Pop songs have been a craze with the youngsters over the past few decades. Its ever increasing mass popularity has produced a breed of pop stars at different times who have entertained the music lovers in their own distinct styles. Elvis Presley was one of the first ‘pop’ stars – a rock ‘n’ roll singer whose appearance on stage could create a rage among the audience. Rock ‘n’ Roll was a form of dancing and the singers danced to the rhythmic beat of their music. Presley’s popularity was at the peak in the 1950s and 1960s with hits like ‘Blue Suede Shoes’, ‘Heartbreak Hotel’ and ‘His latest Flame’.
Born in 1935, Elvis came from a poor white family of East Tupelo, Mississippi in the south of America. He spent much of his childhood in Memphis, Tennessee. As a teenager, he spent a great deal of his time with black musicians. In 1953, on his mother’s birthday, he himself paid money to record his songs at Sun records in Memphis. The owner of the recording studio liked his unusual mixture of country, blues and gospel styles and offered him professional recording work.
In 1955, he was signed on by a big recording company. He achieved instant international fame though his popularity was limited to only the younger generations. His first local hit was, ‘That’s All Right’, in 1954 and he created a sensation by swivelling his hips while singing. Many people were shocked to see his wiggling hips. It outraged the adults but entertained the teenagers. He sang loudly with a strong rhythm.
His mega hits like ‘Hound Dog’ and ‘Jailhouse Rock’ had made him a national hero by the year 1956. He was popularly recognized as the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll.
Elvis’s music had tremendously influenced the later day pop singers such as the Beatles. By the mid-1960s the Beatles had started reigning the world of rock music. But Presley continued his recording spree along with live performances. He had eventually recorded 94 gold singles and over 40 gold albums. He also starred in 27 films, earning over one million US dollars for every role.
He was always abnormally anxious about his health and took large number of pills. These resulted in death due to heart failure in 1977.