Elvis+Presley

As you research your selected guitarist, you will need to note some specific information from his or her life and career. Include the following in your final writing: Details for your written assignment: ,
 * Introduction
 * Biography
 * Discography
 * Legacy
 * Conclusion

Your Name: Olivia C.

Write your essay here:

Olivia Cannizzaro Period 1B May 10, 2013 Elvis Presley

Elvis Presley was one of the most popular guitarists of all time. His style was mainly rock and roll mixed in with a few other genres. It’s a popular style that emerged from the African-American popular style of rhythm and blues. Rock and roll is a style of music that originated mostly from blues, jazz, and gospel in the late 1940s and early 1950s. It is usually played with two electric guitars, a string bass or an electric bass guitar, and a drum set. It is usually a blues rhythm with a beat of a snare drum. Elvis is known today as “The King” of rock and roll.

Elvis Aaron Presley was born on January 8, 1935 and died on August 16, 1977 of heart failure at 42 years old. In his early years he lived in a two room house in Tupelo with his family. They relocated to Memphis, Tennessee when he was in the 8th grade. He worked as an usher in a movie theater and when he graduated high school he drove a delivery truck for the Crown Electric Company. He never really was interested in playing the guitar or recording songs as a kid he only occasionally played around with the guitar. He soon after made his first recording and was singed to Sun Records. He soon started performing with Scotty Moore and Bill Black and had Bob Neal as his manager. He then went on a 6 state southern tour and got signed to RCA records. He then got Colonel Tom Parker as manager. He then went on to be on several television shows, movies, and to Las Vegas. He died of heart failure at 2:30 PM in Graceland, his home in Memphis.

One of Elvis's songs "It's now or never” won billboard magazine's "Vocal of the Year Award". The song "heartbreak Hotel" was one of his first ever recordings. His music was influenced my rock with a little bit of jazz and blues. Elvis was not really influenced by any other musicians; he developed into his own special style. No one even suspected that he would become the star that he was when he was a kid.

Elvis has left a large impact on the music industry and the world in general. Anyone who thinks of music in the 1900s will think of Elvis. He was nicknamed "The King" or rock and roll and called "Elvis the Pelvis" for his iconic dance moves. Elvis has influenced many modern singers and bands with his unique sense of rock music and flashy dance moves. Many people today still remember him as one of the greatest performers of all time; they even often dress up as him on Halloween!

What I found most interesting about Elvis’s life was that he worked for a truck company and as a movie theater usher before he became famous. I never would have expected a kid working in a movie theater to suddenly become one of the most widely known guitarists of all time. I also found it interesting that he lived in a two room house for some of his life with his whole family. Elvis sure had an unexpected turn in his life from living in a small town to being known across America!

Works Cited Sources : "Elvis Presley." //Contemporary Musicians//. Vol. 1. Detroit: Gale, 1989. //Biography In Context//. Web. 1 May 2013.

Guitarist Research Notes Table
2. He worked as an usher in a movie theater. || 2. He died in a bathroom. || His single "Heartbreak Hotel" was his very first single. || What do you like about his/her style? || People like blues and jazz singers ar eplaying this music today. It is a very happy music and makes you feel energetic and lively. ||
 * ** Information Feature ** ||= **Your Findings** ||
 * The guitar style I am researching is: || rock and roll ||
 * The artist I am researching is: || Elvis Aaron Presley ||
 * This guitarist lived from ___ to__ _ || 1/8/1935 - 8/16/1977 died of heart failure but some thought his use of amphetamine could have lead to his death. ||
 * Define and describe the guitar style you are researching. || It is a blues rhythm with a backbeat of drums and electric guitars usually. ||
 * What kind of musical training did the guitarist have? || Neither critics nor biographers can find much in the Mississippi-born star's background to presage his rise to fame. The boy spent his earliest years in his hometown of Tupelo, where he and his family shared a two-room house, and as a teen he lived in Memphis, Tennessee, where his family relocated when he was in the eighth grade. Shortly after finishing high school in 1953, the unknown artist began driving a delivery truck for the Crown Electric Company. He fooled around with the guitar in his free time. ||
 * What types of music influenced this artist? || rock and roll and blues ||
 * Name some musicians who influenced the guitarist you are researching. ||  ||
 * Has this guitarist played more than one style? If so, what other styles? || He also played blues and jazz. ||
 * What type of guitar does this musician play? || Gibson J-200 ||
 * What are some interesting facts about your guitarist’s childhood? || 1. He lived in a two room house for awhile.
 * What did this guitarist do before he became famous? || He worked as an usher in a move theather, then when he graduated drove a delivery truck for the crown electric company then he made an amateur recording at the memphis recording studio. ||
 * List two interesting facts about the guitarist’s life. || 1. He never reallly became interested in the guitar until after college.
 * List two albums or songs your artist released, the dates they were released and why they are important. || His song "its now or never" won billboard magazine's vocal of the year award
 * Who is playing this style of music today?
 * What legacy has this guitarist left to the world of music? || Winner of numerous awards, including three Grammy Awards; earned Billboard magazine's "Vocal Single of the Year Award," 1961, for "It's Now or Never"; named Las Vegas entertainer of the year, 1969; honored by RCA for highest record sales in the company's history (275 million), 1970; Elvis Presley Boulevard named for him by city of Memphis, Tenn., 1971; received Bing Crosby Award from the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, 1971; posthumously named "Male Musical Star of the Year," 1977, by the Academy of Variety and Cabaret Artists. He was Known as "The King" or ||