History Music / ElvisPresley

* OddFriendship: He became good friends with Music/Liberace during their time in Las Vegas together and Elvis even began wearing his famous gold jackets after receiving one as a gift from Liberace.

** Elvis songs mixed with the orchestration of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, with the album ''If I Can Dream.''
%% * RedBaron: ''"The King"''.

* ''Film/Elvis2021'' (2022): A biopic directed by Creator/BazLuhrmann and starring Creator/AustinButler as Elvis and Creator/TomHanks as Colonel Parker.

''The King'' of Rock 'n' Roll.

* ''Elvis'' (2022): A biopic directed by Creator/BazLuhrmann and starring Creator/AustinButler as Elvis and Creator/TomHanks as Colonel Parker.

Presley had a notorious manager, [[TheSvengali "Colonel" Tom Parker]] (Andreas Cornelis van Kuijk, born in Breda, Netherlands), who had played an important role in his early breakthrough. In return, Parker took a great chunk of his earnings and dictated to Presley the direction of his career and image. In the 1960s, Parker steered him away from touring and making records toward acting in films and selling soundtrack albums, which he hoped would prove more lucrative. They were generally poorly received, and as UsefulNotes/TheBritishInvasion took hold, Presley started to look out of touch with the music scene.

* {{Corpsing}}: Elvis throws in a random {{mondegreen}} in [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cgvWKyKW7A this]] live performance of "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" ("Do you gaze at your bald head and wish you had hair?") He thought it was funny and could not stop laughing. But after a while, neither could the audience. Legend says it that the laughter was brought on by a combination of seeing a bald man in the audience as he sang the line and got more hysterical from the lone backup singer just carrying on as if nothing happened.

* FirstNameBasis: You can go anywhere in the English-speaking world (and even in some places where they don't speak English) and say "Elvis", and they know who you mean. By the start of the 1960's, Creator/RCARecords had pretty much stopped putting the name "Presley" on Elvis' album and singles sleeves.

* {{Supergroup}}: The Million Dollar Quartet. Elvis met up with Music/JerryLeeLewis, Music/JohnnyCash, and Music/CarlPerkins in Sun Studios in 1956 and they recorded a few songs in an impromptu jam session. There was also a time in 1965 when Music/TheBeatles went to his mansion to meet him and they had an impromptu jam session (though Music/RingoStarr was mostly left out since they didn't have drums handy), though no recordings exist of this due to them specifically forbidding it.*
TooHotForTV:

* BerserkButton:
** "You can burn my house, steal my car, [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking drink my liquor from an old fruit jar]]. Do anything that you want to do, but uh-uh, Honey, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2f_eSZgp88 lay off of my shoes...]]"
** He would often ShootTheTelevision, especially if it showed Creator/RobertGoulet, and was rumored to have a basement full of spares to vent on. Apparently according to Elvis' friend, Marty Lacker, the real reason Elvis developed such a hatred of televisions is because while he was in the army, Robert Goulet added a post-script to a letter written by Elvis' girlfriend, Anita Wood, that slyly told Elvis that he was personally "taking care" of Anita. Elvis didn't like that and he never forgot it, so when he saw Goulet on TV, he shot the TV out.
** He really hated tabloids, and wasn't shy about ranting on-stage about them.
** He ''really'' didn't like being called "The King" or "The King of Rock and Roll". In life, he was a [[RealMenLoveJesus devout Christian]] and a genuinely humble man, so the only person who deserved to be called King was UsefulNotes/{{Jesus}}. Another reason for this is because he's a huge fan of Music/FatsDomino, who was in his mind the ''true'' "King of Rock and Roll" and a far better musician; he resented how his moniker as "The King" [[ButNotTooBlack came from him being white while Fats Domino wasn't]].

