Elvis Presley
Who doesn't know the King of Rock & Roll? The first "sexy" performer...the first heart-throb of America. Everybody's heard the rumors about his drug addiction in the later part of his life, and his causes of death, but no one really knows his personal issues. What was he like before the fame? What was his family life like? What happened with his marriage? Well, you can stop fretting now, because I am going to answer all of your questions about this Elvis guy in just a second. And I'll attempt to make it somewhat interesting for you to read.
Early Life
Elvis Aaron Presley was born in 1935 in Mississippi. He was suppose to be a twin, but his brother, Jesse Garon , was born dead. Elvis was born into a poor family with two parents who worked on minimum wage. Since their financial situation was tight, Presley found himself moving from place to place early on in his life.His parents were not only hard workers, but hard-core Christians. They raised their son to be a devoted follower of God, and Presley continued to attend an Assembly of God Church, where he first began to love music.
On Elvis' 11th birthday, his mom gave him his first guitar ever. Right away, he began to learn until he won his High School's talent show. After he graduated from high school, he maintained to keep his love for music alive while also working part time jobs. Sam Phillips, an owner of the record label, saw this young man's talent, and began to mentor him through it all. Only months later, Presley was not only recording, but touring all around, gaining him even more fans.
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What caused most of Presley's fame to expand though, was his unique style of singing and dancing. His songs had a energetic feeling to them, making the fans crave the words integrated into his lyrics. Most of all, his dance moves came as a shock to every American man/woman. He thrusted his hips back and forth, and side to side. Many of the older generations during that time were disgusted and disapproved of the sexual vibe it gave off, but of course the younger generation loved it. Girls screamed at the mention of his name, the first shift in his moves, and the first word of his songs. Girls were exposed to something that was previously kept for private situations, rather than public exposure to his sexiness.
In 1967, Elvis got married to the beautiful Priscilla Presley. He had met this Priscilla in Germany, when she was only fourteen and a half. Once she moved to Graceland, he proposed to her.Together they had a daughter name Lisa Marie, who is still alive today. Only three years later, Elvis began to have marriage problems. Rumors have it that the divorce emerged as a result of Elvis' demanding career, and constant absence from the house. In 1973, him and Priscilla divorced, leaving Lisa Marie in Mrs. Presley's care. This placed great sadness upon Presley, but soon he began writing more songs, and coming back onto the stage.
Drugs
The main reason Elvis turned to drugs later in his career was because of stress. He didn't know what else to turn to other than these pills that would temporarily make him feel better. One article addresses his growing issue that made him career end early:
The nonstop touring and Las Vegas engagements played a part in Elvis Presley's physical and spiritual decline as did his dependency on a variety of prescription drugs.
His oppressive performance schedule and his reliance on drugs were connected, at least in Elvis' mind. He claimed he needed drugs to maintain his energy onstage and then drugs to sleep after his performances, but some of the prescription drugs he got his hands on were not designed for those purposes. Some time during the 1970s, Elvis' overuse of drugs evolved into a frightening level of abuse.
A misconception exists that Elvis was lazy during the 1970s, that he secluded himself inside Graceland for extensive periods and did very little. Yet, based on his touring and recording schedules, this is clearly untrue. The problem was not inactivity; it was a grinding schedule of repeated routines, the monotony of the road, and a heart heavy from personal disappointments.
Personally downhearted and professionally unchallenged, Elvis grew bored and disaffected. By 1976, no one could get Elvis Presley into the recording studio despite his contractual obligations. Any enthusiasm he had previously mustered for recording was lost by the mid-1970s. Whether it was the end result of a downward spiral or because he thought the drugs had affected the range of his voice is unknown.
After years of fame, the drugs started causing him to lose motivation for singing. Singing was his life. Singing was his passion, yet his addiction took all of that away. Eventually, Elvis died in his home from a drug overdose. "Elvis' personal physician, Dr. George Nichopoulos, was found to have written Elvis 199 prescriptions totaling more than 10,000 doses of sedatives, amphetamines and narcotics in the first 8 months of 1977."
( http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=73d_1206664864#fsmgIUy5UJwlvdOR.99)
He was buried in Graceland, right next to his precious mother.
Elvis Presley didn't die as a happy man. He didn't die as a man of faith. He didn't die as a sober man. So what did he die as?
Elvis died as the Kind of Rock & Roll. He died as a drug- addict, yet he still lives in the hearts of many Americans today. I wonder what his life would've turned out to be like if he was born a twin. I wonder what his life would've turned out to be if he had kept his faith. I'm sure God would've blessed him with a life full of worth and joy. All we can say now is "thank you" to the one who created the great genre of Rock and Roll, and for cheering up a million girls' lives while he was still alive. Thank you.
Let this be an encouragement to you to keep fighting the good fight, keep your faith, and finish the race despite all of the trials and distractions that will come your way!
2 Timothy 4:7: "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."
"We were made to pursue pleasure, but there is no pleasure under the sun that brings ultimate satisfaction." ~Lecrae
