AP Psychology “Famous Person” Research Paper:
Elvis Presley and Psychology
Maxwell C. Thompson
18 April 2014
APA Format
Elvis Presley and Psychology
Elvis Presley rose to fame in the 1950’s quickly becoming one of the most recognizable singers of all time. Through the 1960’s and 1970’s he achieved unparalleled fame through his music as well as his acting in movies. Yet, the sexy symbol, hip thrusting, southern man was not without his continual faults, errors, and drug abuse. In fact the debate still rages among some on what brought down this international star. In this essay, I will provide a biography of the life of Elvis Presley and then use this information to conclude what psychological problems the great Elvis Presley may have been facing.
Elvis Aaron Presley was born to Vernon and Gladys Presley on January 8, 1935 in two-room house built by his dad in Tupelo, Mississippi. Elvis was supposed to be a twin, but his brother Jessie was stillborn, leaving him as an only child. He grew up in Tupelo surrounded and supported by his extended family as well as his loving parents. Though money was tight, Vernon and Gladys managed to support their darling Elvis and regularly attended church. Elvis seemed to start taking influence not only from preaching and music form his church, but also the “black bluesmen in the neighborhood and country music radio programs enjoyed by his family.” (S1) On October 3, 1945 Elvis’s singing was first sawn as he won fifth prize in a youth talent contest at the Mississippi-Alabama Fair and Dairy Show (S1). 1946 helps him along his way to pop sensation as his mother buys him a guitar, since she cannot afford the bicycle Elvis wants. His family is still only scrapping by, so on November 6, 1948 the El...
... middle of paper ...
...riedberg, Germany where he lives off base with his father, grandmother, and friends. While Elvis turns 24, Colonel Parker keeps Elvis’s career alive with hit records releases. While in Germany Elvis meets Priscilla Ann Wagner through a friend at his own party. Oddly, during January 1960 Elvis goes on another leave to Paris with his karate instructor, Jürgen Seydel, to study with Japanese karate teacher, Tetsuji Murakami. (1) On February 11, 1960 becomes a Sargent before being officially discharged on March 5. After a train ride home to Memphis, fans and press welcome him home. Though he has served his country proudly, Elvis is worried that his time away may have damaged his career progress. (1) Indeed it may have. Regardless, Elvis is back in the both quickly recording the album “Elvis is Back!” and get paid $125,000 for an appearance on Frank Sinatra’s ABC show.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that elvis presley rose to fame in the 1950's quickly becoming one of the most recognizable singers of all time. however, he was not without his continual faults, errors, and drug abuse.
- Explains that elvis aaron presley was born to vernon and gladys in 1935 in tupelo, mississippi. he was supposed to be twin, but his brother jessie was stillborn, leaving him an only child.
- Narrates how elvis became a machinist, moved jobs, and became an electrician. he signed with rca record label, rereleased his five singles and established elvis presley music, inc.
- Analyzes how elvis creates hysteria on the uss hancock for the "the milton berle show." his performance of "hound dog" drives the young audience wild but disgusts the press and some adults
- Analyzes how elvis' unique blending of music has made him a symbol of pop culture youth and controversy.
- Narrates how elvis is granted emergency leave to visit his mother before her death on august 14 at age 46. while in germany, elvis meets priscilla ann wagner through a friend at his own party.
Related
- explanatory
- analytical
- narrative
- argumentative
- opinion
- Elvis Presleyexplanatory essayElvis Presley Elvis Presley was a legend in rock and roll in life. He still is the king of rock and roll even in death. He was born on January 8 1935 in Mississippi in 1948 his family moved to Memphis Tennessee, where he graduated high school from Humes High School. He was attracted to music at a young age and began his music career in 1954 with Sun Records label in Memphis. In late 1955 his recording contract was bought by RCA Victor.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that elvis presley was a legend in rock and roll in life. he was born on january 8 1935 in mississippi and graduated high school in memphis, tennessee.
- Explains that elvis was the most popular entertainer in the world, a figure of constant attention who came off as the boy next door while his life grew increasingly bizarre.
- Narrates how elvis' health plummeted as his weight ballooned, and how quickly he arrived at the university of maryland.
