Everyone knows Elvis Presley, also known as the King! Indeed, this rock and roll legend is known throughout the world. Although Elvis has been dead for several years now, he has left his mark on the music world with his catchy songs and iconic look. However, there are several things you probably still don’t know about this star! Here are some of them.
1. The death of his twin brother haunted him all his life
Yes, Elvis had a twin brother named Jesse Garon Presley who, unfortunately, died at birth. If this tragedy had not occurred, the King’s life could have been very different. With the help of a brother, Elvis might not have felt as lonely as he has felt all his life.
Elvis was haunted by his brother’s death throughout his career. Although Elvis did not grow up with biological siblings, he eventually inherited three half-brothers when his father remarried after his mother’s death.
2. He grew up alone
Although Elvis proved to be a very pleasant man to be around, he grew up, but he lived his life as a recluse and was described by others as a loner. He sometimes brought his guitar to school and sometimes played it at dinner time. The children called him a “trash” and made fun of the music he chose to play.
3. He auditioned at 19 and was rejected
At the age of 19, Elvis was ready to enter the sparkling world of music but was quickly rejected. He auditioned to join a gospel quartet called Songfellows, but they refused. (Imagine how they must feel now?). It seems that Elvis was not too upset since he became the King of the music industry.
A year before his audition, Elvis had already paid $4 to record a song as a gift to his mother. By the year of his audition, his musical career had already begun to grow, as he was a budding artist on the Memphis music scene.
4. He was in the army
In the early 1950s, Elvis was finally recognized for his work and signed to Sun Records. His greatest hits of the time were songs like “Love Me Tender” and “Heartbreak Hotel”.
However, Elvis was like any other man: he could be called and sent to the army. He served two years on active duty and four years on the reserve. Although he was gaining notoriety, he told the media that he did not want to be treated differently from anyone else who had been forced to join the army, telling the media: “The army can do anything it wants with me.
5. His mother’s death broke his heart
Everyone who knew Elvis knew that his mother, Gladys, occupied the greatest place in his heart. Elvis was extremely close to her, so he was devastated to learn that she was sick. At the time of the announcement, Elvis was in the army, but he immediately wanted to come back to see her. She died of a heart attack at 46.
6. Elvis has never written a single song
Elvis is an amazing and famous figure in the world of music, but, no, he hasn’t written a single one of his songs.
7. Elvis used to dye his hair with shoe polish
Elvis’ signature was his black buckles on the side and back. To make his hair black, he used shoe polish.
8. Elvis’ dance almost got him arrested by the police
It is no secret that in the era of “holy” and “moral” television, Elvis Presley was public enemy number one. During Elvis’ concerts, he turned his hips in a way that could only be described as offensive at the time.
In August 1956, juvenile court judge Marion Gooding attended one of Elvis’ concerts in Florida and was appalled by her dancing steps. In fact, she was so irritated that she threatened to have the star arrested.
9. His relationship with Priscilla would have been illegal today
Like Harry and Sally, Elvis and Priscilla are two names that will always be intertwined. However, their relationship would be quite scandalous in today’s world, because Priscilla was very young.
Priscilla was only 14 years old when she met Elvis, who was then 24 years old.
10. Elvis loved to play sports
It may have helped him during the war, but we know that his interest in karate certainly did not help his marriage.
While in the army, Elvis became very interested in karate and studied the Chito-Ryu fighting style with Hank Slemansky. He used his karate skills on stage and obtained his black belt in 1960.
11. Elvis is obsessed with his favourite food
In 1974, Elvis was almost unrecognizable thanks to his new look. The King had a weakness for fried foods, and this took up a significant percentage of his diet. One of his favourites? The “Fool’s Gold” sandwich, also known as a loaf of bread filled with peanut butter, bacon and banana.
12. He almost played Tony in West Side Story
Yes, Elvis almost lent his deep voice to the hit musical West Side Story. Director Robert Wise offered him the lead role. Elvis was indeed interested in making the film but stopped when his manager, Colonel Parker, feared that it was not the right film for the star.
13. He lived in Graceland at the beginning of his career
Elvis gave his parents (when he was only 22 years old at the time) a budget of $100,000 and asked them to find a house “on the farm”. In March 1957, Presley bought this house for $102,500. The legendary mansion is located on a 13.8-acre estate in Memphis, Tennessee.
14. The relationship between Elvis and Priscilla was not always beautiful
Life in the spotlight was not easy for the famous couple. In 1971, Elvis had an affair with Joyce Bova, which ended in an unwanted pregnancy and abortion. We would soon discover that Elvis was not the only infidel in his relationship.
In a shocking turn of events, Priscilla later revealed that she was having an affair with Mike Stone… a karate instructor that Elvis recommended she see.
15. Elvis based his look on a comic strip
Okay, it’s not entirely verified, but we know that Elvis was a big fan of the comic book Captain Marvel Jr. We believe that Elvis tried to model his look on his beloved superhero. In fact, his comic book collection is still in Graceland’s attic.
16. Elvis refused to look at Priscilla without makeup
Priscilla admitted on the British TV show “Loose Women” that, throughout their relationship, Elvis never saw her without make-up. She also admitted that Elvis had complete control over everything, including the clothes she was wearing. He was even going shopping with his wife. Priscilla often compared her life with Elvis to life in a bubble.
17. Elvis dated Cher
Cher began to see Elvis between her marriages with Sonny Bono and Gregg Allman, insisting that it was just an adventure. Despite their acquaintances, the famous pair never really showed up in public. Actually, Cher stood him up. One evening, Elvis invited her into her room and she refused his offer. We think Elvis wasn’t used to being rejected by female contenders.
18. He had a pet
Every celebrity has some kind of weirdness. For Michael Jackson, everyone remembers his pet monkey, Bubbles. But, wait a minute! Michael Jackson was not the first celebrity to adopt a funny and rude chimpanzee! Elvis also had a chimpanzee named Scatter.
19. Elvis was afraid of germs
Turns out Elvis was a pretty big germaphobe. Priscilla said of her former husband: “When he drank his coffee, he always drank it near the handle and not elsewhere, because everywhere else other people drank it. He was religious about it, so it was always his cup.”
20. An intense touring program has had its consequences
When Elvis started touring, he put his body and soul into it. His life on the road was difficult because he travelled regularly across the country. Any artist added to his touring and film schedule would have had difficulty keeping pace, and the King was no different.
Elvis has made so many appearances on stage, he started to get careless. While he broke box office records, his studio performances began to suffer from so many performances. Many people have claimed that there is a lack of quality in the new recordings. In any case, it continued to prosper and climb up the charts.
