Elvis Presley [music]

Calvin

Welcome to Headstones and Microphones where we use AI to step into the past through a researched, first-person simulation of history's most interesting people. I am your host, Calvin. While we’ve added some creative storytelling, our goal is to inspire your own study of these fascinating lives. Now, let’s meet our guest.

Calvin

I am absolutely shaking with excitement today. Our guest is quite literally the King. For those who may somehow not know who you are... who are you?

White Male Guest

Well, thank you, Calvin. I’m just a country boy from Mississippi who loved to sing and ended up being known to the world as Elvis Presley.

Calvin

It’s an honor, sir. Let’s go back to the very beginning. When and where were you born?

White Male Guest

I was born on January 8, 1935, in a little two-room house in Tupelo, Mississippi.

Calvin

And what was your given name at birth?

White Male Guest

My full name is Elvis Aaron Presley.

Calvin

Is there a story behind your birth name?

White Male Guest

My middle name, Aaron, was chosen to honor my father, Vernon, whose middle name was Howell, and a good family friend named Aaron Kennedy. It was also meant to rhyme with the middle name of my identical twin brother, Jesse Garon, who was unfortunately stillborn. Keeping that name close always felt like keeping a piece of him with me.

Calvin

That’s a beautiful tribute. What was your hometown of Tupelo like growing up?

White Male Guest

Oh, it was a small, quiet place. We lived in a neighborhood called Shake Rag. It was a humble beginning, to say the least. We didn't have much in the way of money, but the community was tight, and the music from the local churches—both the white and the Black churches—was everywhere. That sound just got into my bones.

Calvin

What was your family life like during those years?

White Male Guest

We were very close. It was just me and my mama, Gladys, and my daddy, Vernon. We moved around a lot because times were tough and Daddy was always looking for work. My mama was my world; she protected me and loved me fiercely. We had a lot of faith, and even when we were struggling, we had each other.

Calvin

What kind of kid were you back then?

White Male Guest

I was a pretty shy kid, believe it or not! I was a bit of a loner and very attached to my mother. I used to carry my guitar to school, and some of the other kids would tease me for it, calling me "trashy" or "sissy," but I just kept playing. I was quiet, polite, and tried to stay out of trouble.

Calvin

Did you have any big fears growing up?

White Male Guest

Losing my parents was always my biggest fear. Because it was just the three of us against the world for so long, the thought of anything happening to them—especially my mama—kept me up at night.

Calvin

What did you dream of becoming when you were small?

White Male Guest

Honestly, I used to watch the local truck drivers and thought that looked like a fine, steady job. But in my heart, after I got my first guitar at eleven years old, I just wanted to be a gospel singer. I loved the emotion and the power of that music.

Calvin

What were some of your favorite activities in school?

White Male Guest

I can’t say I was much for the books, but I loved music class and anything to do with performing. I remember entering a talent contest at the Mississippi-Alabama Fair when I was ten. I stood on a chair to reach the microphone and sang "Old Shep." I didn't win first place, but the feeling of that crowd stayed with me.

Calvin

What was your first job?

White Male Guest

After we moved to Memphis, I worked as an usher at the Loew’s State Theatre. Later on, I drove a truck for Crown Electric for about $1.25 an hour. I was actually studying to be an electrician!

Calvin

Was there a moment where you realized you were different from everyone else?

White Male Guest

It was probably during my senior year talent show at Humes High. I went out there with my hair long and greased up, wearing these flashy clothes I’d bought on Beale Street. When I started singing, the girls started screaming. I hadn't even started moving much yet! I realized then that the things people teased me for were actually the things that made me stand out.

Calvin

What’s a decision that changed everything for you, but felt small at the time?

White Male Guest

Stopping by Sun Records in 1953 to record a two-sided acetate disc of "My Happiness" and "That’s When Your Heartaches Begin." I told the receptionist, Marion Keisker, I just wanted to hear what I sounded like, or maybe give it to my mama as a gift. If I hadn't walked into that studio that day, Sam Phillips might never have heard me.

Calvin

What was your biggest break?

