Although a gifted and musician and a good and generous human being, by the end of his life, Elvis had fallen into a state of decadence, drunkenness, drug abuse, and physical deterioration (Simon 1995). He had become bitterly disappointed with his life, and almost a desolate person, for celebrity had basically chewed up his creativity (Simon 1995). Guralnick writes that there were "fewer and fewer opportunities to withdraw from the spotlight, and with the ability to withdraw from the spotlight," he simply became consumed by it (Simon 1995). Ironically, his manager Colonel Tom Parker understood that one of the key elements of success is limited exposure of the artist to the public, otherwise, the public will consume the artist. However, Guralnick notes, "I think that it didn't work for Elvis because his creative outlet were not maintained at the same time...but some one like Bob Dylan, for instance, sought to recreate himself over and over again," thus he withdrew from the spotlight to do different things, to do new things, and this is perhaps the only way to survive in a celebrity-consuming age (Simon 1995).
Contemporary folklore has it that the three most recognized words in the world are "Jesus," "Coca-Cola," and "Elvis" (Doss 2002). Elvis has sold more records than anyone else in recording history. There are some 1,400 books published about him, and over 100 different porcelain plates (O'Meara 2002).
Although Elvis never performed live outside the U.S., except for a three-city tour in Canada in 1957, roughly 40% of his record sales come from outside the U.S. (O'Meara 2002). Interestingly, the three Grammy awards he received were for gospel recordings, and he is the only artist to have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Country...
Graceland, his home is Memphis, is visited by more than 600,000 people each year, second only to the White House. More than half of the visitors are younger than 35 years of age (O'Meara 2002). Elvis died on August 16, 1977 at Graceland.
Works Cited
All About Elvis. (2006). Retrieved November 06, 2006 at http://www.elvis.com/elvisology/bio/elvis_overview.asp
Doss, Erika. (2002 June 22). Believing in Elvis: popular piety in a material culture.
Business Perspectives. Retrieved November 06, 2006 from HighBeam Research Library.
O'Meara, Kelly Patricia. (2002 August 05). The crown still fits: nearly a quarter after the untimely death of the King of Rock 'n' Roll, Elvis Presley still haunts Americans - including the new generation -- seeking roots in a genuine American culture.
Insight on the News. Retrieved November 06, 2006 from HighBeam Research Library.
Simon, Scott. (1995 January 07).New Elvis Biography Chronicles the King's Early
Years. Weekend Edition: National Public Radio. Retrieved November 06, 2006 from HighBeam Research Library.
Outline
Elvis was and remains the undisputed King of music.
Elvis' admirers included U.S. Presidents and some of the most well respected musicians of the 20th Century.
Elvis was born in Tupelo, Mississippi and grew up in Memphis, Tennessee.
His recording career began in Memphis at Sun Records in 1954, and two years later he was an international sensation.
Elvis was only 23 years old when his mother died, she had been his world.
The spotlight consumed Elvis, and he drifted into drugs and…
