15 Fascinating Facts About Elvis Presley

Along with Beyonce and Oprah, Elvis Presley is one of an elite group of people in our culture known by their first names alone. He is ‘The King of Rock and Roll’

Despite the fame of this rock n’ roll hero, there are many fascinating and surprising facts about Elvis Presley that many people don’t know.

In tribute to the 15 Elvis songs that include the word ‘blue’ in the title, let’s take a look at some fascinating Elvis facts.

1. He Failed Music Class at School

How could it possibly be true that ‘the king’ flunked music class at high school? Sorry to disappoint you, but it’s a fact.

Believe it or not, the musical rejection didn’t end there.

In 1954, Elvis auditioned for a gospel group called the Song Fellows. They also rejected him. Don’t worry though: he had plenty of success later in his career to make up for these rejections.

2. He was a Solider in the US Army

In the late 1950s, Elvis served in the US army in Germany.

Even though he could have taken advantage of his fame to get into the Special Services, he refused to receive any special treatment. This and his willingness to work hard gained him the respect of his fellow troops.

When he returned he attracted an even bigger audience. Many members of the older generation respected him for his military service.

3. Black Belt in Karate

During Elvis’ time in Germany, he developed a lifelong love for martial arts, especially karate.

Elvis trained under Jurgen Seydel and achieved black belt before returning to the US in 1960. He never gave up his love of karate, even later in his life. One of the facts about Elvis Presley is that his karate name was ‘the tiger’.

4. He Suffered from a Sleep Disorder

Elvis struggled with a sleep disorder throughout his life. He often sleepwalked as a child.

During his time in the army and later in life, he suffered from sleep deprivation. He struggled to get to sleep during the night.

5. He Dyed His Hair

Elvis is famous for his shiny jet black hairstyle. But did you know that he dyed his hair and eyelashes black?

As pictures of him as a child show, his natural hair color was actually dark blond.

Just like all the kids who wanted to get a haircut like Elvis in the 1950s. Some people have suggested that Elvis got the idea for his dark black hair color from his childhood movie idol Tony Curtis.

6. Jacko’s Father-in-Law

It’s incredible to think that two of the most influential musicians in American history were related by marriage.

Even though Elvis died in the 1970s, Elvis became Michael Jackon’s father-in-law when the ‘King of Pop’ married the ‘the King of Rock and Roll’s’ daughter Lisa Marie Presley in 1996.

While there are many Elvis look-alikes, Lisa Marie’s son Benjamin Keough is the real thing.

7. The Superhero Look

Elvis was a big fan of comic books before they were popular and sparked a billion-dollar movie franchise.

The influence on him was so great that he modeled his iconic look on his favorite superhero Captain Marvel Jr.

8. Only Performed in North America

Elvis performed all over the US, only performing outside of the country a handful of times. Even when he did perform outside of the US, he only managed to get over the border into Canada.

Despite never performing in Europe or the rest of the world, he gained worldwide fame for his music.

9. Elvis Met President Nixon

Elvis met President Richard Nixon, or ‘Tricky Dick’, in the Oval Office in 1970.

The photo of the two of them taken on that day became famous. What the meeting was about has remained open to debate and is the subject of a movie called Elvis & Nixon.

10. His Favorite Sandwich

Elvis wasn’t known for his healthy diet. His favorite food was a peanut butter and banana sandwich.

This doesn’t sound too unhealthy until you consider that he would eat it with two slices of white bread and a large stick of butter. Sometimes he would add bacon in there too.

11. He Didn’t Write His Songs

Elvis was a prolific performer, recording over 600 songs. He received credit for co-writing some of the songs but didn’t write any of them alone.

12. He Was a Twin

On January 8th, 1935, Elvis was born. On the same day, Elvis’ mother gave birth to his stillborn twin brother. Elvis often spoke about his twin brother and the impact his death had on him in the later years of his life.

13. Born in Tupelo

While Memphis and Elvis will always have a strong connection.

He grew up in the Tennessee city. Elvis’s famous home, Graceland is there, and the city inspired much of his music.

However, because of all this, many people assume that Elvis was born in Memphis. In fact, he was born in Tupelo, Mississippi.

14. Dancing Nerves

His trademark dance moves always got the audience going, but according to rumors, the dance moves were just his nervous and shaking legs. Nevertheless, the crowd loved it and he continued to show off his dance moves throughout his career.

15. Rifle vs Guitar

Elvis started playing music on his guitar when he was eleven years old. However, when he was a kid he wanted a rifle, not a guitar. Luckily for rock and roll fans, his mama convinced him otherwise.

Facts About Elvis Presley

Despite being one of the most famous names in music, there are many things people don’t know about ‘the King’. This list of surprising facts about Elvis Presley is great to shock and amaze your friends.

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