Elvis Presley Quotes

The kid who changed what music could be

Elvis died on August 16, 1977, at Graceland. He was 42. The official cause was cardiac arrhythmia, though years of prescription drug abuse were a major factor. He sold over 500 million records worldwide, more than any solo artist in history. He starred in 31 films. Graceland is the second most visited private home in America after the White House. But the numbers miss the point. Elvis took Black gospel, rhythm and blues, and country and turned them into something that broke every racial and cultural barrier in American music. He didn't invent rock and roll, but he made it impossible to ignore. Every musician who came after him, from the Beatles to Prince, pointed back to Elvis as the reason they picked up an instrument.