Elvis Presley was one of the most influential singers of his time. In his time, Presley released a whopping 710 songs but what was his first? Where did it all begin?

Elvis Presley’s first song was “My Happiness” which was recorded in 1953 when Presley was 18. This wasn’t the song that gave him his breakthrough though as it wasn’t until three years on in 1953 with his song “Heartbreak Hotel” that Presley took the music industry by storm.

The year 1977 marks Presley’s demise but despite that, as of 2020, he has been dead for 43 years, it doesn’t stop him from being one of the most celebrated music artists of all time. But what made him stand out? And why was he so special and different from the rest?

The Presley Specialties

According to Catwalk Yourself, Presley was “one of the biggest pop culture icons and most notable male sex symbols ever.” But how did he manage to achieve the American Dream when he started out as a poverty-stricken child?

If you’ve ever heard of Presley, you’ll notice how he is often dubbed as the “King of Rock ‘n’ Roll”, but if you don’t know any better then you won’t know why he has this nickname. It’s a pretty simple concept, and I’ll explain it to you.

The King of Rock ‘n’ Roll

Presley is nicknamed the “King of Rock ‘n’ Roll” simply because he was the first music artist of his era to introduce songs of the rock ‘n’ roll genre. His famous releases such as “Jailhouse Rock” amongst hundreds of his other songs demonstrate just how rock ‘n’ roll his music is. 

If there’s one thing to take from this, it’s that Presley definitely specialized in producing top-quality exhilarating rock ‘n’ roll music that’ll make it difficult for you to sit still while listening. 

The King of Fashion

Another element to this spectacular man that attracted people’s attention was his style. Presley definitely had a passion for fashion.

As is with the case for many singers in the industry, Presley had to keep up appearances. Known for wearing pristine white jumpsuits, Presley managed to establish himself through some of his external features too, including his hair. 

In his performing days, Presley revealed that on stage he would wear clothes that were “as flashy as you could get them.”

A Short-Lived On-Screen Career

So far we’ve discussed how Presley took the music industry by storm, but did he float between singing and another career? Your answer is: yes, Presley is known not only for being one of the most influential singers of his time, but he was also known as an actor. 

During his career as a singer, Presley was also appearing on-screen in films and on TV programs. 

In 1956, the same year he took the music industry by storm, Presley appeared in six episodes of a popular music variety series named Stage Show appearing as himself. In the same year, Presley made his debut appearance in the black and white musical Love Me Tender, where he portrayed the character of Clint Rendo. 

Throughout his acting career, Presley made 31 films (according to IMDb). However, according to Presley’s Wikipedia page, “Over time Presley became bitter that his hopes for dramatic roles were not coming to fruition,stating that Clambake was his worst film. He began to complain about the deteriorating quality of the films and his belief that his manager’s objectives were more monetary than anything else.” In the end, this resulting in Presley putting an end to his Hollywood career.

The conclusion we can draw from Elvis Presley’s life is that he was sensational and iconic and has left behind an unforgettable legacy, with his name still mentioned many years after his demise.