Home> Facts and Trivia > Stars > Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley Facts
| Sign | Capricorn |
| Born |
Jan 8, 1935 Tupelo, MS |
| Died |
Aug 16, 1977 Memphis, TN |
| Age | Died at 42 |
| Total Facts | 203 |
Newspaper reports indicated that Sammy Davis Jr., Farrah Fawcett, Burt Reynolds and John Wayne were supposed to attend Presley's funeral, but they did not turn up. Ann-Margret, James Brown and George Hamilton were the only celebrities in attendance.
None of his 33 films--31 features and two musical documentaries--were ever nominated for an Academy Award (of his 31 features, only one--Wild in the Country (1961)--lost money).
Of his many numerous impersonators, his personal favorite was Andy Kaufman.
On his first appearance on "Stage Show" (1954) on Jan. 28, 1956, he sang a medley of "Shake Rattle and Roll" / "Flip Flop and Fly" and later performed "I Got A Woman". That breakthrough performance of "I Got A Woman", to a startled 1956 audience, has not been seen for years, but as of 2010 it is available on YouTube.
On Monday, December 21, 1970, he paid a visit to President Richard Nixon at the White House in Washington, D.C. The meeting was initiated by Presley, who wrote Nixon a six-page letter requesting a visit with the President and suggesting that he be made a "Federal Agent-at-Large" in the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs.
On seeing Elvis in rehearsal for "Stage Show" (1954) Jackie Gleason--the show's producer--described Elvis as "Marlon Brando with a guitar".
On Thursday, November 11th, 2004, he was inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame for his outstanding contribution to British music and integral part of British music culture.
Once an opera singer attended one of his 1950s concerts and met him backstage. The singer told Elvis that he sang like a hillbilly and needed singing lessons. Elvis replied, "Thanks for the advice, but how many of the thousands of people out there tonight came to hear you sing?".
Once claimed Robert Mitchum was the inspiration for his famous hairstyle. Presley met Mitchum to discuss the possibility of starring together in Thunder Road (1958), but unfortunately Tom Parker's demands for Presley's salary could not be met.
Once gave a robe to Muhammad Ali. On the back of the robe was stitched "The Peoples Champion", which was Presley's nickname for Ali.
Once sent $1,000,000 to Buford Pusser, the crimefighting Tennessee sheriff who was the subject of the 1973 film Walking Tall (1973).
One of his biggest hit songs, "Are You Lonesome Tonight?", was written in 1926 by Lou Handman and Roy Turk and first recorded by Lou's sister Edith Handman with Lou at the piano. Vaughn Deleath and The Colonial Club Orchestra released a version of the song in 1927 that became a hit. The Carter Family recorded a bluegrass version with additional verses in 1936. The first charted version was by Blue Barron in 1950 (#16 US Pop), which introduced the spoken portion, modeled after Jacques' "All The World's A Stage" speech in William Shakespeare's "As You Like It". Al Jolson recorded that version several weeks later. Additionaly, it was singer Jaye P. Morgan's 1959 (#65 US Pop) version of the song, as well as Blue Barron's earlier 1950 version, that Elvis heard while in Germany that influenced him to record the song shortly after his discharge from the army.
One of only a handful of artists inducted into both The Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame and The Country Music Hall of Fame. Others include Johnny Cash and Hank Williams.
Owned a collection of Andy Kaufman tapes.
Owned a pet chimpanzee called "Scatter".
Pictured on a 29¢ US commemorative postage stamp issued on Friday, January 8th, 1993, 58 years after his birthdate. This was the inaugural issue in the Legends of American Music series.
Prior to being signed by RCA in November 1955, Elvis was known as "The Hillbilly Cat" in his hometown of Memphis, Tennessee.
Ranked #2 on VH1's 100 Sexiest Artists.
Ranked #8 on VH1's 100 Greatest Artists of Rock & Roll.
Recorded 33 takes of "Hound Dog".
Reports of the last words spoken by Elvis vary. He ended his last press conference with the words: "I hope I haven't bored you." Other reports say his last words were: "Okay, I won't" (The last words spoken to Ginger Alden, his girlfriend at the time of his death, who told him on the way to the bathroom not to "fall asleep in there.").
Shares a birthday with fellow Rock and Roll Hall of Fame members David Bowie, The Doors guitarist Robby Krieger and legendary promoter Bill Graham.
Shown on a 5.50 kr postage stamp issued by Sweden in 2004.
Son of Vernon Presley and Gladys Presley.
Spoofed in Eminem's music video "Without Me".
