January 8, 1935 - August 16, 1977 Like him, love him , hate him or just indifferent to him, Elvis certainly made a difference! He took rock and roll to new heights and brought southern charm to the business. His home, Graceland, is one of the most visited in the USA and in 1991 was placed on the National Register of Historic places. Elvis Aaron Presley was born to Vernon and Gladys Presley in a two-room house in Tupelo, Mississippi on January 8, 1935. His twin brother, Jessie Garon, was stillborn, leaving Elvis to grow up as an only child. He and his parents moved to Memphis, Tennessee in 1948, and Elvis graduated from Humes High School there in 1953. With a sound and style that uniquely combined his diverse musical influences and blurred and challenged the social and racial barriers of the time, he ushered in a whole new era of American music and popular culture. Always ready to help a friend, Elvis was more than generous with his time and money. Many have offered that he was trying to buy friends or just being a show off. I think that he was genuinely a good person. It always irked me that most of the negative stuff came out after his death. Elvis quietly paid hospital bills and debts, donated to hundreds of charities on a regular basis and his reputation for giving away cars, money and jewlery is well known. Regardless of the rumours and innuendos since his death, most people respect, admire and love Elvis for the music he brought us and the sweet voice and emotion with which he delivered the music. Above all, he was human and entitled to his mistakes. More than that, he was an entertainer! By all reports, Elvis loved his fans as much as they loved him. He has been quoted many times as saying they were his lifeblood. And his fans continue to be faithful today..more than 21 years after his death. Elvis Presley's three network television specials - Elvis (1968) , Elvis - Aloha from Hawaii via Satellite (1973), and Elvis in Concert (1977) - stand among the most highly rated specials of their time. His 1968 special, Elvis , is one of the most critically acclaimed music specials of all time. His 1973 special, Elvis - Aloha from Hawaii, via Satellite , was seen in 40 countries by one billion to one-and-a-half billion people worldwide, and made television history. It was seen on television in more American homes than man's first walk on the moon. Elvis had a wide range of musical tastes and they influenced him in choosing much of his material. He enjoyed Rhythm and Blues, gospel, and country music among many other kinds. He was fond of singers Tom Jones and Roy Orbison Sometime during the summer of 1953, Elvis Presley came to the Memphis Recording Service to make a record. In this initial session Elvis recorded "My Happiness" and "This Is Where Your Heartache Begins." His purpose was to give the record to his mother, Gladys, for a birthday present. Gladys cleaved to young Elvis and him to her. Finally she had someone who needed her completely and would never leave. Their bond precluded Vernon, although there is little evidence that he held this against Elvis. On the contrary, both of them doted over their son and considered him the hope of the family. "It was Elvis's sense of humor that stuck in my mind. He liked to laugh and make others laugh, too...."John Lennon Elvis rests in the Meditation Gardens on the grounds of his estate, Graceland.