studio for more recording sessions.{{sfn|Guralnick|1994|pp=117–127, 131}} Presley made what would be his only appearance on [[Nashville, Tennessee|Nashville]]'s ''[[Grand Ole Opry]]'' on October 2; ''Opry'' manager Jim Denny told Phillips that his singer was "not bad" but did not suit the program.{{sfn|Guralnick|1994|pp=128–130}}{{sfn|Mason|2007|pp=37–38}}
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=== 1958–1960: military service and mother's death ===
{{Main|Military career of Elvis Presley}}
[[File:Elvis sworn into army 1958.jpg|thumb|alt=Elvis being sworn intoin to the US Army|Presley being [[United States Armed Forces oath of enlistment|sworn intoin to the Army]] on March 24, 1958, at [[Fort Chaffee Maneuver Training Center|Fort Chaffee]]]]
On March 24, 1958, Presley was drafted into the [[United States Army]] at [[Fort Chaffee Maneuver Training Center|Fort Chaffee]] in Arkansas. His arrival was a major media event. Hundreds of people descended on Presley as he stepped from the bus; photographers accompanied him into the installation.{{sfn|Guralnick|1994|pp=461–474}} Presley announced that he was looking forward to his military service, saying that he did not want to be treated any differently from anyone else.{{sfn|Victor|2008|p=27}}
 
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On October 1, 1958, Presley was assigned to the 1st Medium Tank Battalion, [[32nd Cavalry Regiment|32d<!-- EDITORS NOTE: Please do not change to "32nd" as it would be historically inaccurate. Thank you. --> Armor]], [[3rd Armored Division (United States)|3d<!-- EDITORS NOTE: Please do not change to "3rd" as it would be historically inaccurate. Thank you. --> Armored Division]], at [[Ray Barracks]], West Germany, where he served as an armor intelligence specialist.{{sfn|US Department of Defense|1960}} On November 27, he was promoted to [[private first class]] and on June 1, 1959, to [[Specialist (rank)|specialist fourth class]]. While on maneuvers, Presley was introduced to [[amphetamines]] and became "practically evangelical about their benefits", not only for energy but for "strength" and weight loss.{{sfn|Guralnick|1999|p=21}} Karate became a lifelong interest: he studied with [[Jürgen Seydel]],{{sfn|Tillery|2013|p=60}}{{sfn|Eiland|2018}} and later included it in his live performances.{{sfn|Corcoran|1998}}{{sfn|Tillery|2013|loc=Chapter 5: Patriot}}{{sfn|Guralnick|1999|pp=47, 49, 55, 60, 73}} Fellow soldiers have attested to Presley's wish to be seen as an able, ordinary soldier despite his fame, and to his generosity. He donated his Army pay to charity, purchased television sets for the base, and bought an extra set of fatigues for everyone in his outfit.{{sfn|Clayton|Heard|2003|p=160}} Presley was promoted to [[sergeant]] on February 11, 1960.{{sfn|US Department of Defense|1960}}
 
While in [[Bad Nauheim]], Presley, aged 24, met 14-year-old [[Priscilla Presley|Priscilla Beaulieu]].<!--She took the surname Presley after her marriage, thus, per https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Manual_of_Style/Biography#People_with_the_same_surname, is referred to by name as "Priscilla" to distinguish her from "Elvis".-->{{sfn|Jeffrey|Kaplan|2022}} They would marry after a seven-and-a-half-year courtship. In her autobiography, Priscilla said that Presley was concerned that his 24 months in the military would ruin his career. In [[Special Services (entertainment)|Special Services]], he would have been able to perform and remain in touch with the public, but Parker had convinced him that to gain popular respect, he should serve as a regular soldier.{{sfn|Presley|1985|p=40}} Media reports echoed Presley's concerns about his career, but RCA Victor producer [[Stephen H. Sholes|Steve Sholes]] and [[Freddy Bienstock]] of Hill and Range had carefully prepared: armed with a substantial amount of unreleased material, they kept up a regular stream of successful releases.{{sfn|Jorgensen|1998|p=107}} Between his induction and discharge, Presley had ten top-40 hits, including "[[Wear My Ring Around Your Neck]]", the bestselling "[[Hard Headed Woman]]", and "[[One Night (Elvis Presley song)|One Night]]" in 1958, and "[[(Now and Then There's) A Fool Such as I]]" and the number-one "[[A Big Hunk o' Love]]" in 1959.{{sfn|Whitburn|2010|p=520}} RCA Victor also generated four albums compiling previously issued material during this period, most successfully ''[[Elvis' Golden Records]]'' (1958), which hit number three on the LP chart.{{sfn|Marcus|1982|p=278}}
 
