Today in Elvis History

It's March 12, and on this day in 1956… Elvis Presley and his parents, Vernon and Gladys, officially became homeowners when they purchased a house from the Welsh Plywood Corporation for \$29,250. This marked a major milestone for the Presley family, signaling Elvis's rapid rise from modest beginnings to national fame. The property would become their first real home after years of renting—and just...

It's March 13th, and on this day in 1956, RCA released *Elvis Presley*, the debut album that would rewrite music history. The LP rocketed onto Billboard’s Best-Selling Pop Albums chart at number 11 and reached number one in just six weeks, holding the top spot for 10 straight weeks. It remained on the chart for 49 weeks total and made history as the first album ever to sell one million copies. The...

It's March fourteenth, and on this day in 1955… Elvis Presley, his manager Bob Neal, and the band arrived in New York City hoping to audition for the CBS television show *Arthur Godfrey’s Talent Scouts*. Traveling all the way from Memphis by train, they joined the long line of uninvited hopefuls braving the bitter cold for a shot at stardom. The odds were steep—“walk-ins” often stretched around th...

It's March 17th, and on this day in 1962, Elvis’s “Good Luck Charm” entered Billboard’s *Hot 100* at number 51. The song would go on to reach number one and stay on the charts for a remarkable 13 weeks. The buzz around this release was significant, as *Billboard* ran at least three front-page stories featuring Elvis. One headline read, “New Presley Record Hypos Singles Market,” suggesting that des...

It's March 19th, and on this day in 1957, Elvis made a monumental step in securing his legacy. After viewing the property his parents had found, he made a \$1,000 deposit toward purchasing Graceland for himself and his family. This was the beginning of a new chapter in Elvis’s life, marking the start of his residence in one of the most famous homes in music history.

It's March 20th, and on this day in 1956, Elvis performed at the Bell Municipal Auditorium in Augusta, Georgia. Meanwhile, his parents were moving into their new home on Audubon Drive in Memphis, marking a major personal milestone for Elvis and his family. Fast forward to March 20th, 1960, when Elvis, along with Scotty Moore and D.J. Fontana, traveled to Nashville for a recording session that last...

It's March 21st, and on this day in 1961, Elvis began recording the soundtrack for *Blue Hawaii* at Radio Recorders in Hollywood. The session started at 1:00 p.m. and continued until late that night, wrapping up around 11:50 p.m. Over two days, Elvis and his band recorded 15 tracks, including the iconic "Can't Help Falling in Love," which would go on to become one of his most beloved ballads. The...

It's March 22nd, and on this day in 1957, Elvis Presley was involved in an unusual confrontation in downtown Memphis. While signing autographs for a group of young women, a young soldier named P.F.C. Hershel Nixon accused Elvis of having an affair with his wife months earlier. Despite Elvis's insistence that he knew nothing about the incident, Nixon became increasingly aggressive. When he pulled a...

It's March 23, and on this day in 1969, Elvis's twentieth film, *Frankie and Johnny*, opened across the United States. Released by United Artists, the film was inspired by the old folk song of the same name, which tells the story of a love triangle that leads to tragedy. The original tale, dating back to 1899, centers on Frankie, a woman who believes her lover, Johnny, is cheating with a showgirl...

It's March 24th, and on this day in 1958, Elvis Presley reported to the draft board at 6:35 a.m., accompanied by his girlfriend Anita Wood and his parents, Vernon and Gladys. After being assigned the serial number 53 310 761, he underwent a physical examination before being put in charge of a group of recruits, traveling by army bus to Fort Chaffee, Arkansas. During this pivotal moment, Elvis met...

It's March 25th, and on this day in 1956, Elvis flew from New York to Los Angeles for a Hollywood screen test. His arrival was met by Colonel Tom Parker, Tom Diskin, and Leonard Hirshan, who observed that Elvis, sporting a camera around his neck, looked more like a typical tourist than a rock and roll legend in the making. Meanwhile, his band drove back to Memphis, making a stop in Dover, Delaware...

It's March 26th, and on this day in 1953, Elvis Presley made a visit to the Tennessee State Employment Security office, filling out an application with careful attention. He listed his address as 462 Alabama, where the family had moved into a Victorian apartment, renting it for just \$50 a month. In the "leisure time activities" section, he wrote, "Sings, playing ball, working on car, going to mov...

It's March 27th, and on this day in 1961, principal photography for *Blue Hawaii* began on location in Hawaii. This marked the start of a three-week shooting schedule for what would become one of Elvis's most iconic films. While there, Elvis reunited with actress Joan Blackman, who had previously starred opposite him in *G.I. Blues*. Despite some initial tension over her demands, Elvis insisted on...

