Elvis: The Early Years

Elvis grows from his childhood in Tupelo and Memphis to become, at various times, the King of Rock & Roll, a threat to America's moral fiber, an honorable soldier serving his country, and one of Hollywood's biggest film stars. Close friends (Jerry Schilling, Patty Parry) and historians (Pete Guralnick, Ernst Jorgensen) detail his earliest influences, struggles and successes on his path to stardom alongside Elvis' own words and some of his best known recordings. As his popularity grew, he consistently earned more respect from those who initial saw him as a threat to American youth. By the 1960s, Elvis was the ultimate symbol of goodness, thanks to his two years in the army and his dizzying production schedule of 31 movies in eight years.

Elvis grows from his childhood in Tupelo and Memphis to become, at various times, the King of Rock & Roll, a threat to America's moral fiber, an honorable soldier serving his country, and one of Hollywood's biggest film stars. Close friends (Jerry Schilling, Patty Parry) and historians (Pete Guralnick, Ernst Jorgensen) detail his earliest influences, struggles and successes on his path to stardom alongside Elvis' own words and some of his best known recordings. As his popularity grew, he consistently earned more respect from those who initial saw him as a threat to American youth. By the 1960s, Elvis was the ultimate symbol of goodness, thanks to his two years in the army and his dizzying production schedule of 31 movies in eight years.

Elvis grows from his childhood in Tupelo and Memphis to become, at various times, the King of Rock & Roll, a threat to America's moral fiber, an honorable soldier serving his country, and one of Hollywood's biggest film stars. Close friends (Jerry Schilling, Patty Parry) and historians (Pete Guralnick, Ernst Jorgensen) detail his earliest influences, struggles and successes on his path to stardom alongside Elvis' own words and some of his best known recordings. As his popularity grew, he consistently earned more respect from those who initial saw him as a threat to American youth. By the 1960s, Elvis was the ultimate symbol of goodness, thanks to his two years in the army and his dizzying production schedule of 31 movies in eight years.