=== 1960–1968: focus on films ===
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Of Presley's films in the 1960s, fifteen were accompanied by soundtrack albums and another five by soundtrack EPs. The films' rapid production and release schedules—Presley frequently starred in three a year—affected his music. According to Jerry Leiber, the soundtrack formula was already evident before Presley left for the Army: "three ballads, one medium-tempo [number], one up-tempo, and one break blues boogie".{{sfn|Guralnick|1994|p=449}} As the decade wore on, the quality of the soundtrack songs grew "progressively worse".{{sfn|Kirchberg|Hendrickx|1999|p=67}} [[Julie Parrish]], who appeared in ''[[Paradise, Hawaiian Style]]'' (1966), says that Presley disliked many of the songs.{{sfn|Lisanti|2000|pp=19, 136}} The Jordanaires' Gordon Stoker describes how he would retreat from the studio microphone: "The material was so bad that he felt like he couldn't sing it."{{sfn|Jorgensen|1998|p=201}} Most of the film albums featured a song or two from respected writers such as the team of [[Doc Pomus]] and [[Mort Shuman]]. But by and large, according to biographer [[Jerry Hopkins (author)|Jerry Hopkins]], the numbers seemed to be "written on order by men who never really understood Elvis or rock and roll".{{sfn|Hopkins|2002|p=32}}
[[File:Elvis Presley and Priscilla with Lisa Marie February 1968.jpg|thumb|274x274px|Presley and his wife, [[Priscilla Presley]], holding their newborn daughter, [[Lisa Marie Presley]], in 1968]]
 
In the first half of the decade, three of Presley's soundtrack albums were ranked number one on the pop charts, and a few of his most popular songs came from his films, such as "[[Can't Help Falling in Love]]" (1961) and "[[Return to Sender (song)|Return to Sender]]" (1962). However, the commercial returns steadily diminished. From 1964 through 1968, Presley had only one top-ten hit: "[[Crying in the Chapel]]" (1965), a gospel number recorded in 1960. As for non-film albums, between the June 1962 release of ''[[Pot Luck (Elvis Presley album)|Pot Luck]]'' and the November 1968 release of the soundtrack to the television special that signaled his comeback, only one LP of new material by Presley was issued: the gospel album ''[[How Great Thou Art (Elvis Presley album)|How Great Thou Art]]'' (1967). It won him his first [[Grammy Award]], for Best Sacred Performance. As Marsh described, Presley was "arguably the greatest white gospel singer of his time [and] really the last rock & roll artist to make gospel as vital a component of his musical personality as his secular songs".{{sfn|Marsh|2004|p=650}}
 
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[[File:Bill Elvis Paul.jpg|thumb|right|Presley (center) with friends [[Bill Porter (sound engineer)|Bill Porter]] (left) and [[Paul Anka]] (right) backstage at the [[Las Vegas Hilton]] on August 5, 1972]]
MGM filmed Presley in April 1972 for ''[[Elvis on Tour]]'', which went on to win the [[Golden Globe Award for Best Documentary Film]] for [[30th Golden Globe Awards|that year's Golden Globe Awards]]. His gospel album ''[[He Touched Me (album)|He Touched Me]]'', released that month, would earn him his second [[Grammy Award for Best Inspirational Performance]]. A fourteen-date tour commenced with an unprecedented four consecutive sold-out shows at New York's [[Madison Square Garden]].{{sfn|Guralnick|Jorgensen|1999|p=308}} The evening concert on July 10 was issued in LP form a week later. ''[[Elvis: As Recorded at Madison Square Garden]]'' became one of Presley's biggest-selling albums. After the tour, the single "[[Burning Love]]" was released—Presley's last top ten hit on the U.S. pop chart. "The most exciting single Elvis has made since 'All Shook Up{{'"}}, wrote rock critic [[Robert Christgau]].{{sfn|Marcus|1982|p=283}}
[[File:Elvis and Priscilla Presley after divorce hearing.jpg|left|thumb|259x259px|Elvis and [[Priscilla Presley]] after their divorce was finalized in 1973]]
 
