BARRY LEVINE: Imagine Elvis at 80

Don’t get all shook up when you read this.

Eighty years ago on Thursday, Vernon and Gladys Presley presented the world with a son, Elvis Aron Presley, in Tupelo, Miss. Elvis later changed the spelling of his middle name to the biblical form of Aaron.

Little did anyone realize at the time the incredible impact that baby boy would have on this nation.

Presley got his first guitar at the age of 10. Shortly after that, he experienced his first musical success when he won a talent show at L.C. Humes High School in Memphis, Tenn.

After graduating from there in 1953, he worked a number of odd jobs while pursuing his musical dream.

He cut his first demo record later that year at what later became known as Sun Studio in Memphis. Before long, Sam Phillips, the record label owner, opted to take the young performer under his wing.

Presley soon began touring and recording, trying to catch his first big break. “That’s All Right” was Presley’s first single in 1954.

That simply set the stage for what most consider the greatest career in rock ‘n’ roll history.

He became the No. 1 rock star in 1956 when he had five No. 1 hits – “Heartbreak Hotel,” “I Want you, I Need You, I Love You,” “Don’t Be Cruel,” “Hound Dog” and “Love Me Tender.” That spurt of No. 1 hits earned Presley the nickname “The King of Rock ‘n’ Roll.”

It is estimated that more than 1 billion Elvis records have been sold throughout the world. That’s not a typo – that’s 1 billion!

From his early sessions at Sun Records to the end of his career and beyond, Elvis’ albums and singles spanned vinyl, cassette, CD and digital mediums.

Elvis has had 150 different albums and singles that have been certified gold, platinum or multi-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), with more certifications expected as research into his past record sales continues and as current sales continue.

It is estimated that 40 percent of Elvis’ records have been sold outside of the United States.

Elvis has had 149 songs to appear on Billboard’s Hot 100 Pop Chart. Of these, 114 were in the Top 40, 40 in the Top 10, and 18 to No. 1. His No. 1 singles spent a total of 80 weeks at the top spot.

He was also a leading artist in the country, R&B and gospel fields.

Elvis made his network television debut in 1956 with the first of his six appearances on “Stage Show,” a weekly variety program hosted by band leaders Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey.

He followed with two appearances on “The Milton Berle Show,” the second of which included a classic performance of “Hound Dog” that was so provocative for that time that it caused a national uproar.

Elvis next appeared on “The Steve Allen Show,” with Allen mocking the sensation of the Berle appearance by having Elvis dress in a tuxedo, eliminate his usual physical gyrations, and sing “Hound Dog” to a basset hound.

Ed Sullivan had once stated he would never have the controversial singer on his top-rated variety show.

Sullivan reversed course and opted to pay Elvis $50,000 to make three appearances on his show, which was, at the time, more money than any performer had received to appear on a network variety program. When Elvis made his third Sullivan appearance in January 1957, Sullivan surprised the singer by telling him on camera that his show had never had a better experience with a name act.

It was on this very same Sullivan appearance that Elvis was shown on camera from the waist up only, one of early TV history’s most memorable moments.

Presley’s next network television appearance was in 1960, when Frank Sinatra gave his variety show a “Welcome Home, Elvis” theme to herald his release from military service. Elvis was paid a record $125,000 to appear.

While his music career flourished, Presley quickly expanded his entertaining skills by beginning to concentrate on working on the silver screen. His movie career started in 1956 with two films – “Love Me Tender” with Richard Egan and Debra Paget and “Loving You” with Lizabeth Scott, Wendell Corey and Dolores Hart.

Elvis starred in 31 feature films and two theatrically released concert documentary films, all of which enjoyed financial success.

For a number of years he was one of Hollywood’s top box office draws and one of its highest-paid actors. His two most critically acclaimed films, “Jailhouse Rock” (1957) and “King Creole” (1958), have become classics of their era.

His movies and concert films enjoy a healthy life. Some of his top-selling music came from his movies. Eleven of his movie soundtracks reached the Top 10. Of those, four went to No. 1. The soundtrack for “G.I. Blues” (1960) was No. 1 on the Billboard Top 100 album chart for 10 weeks and remained on the chart for 111 weeks. The album from “Blue Hawaii” was No. 1 for 20 weeks and was on the chart for 79 weeks.

Following Presley’s death in 1977, President Jimmy Carter remarked on Presley’s legacy: “His music and his personality, fusing the styles of white country and black rhythm and blues, permanently changed the face of American popular culture. His following was immense, and he was a symbol to people the world over of the vitality, rebelliousness and good humor of his country.”

Some nicknames are the antithesis of what they should be such as calling a 6-foot-7, 320-pound NFL defensive tackle tiny, a 7-0 foot NBA center shorty or a fat guy slim.

In Elvis’ case, he got his nickname “The King of Rock ‘n’ Roll” the old fashion way. He earned it.

And never has a nickname been more fitting.

Barry Levine is an entertainment writer for The Albany Herald. He can be reached at [email protected].