- Narrates how elvis was admitted to the hospital for an enlarged colon, which was confirmed years later by dr. nichopoulos.
- Describes how elvis arrived at graceland with his father, joe esposito, linda thompson, and a few bodyguards on january 28th.
- Explains that elvis' enlarged colon and drug detoxification were two serious problems treated during his three-week stay. hepatitis one never discussed publicly showed up in a liver biopsy.
- Explains that the final week in elvis' life was memorable only because it was the last week. he played racquetball in the court behind his house, watched gospel shows on television, and continued to make wedding plans.
- Analyzes how the man started a fast on august 14th to lose weight before going on tour. he didn't take any ionamin, the appetite suppressant he'd favored for so long.
- Recounts how elvis awoke at four p.m. and played with his daughter, lisa, on the grounds. in the early evening, elvis called his dentist at home and asked if he and ginger could see him.
- Describes how elvis arrived in his customized stutz bearcat with ginger. dr. hofman had never met ginger, so elvis introduced her.
- Describes how elvis called dick grob, one of his security men, and handed him a list of songs he decided to add to his concert repertoire.
- Narrates how ginger fell asleep, leaving elvis alone, reading a book on the bed beside her. he told her he couldn't sleep and was going into the bathroom to take some of his medication.
- Explains that elvis had as many as ten different drugs coursing through his body, taking control of his brain, his heart, and morphine and chloropheniramine.
- Describes how elvis sat staring at the open book in his lap, his chin dropped to his chest, the big body slumped imperceptibly then shifted and toppled
1415 wordsRead More - Elvis Presleyanalytical essay"Numerous singers, guitarists and pianists have achieved popularity since the first decade of rock'n roll, but only one has become immortal: Elvis Presley." (Bangs 1)
In this essay, the author
- Narrates how elvis presley was born in tupelo, mississippi in 1935. his twin brother, jessie garon, was stillborn, leaving him to grow up as an only child.
- Explains elvis' musical influences were the pop and country music of the time, the gospel music he heard in church, and at the all-night gospel sings.
- Explains that elvis purchased the graceland estate in memphis in 1957. he enlisted in the u.s. army and spent the next two years in germany, where his lifelong love affair with karate began.
- Explains that elvis returned to the u.s. in 1960, his manager tom parker did everything he could to renew interest in the king.
- Describes elvis's "early years," or as some might call them his "rebel years." he was a nave, charming southern man who slowly lost his innocence.
- Analyzes how elvis gave up live concerts and television appearances during 1960-1969. the hollywood years nearly destroyed elvis's music career.
- Recounts how elvis and priscilla married at the aladdin hotel in las vegas on may 1, 1968, and lisa marie presley was born on february 1, 1958.
- Describes how elvis faced television cameras and a live audience for the first time in seven years. in his 1968 "comeback special," elvis energized his fading image in front of the world.
- Analyzes how a man who has lost himself finds his way back home. he sang with the kind of power people no longer associate with rock n' roll singers.
- Describes elvis' "vegas years" as a time period where he wore jumpsuits in colors of red, blue, white and cold, covered with studs and rhinestones. the 1970's were set with the famous line "ladies and gentlemen, elvis has left the building."
- Explains that elvis performed 1,126 concerts from 1969- 1977, including eight weeks in las vegas per year. the long days and nights took a toll on elvis physically and emotionally.
- Explains that elvis became a chronic overspender in the mid-1970s. born poor, he grew up dreaming of having great amounts of money.
- Explains that elvis' body was filled with flashy gold chains, bracelets of gold and silver, belt buckles and rings on every finger. his favorite ring featured an 11.4 carat diamond and the letters tcb.
- Explains that drugs were elvis's downfall. he took dexadrine to stay awake during guard duty, and since those pills gave him trouble sleeping, he was prescribed sleeping pills. his doctor prescribed 5,684 narcotic and amphetamine pills between january 20 and august 16, 1977.
- Narrates how elvis aaron presley went to bed at four or five a.m. on august 16, 1977. his girlfriend, ginger alden, warned him not to fall asleep while going to the bathroom and his last words were "okay, i won't."
- Analyzes how the world took a renewed interest in elvis's career in the weeks after his death. stores sold out of elvis merchandise and he sold an astonishing 200 million records.