Presley and his wife had become increasingly distant, barely cohabiting. In 1971, an affair he had with Joyce Bova resulted—unbeknownst to him—in her pregnancy and an abortion.{{sfn|Williamson|2015|pp=253–254}} He often raised the possibility of Joyce moving into Graceland.{{sfn|Guralnick|1999|pp=451, 446, 453}} The Presleys [[marital separation|separated]] on February 23, 1972, after Priscilla disclosed her relationship with [[Mike Stone (karate)|Mike Stone]], a karate instructor Presley had recommended to her. Priscilla related that when she told him, Presley forcefully made love to her, declaring, "This is how a real man makes love to his woman".{{sfn|Guralnick|1999|p=456}} She later stated in an interview that she regretted her choice of words in describing the incident, and said it had been an overstatement.{{sfn|Marsh|2015}} Five months later, Presley's new girlfriend, [[Linda Thompson (actress)|Linda Thompson]], a songwriter and one-time Memphis beauty queen, moved in with him.{{sfn|Hopkins|2007|p=291}} Presley and his wife filed for divorce on August 18.{{sfn|Guralnick|1999|p=474}} According to Joe Moscheo of the Imperials, the failure of Presley's marriage "was a blow from which he never recovered".{{sfn|Moscheo|2007|p=132}} At a rare press conference that June, a reporter had asked Presley whether he was satisfied with his image. Presley replied, "Well, the image is one thing and the human being another&nbsp;... it's very hard to live up to an image."{{sfn|Keogh|2004|pp=234–235}}
 
[[File:Graceland 2010-12-18 Memphis TN 39.jpg|thumb|upright=0.8|right|alt=High-collared white jumpsuit resplendent with red, blue, and gold eagle motif in sequins|Presley came up with his outfit's eagle motif, as "something that would say 'America' to the world"{{sfn|Guralnick|1999|p=478}}]]
In January 1973, Presley performed two benefit concerts for the [[Kui Lee]] Cancer Fund in connection with a groundbreaking television special, ''[[Aloha from Hawaii via Satellite|Aloha from Hawaii]]'', which would be the first concert by a solo artist to be aired globally. The first show served as a practice run and backup should technical problems affect the live broadcast two days later. On January 14, ''Aloha from Hawaii'' aired live via satellite to prime-time audiences in Japan, South Korea, Thailand, the Philippines, Australia, and New Zealand, as well as to U.S. servicemen based across Southeast Asia. In Japan, where it capped a nationwide Elvis Presley Week, it smashed viewing records. The next night, it was simulcast to twenty-eight European countries, and in April an extended version aired in the U.S., receiving a fifty-seven percent share of the TV audience.{{sfn|Hopkins|2002|pp=61, 67, 73}} Over time, Parker's claim that it was seen by one billion or more people{{sfn|Hopkins|2002|p=73}} would be broadly accepted,{{sfn|Victor|2008|p=10}}{{sfn|Brown|Broeske|1997|p=364}}{{sfn|Guralnick|1999|p=475}} but that figure appeared to have been sheer invention.{{sfn|Fessier|2013}}<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sun |first=Bruce Fessier |title=Director remembers landmark Elvis Presley performance |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/tv/2013/05/10/elvis-presley-aloha-from-hawaii/2151617/ |access-date=2024-08-12 |website=USA TODAY |language=en-US |quote=Those figures now seem dubious. Aloha was transmitted to 38 nations, the combined populations of those countries was 1.3 billion. The Guinness Book of World Records says the largest TV audience for a performance was the 1993 Super Bowl halftime show by Michael Jackson, which drew 133.4 million viewers.}}</ref> Presley's stage costume became the most recognized example of the elaborate concert garb with which his latter-day persona became closely associated. As described by [[Bobbie Ann Mason]], "At the end of the show, when he spreads out his American Eagle cape, with the full stretched wings of the eagle studded on the back, he becomes a god figure."{{sfn|Mason|2007|p=141}} The [[Aloha from Hawaii Via Satellite (album)|accompanying double album]], released in February, went to number one and eventually sold over 5 million copies in the U.S.{{sfn|RIAA|2010}} It was Presley's last [[Billboard 200|U.S. number-one pop album]] during his lifetime.{{sfn|Jorgensen|1998|pp=422–425}}
 
