Regardless of his celebrity status, Elvis was a fascinating man with unusual interests. From the funny way he drank his coffee to the inspiration behind his iconic look, Elvis Presley has many aspects worth knowing, especially for you super-fans.
The Death of Elvis’s Twin Brother Haunted Him His Whole Life
Yes, the king had a twin brother namedJesse Garon Presleywho, unfortunately, passed at birth. Had this tragedy not occurred, the life of “The King” might have been very different. With the guidance of a brother, Elvis might not have had the deep twinge of loneliness that he felt throughout his life.
This devastating fact of Elvis’s life often haunted him throughout his career. Although Elvis didn’t grow up with biological siblings, he did eventually inherit three stepbrothers when his father remarried after the death of his mother.
He Grew Up A Loner
Although Elvis turned out to be quite a people-pleaser, growing up, he lived his life as a recluse and was described by others as a loner. He would sometimes bring his guitar into school and dabble with it during lunchtime, followed with torment from other children. The children would refer to him as “trashy” and make fun of the music he chose to play.
We’re pretty sure those kids ended up eating their words.
As the story goes, the children in Elvis’s school would often throw rotten fruit at him, and some students were reported to have cut his guitar strings. After the incident, students who were aware of the deep love Elvis had for his guitar, scraped some money together to buy him new strings.
He Was Turned Down After An Audition At 19
At 19, Elvis was ready to enter the glitzy world of music, but was promptly rejected. He auditioned to join a gospel quartet named ‘Songfellows,’ but they turned him down. (Imagine how they must feel now?) It looks like Elvis wasn’t too upset over it, seeing as he went on to be “The King” of the music industry.
A year before his audition, Elvis had already paid (a whole) $4 to record a song as a gift for his mother. The year of his audition, his music career had already started to pick up some traction as he was a budding artist in the Memphis music scene.
He Was Drafted Into The Army
In the early ‘50s, Elvis was finally gaining recognition for his work, and he was signed with Sun Records. His top hits at the time were songs such as ‘Love Me Tender’ and ‘Heartbreak Hotel.’
However, at the end of the day, Elvis was still just another man allowed to be drafted and shipped off to the army. He served two years of active duty, and four years in the reserves. Although he was gaining notable fame, he told the media that he didn’t want to be treated differently than anyone else who had been drafted, telling the media, “The army can do anything it wants with me.”
His Mother’s Death Broke His Heart
Everyone who knew Elvis knew that his mother,Gladys, took up the biggest space in his heart. Elvis was extremely close to her, so he was devastated upon hearing the news that she was ill. At the time of the announcement, Elvis was in the military, but he immediately made plans to come back to see her.
She passed of a heart attack at 46 years old. At the time of her death, Elvis was recorded saying, “She’s all I ever lived for. She was always my best girl.”
The death of his mother took a severe toll on him, and this sadness would be carried with him throughout the entirety of his career.
Elvis Never Wrote A Song
Elvis is an astounding and celebrated figure in the music world but, no, he did not write a SINGLE one of his songs.
Regardless, Elvis wasn’t really iconic for his writing skills, but the way he managed to make the songs his own. He would put a new twist on songs with slower tempos and did such a great job of it that people assumed he was the original artist.
For example, the famous hit, “Hound Dog,” was originally performed by Big Mama Thornton as a blues song. The song was listed as one of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s “500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.” Yet, if you were to ask someone who sings the song “Hound Dog,” they will probably reply with “Elvis, duh.”
Elvis Dyed His Hair With Shoe Polish
Elvis’s signature look was his black locks slicked back and to the side. Shockingly, this wasn’t the look he was born with. He cultivated it. To make his hair black, he would use shoe polish to cover his sandy-colored tresses.
As he got older, he made the switch over to hair dyes such as Miss Clairol 51D and Black Velvet & Mink Brown by Paramount. He believed that this new raven-colored look made him appear edgier on and off the stage. Looks like he was right, as Elvis’s signature style became an unrivaled iconic Rock and Roll trend.
Elvis’s Dance Almost Got Him Arrested
It’s no secret that during the time of squeaky clean television and “holier than thou” morals, Elvis Presley was Public Enemy #1. During Elvis’s live performances, he would gyrate his hips in a way that could only be described as “offensive” at the time.
In August 1956, Juvenile Court JudgeMarion Goodingattended one of Elvis’s concerts in Florida and was appalled by his moves. In fact, he was so irritated by them that he threatened to have the star arrested. He warned Elvis that he would be walking out of his next show in cuffs if he did not tone his act down. He announced that he would only permit “limited-side-to-side movements.”
His Relationship With Priscilla Would’ve Been Illegal Today
It seems that when Elvis is brought up in a conversation, the namePriscillaimmediately follows. Like Harry and Sally, Elvis and Priscilla are two names that will forever be intertwined. However, their relationship would be quite scandalous in today world, asPriscilla was very young.
Priscilla was only 14 when she met Elvis, who was 24 at the time. She later said, “I was kind of lost really in who I was earlier in my life, I really didn’t have teenage years. I learned so much about him and was with him so much that I thought the way he did.”
Priscilla was the only lucky lady to ever tie the knot with the star.
Elvis Was Seriously Into Karate
This may have helped him in the war, but we know his interest in karate certainly didn’t help his marriage. He had gained respect from his haters after serving time in the war, and people began approving of this swell young man named Elvis.
Good samaritans realized he wasn’t an advocate for devil’s music at all! He was a young man with hobbies that enjoyed serving his country, just like everyone else! While in the army, Elvis became very interested in karate and studied the fighting style of Chito-Ryu under Hank Slemansky. He would use his karate skills on stage, and he received his black belt in 1960.
