Elvis Presley has sold an estimated one billion records worldwide.  One billion records sold!  That's an astounding number!  To put this figure in proper perspective that would mean that every person in America could have 4 Elvis recordings in their collection.  Or, one of every 5 people on earth could have 1 Elvis recording in their collection.  Or, if these one billion records  were laid end to end they would encircle the earth at the equator twice...and then some!

   Elvis was born in Tupelo, Mississippi to a poor couple living in a 2 room shanty.  Stricken with poverty throughout his entire childhood, he managed to rise out of the ashes of destitution to become a king.  He became one of the most recognized and favorite personalities in the history of mankind.  But, a long beginning forced a short end to an extraordinary life and Elvis was found dead at the age of 42 in his beloved Memphis home, Graceland.

   John Lennon of Beatles fame once said, "Before there was Elvis, there was nothing."  How many times have you heard Elvis referred to as the king of rock 'n' roll?  I have heard that phrase literally hundreds of times in my lifetime.  I think Elvis really is the king of rock 'n' roll and not only that, I think he is the undisputed king of recorded voice.

   In many ways it's a fairy tale story of a shy kid from the deep south that affected the course of a generation and captured the hearts and the imagination of the world.  Growing up in a poverty stricken family, Elvis vowed that one day he would have enough money to buy his parents the home of their dreams.  And, in March of 1957 at the age of 22, he did just that when he purchased Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee.  An estimated 700,000 people per year visit Graceland making it the second most visited house in America.  Second only to the White House.

   As a young man, his early musical influences were the pop, country, and gospel music of the day.  Much of his style was taken from the black R&B he absorbed on historic Beale Street in Memphis.

   The trophy room in his Graceland home is filled with gold and platinum records and awards of all kinds from the around the world.  Some of the countries represented are:  Norway, Yugoslavia, Japan, Australia, South Africa, England, Sweden, Germany, France, Canada, Belgium and the Netherlands.  What's interesting about this is that except for 5 shows in 3 Canadian cities in 1957, Elvis never performed outside the United States.

   Elvis has had 149 songs appear on Billboard's Hot 100 in America.  One hundred-fourteen of these songs were in the top 40, 40 were in the top 10 and 18 went all the way to number one.  He has 111 different albums and singles certified gold, platinum or multi-platinum. 

    The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is the official body to which record companies report sales and request the awarding of gold and platinum albums and singles.   On August 12, 1992 Elvis' recording label, RCA Records and the RIAA, posthumously awarded Elvis a 9-foot sculpture to commemorate the 15th anniversary of his death and to recognize him as the greatest recording artist of all time.