At a midnight show that same month, four men rushed onto the stage in an apparent attack. Security personnel came to Presley's defense, and he ejected one invader from the stage himself. Following the show, Presley became obsessed with the idea that the men had been sent by Mike Stone to kill him. Though they were shown to have been only overexuberant fans, Presley raged, "There's too much pain in me&nbsp;... Stone [must] die." His outbursts continued with such intensity that a physician was unable to calm him, despite administering large doses of medication. After another two full days of raging, [[Red West]], his friend and bodyguard, felt compelled to get a price for a [[contract killing]] and was relieved when Presley decided, "Aw hell, let's just leave it for now. Maybe it's a bit heavy."{{sfn|Guralnick|1999|pp=488–490}}
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=== Cause of death ===
While an [[autopsy]] undertaken the same day Presley died was still in progress, Memphis [[Coroner|medical examiner]] Jerry Francisco announced that the immediate cause of death was cardiac arrest and declared that "drugs played no role in Presley's death".{{sfn|Ramsland|2010}} In fact, "drug use was heavily implicated" in Presley's death, writes Guralnick. The pathologists conducting the autopsy thought it possible, for instance, that he had suffered "[[anaphylactic shock]] brought on by the codeine pills he had gotten from his dentist, to which he was known to have had a mild allergy". Lab reports filed two months later strongly suggested that [[polypharmacy]] was the primary cause of death; one reported "fourteen drugs in Elvis' system, ten in significant quantity".{{sfn|Guralnick|1999|pp=651–653}} In 1979, forensic pathologist [[Cyril Wecht]] reviewed the reports and concluded that a combination of [[depressant]]s had resulted in Presley's accidental death.{{sfn|Ramsland|2010}} Forensic historian and pathologist [[Michael Baden]] viewed the situation as complicated: "Elvis had had an [[Cardiomegaly|enlarged heart]] for a long time. That, together with his drug habit, caused his death. But he was difficult to diagnose; it was a judgment call."{{sfn|Baden|Hennessee|1990|p=35}}
 
The competence and ethics of two of the centrally involved medical professionals were seriously questioned. Francisco had offered a cause of death before the autopsy was complete; claimed the underlying ailment was [[cardiac arrhythmia]], a condition that can be determined only in a living person; and denied drugs played any part in Presley's death before the toxicology results were known.{{sfn|Ramsland|2010}} Allegations of a cover-up were widespread.{{sfn|Baden|Hennessee|1990|p=35}} While a 1981 trial of Presley's main physician, George C. Nichopoulos, exonerated him of criminal liability, the facts were startling: "In the first eight months of 1977 alone, he had [prescribed] more than 10,000 doses of [[sedative]]s, [[amphetamine]]s, and narcotics: all in Elvis' name." Nichopoulos' license was suspended for three months. It was permanently revoked in the 1990s after the Tennessee Medical Board brought new charges of over-prescription.{{sfn|Higginbotham|2002}}
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{{Main|Elvis Presley albums discography|Elvis Presley singles discography|List of songs recorded by Elvis Presley}}
 
