Elvis Presley: a life in photos

Elvis Presley died in 1977 – and his concerts went strangely un-professionally filmed.

There are however, astonishing audio and 8 or 16 mm reel films made of him and he is likely the most photographed human who lived. He certainly is well represented in the global statues around the world.

   

Elvis002.jpg…A screaming crowd of thousands of teenagers welcomed a guitar-thumping Elvis Presley back to the town where he was born, Tupelo, Miss. Staff photo by Eldred Reaney (The Tennessean) 8/26/1956

 

Elvis & Ann-Margaret vs Elvis & Priscilla: The Debate Continues in Fandom

James Burton played guitar for Elvis Presley’s TCB band from 1969-1977 (top); James Burton was Ricky Nelson’s backup guitarist on the Ozzie and Harriet TV show in the late 1950s. (bottom). Courtesy of James Burton

a few debates: was Elvis bisexual? he made the gossip papers of the time, and it’s pretty much the only thing left for any Memphis Mafia guys to tell.

 

Elvis Presley left marriage a little late for his cultural era, but that appearance of being single was part of the original fandom fantasy. Eventually Elvis had to marry Priscilla, there would have been no out for him once he had her move in on and that very promise.

But what might his life have been had he not be famous, and had gone the army and into policing career path. Strange hobby for a rock star – it was part of Elvis wanting to belong to the upper classes. That balance of a good boy with just enough bad boy. Custom Pink paint job and his mother didn’t drive. just saying….he was wearing make up on stage too.

Any doubt that Elvis couldn’t have been elected? Political Social Canniness – leveraging celebrity.

I really like the indie movie version of this event and I really do not like the upcoming Kevin Spacey one. It’s more Elvis Hillbilly bashing and really not getting American culture by not grokking him.

There are just so many astonishing aspects to this story.

The Elvis version of cutting off his own hair

            

Royalty and The King

15 Nov 1956, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA — Original caption: Las Vegas, Nevada: Liberace Serenades Elvis. In his first appearance since his European tour, Liberace and his troupe favors special ringside guest Elvis Presley with a number at the Riviera early today. after the show, Elvis joined Liberace backstage for an impromptu jam session in which Elvis played the piano and Liberace the guitar. — Image by © Bettmann/CORBIS

1962, Idyllwild, California, USA — Joan Blackman and Elvis Presley in Kid Galahad — Image by © Sunset Boulevard/Corbis

THE STEVE ALLEN SHOW — Aired July 1, 1956 — Episode 2 — Pictured: (l-r) Andy Griffith, Imogene Coca, and Elvis Presley perform a parody of Country & Western television shows — Photo by: NBCU Photo Bank

Elvis002.jpg…A screaming crowd of thousands of teenagers welcomed a guitar-thumping Elvis Presley back to the town where he was born, Tupelo, Miss. Staff photo by Eldred Reaney (The Tennessean) 8/26/1956

5364-18: President Nixon shakes hands with entertainer Elvis Presley in the Oval Office

MANDATORY PHOTO CREDIT: Collection of Red Robinson
Vancouver, Aug. 16, 2007 Elvis Presley with Vancouver disc jockey Red Robinson before his concert at Empire Stadium on Aug. 31, 1957. With John Mackie story. [PNG Merlin Archive] MAKING HEADLINES

prv082899robinson01–SEEEMMA POOLE STORY FOR CITY– Aug. 28,1999 — North Vancouver, B.C. — Sunday is Red Robinson Day at the Pne. Robinson introduced the Beatles in 1964 and Elvis in 1957 at Empire Stadium. LES BAZSO/PROVINCE [PNG Merlin Archive]

Elvis Presley turns over the papers for the S.S. Potomac, former presidential yacht of the late President Franklin D. Roosevelt to Danny Thomas, founder of St. Jude Hospital February 14, 1964 in Long Beach, CA. Presley purchased the yacht to keep it from being scrapped. Thomas accepted the boat for St. Jude, a non-sectarian project dedicated to finding cures for catastrophic diseases of children. It is hoped that the boat will be sold as soon as possible and the money used in research for children’s diseases. Presley’s manager, Col. Tom Parker, is in the background. ( UPI )

Not published in LIFE. Elvis Presley at Fort Dix, New Jersey, shortly before his discharge from the U.S. Army, March 1960.

