ELVIS ON ELVIS

ELVIS, AT 21, CLARIFIES HOW HIS CAREER BEGAN

Q: We're going to ask Elvis some questions. Elvis, boy, we want to first ask you how old you are?

EP: I'm 21, sir.

Q: Where did you go to high school?

EP: Humes High School in Memphis.

Q: Have you ever gone to any college of any kind?

EP: Nuh.

Q: Where did you go to school in the early years?

EP: I went to grammar school in Mississippi. Tupelo, Mississippi.

Q: Is that right. How tall are you?

EP: Six feet even.

Q: How much do you weigh?

EP: Hundred and eighty.

Q: Blue eyes, right?

EP: Greenish blue, yeah.

Q: Tell us about this sideburn business. Why did you decide to start growing sideburns?

EP: I just always wanted to grow ‘em when I was growing up. I always admired sideburns.

Q: How old were you when you first let them start growing?

EP: When I was old enough to grow ‘em. I guess I was about 17.

Q: Do you have any brothers or sisters?

EP: No I don’t.

Q: Elvis, where do you live at home in Memphis?

EP: Where do I live at home? I live at home. (Laughs).

Q: No, I mean do you have your own house or apartment?

EP: Ah yes, we have a house in Memphis.

Q: You and your parents?

EP: Yes.

Q: Did you study any dramatics in high school?

EP: No, I didn’t. Except maybe when I was maybe in the 5th or 6th Grade I was in a few Christmas pageants.

Q: Do you remember the first time you preformed in front of an audience?

EP: The first time I preformed? Ah, let’s see. In my life you mean?

Q: Yeah, is there any time that stands out as the beginning, the first time you had to get up there?

EP: Yes, I was in front of an audience at a fairground when I was eleven-years-old. It was a fair. An annual fair. And they had a talent contest. And I sang a song called OLD SHEP, a story of a dog. And I sang it, and I won 5th prize. I won $5. And that’s the first time.

Q: Where was this?

EP: It was Tupelo, Mississippi. It was the first time that I ever sang in front of an audience.

Q: Were you nervous?

EP: I was shaking like a leaf.

Q: How did the song go over?

EP: I didn’t have music or anything. I couldn’t get anybody to play for me. I couldn’t play anything myself. So I just went out and sang it. And I believe that they felt sorry for me back then, that’s why they let me win fifth prize (laughs). ‘Cause I was scared so bad.

Q: Before you got into this music business, what were you doing for yourself?

EP: I was driving a truck.

Q: Driving a truck?

EP: I was, uh, I was, uh, yeah, uh huh.

Q: Back in Tennessee?

EP: Yeah that was back in Memphis, where I live now. I was trying to say I was learning to be an electrician.

Q: Decided to stick to truck driving?

EP: Well, I was driving a truck and I was studying to be an electrician, too, see?

EP: What kind of truck were you driving?

EP: I was driving a little Dodge pickup.

Q: What sort of business was it in?

EP: Well, it was the electrical business. You see, what I was doing was driving a truck, and every once and a while they would be short of help on the jobs. I would deliver material to the different locations where they were wiring houses or building something, you know, and sometimes they would let me help wire or something.

Q: How much did you earn?

EP: About $40 a week.

Q: And you were at there how long?

EP: I was there about 6 months. Of course electricians make much more than that, but that’s what I started out making.

Q: Then you got all mixed up in this crazy music business and it tore the electrician all to heck, huh?

EP: It tore the electricity and trucks all up. In fact, during the time I was working for the electric company, I was in doubts whether I would ever make it or not because you have to keep your mind right on what you’re doing. You can’t be in the least bit absent-minded or you’re libel to blow somebody’s house up. I didn’t think I was type for it really but I was going to give it a try, you know, I was going to do both all the time I could.

Q: That recording you made for your mother, is that how it really happened? What was it going to be of?

EP: Oh, I made the record. In fact we still got the record at home. It’s so thin that you can’t play it, though. The record I made was MY HAPPINESS, one of the Ink Spot records.

Q: Was this for a birthday present for your mother?

EP: I just made it. See, I worked 5 days a week, Monday through Friday. And on Saturday, I called this recording company up and I asked them could they make me a little record. You know they make personal days for people, for weddings and things like that.

Q: Was it for any special occasion?

EP: No, no I just made it. I just recorded it.

Q: For your mother.

EP: I made it just to try it. And I played it, it was me singing it.

Q: Had you done much singing around before that.

EP: No I never did. Never did sing pretty much in my life, I mean, the only time maybe I sung was in a little variety show at school maybe once every four years.

Q: Did you have your guitar with you on this record?

EP: Yes, I had an old $12 guitar, sounded like somebody beating on a bucket made it or something.

Q: How did you get to make your first record with Sun records?

EP: Well I went into Sun Records and there was a guy in that took down my name, told me he might call me sometime. So he called me about a year and a half later. And I went in and made my first record, THAT’S ALL RIGHT, MAMA.

Q: Say something about your unique style. Where did you get the idea for this?

EP: I just landed up on it accidentally, more or less. I’m a pretty close follower of religious quartets. And they do a lot of rocking spirituals. And so that’s where I got the idea from – really just quartets.

Q: How did you pick up Scotty & Bill? You know them a long time? Do they live around you?

EP: Well they live in Memphis but I never knew them until we made our first record.

Q: How did you get your start on Louisiana Hayride?

EP: I went down there as a, ah, just to try out, more or less. I went down once, and I went back again a couple weeks later. And the people, they seemed to kind of go for my songs a little bit so they gave me a job down there.

Q: So from then on you was a regular. You're not with the Hayride anymore?

EP: No, last Saturday night was my last night down there.

Q: What are you doing now, just making personal appearances?

EP: Yeah, we're just touring the country, a different place every night.

ELVIS ON PERFORMING