Let's Meet Elvis

Elvis Presley was the world's first rock star, whose fame and influence was such that it led to his being proclaimed the King of Rock 'n' Roll. He became so famous that even today, more than 35 years after his death, you only have to say his first name — Elvis — and everyone knows exactly who you're talking about. No last name is necessary.

One reason why Elvis' rise was so remarkable is because his roots were so humble. Elvis was born on January 8, 1935, at the home of his parents, Vernon and Gladys Presley, in East Tupelo, Mississippi (the town was later incorporated into the town of Tupelo itself in 1946). The two-room house was the kind of small structure dubbed a "shotgun shack" because you could shoot your gun from the front door straight through the house and right out the back door without hitting anything else. There was no electricity, no running water, and an outhouse in the backyard.

It was a difficult pregnancy for Gladys, and she eventually had to quit her job. She could tell she would probably give birth to twins, as she grew bigger and bigger, not to mention her being able to feel two babies moving around inside her. She went into labor on the night of January 7, and Dr. William Robert Hunt arrived at the Presley home in the early hours of January 8. Around 4:00 am, Gladys' first son was delivered, a stillborn birth; the arrival of a second baby about half an hour later helped alleviate some of the pain. The twins were named Jessie Garon and Elvis Aaron. Elvis was Vernon's middle name, and Aaron was in honor of his friend, Aaron Kennedy; Jessie was Vernon's father's name, and Garon was to rhyme with Aaron. It had been a hard delivery, and Gladys and her newborn son were sent to the hospital; afterward, she was unable to have another child. Jessie was buried in an unmarked grave in the nearby Priceville Cemetery.

The loss of one baby made Vernon and Gladys treasure Elvis all the more, and Gladys in particular fussed over him. Though Elvis sometimes resisted his mother's attentions ("Mama never let me out of her sight," he later recalled), there was nonetheless a strong bond between the two, and it was undoubtedly the most important relationship of his life.

The Presleys were poor and moved throughout Elvis' childhood. The family unit was broken up for a time in 1938 when Vernon was sent to prison for nine months for forging a check. But Elvis' parents were always devoted to their son and encouraged his growing interest in music. Elvis first began singing at church, and avidly listened to country music on the radio. He made his public debut at the Mississippi-Alabama Fair and Dairy Show in 1945, and soon after received a guitar for his 11th birthday. He became a regular visitor at Tupelo radio station WELO, where he'd watch local musician Mississippi Slim perform, then shyly ask him for tips on playing the guitar after the broadcast. He could soon play well enough that he could be coaxed into performing for his schoolmates during lunch breaks.

In November 1948, the Presleys moved to Memphis in search of better job opportunities. It was an exciting city to be in for someone as interested in music as Elvis was. He could find everything from country to pop to R&B on the radio; listen to the gospel music he loved so much at one of the city's many churches or at all-night Gospel Singings; or hang out on Beale Street, the main thoroughfare in Memphis' African American neighborhood, and hear the exciting music emanating from its many nightclubs.

By the time he graduated from Humes High School in 1953, Elvis was determined to become involved in music somehow. He wasn't sure how to make it happen. But in just a year's time, he would finally get the break he was longing for.

Aron or Aaron?

Elvis' middle name has been spelled differently over the years. His birth certificate spelled it as...