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He was known as the king of rock and roll because he invented the style of music.

Well, I'm not sure I'd use the word "Invented" here. Elvis Presley was a famous and very popular singer from the mid 50s until the era of The Beatles, and then in the latter 60s he made a bit of a comeback. He died in 1977 of a drug overdose/heart attack.

Presley was one of the first white singers to sing in what was called 'colored' style, or "race music", as they called it back then - in other words, he sounded black when he sang. He was from Tupelo, Mississippi, and was no doubt influenced by black jazz, rhythm & blues, and Gospel Music of his day.

He became a huge star and had, or I should say, still has, a huge, fanatical following all over the world. He made a dozen or so movies in the early 60s that also helped him become a movie star as well.

He was 'managed', if not completely controlled, by a publicity agent/manager named "Colonel Parker". Parker managed nearly every facet of Presley's public life - even down to selecting the songs he would record.

One unique thing about Presley is that he never wrote any songs or music himself - he always sang other people's songs.

The era of the Beatles and the British Invasion had a chilling effect on his career - and he was often publicly derogatory about the Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and other groups he blamed for his 'fall-off'. He did make a bit of a comeback after a TV special in 1968 but the magic had gone - plus, his original fans were now 15 years older than they were when he first came out.

In his later years, he became a bit of recluse, gaining a lot of weight and suffering from depression and bouts of drug and pain-killer dependency. He died in 1977 in his Memphis mansion, Graceland.

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12y ago

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