* ButNotTooBlack: Elvis ''himself'' seemed to believe this trope was in effect for his music. His lighter skin tone "allowed" many people to listen to him as a talented singer, while dark-skinned contemporaries were shunned. He was once heard to lament that he couldn't sing as well as Music/FatsDomino, but people would only listen to him anyway. Elvis insisted that Domino was the ''real'' King of Rock and Roll.
* TheCanKickedHim: Possibly the most famous example. Or close enough.

* CollectorOfTheStrange: Police badges, which he charmed local law enforcement into giving him as souvenirs in nearly every community he visited on tour.
* CoolCar: Owned a whole bunch of them, some still on display at Graceland, including a Mercedes-Benz limousine from his Vegas years and a pink Cadillac convertible.

* DeadArtistsAreBetter: By the time he died he'd fallen into a slump again after his late 60s comeback. He hadn't had a Top 10 hit in America since 1972 and a Top 20 hit since 1974. One immediate effect of the resurgent interest in him after his death was that his current single "Way Down" had been falling down the charts after peaking at #31, but immediately started a second run and wound up getting to #18.

* DoNotCallMePaul: Inverted; he ''hated'' being called The King, and would tell anyone who called him this that there was only one King -- considering he was a [[UsefulNotes/{{Christianity}} Christian]], you can probably guess [[UsefulNotes/{{Jesus}} who he meant]]. As mentioned above in ButNotTooBlack, he also didn't appreciate being called "The King of Rock and Roll", as he knew he was only being called that because he was white and that the true pioneers of Rock, such as Fats Domino, were being slighted.

* DreamTeam: The Million Dollar Quartet. Elvis met up with Music/JerryLeeLewis, Music/JohnnyCash, and Music/CarlPerkins in Sun Studios in 1956 and they recorded a few songs in an impromptu jam session. There was also a time in 1965 when Music/TheBeatles went to his mansion to meet him and they had an impromptu jam session (though Music/RingoStarr was mostly left out since they didn't have drums handy), though no recordings exist of this due to them specifically forbidding it.
* {{Eagleland}}: Type 1, easy. Films of his live performances show him ''shedding ManlyTears'' when singing "Battle Hymn of the Republic." Also see "Promised Land."
* EvenTheGuysWantHim: A famous quote from TV director Steve Binder (who oversaw the Comeback Special):
-->'''Binder:''' I'm straight as an arrow and I got to tell you, you stop, whether you're male or female, to look at him. He was that good looking.

* GoodLookingPrivates: Elvis was drafted into the US Army in March 1958 and was assigned to Headquarters Company, 1st Medium Tank Battalion, 32d Armor Regiment, 3d Armored Division. He could likely have obtained an assignment to Special Services i.e. entertaining the troops, but wanted to serve as a regular soldier. He was stationed in Germany, promoted to sergeant, and received an Honorable Discharge in March 1960.

* IKnowKarate: He had a 7th level black belt in Kenpo Karate and ''loved'' showing off his martial arts moves on stage.

* LivingLegend: Some say he ''still'' qualifies, despite being dead.