THE STEVE ALLEN SHOW — Aired July 1, 1956 — Episode 2 — Pictured: (l-r) Andy Griffith, Imogene Coca, and Elvis Presley perform a parody of Country & Western television shows — Photo by: NBCU Photo Bank

THE STEVE ALLEN SHOW — Aired July 1, 1956 — Episode 2 — Pictured: (l-r) Andy Griffith, Imogene Coca, and Elvis Presley perform a parody of Country & Western television shows (Photo by NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)

ALASKA, UNITED STATES – MARCH 1958: Wearing only underwear, singing star turned US Army Pvt. Elvis Presley (3L) raises his arms along with several other inductees during an inspection at Ft. Chaffee. (Photo by Don Cravens/The LIFE Images Collection/Getty Images)

Elvis Presley

their first meeting

Jimmy: So, you’re gonna be on the S.S. Mount Vernon tonight, are you Elvis?
Elvis: Yep.
Jimmy: Have you ever worked on a boat before?
Elvis: Nope.
Jimmy: I imagine you’re looking forward to this, aren’t you?
Elvis: Yep.
Dean later remembered the interview as ‘possibly the worst I’ve ever done’.
– See more at: http://www.elvispresleymusic.com.au/pictures/1956_march_23.html#sthash.RrM6gfoK.dpuf see full article: http://www.elvispresleymusic.com.au/pictures/1956_march_23.html

Colonel Tom Parker and Elvis Presley in October 1955 signing a record contract with RCA Victor. *** USA ONLY *** © Glenn A. Baker / Redferns / Retna Ltd.

Elvis Presley with Diane McBain (left) and Shelley Fabares in the 1966 movie, “Spinout”, which opened at the State Theatre in Memphis November 17, 1966. Elvis recorded the soundtrack and began filming the movie, his 22nd, in February. (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer)

 

Sal Mineo visits Elvis on the Loving You Set

Elvis and Kathy Westmoreland: The Girl with the High Voice Singing

Sophia Loren

T0m Jones

The Iconic shot – The Kiss

Elvis and the Blue Moon Boys – Bill Black is the forgotten part of the early act.

Marion meets Elvis while both were in the military – years after SUN

 

Elsa Cardenas Love Affair with Elvis: While celebrating the 50th anniversary of the movie “Fun In Acapulco,” Mexican actress Elsa Cárdenas revealed she had a little affair with the King of Rock ‘n Roll. According to Cárdenas, 78, the first thing Elvis said to her is that she was very pretty, to which she replied that he was very good looking too. She went on to explain that when the two met, Elvis was already in a relationship with Priscilla, but they weren’t married yet.
Cárdenas revealed that she and the rock star were “kind of a couple.” “Everyone knew, and it was all right because there was nothing yet, they still weren’t married, you know, you’re young and beautiful and you’re chosen to be in a movie with one of the biggest stars of the time, well, the biggest, so you can imagine….
Elvis was extremely attractive, always joking and was nice to his co-stars. Our friendship lasted for a few years before it subsided as our lives went their separate ways.” Elsa revealed.
Presley and Priscilla got married four years later in 1967 and separated almost seven years after that.
Cárdenas is considered to be one of the most beautiful women in the movie industry. Besides Presley, she also acted alongside another legend, James Dean in the film “Giant,” Dean’s last movie before his untimely death.
(News, Source;LatinTimes/ElvisInfoNet) http://www.elvisinfonet.com/

all I could move was my little finger

 

Elvis returning to Graceland on the 14th or 15th of August 1977 before his upcoming tour that he never gave

Elvis:
I’ve never gotten over what they call stage–fright. I go through it every show. I’m pretty concerned, I’m pretty much thinking about the show. I never get completely comfortable with it, and I don’t let the people around me get comfortable with it, in that I remind them that it’s a new crowd out there, it’s a new audience, and they haven’t seen us before. So it’s got to be like the first time we go on.

this book
it also features the only interview that I have seen
with one of the bullies who tried to cut Elvis’ hair in high school
there’s a photo of him holding the yearbook

I don’t know if it’s the combination of the corporate suits and the half naked pretty boy that makes this homoerotic or just the juxtapostions of the energies

Nick had a small part in Rebel and this is Elvis impersonating Brando.

When I was in Memphis in 1987, I bought a copy of this photo in a gift store. I had never seen it before and the homoerotic factor hit home a while later in a Georgia Straight newspaper interview, Jerry lee Lewis – at the time of the Dennis Quaid bio-flick, talked about him and Elvis riding bikes nude and that if anyone knew then what they had gotten up to – both of their careers would have been over.

Elvis welcome home with Tina Louise

Playing nice in Vegas – and finally friends

Elvis and Nancy in Speedway.
Nancy threw Priscilla’s Baby Shower while she and Elvis romanced

Frank Sinatra not getting it his way – propping up his career to Welcome Elvis Home.
GI Blues put Elvis in Franks way too.

Nancy met Elvis when he landed in New Jersey back from Germany