6 Facts About Elvis You Probably Never Knew!

Elvis Presley lived his life under a bit of a microscope. Even decades after his death, there are still plenty of Elvis fans. But, there are a few facts that most people don’t know about Elvis.

A gift that changed the course of music

Elvis really wanted a bike for his 11th birthday. He was very disappointed when he got a guitar instead! This gift, however, changed the course of his life!

About that infamous 1956 kiss

A picture of rising star Elvis in a rather risqué kiss with an unknown woman sent shockwaves across America at the time. Their tongues were seen touching and this was not something usual in the 1950s.

The identity of this woman was unknown for decades, but she is revealed in the video above as Barbra Grey. Her friends dared her to call the hotel where Elvis was staying. After talking for an hour, she spent the day with him and a photographer captured their fun date. A video of her discussing her day with Elvis can be seen above.

Elvis’ Manager Was An Illegal Immigrant

Colonel Tom Parker was a controversial character. In addition to stealing a lot of Elvis’ fortune, he was an illegal immigrant. It is believed this is why he didn’t want Elvis touring outside of the United States. Parker was afraid the truth about his citizenship would be revealed and he wouldn’t be able to return to the States.

Andreas Cornelis van Kuijk was born in the Netherlands in 1909. When he came to the United States, he pretended to be Tom Parker from West Virginia.

He owned FDR’s yacht

Elvis’ yacht Potomac was previously owned by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. The star eventually gave the boat to Danny Thomas for St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital. They sold it for $75,000 to benefit sick children.

Jackie Gleason was not impressed

After Elvis’ first television appearance, Hollywood legend Jackie Gleason was not thrilled. In fact, he was disgusted.

“The kid has no right behaving like a sex maniac on a national show,” Gleason said.

Gospel Quartet Failure

In 1954, Elvis tried out for the Songfellows, a gospel quartet. He was turned down! Two years later, they were likely regretting that decision when everyone in America suddenly knew Elvis’ name.

The King continued singing gospel through his career despite not making the cut for this group.

Share this if you learned something about Elvis!

Source: Whale Bone Mag