Elvis’ meteoric rise to fame was fueled by his natural music talent as well as his photogenic appearance and magnetic personality, all amazing gifts that lifted him onto stage and screen and crowned him King.

He scored his first number one single recording in 1956 with “Heartbreak Hotel” and went on to chart 17 more top hits. He has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Gospel Music Hall of Fame.

Even his signature state apparel had star appeal. For his 1973 “Aloha from Hawaii” concert, Elvis wore an eagle-themed jumpsuit to symbolize America to his global audience. This was the first concert by a single entertainer to be broadcast live by satellite to millions worldwide.

The dynamic combination of talent, charisma and luck propelled a poor young boy from East Tupelo, Mississippi to musical royalty as the King of Rock and Roll.

On September 26^th, 1956 Elvis returns to Tupelo to perform two shows at the Mississippi-Alabama Fair and Dairy Show, pictured above. Elvis donates the proceeds of the concerts to the City of Tupelo which purchases his birthplace and develops a park for the children of the neighbourhood.

 

Elvis’ parents, Vernon and Gladys Presley, pictured above join him as he returns to the town of his birth as a big star.