* MommasBoy: Elvis promised that he would take care of his parents when he made it big, and he kept that promise, even bringing his parents to live at Graceland, [[TogetherInDeath where they are buried alongside him]].
** The death of Gladys Presley, while Elvis was preparing to ship out with the army, had a profound lifelong impact on him, with some writers suggesting the slow decline leading to his death in August 1977 began with her death. Presley recorded at least two songs in her memory, the ultra-depressing duo of "Don't Cry Daddy" and "Mama Liked the Roses," and reportedly refused to watch ''Loving You'' because his mum appears as an audience member.
* MrFanservice: In his prime, he embodied this to the whole world. It got to a point where he was seen by more conservative people as a danger to America's youth, and had to be censored on live television when he appeared so that he was only depicted from the waist up.
* OddFriendship:
** Became good friends with Liberace after Liberace advised him to start wearing his famous gold jacket. Elvis reserved him a seat at most of his concerts to say thanks.
** Considering the fact some tried to paint a rivalry between Elvis and his competing "King or Rock and Roll", Bill Haley, they were actually good friends and during his tour of duty Elvis attended at least two of Haley's concerts in Germany.
** Developed one with Music/FrankSinatra after their special together in 1960. Handlers on both sides were worried about their working together as Sinatra was quite vocal about his hatred for Rock N Roll music. But fortunately they hit it off famously and remained friends for the rest of Elvis' life.
** In December 1970, Elvis was on a flight to Washington, D.C. and shortly afterwards, he wrote a letter to President UsefulNotes/RichardNixon, expressing his patriotism and concern about the drug culture, hippies, SDS (Students for a Democratic Society), Black Panthers, et al.; he later expressed his disdain for Music/TheBeatles, exemplifying what Elvis saw as a trend of anti-Americanism. Nixon believed that Elvis was the one who could set a positive example for young people. When Elvis met Nixon at the White House, he asked Nixon for a badge from the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs. Nixon asked his aide Egil "Bud" Krogh to issue a B.N.D.D. badge to Elvis, which became another addition to Elvis's badge collection.
* OffscreenMomentOfAwesome: Elvis Presley met Music/TheBeatles when they visited California for their 1965 Hollywood Bowl shows. Reports say that after an initial bout of TheKnightsWhoSaySquee-ness by the Fabs (Elvis quipped "Well, if you guys are just going to stare at me, I’m going to bed."), things loosened up a bit and they jammed on some songs. No one recorded it (at least, as far as we know). Cue agonised groans of despair from fans.

* RealMenLoveJesus: The reason he didn't like anyone calling him "the King" to his face. Also seen in his passionate singing of Gospel songs.
** That said, at one point he wore a gold necklace bearing not just a crucifix, but a variety of religious symbols. When someone asked him about it, he said: "I don't wanna miss Heaven on a technicality."
* RealMenWearPink: It could be suspected that pink is his favorite color as he tends to wear pink and black during the 50's.

* RedBaron: ''"The King"''.

* TheRockStar: The TropeMaker! Elvis was the first superstar of the genre.

* ShootTheTelevision: Presley is, at least, the TropeCodifier, if not the [[TropeMakers Trope Maker]]. He was known for doing this at least once, possibly ''many'' times. Several stories and explanations of Elvis doing this exist, some less true than others. He's rumoured to have kept a basement full of spare TV's so he would always have a fresh set handy after destroying another one. One television set shot by Elvis [[http://www.getreligion.org/wp-content/photos/2009/12/elvis-shot-up-tv-792381.jpg is on public display at Graceland.]] And all this because he held a grudge against - of all people - Creator/RobertGoulet. From Elvis' buddy, Marty Lacker:
-->'''Marty Lacker:''' Elvis harbored some bad feelings about Goulet from back in the late 50's when he was in the army. Elvis' girlfriend Anita Wood was a singer and she did shows with Goulet and Buddy Hackett. Anita would often write Elvis in Germany and one time Goulet added a post script to one of them telling Elvis in a sly way that he was personally taking care of Anita. Elvis didn't like that and he never forgot so when he saw Goulet on TV, he shot the TV out.

* SouthernGentleman: He was known as incredibly polite to all he met.

* TooHotForTV:

* ChristmasSongs: Elvis[[note]]Who was born exactly two weeks after Christmas Day[[/note]] recorded two full Christmas albums (''Elvis' Christmas Album'' in 1957, ''Elvis Sings The Wonderful World of Christmas'' in 1971), with a one-off single ("If Every Day Was Like Christmas" in 1966) in-between. His renditions of "Blue Christmas" and "Here Comes Santa Claus" are still heard frequently each December.

* ChristmasSongs: Elvis[[note]]Who was born exactly two weeks after Christmas Day[[/note]] recorded two full Christmas albums (''Elvis' Christmas Album'' in 1957, ''Elvis Sings The Wonderful World of Christmas'' (in 1971), with a one-off single ("If Every Day Was Like Christmas" in 1966) in-between. His renditions of "Blue Christmas" and "Here Comes Santa Claus" are still heard frequently each December.