A vast number of recordings have been issued under Presley's name. The number of his original master recordings has been variously calculated as 665{{sfn|Victor|2008|p=438}} and 711.{{sfn|Feeney|2010}} His career began and he was most successful during an era when singles were the primary commercial medium for pop music. For his albums, the distinction between "official" studio records and other forms is often blurred.{{Citation needed|date=August 2024}}
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* ''[[Elvis Country (I'm 10,000 Years Old)]]'' (1971)
* ''[[Love Letters from Elvis]]'' (1971)
* ''[[Elvis singsSings The Wonderful World of Christmas]]'' (1971)
* ''[[Elvis Now]]'' (1972)
* ''[[He Touched Me (album)|He Touched Me]]'' (1972)
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* {{cite web |publisher=CMT |year=2005 |title=40 Greatest Men in Country Music |url=http://www.cmt.com/shows/dyn/greatest_series/76607/episode_countdown.jhtml |access-date=December 29, 2009 |ref={{sfnRef|CMT|2005}} |archive-date=June 6, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110606215012/http://www.cmt.com/shows/dyn/greatest_series/76607/episode_countdown.jhtml |url-status=dead }}
* {{cite book |last=Coffey |first=Frank |title=The Complete Idiot's Guide to Elvis |publisher=Alpha Books |year=1997}}
* {{cite web |last=Collins |first=Dan |title=How Big Was The King? |date=August 7, 2002 |publisher=CBS News |agency=Associated Press |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/storiesnews/2002how-big-was-the-king/08/07/entertainment/main517851.shtml |access-date=December 27, 2009 |archive-date=July 23, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090723025233/http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2002/08/07/entertainment/main517851.shtml |url-status=live}}
* {{cite book |last=Cook |first=Jody |year=2004 |title=Graceland National Historic Landmark Nomination Form |url=https://npgallery.nps.gov/GetAsset?assetID=5db64e4b-7360-4b57-9d04-fae564edd7fc |format=PDF |publisher=United States Department of the Interior |access-date=October 13, 2020 |archive-date=October 13, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201013161127/https://npgallery.nps.gov/GetAsset?assetID=5db64e4b-7360-4b57-9d04-fae564edd7fc |url-status=live}}
* {{cite news |last=Corcoran |first=John |date=March 1, 1998 |url={{GBurl |id=NdoDAAAAMBAJ |p=50}} |title=The King and Karate |work=Black Belt |pages=48–54 |access-date=December 17, 2017 }}
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* {{cite magazine |last=Hasty |first=Katie |magazine=Billboard |title=Madonna Leads Busy Billboard 200 with 7th No. 1 |date=May 7, 2008 |url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/1045488/madonna-leads-busy-billboard-200-with-7th-no-1 |access-date=January 20, 2018 |archive-date=May 23, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130523062750/http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/1045488/madonna-leads-busy-billboard-200-with-7th-no-1 |url-status=live}}
* {{cite news |last=Higginbotham |first=Alan |title=Doctor Feelgood |date=August 11, 2002 |newspaper=The Observer |url=https://www.theguardian.com/theobserver/2002/aug/11/features.magazine27 |access-date=December 29, 2009 |archive-date=September 22, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170922062642/https://www.theguardian.com/theobserver/2002/aug/11/features.magazine27 |url-status=live}}
* {{cite news |last=Hilburn |first=Robert |title=From the Man Who Would Be King |date=February 6, 2005 |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |url=https://articleswww.latimes.com/2005archives/la-xpm-2005-feb/-06/entertainment/-ca-presley6-story.html |access-date=January 4, 2010 |archive-date=July 11, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100711033522/http://articles.latimes.com/2005/feb/06/entertainment/ca-presley6 |url-status=live}}
* {{cite news |last=Hilburn |first=Robert |title=This Fan of Charts Is No. 1, with a Bullet |date=October 30, 2007 |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-et-backtracking30oct30,0,1043136.story |access-date=January 17, 2010 |archive-date=May 23, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100523225302/http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-et-backtracking30oct30,0,1043136.story |url-status=live}}
* {{cite magazine |title=Hits of the World |date=July 24, 2004 |magazine=Billboard |volume=116 |number=30 |page=62 |url={{GBurl |id=aRAEAAAAMBAJ}} |ref={{sfnRef|"Hits of the World"|2004}} }}
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[[Category:Deaths from cardiomyopathy]]
[[Category:Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winners]]
[[Category:Harrison family of Virginia]]
[[Category:Humes High School alumni]]
[[Category:Las Vegas shows]]
[[Category:Male actors from TennesseeHesse]]▼
[[Category:Male actors from Memphis, Tennessee]]
[[Category:Male actors from Mississippi]]
▲[[Category:Male actors from Tennessee]]
[[Category:Male Western (genre) film actors]]
[[Category:Military personnel from Mississippi]]
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