Here’s what you’ll learn when you read this article:
- In 1946, Elvis received a $7.90 guitar from his mom, leading to a passion for music.
- The future King of Rock ’n’ Roll quickly learned his new instrument and performed at local talent shows, despite still being bullied by classmates.
- After moving to Memphis, Tennessee, in 1948, Presley became more confident, won his high school talent show, and recorded at Sun Studio in 1953, launching his rise to fame.
When Elvis Presley was 11 years old, in 1946, he opened a birthday gift that changed his life and the sound of pop music forever. But first, he had to get over his initial disappointment.
Presley had actually been hoping for a bicycle, maybe even a rifle. Instead, his mother, Gladys, gifted him a $7.90 guitar from the Tupelo Hardware Store. At the time, he was a shy, lonely kid in small-town Mississippi, where his classmates picked on him. Before long, that guitar would become his best friend and ticket to fame.
Just months earlier, Presley had taken the stage for the first time at a local talent contest. He had to stand on a chair to reach the microphone to sing in front of hundreds of people, but he still won the fifth-place prize.
Now, with the new guitar in his hands, Presley started practicing with help from his uncles and a church pastor, strumming gospel and country songs. He soon started performing at weekly amateur nights in Tupelo, where a local radio DJ, Mississippi Slim, spotted him and invited him on his show. After initially freezing up, the 12-year-old sang live on-air.
By seventh grade, Presley was bringing his guitar to Milam Junior High every single day, playing country tunes at lunch and recess. Still, some bullies still teased him for his music and even cut his strings as a prank. In response, other classmates pooled their money together to buy him new strings. In return—and in a preview of what was soon to come—Presley gave an impromptu concert in class.
In late 1948, Presley moved with his family to Memphis, Tennessee. By senior year, he entered the Humes High School talent show and won, which boosted his confidence enough to lead him straight to the city’s Sun Studio in 1953.
Less than a decade after receiving that $7.90 guitar from his mom, Presley had a record deal, a hit single, and would soon be known as the new King of Rock ’n’ Roll. Read more about Presley’s journey from a small-town schoolboy to music icon in his Biography.com profile.
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