Elvis was born to Gladys and Vernon Presley, a Mississippi farming family, on January 8, 1935. Elvis Aron Presley was originally a twin, however , his brother Jesse died after birth (Austin 1994). A close-knit family, Elvis and his family attended the Assembly of God Church where his love of music began to blossom (EPE 2014). Growing up, his family experienced many financial difficulties. Despite this, at eleven years old, Elvis received his first instrument, a guitar. Soon after, Vernon Presley struggled to hold down a job in Mississippi. He made the life-changing decision to uproot the family to Memphis, Tennessee (Hirshberg 1995). Elvis begins attending high school and helps his family financially by taking various jobs. After graduating from high school, Elvis began working at Parker Machinists Shop. While employed there, he decided to stop by the Memphis Recording Service to create a record (EPE 2014). Sam Phillips, the owner of Memphis Recording Service, with the persuasion of his assistant Marion Keisker, calls Elvis to record a song called "Without You." Sam is initially unimpressed with Elvis' voice and introduces him to Scotty Moore, a guitarist, and Bill Black, a bassist. He insists that they rehearse together and come back when they have put something together. Shortly after, the Sun label released Elvis' first singles (Hirshberg 1995). The three gentlemen decide to perform together. They play in small clubs and enjoy moderate success. Eventually, Elvis has an appearance at the Grand Ole Opry. Unfortunately it is not well received by the public (EPE 2014). On October 16, 1954, the group appeared on the Louisiana Hayride show. Elvis will soon be headlining the show. DJ Fontana, the former house drummer for the Louisiana Hayride, joins...... middle of paper ...... ten calls his doctor, George Nichopoulos, and asks for more sedative pills. Soon, he also began using cocaine in addition to prescription drugs (Austin, 1994). Elvis said he suffered from glaucoma, high blood pressure, an enlarged heart, blocked arteries and a twisted colon. He was taking several different prescriptions, including a barbiturate and Quaalude (Hirshberg 1995). On August 16, 1977, Elvis returned to Graceland after visiting his dentist. Late in the morning, Elvis Presley dies of heart failure. His funeral took place two days later (EPE 2014). Works Cited Austin, John (1994). Hollywood's Greatest Mysteries. New York, NY: SPI Books. Elvis Presley Enterprises Inc. (2014). 1935-1957. Retrieved from http://www.elvis.com/about-the-king/biography_/1935_1954.aspxHirshberg, Charles (1995). Elvis: a celebration in pictures. New York, NY: Warner Books, Inc..