It's March 28th, and on this day in 1975, Barbra Streisand attended Elvis's midnight show at the Las Vegas Hilton. After the performance, she met with him backstage and offered him a co-starring role in her upcoming remake of *A Star Is Born*. Elvis expressed great enthusiasm for the project, seeing it as an exciting opportunity. However, Colonel Tom Parker, ever the cautious manager, quickly damp...

It's March 29th, and on this day in 1974, Elvis learned of the death of rhythm and blues legend Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup. Crudup, known for writing and performing the original version of "That's All Right," had a profound influence on Elvis’s early sound. In a 1956 interview, Elvis recalled hearing Crudup play in Tupelo, Mississippi, and vowed that if he ever reached a level of musical expression l...

It's March 30th, and on this day in 1972, filming began for *Elvis on Tour*, his thirty-third film and second documentary. The film, which captured Elvis's fifteen-city tour in April 1972, included a simulated recording session at RCA Studios in Los Angeles. Directed by Pierre Adidge and Robert Abel, *Elvis on Tour* would go on to receive significant acclaim, winning the Hollywood Foreign Press As...

It's March 31st, and on this day in 1956, Elvis made his final appearance on the regularly scheduled *Louisiana Hayride* show at the Municipal Auditorium in Shreveport, marking the end of an era for the iconic country music program that had launched his national career. In 1972, Elvis was filming for the MGM documentary, continuing his tour preparations with his musicians. The evening ended on a s...

It's April 1st, and on this day in 1960, Elvis Presley boarded a chartered bus from Memphis to Nashville for a second recording session following his return from the army. In a marathon session lasting from 7:30 P.M. to 7:00 A.M., Elvis recorded twelve tracks instead of the planned ten, marking a milestone in his post-army career. Among the songs he recorded were "It’s Now or Never," a rendition o...

It's April 2nd, and on this day in 1956, Elvis Presley took a major step toward Hollywood stardom. At Paramount Studios in Hollywood, Elvis participated in screen tests for producer Hal Wallis, under the guidance of veteran director Frank Tashlin. Over the course of three days, Elvis performed two scenes from *The Rainmaker*, a film set to star Burt Lancaster and Katharine Hepburn. In addition, he...

It's April 3, and on this day in 1972, RCA Victor released the single of "He Touched Me" paired with "Bosom of Abraham." Just in time for Easter, the release was an important moment for Elvis's gospel music legacy. However, the first pressing of "He Touched Me" was produced at 33-1/3 speed instead of the standard 45 rpm. As a result, the single was quickly recalled and reissued, but it never sold...

It's April 4th, and on this day in 1968, Elvis was deeply shaken by the tragic assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in Memphis. As news of the event reached him while he was in California, it hit particularly hard, not only because it occurred in his hometown but because Dr. King's "I Have a Dream" speech had always been one of Elvis's personal favorites. The speech, which he often recited...

It's April 5th, and on this day in 1936, one-year-old Elvis Presley and his mother Gladys took refuge in the home of Elvis’s great-uncle, Noah Presley, as a devastating tornado struck Tupelo, Mississippi. The tornado obliterated fifteen blocks of the town, leaving a path of destruction four miles long and a mile wide. The storm claimed the lives of 213 people and left hundreds more injured, with t...

It's April 6, and on this day in 1956, Elvis made a monumental leap in his career by signing a three-picture deal with Paramount Pictures. In a press conference with producer Hal Wallis, Elvis’s future in film was solidified, though not without a twist. Wallis had originally proposed a seven-year contract with a starting salary of \$15,000 per film. However, Colonel Parker intervened, negotiating...

It's April 7th, and on this day in 1962, Elvis Presley arrived in Hawaii to begin shooting his eleventh film, *Girls! Girls! Girls!*. Upon his arrival at the airport, Elvis was mobbed by several thousand fans. In the chaos, he lost his diamond ring, tie clip, and watch. The film, which would feature a number of iconic Hawaiian locations, was shot at places like the Ala Wai Yacht Harbor, the Bumble...

It's February tenth, and on this day in 1967... Elvis Presley went on a buying spree to outfit his newly acquired Circle G Ranch, purchasing over two dozen pickup trucks and other vehicles. The King wasn’t just building a getaway—he was creating a working ranch for himself, his friends, and his entourage. This extravagant move marked one of the biggest lifestyle shifts in Elvis’s personal life, re...