Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935, Tupelo - August 16, 1977, Memphis) was an American singer and actor, one of the most commercially successful popular music artists of the 20th century. Also known as the "King of Rock and Roll" (English references to "Elvis" and simply "The King" are also common).
Presley popularized rock and roll, although he was not the first performer in the genre. He combined the styles of country and blues, giving birth to a new style of music - rockabilly, to which he turned from the first recordings on Sun Records in the mid-1950s (covers of "That's All Right", "Blue Suede Shoes", "Tutti Frutti", "Hound Dog", "Burning Love" and his own songs "Heartbreak Hotel", "All Shook Up", "Jailhouse Rock"). Incorporating elements of gospel and pop into his style, Presley went beyond rockabilly and achieved worldwide popularity. In 1956 he debuted in the movie ("Love Me Tender"). In 1958-1960 he served in the U.S. Armed Forces; after his return from the army, he began recording again ("It's Now or Never", "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" and other hits), after which he concentrated on his film career, starring in a total of 31 films and recording two dozen soundtracks, most of which are evaluated extremely poorly.
The turning point in Presley's career was his first televised concert (1968), which marked a departure from the outdated style of musical films and returned his passion for performing. Recordings from the late 1960s through the 1970s are marked by country, soul and pop influences (hits such as "In the Ghetto," "Suspicious Minds," "Always on My Mind," etc.). Elvis returned to concert activity, which became the dominant feature of his subsequent career (annual engagements in Las Vegas, tours in the U.S.). In 1973, the concert "Aloha from Hawaii" is broadcast internationally via satellite. Abuse of medications led to increased depression and deteriorating health, which was the cause of Presley's death in 1977.
Presley's work continues to be in constant demand; over 1 billion copies of records have been sold worldwide (including the newest editions with previously unreleased recordings). Presley is the winner of three Grammy Awards (1968, 1973, 1975) and one of the first musicians to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (1986), with six of his songs included in the list of "Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll". The American magazine "Rolling Stone" placed Presley on the 3rd place in the list of the greatest singers of all time and on the 3rd place in the list "Immortals: 50 Greatest Artists of All Time" (2004). VH1 Channel placed Presley at No. 8 among the "100 Greatest Rock and Roll Artists" in 1998. "BBC" placed him at number 2 on its "Voice of the Century" ranking in 2001. "CMT" ranked him 15th among the "40 Greatest People in Country Music" in 2005. The Discovery Channel placed him 8th on its list of "Greatest Americans" in 2005. In 2005, Variety placed him in the top ten of its "100 Icons of the Century" list. In 2006, the Atlantic ranked him 66th among the "100 Most Influential Figures in American History"