Elvis’ father Vernon was born on April 10, 1916 in Fulton, Mississippi to Vester, Delta Mae, Nashville, Lorene and Gladys. The Presleys had lived in Mississippi for generations, and in the woods around Tupelo and Fulton, the name “Presley” was not uncommon.He met Gladys in the early 1930s and the couple married on June 17, 1933. […] More
Minnie Mae was Elvis’ paternal grandmother, whom he nicknamed “Dodger”. Minnie Mae initially lived with Gladys and Vernon in Tupelo and later at Graceland. When Elvis came to Germany with the army, she accompanied Elvis and Vernon to Goethestrasse 14 in Bad Nauheim.Minnie Mae was often in a bad mood, used snuff and wore her sunglasses most […] More
Elvis Aaron Presley’s stillborn twin brother, Jesse, was born first and the doctor wasn’t sure if the second child would even survive. But Elvis, who was born about 30 minutes later, was alive and well.Jesse was buried the next day in an unmarked grave in Priceville Cemetery near East Tupelo, Mississippi. Gladys never quite got over his […] More
Gladys Love Smith was born on April 25, 1912 in Pontotoc County, Mississippi to a family of migrant workers. Her parents were Robert Lee (Bob) Smith and Doll Mansell Smith. She grew up in the peasant poverty typical of her generation. With the exception of her father, her family was made up of drunkards who always seemed to […] More
He is considered by many to be the father of rock & roll. His recording of “Blue Suede Shoes” was on the way up when he was involved in a serious car accident on his way to New York to appear on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1956 . His brother died in the accident and Perkins missed his […] More
Patti was one of Elvis’ dearest friends. She met Elvis in 1960 while she and a friend were driving down Santa Monica Boulevard in Los Angeles. Standing next to Elvis at a red light, Patti simply rolled down her window and spoke to him.Elvis was impressed. He invited her to his home in Bel Air. Later the two had […] More
Elvis met Hawaiian-born kenpo karate instructor Ed Parker at his studio in Pasadena, California. In 1972, Elvis walked into Parker’s studio and began studying karate in earnest. It was Parker’s style of canting and jabbing that Elvis used on stage when demonstrating his karate routines to the admiring fans. This type of karate is called “Kenpo” and was […] More
Scotty Moore didn’t get the public recognition he deserved for his part in shaping young Elvis Presley’s distinctive style, but the truth is that Elvis owed him a lot and he let Scotty know it too.Moore was an innovative young guitarist with a stirring style, performing in early 1950s Memphis. He was playing with Doug Poindexter’s […] More