Elvis Presley

Born: 8 January 1935 Birthplace: Tupelo, Mississippi Death: 16 August 1977 (heart attack) Best Known As: "The King of Rock 'n Roll" Famous in life, Elvis Presley has become even more famous in death as an icon of American music and TV-era celebrity. Presley hit the charts as a rock 'n roll rebel in the 1950s. His 9 September 1956 appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show (with Presley shown only from the waist up to hide his swivelling hips) turned him into one of the era's biggest stars. His many hits included "Jailhouse Rock," "Hound Dog" and "Blue Suede Shoes." He also appeared in dozens of lighthearted movies designed to let him cavort and play the guitar onscreen, including King Creole (1958, with Walter Matthau) and Blue Hawaii (1961, with Angela Lansbury). In the late 1960s, after a period of declining fame, he remade himself into "The King," a melodramatic icon known for his sequined karate-style jumpsuits and megaconcerts. The loyalty of his fans is famous; though he died in 1977, sightings of a supposedly surviving Elvis became a kind of international running joke. Elvis's Memphis home, Graceland, has become a permanent shrine to the singer. Col. Tom Parker was Elvis's longtime manager and personal power broker... Elvis's daughter Lisa Marie Presley was married to pop star Michael Jackson from 1994-1996, and then briefly to Nicolas Cage in 2002... Elvis was married one time, to the former Priscilla Beaulieu, from 1967-73; Priscilla Presley later appeared in the TV soap Dallas and the Naked Gun film series... A remix of Elvis's 1968 recording "A Little Less Conversation" became a hit after being featured in Nike ads during the 2002 World Cup; the song went to #1 on the British music charts... Elvis's twin brother, Jesse Garon, died at birth... Elvis's middle name is spelled "Aaron" on his tombstone; according to his official site, the name was spelled Aron at birth but as an adult Elvis planned to change the spelling to Aaron, and the tombstone was designed to reflect that wish.