Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was an American singer and actor, widely regarded as a significant cultural figure of the 20th century. He was known for his energetic performance style and for blending influences from country, rhythm and blues, and gospel music, contributing to the development of rock and roll. Presley was born in Tupelo, Mississippi, and his family moved to Memphis, Tennessee, when he was 13. He began his music career in 1954 at Sun Records with producer Sam Phillips. Performing on guitar with lead guitarist Scotty Moore and bassist Bill Black, he helped pioneer rockabilly, a fusion of country music and rhythm and blues. Drummer D. J. Fontana later joined to complete the classic quartet. In 1955, RCA Victor acquired his contract under the management of Colonel Tom Parker. Presley's first RCA Victor single, "Heartbreak Hotel", was released in January 1956 and became a number-one hit in the United States. He gained widespread attention through television appearances and chart-topping records, becoming a leading figure in early rock and roll. Presley made his film debut in "Love Me Tender" in 1956. Drafted into the military in 1958, he resumed his recording career in 1960. Throughout the 1960s, Presley focused on making films and soundtrack albums, including "Jailhouse Rock" (1957), "Blue Hawaii" (1961), and "Viva Las Vegas" (1964). In 1968, he returned to live performance with the NBC television special "Elvis", which led to a Las Vegas residency and extensive tours. In 1973, he performed the globally broadcast concert "Aloha from Hawaii". Presley experienced health problems in later years, including those related to substance use and diet, and he died at his Graceland estate in August 1977 at age 42. Presley is among the best-selling music artists in history, with estimated sales of 500 million records worldwide. He achieved commercial success across multiple genres, including pop, country, rock and roll, rockabilly, rhythm and blues, adult contemporary, and gospel. He won three Grammy Awards, received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award at age 36, and has been posthumously inducted into several music halls of fame. He holds records for the most RIAA-certified gold and platinum albums, the most albums charted on the Billboard 200, the most number-one albums by a solo artist on the UK Albums Chart, and the most number-one singles by any act on the UK Singles Chart. In 2018, Presley was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Studio albums Elvis Presley (1956) Elvis (1956) Elvis' Christmas Album (1957) Elvis Is Back! (1960) His Hand in Mine (1960) Something for Everybody (1961) Pot Luck (1962) Elvis for Everyone! (1965) How Great Thou Art (1967) From Elvis in Memphis (1969) From Memphis to Vegas / From Vegas to Memphis (1969) That's the Way It Is (1970) Elvis Country (I'm 10,000 Years Old) (1971) Love Letters from Elvis (1971) Elvis Sings The Wonderful World of Christmas (1971) Elvis Now (1972) He Touched Me (1972) Elvis (1973) Raised on Rock / For Ol' Times Sake (1973) Good Times (1974) Promised Land (1975) Today (1975) From Elvis Presley Boulevard, Memphis, Tennessee (1976) Moody Blue (1977) Soundtrack albums (original material) Loving You (1957) King Creole (1958) G.I. Blues (1960) Blue Hawaii (1961) Girls! Girls! Girls! (1962) It Happened at the World's Fair (1963) Fun in Acapulco (1963) Kissin' Cousins (1964) Roustabout (1964) Girl Happy (1965) Harum Scarum (1965) Frankie and Johnny (1966) Paradise, Hawaiian Style (1966) Spinout (1966) Double Trouble (1967) Clambake (1967) Speedway (1968) . User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.