top of page

Elvis Presley: Random Tidbits About "The King" You Didn't Know About

Writer's picture: Luigi Sonic17Luigi Sonic17
Dec 1, 20223 min read

Images of Elvis Presley. From Vanity Fair.


"Do something worth remembering.” "I never expected to be anybody important." Elvis Presley (nicknamed 'the King of Rock N' Roll', or just 'the King' ") was a legendary singer of the 1950s, known for songs like "Hound Dog," "All Shook Up," "Jailhouse Rock," "Suspicious Minds," "Heartbreak Hotel," and "Don't Be Cruel." He was a strong influence for other singers, including the Beatles (whom he actually met) and Freddie Mercury of the band Queen, and also met Michael Jackson (Jackson married Presley's daughter, Lisa Marie Presley in 1994), Led Zeppelin, Frank Sinatra, Clint Eastwood (they were pals), and Chuck Norris. In honor of 'the King,' here are some interesting tidbits about the late rock n' roll singer.


He Originally Wasn't Supposed To Sing "Don't Be Cruel"

Elvis Presley singing "Don't Be Cruel" on the Ed Sullivan Show.


At RCA Records, songwriter Otis Blackwell wrote "Don't Be Cruel," and it "was first offered to another recording artist ... [but he] wanted it to go to Elvis," according to Uncle John's Factastic Bathroom Reader. Blackwell "knew that he'd make more money if Elvis recorded it instead of an unknown," and the "unknown singer" (Frankie Valli) was kind and agreed to let Elvis sing "Don't Be Cruel."


Before He Was "the King," He Was "the Atomic Powered Singer"

Picture of Elvis being called the "Nation's Only Atomic Powered Singer." From Elvis Presley Music.


According to Uncle John's Truth, Trivia, and the Pursuit of Factiness Bathroom Reader, "before Elvis became known as 'the King' ... promoters billed him as 'the Atomic Powered Singer.' " He then became known as 'the King' when "Memphis Press-Scimitar entertainment reporter Robert Johnson labeled Elvis 'the fledgling king of rock n' roll." Eventually, the name 'King of Rock N' Roll' stuck, and "Elvis's manager, Colonel Tom Parker, began demanding his client be referred to as 'the King.' "


Elvis Almost Had a Twin

Gravestone of Jesse Garon Presley at Graceland. From Flickr.


One day after Elvis was born on January 8, 1935, "his identical twin brother, Jesse Garon, who was stillborn ... was buried in an unmarked grave in nearby Priceville Cemetery," according to History.com. Elvis felt so guilty about his brother's death (at least some biographers believe that) that "he made a grave for him at Graceland," according to TheThings.


Elvis Has Been Honored on Two U.S. Stamps








Left Image: Picture showing the official 1993 Elvis Stamp [left] and the alternate stamp [right] From Las Vegas 360. Right Image: Picture showing the official 2015 Elvis Forever Stamp. From the Mystic Stamp Company.


Considering how famous and successful Elvis was during and after his lifetime, it's no wonder he has been honored twice by the U.S. Postal Service. According to Graceland, "Elvis is the only music artist to be honored with two U.S. Postal Service commemorative stamps (1993 & 2015). The 1993 stamp is still the most popular U.S. commemorative stamp of all time." He also has postage stamps in other countries, "a tribute to his status as an international music star."


A Sandwich is Named After 'the King'

Picture of the Elvis Sandwich. From Southern Living.


Everybody has a favorite food, even celebrities. For example, Jennifer Aniston likes nachos, Katy Perry is fond of mushrooms, and Harry Styles enjoys Mexican food. The King of Rock N' Roll loved "a bread called Fool’s Gold Loaf. He was also known to be a large fan of peanut butter, which eventually led to a variation of his favorite sandwich named after him," according to Facts.net. The Elvis sandwich contains "sliced bananas, bacon, and peanut butter," sandwiched between two slices of bread.


Bibliography:

11 views0 comments

Recent Posts

See All

Comments

Commenting has been turned off.

Spaghetti Blog

To satisfy the curious mind.

©2022-2023 by Spaghetti Blog. Proudly created with Wix.com

bottom of page