- Opines that elvis redefined the notion of fame with a sound and style that combined his musical influences and challenged the social and racial barriers of the time.
- Describes the works of peter harry and pat h. broeske. down at the end of lonely street.
- Analyzes thompson ii, charles c., and cole, james p. the death of elvis.
1394 wordsRead More - Elvis Presleyexplanatory essayElvis Aaron Presley, in the humblest of circumstances, was born to Vernon and Gladys Presley in a two-room house in Tupelo, Mississippi on January 8, 1935. His twin brother, Jessie Garon, was stillborn, leaving Elvis to grow up as an only child. He and his parents moved to Memphis, Tennessee in 1948, and Elvis graduated from Humes High School there in 1953.
In this essay, the author
- Narrates how elvis made his network television debut in 1956 with the first of his six appearances on stage show and the milton berle show.
- Explains that the usps decided to use elvis' image for a commemorative postage stamp, and distributed ballots to the american people. the stamp was released on january 8, 1993.
- Explains that elvis aaron presley was born in tupelo, mississippi in 1935. his twin brother, jessie, was stillborn, leaving him to grow up as an only child. he ushered in a new era of american music and popular culture.
- Explains that elvis starred in 31 feature films and two theatrically released concert documentary films, all of which enjoyed financial success. his movies and concert films enjoy a healthy life in television syndication and home video sales and rentals.
- Explains that elvis was recognized as one of the ten outstanding young men of america for 1970 by the united states junior chamber of commerce.
- Explains that elvis' popularity is at an all-time high, and his legacy continues to reach new audiences. elvis starred in an extravagant concert production entitled elvis in concert 97 at the mid-south coliseum in memphis, tennessee.
2510 wordsRead More - A Very Brief Biography of Elvis Aaron Presleyexplanatory essayThe history of the twentieth century would not be complete without mentioning the impeccable influence of one of the best and biggest singers of all time. But before he started making his indelible mark in the sands of time, he started out from very humble beginnings, under the care of his loving, working class parents. Elvis Aaron Presley was born January 8, 1935, in Tupelo, Mississippi to Gladys and Vernon Presley. Although, Presley was supposed to be a twin, his supposed twin brother, Jesse Garon, sometimes spelled Jessie was stillborn. Elvis Aaron Presley was an incredible American Singer, Musician and Actor with inspirational quotes such as this “Fingerprints are like values; you leave them all over everything you do.”
In this essay, the author
- Explains that elvis aaron presley started out from humble beginnings, under the care of his loving, working class parents. he was an incredible american singer, musician and actor.
- Explains that elvis aaron presley was raised by his mother gladys to have a strong faith in god. his musical talents and instrumental prowess impressed his parents, peers, and even his teachers at humes high school in memphis.
- Narrates how elvis aaron presley began to develop a huge following with fans drawn to his unusual musical style, which turned out to be energetic with his provocative hips and good looks.
- Explains that elvis aaron presley resumed his career after leaving the army in 1960 and was immediately back at the top of the charts with the soundtrack for his own film gi blues.
- Explains that elvis aaron presley was pronounced dead on august 16, 1977, of heart failure at the age of forty-two. his death was directly related to his incessant prescription drug use.
678 wordsRead More - Elvis Presley, The King and Legendnarrative essay“Before me there was nothing. Without me there would be No Rick N Roll. Without rock and me were would we be.” On January 8, 1935 in Tupelo, Mississippi the King of Rock’ N’ Roll was born. Elvis Aaron Presley, the King of Rock’ N ‘Roll, was born to Vernon and Gladys Presley. Elvis had a twin brother that died at birth leaving elvis as the only child. I will talk about the life of the King, Elvis Presley in this essay [http://elvisfanclubindia.tripod.com/id8.htm].
In this essay, the author
- Explains that elvis aaron presley was born on january 8, 1935 in tupelo, mississippi. he had a twin brother that died at birth leaving elvis as the only child.
- Describes how elvis entered the alabama fair and dairy show music contest and won second prize. elvis graduated from humes high school and worked at loew’s state theatre.
- Narrates how elvis commits his voice for the first time ever to tape. sam phillips is on the lookout for a vocalist to record "without you".
