From a small-town boy with a love for music to one of the most famously irreplaceable artists in American history, Elvis Presley had certainly gone a long way during his career.
Before reaching international stardom in 1956, Presley was driving a truck for Crown Electric. He failed auditions and any music he recorded didn’t go anywhere. Eventually, a session with Sam Phillips led to a recording contract and a debut album.
The next year, Presley was slowly piling on adoring fans that gushed over his every move.
Elvis and His Mother
Before he was a music sensation, Presley started out as a mama’s boy. He adored his mother Gladys and was reportedly very close with her all through his life. Unfortunately, she passed away in 1958, only a few years into his career as an artist and actor. Her death greatly impacted Presley for the rest of his life.
While she was alive, he would do anything for his mother. He bought her a brand new pink Cadillac and a house, amongst other gifts. He even bought Graceland as a way for his mother, father, grandmother, and other friends to all live close together.
When she suggested he dye his hair a darker color to bring out his blue eyes, Elvis Presley didn’t give it a second thought.
Before he had his perfectly slicked back hair, Elvis’ natural hair color was a sandy blonde color.
He became well-known for the jet-black hair and icy blue eyes combination. However, he had been using shoe police as a cheap alternative for hair dye starting when he was just a teenager. Eventually, professional hairstylists helped him pull off his iconic look on a regular basis.
Elvis Presley and His Wife Priscilla Presley’s Looks
Elvis Presley had grown so obsessed with his iconic look that he wanted Priscilla Presley to channel the same kind of appearance in her daily life.
She was only 14 when they met and he was 24 at the time. In many ways, her young age made her impressionable to the rock star. He was adamant that she look a certain way.
According to Biography.com, Priscilla described herself as the “living doll” of Elvis. She would dye her hair black and wear it in tightly done updos to match his look. She wore a similar style and colored clothing as well. Elvis even went as far as having porcelain caps put on her teeth and demanding that she work on her poor posture.
There were several reasons that led to the couple’s later divorce. In her memoir, Priscilla said that part of the reason was she wanted to explore the world for herself completely separate from Elvis’ rules and regulations.
“You need to apply more makeup around your eyes. Make them stand out more. They’re too plain naturally. I like a lot of makeup. It defines your features,” Priscilla Presley wrote in the book, claiming Elvis said to her.