White Male Guest

It was July 5, 1954. We had been in the studio for hours trying to find a "hit" sound and nothing was working. During a break, I just started fooling around, jumping around and singing an old blues tune called "That’s All Right." Bill Black and Scotty Moore joined in, and Sam Phillips poked his head out and said, "What are you doing?" We said, "We don't know." He told us to keep doing it. That was the spark.

Calvin

What were your biggest struggles before that success?

White Male Guest

Poverty was the main one. We lived in public housing in Memphis for a while. Also, the rejection—I auditioned for a local vocal quartet called the Songfellows and they told me I couldn't sing! Then I played at the Grand Ole Opry and a manager there told me I should go back to driving trucks.

Calvin

Did you ever consider quitting?

White Male Guest

I don't think I could have quit music even if I tried. It was the only thing that made me feel truly alive. Even when people were saying "no," I just felt like I had to keep singing.

Calvin

Were there any specific daily habits or routines that you feel were essential to your success?

White Male Guest

I practiced constantly. I’d sit on the porch or in my room and play until my fingers were sore. Later on, I became a bit of a night owl. I liked the quiet of the night to think and rehearse. And, of course, I always made sure my hair was just right—that was a ritual in itself!

Calvin

What job would you have had if fame never happened?

White Male Guest

I likely would have stayed an electrician or kept driving those trucks. I appreciated hard work, and as long as I could support my folks, I would have been content.

Calvin

What was your life like right before the fame hit?

White Male Guest

It was simple. Working all day, hanging out at the hamburger stands with my friends, and spending my weekends at the Eagle's Nest club trying to get a chance to play. I was just a regular Memphis boy with a lot of dreams.

Calvin

How did your relationships change after success?

White Male Guest

It got complicated. It became hard to know who was there for me and who was there for "Elvis." I surrounded myself with my closest friends and family—the "Memphis Mafia"—because they were the only ones I felt I could really trust.

Calvin

Did fame bring you happiness?

White Male Guest

It brought me the ability to take care of my parents, which was the greatest joy of my life. Buying Graceland for my mama was a dream come true. But fame is a double-edged sword. It can be very lonely at the top.

Calvin

What was the downside of becoming famous?

White Male Guest

The loss of privacy. I couldn't walk down the street, go to a movie, or visit a park without a riot breaking out. I had to start living my life at night or behind closed gates. I missed the simple things, like just going to the grocery store.

Calvin

What misconceptions did people have about you?

White Male Guest

A lot of people thought I was some kind of "rebel" or a bad influence on the youth because of how I moved on stage. In reality, I was a very religious, polite person who loved his country and his mother. I wasn't trying to be provocative; I was just feeling the music!

Calvin

What was your darkest moment?

White Male Guest

Without a doubt, it was when my mama passed away in 1958. I was in the Army, stationed in Germany shortly after. It felt like the heart of my world had just stopped beating. I don't think I ever truly got over that loss.

Calvin

What past regrets did you carry that you spoke about?

White Male Guest

I sometimes regretted the movies I did in the sixties. I wanted to be a serious actor, like James Dean or Marlon Brando, but I felt stuck in a formula of singing to girls and racing cars. I felt like I was losing my musical edge for a while there.

Calvin

What’s something people misunderstood about your life?

White Male Guest

People often thought I was just a product of a machine, but I picked almost every song I recorded based on how it made me feel. I wasn't just a voice; I put my soul into the arrangements and the feeling of every track.

Calvin

Tell me about a time when everything went wrong and how you handled it?

White Male Guest

My first big televised appearance on the Dorsey Brothers stage... I was so nervous I thought I'd collapse. Then later, the critics tore me apart after the Milton Berle show. I handled it by going back out there and doing it again, even bigger. I leaned into the "Elvis" they were afraid of.

Calvin

Did fame and fortune change your life?

White Male Guest

It changed everything about how I lived, but I tried hard not to let it change who I was. I still loved peanut butter and banana sandwiches, and I still wanted to treat everyone with "Yes, sir" and "No, ma'am."

Calvin

What personal battles were you fighting privately?

White Male Guest

I struggled a lot with insomnia and the pressure of keeping the show going. When you’re "The King," you feel like you can’t ever let people down, and that weight gets very heavy. I also battled with my weight and my health as the years went on.

Calvin

Who had the biggest influence on your life?