- Narrates how elvis met priscilla ann wagner in 1967, married in 1968, and had a child, lisa marie presley.
- Narrates how elvis wrote "suspicious minds" which went to the top of the us charts and sold 700,000 copies in the uk and us.
- Narrates how elvis bought a mansion, graceland, and used it for recording studios. some people tried to kill him.
- Narrates how elvis died in graceland in 1977. he was on medication and heavy drugs, and thousands came to his funeral.
- Opines that elvis still lives on today. people still love his music and love him, most people still remember him too. the day he died the face of rock lived on.
- Explains that elvis started at a county fair and traveled the world and the country. he died and lived in graceland tennessee.
- Cites elvis presley enterprises, inc.'s "biography", which was released on april 8, 2011, amizon.com, and netflix.
732 wordsRead More - Elvis Presley Influencesargumentative essaySome people may call him “The King”, Elvis Presley is a well-known musician who stepped out of the norm and created a different kind of music. Presley combined pop, country, gospel, and black R&B to create his musical style. Presley caught everyone’s attention with his dance moves and musical talent. Elvis Presley led the way for many musicians, and has impacted the lives of many people.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that "don't be cruel" and "hound dog" were the longest number one status in rock era. the song was purchased from otis blackwell who wrote many of presley's hits.
- Analyzes how elvis presley was introduced to gospel at a very young age and created several gospel songs, including "how great thou art".
- Explains that elvis's career began to slow down in the 1970s. he recorded the live album "one stage" and released his single "the wonder of you."
- Concludes that elvis presley led the way for many musicians, and has impacted the lives of many people.
- Describes elvis presley as a well-known musician who combined pop, country, gospel, and black r&b to create his musical style.
994 wordsRead More - The Elvis Crazeopinion essayThe public made Elvis Presley larger than life, better known than Jimi Hendrix, John Lennon and in some cases God Himself.
In this essay, the author
- Opines that the public made elvis presley larger than life, better known than jimi hendrix, john lennon and in some cases god himself.
- Analyzes how jack gould's essay "tv: new phenomenon" conveyed that elvis had no discernible singing ability. there are websites dedicated to proving elvis and jesus are one and the same.
- Explains that elvis aaron presley ascended from his dirt poor roots to superstar status, and the diversity in his style contributed to his assorted fan base.
- Analyzes how elvis' mixed gospel, country, and r & b background drew diverse crowds. his songs such as "hound dog" and "don't be cruel" went to #1.
- Explains that elvis started concentrating more on movies after a brief stint in the us army. he made gi blues, blue hawaii, viva las vegas, and fun in acapulco.
- Opines that elvis's "elvis myth" that is discussed in griel marcus' essay, presliad, would not have grossed half the money, and his career would have taken a turn for the worse.
- Explains marcus' theory of the elvis "myth" in his essay, "performing a kind of enormous victory rather than winning it, elvis strides the boards with such glamour, such magnetism, that he allows his audience to transcend their desire for his talent."
- Narrates how elvis began his vegas career with colonel parker's urging, and his wife of 6 years, who was 11 years younger than him, divorced in 1973. the touring and appearances proved too much for the couple.
- Explains that elvis loved down-home country cooking, and would gorge himself when not touring. when it came time to tour again, he would go on ridiculous diets and become hooked on non-prescription and prescription drugs.
- Opines that elvis was a mess onstage, mumbling his words, and trying his hardest to belt out his famous tunes. rupert matthews writes about his june 21, 1977 concert.
- Opines that elvis's public was so consumed with the myth of elvis, they barely noticed or cared.
- Opines that the reason they don't care for elvis may be the times in which they grew up. they have never put anyone on a pedestal and glorified him or her as so many have done with elvis.
- Explains that they had no clue as to why anyone would waste a week of their life to attend "elvis week" and to pay homage to the great "king of rock 'n' roll."
853 wordsRead More - Elvis Presley: The King of Rock and Rollexplanatory essayElvis Aaron Presley was born on January 8, 1935, in Tupelo, Mississippi, in a two room house that was built by his dad, Vernon. Elvis loved his parents dearly and had a very close relationship with his mom, Gladys. He also had a profound faith in God. The family had little money, but Elvis’s parents did their best to provide for him. His childhood, the height of his fame, and the unfortunate circumstances surrounding his death made him the icon of the 1950’s that he is today.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that elvis' popularity grew instantly and the height of his fame began when he signed his first contract with rca records and his manager, tom parker, negotiated the sale of five unreleased singles.