* MohsScaleOfRockAndMetalHardness: Much like his rock & roll predecessors like Music/LittleRichard and Music/ChuckBerry, Elvis never really went harder than a 4. Still, for the 1950s, that was pretty intense. "Love Me Tender" shows Presley very capable of the occasional 1.

* DoNotCallMePaul: Inverted; he ''hated'' being called The King, and would tell anyone who called him this that there was only one King -- considering he was a [[UsefulNotes/{{Christianity}} Christian]], you can probably guess [[UsefulNotes/{{Jesus}} who he meant]].

* AscendedFanboy: At least when it comes to gospel music. Elvis the teenager was definitely a gospel groupie, following all the singers around and hanging out backstage at gospel events in Memphis. Although he didn't ascend to being a gospel singer, per se, he made three complete gospel albums and an EP, as well as a handful of gospel songs that appeared on regular albums in the 1970s.

* MusicOfNote: Sweet Jesus, yes. He took rock and roll from a radical new movement in music to a major international phenomenon and changed youth culture forever. On a sheer musical basis, he is the TropeCodifier of {{rockabilly}} and early rock and roll in general, and demonstrated the full range of the music like no one else at the time. In fact, when asked early in his career what kind of music he played, he famously replied "I play all kinds of music." He meant it.
* NiceToTheWaiter: He was incredibly generous with his money and loved to give tips and help people out.

* ''Elvis'' (2022): A biopic directed by Creator/BazLuhrmann and starring Austin Butler as Elvis and Creator/TomHanks as Colonel Parker.

Presley had a notorious manager, [[TheSvengali "Colonel" Tom Parker]], who had played an important role in his early breakthrough. In return, Parker took a great chunk of his earnings and dictated to Presley the direction of his career and image. In the 1960s, Parker steered him away from touring and making records toward acting in films and selling soundtrack albums, which he hoped would prove more lucrative. They were generally poorly received, and as UsefulNotes/TheBritishInvasion took hold, Presley started to look out of touch with the music scene.

* 1959 - ''A Date With Elvis''

* 1960 - ''His Hand In Mine''
* 1961 - ''Something For Everybody''

* 1963 - ''It Happened At The World's Fair''
* 1963 - ''Fun In Acapulco''

* 1966 - ''Frankie And Johnny''

* 1969 - ''From Memphis To Vegas / From Vegas To Memphis'' [[note]]The second half of the album was recorded in the studio[[/note]]

* 1971 - ''Love Letters From Elvis''
* 1971 - ''Elvis Sings The Wonderful World Of Christmas''

* 1973 - ''Raised On Rock''

* ''Film/KidGalahad'' (1962)

* ''Film/FrankieAndJohnny1966'' (1966)

* ''Film/DoubleTrouble'' (1967)

[[quoteright:320:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/elvis-presley-a.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:320:''"Thank you. Thank you very much"''.]]

Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was one of the most influential and iconic singers of the 20th century, selling over a billion records worldwide. Born in Tupelo, Mississippi, he began his professional singing career in Memphis, Tennessee, and signed his first contract in 1954 with Music/SamPhillips, the owner of ''Sun Records'', who teamed him with two other musicians, guitarist Scotty Moore and bassist Bill Black. (They were later joined by drummer DJ Fontana) Elvis himself often played guitar. The legendary sessions can be enjoyed on the compilation album ''Music/TheSunSessions'' from 1976.

* CollectorOfTheStrange: Police badges, which he charmed local law enforcement into giving him as souviners in nearly community he visited on tour.
* CoolCar: Owned a whole bunch of them, some still on display at Graceland, including a Mercedes-Benz limousine from his Vegas years and a pink Cadillac convertable.

* ''Elvis'' (2022): A biopic directed by Creator/BazLuhrman and starring Austin Butler as Elvis and Creator/TomHanks as Colonel Parker.