White Male Guest

My mother, Gladys. Her faith and her love were my foundation. Musically, it was the gospel singers I saw in the tents as a boy. They taught me how to move an audience.

Calvin

What was life like in your final years?

White Male Guest

I was touring a lot. I loved the fans, and being on stage was where I felt most at home. I spent a lot of time at Graceland with my daughter, Lisa Marie—she was the light of my life. I was always looking for new songs that meant something to me.

Calvin

What were you working on in your career before you passed away?

White Male Guest

I was preparing for another tour. I was always looking for that next great performance, that next connection with the crowd.

Calvin

When and where did you pass away?

White Male Guest

I passed away on August 16, 1977, at my home, Graceland, in Memphis, Tennessee.

Calvin

What happened?

White Male Guest

My heart just gave out. It was a very sudden thing that afternoon.

Calvin

What’s a random fact about you most people have never heard?

White Male Guest

I was actually a natural blonde! I started dyeing my hair black very early on because I thought it looked better on camera and gave me a sharper look.

Calvin

What’s the craziest rumor ever told about you?

White Male Guest

Oh, there were so many! People used to say I had a third lung or that I was secretly a spy. The craziest ones were always the ones that claimed I was still spotted at gas stations or grocery stores long after I was gone.

Calvin

What was your most unique habit?

White Male Guest

I loved to collect police badges. Everywhere I went, I’d try to meet the local law enforcement and trade or collect a badge. I even got a federal narcotics badge from President Nixon!

Calvin

What was your favorite food?

White Male Guest

Well, everyone knows the peanut butter and fried banana sandwiches! But I also loved a good meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and my mama’s fried chicken.

Calvin

Did you have a favorite restaurant?

White Male Guest

I loved the Arcade Restaurant in Memphis. I had my own booth there where I could sit and eat my fried peanut butter and banana sandwiches in peace.

Calvin

What was your favorite book?

White Male Guest

I read the Bible every day, but I was also very interested in books about philosophy and spirituality. I spent a lot of time reading The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran.

Calvin

Did you have any known rivalries?

White Male Guest

Not really rivalries, but the media loved to try and start things between me and The Beatles or Jerry Lee Lewis. In truth, I had a lot of respect for those boys. I even met The Beatles at my home in Bel Air, though it was a bit of an awkward meeting!

Calvin

Tell us a story nobody talks about.

White Male Guest

People talk about the cars I bought, but they don't always talk about how much I loved to just give them away. If I saw someone looking at a car or if I heard someone was having a hard time, I’d just buy it for them on the spot. Giving was the best part of having money.

Calvin

What’s your funniest behind-the-scenes moment?

White Male Guest

While filming Viva Las Vegas, Ann-Margret and I were always laughing. One time, we were supposed to be doing a serious scene and a prop just fell apart. We couldn't stop giggling for an hour. The director was not happy, but we had a ball.

Calvin

Did you ever prank someone?

White Male Guest

All the time! I loved water balloon fights and setting off firecrackers. I once bought a bunch of flashbulbs and hid them around the house to startle the guys. I stayed a kid at heart in that way.

Calvin

What was the most outlandish purchase you made?

White Male Guest

Probably my private jet, the Lisa Marie. I had it outfitted with gold-plated bathroom fixtures and a master bedroom. It was my way of traveling in comfort while keeping my privacy.

Calvin

What advice would you give people chasing success?

White Male Guest

Follow your heart and don't let anyone tell you that you can’t do something. I was told "no" by the experts more times than I can count. Stay true to your roots, and remember where you came from. And above all, be kind to people.

Calvin

Do you have any closing remarks about the interview or the stories you shared that you would like to share with the listeners before we sign off?

White Male Guest

I just want to say thank you for remembering me and for playing the music. It means the world to know that the songs still bring a little joy to people's lives. It was a real pleasure chatting with you, Calvin. Thank you for having me.

Calvin

Thank you so much for being here. It was a dream come true. We’ve had an incredible look into the life of the King of Rock 'n' Roll, from his humble beginnings in Tupelo to the bright lights of Memphis and beyond. Thank you for joining us on The Headstones and Microphones Podcast. Remember—legends may die, but their stories never do. Please help spread the word by sharing and following the pod. And that wraps up another conversation from beyond the grave.