Stage: "All Shook Up", a show based on his work, debuted on Broadway in 2004.
Suffered from chronic insomnia.
The book he was reading at the time of his death was "The Scientific Search for the Face of Jesus" by Frank O. Adams, (Psychical Aid Foundation, USA, 1972).
The home address of Vernon Presley and Gladys Presley, as they became parents, on Tuesday, January 8th, 1935, was 306 Old Saltillo Road, East Tupelo, Mississippi. Zip codes were not created, until the 1960's decade. His twin brother, Jesse Garon Presley, died at birth. Elvis was successfully delivered, approximately 35 minutes later.
The last song he sang was "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain", at home, and playing the piano, to family and friends, Monday evening, August 15th, 1977.
The lightest Elvis ever weighed, as an adult, was 170 pounds in 1960, following his discharge from the U.S. Army. The heaviest was at the time of his death, which was 260 pounds. He gained 90 pounds, in his final 17 years of life.
The media coverage of his death overshadowed that of the 86-year-old comedian and film star Groucho Marx, which occurred three days later.
The very last song he sang in public was "Can't Help Falling In Love", at The Market Square Arena in Indianapolis, Indiana, on Sunday, June 26, 1977.
Turned down leading role in The Fastest Guitar Alive (1967), which went to his friend Roy Orbison.
Voted the third greatest singer of the rock era in a Rolling Stone magazine poll in 2008.
Was a fan of actors Peter Sellers and Tony Curtis.
Was a huge fan of professional wrestling.
Was a huge fan of the television shows "The Jeffersons" (1975), "Good Times" (1974), "Happy Days" (1974) and "Flip" (1970).
Was always known to be generous to a fault with family, friends and even total strangers. Anyone who admired any posession of his, from one of his many Cadillacs to any bit of bric-a-brac in his home, often found themselves the new owners of that posession.
Was director Robert Wise's original choice to play Tony in West Side Story (1961).
Was extremely proud of his Cherokee Indian roots. Wanted to be more open about it but was advised against it, according to some sources by Tom Parker, since this was around the time that there were still racial tensions in the US. Sometimes the audiences were "deceived with the truth" like in G.I. Blues (1960) when his character tells about his Cherokee Indian background. In real life his Cherokee Indian roots started with his maternal great-great-great grandmother Morning Dove White and it was even rumored in Memphis that he had Cherokee blood from his father's side of the family as well, though never confirmed.
Was one of the first people in the U.S. to own a "Betamax" system VCR
Was one of the performers featured on a set of stamps of rock and blues legends issued by the U.S. Postal Service in June 1993.
Was originally considered for the Kris Kristofferson role in A Star Is Born (1976), but Elvis turned it down because his manager, Tom Parker refused him permission to act in a movie where he wouldn't have top billing. Also, he didn't like the fact that the producer, Jon Peters, was completely unknown.
Was the first entertainer to introduce karate in an American motion picture (Flaming Star (1960)).
Was voted best singer of all time by Q Magazine.
When Ed Sullivan finally allowed him to appear on "The Ed Sullivan Show" (1948), he was filmed from the waist upwards only once, on his third and final appearance on Sunday, January 6th, 1957.
When The Beatles came to America in 1965 there was only one person they wanted to meet: Elvis. On Friday, August 27, 1965, they got their wish and, according to John Lennon, spent an entirely enjoyable evening at the Presley home in Bel Air, California, talking, singing and laughing with each other.
When he was an infant a tornado struck his hometown of Tupelo, Mississippi. He and his family survived uninjured, but 233 people in the city were killed and hundreds were injured.
While Elvis appeared on NBC's "The Steve Allen Plymouth Show" (1956), on Sunday, July 1, 1956. Ehis manager Colonel Tom Parker was contacted by Ed Sullivan about Elvis' appearing on his weekly CBS variety show, "The Ed Sullivan Show" (1948), on CBS. Elvis was signed for a then staggering $50,000 for three appearances. This was quite an accomplishment--or lack of foresight--as Sullivan and Allen were broadcast in the same Sunday-evening time slot and had an ongoing "ratings war" against each other. Even more amazing was that Elvis' prestigious record label, RCA, was a subsidiary of the corporation that owned NBC. Elvis already had sold at least 5 million records for RCA-NBC with several hit 45-RPM and 78-RPM records. Allen would later state that his reason for "giving away" Elvis was that he ran strictly a comedy show. Ironically. the following summer Allen hosted Jerry Lee Lewis twice. After this Sullivan no longer expressed interest at having Elvis on his show.