- Explains that elvis continued recording music and filming for movies. in 1957, he purchased graceland, his house in memphis, tennessee, for $102,500.
- Narrates how elvis was drafted into the us army and stationed in germany, where he met his future wife, priscilla, and shortly after they married, they had their first and only child, lisa marie presley.
- Explains that elvis aaron presley was born in 1935 in tupelo, mississippi, in a two-room house built by his dad, vernon. his family struggled to get by, but they never left their strong christian faith.
- Explains that elvis's childhood, fame, and death made him the icon of the 1950s that he is today. graceland opened to the public in 1982 and serves as a place for elvis fans to go in order to keep his memory alive.
756 wordsRead More - One of them was the cause of his death. One reported: “fourteen drugs in Elvis' system, ten in significant quantity.” There are numerous opinions on whether Presley was on drugs or not. Many claim that based on his mental condition, he must have been overtaking some kind of drugs or medicine. It doesn’t make sense that a person who is mentally unhealthy can be called the greatest star in American music culture. When a human abuses any kind of drugs, it impacts their target system. This is the part that normally responds to survival instincts and if it is affected the body will try to set in a motion to repeat the behavior of taking drugs. When drugs are abused for a long period of time, it will affect the brain’s ability to make decisions, memorizing and learning. After returning from military service, Presley had a hard time getting famous again with his music (graceland.com). Out of 11 records, there was only four that were in the top 50 rank and the highest was 28th place (graceland.com). In this time of the period, he might have abused drugs to be mentally satisfied and forget things. His abuse of drugs didn’t stop and even lead him to death. Due to such reasons, many might think that Elvis Presley doesn’t deserve the fame that he gets right now because he is an example where one ruins their life with drugs and he doesn’t deserve to be called the greatest star of American music
In this essay, the author
- Opines that elvis aaron presley, also known as elvis the pelvis, is a key character in american music history because he was an outstandingly kind and caring person.
- Explains that elvis presley grew up like any other boys in his town, but his hair styled with oil made him stand out among them.
- Opines that elvis presley's death was a result of his mental condition, which affects the brain, making decisions, memorizing, and learning.
- Explains that evils presley deserves the title of the greatest star of american history because of his talent in music, his voice, and his unique style.
- Opines that elvis presley was a caring and kind person who always put his friends, family members, and fans first.
- Opines that elvis presley is a key character in american music history because he was kind and caring person and started the pop culture in america. he was naturally talented and loved music himself.
1143 wordsRead More - Elvis Presley's Influence On Pop Cultureanalytical essayElvis Presley was born on January 8, 1935, in Tupelo, Mississippi. When he was thirteen, his family moved to Memphis, Tennessee. Bluesmen often performed in the black section of town, which was where Presley would spend his time in. As a boy, he grew up listening to blues, gospel, pop, and country. He eventually became one of the most iconic and influential people in the twentieth century. His interracial style of music and hip-shaking performances on stage created a wider fan base for the genre of rock and roll. The passion that he expressed with both his voice and body modeled music into what it is today. During his life, teens were ecstatic about him to the point where fans would tear at his clothes as he performed on stage. However, parents thought he was too sexual and not good for children. Today, having sold over one billion records all over the world, he is
In this essay, the author
- Explains that elvis presley was born on january 8, 1935, in tupelo, mississippi. his interracial style of music and hip-shaking performances on stage created a wider fan base for the genre of rock and roll.
- Explains that presley grew up listening to gospel, country, and blues, influencing his music style, which led him to success.
- Analyzes how elvis presley popularized music by black musicians because he learned how to sing and play with blues inflections.
- Analyzes how elvis created an entirely new type of music with both black and white influences, which led to many being inspired to become future artists.
- Analyzes how elvis presley spread rock 'n' roll music across the country and revolutionized popular culture.
- Analyzes how elvis presley popularized black-originated music, inspired future artists, and spread rock 'n' roll across the country because of the rhythm and blues that influenced him.
1637 wordsRead More