Before They Were Rock Stars: An Elvis Photo Album

Elvis Aaron Presley was born on January 8, 1935 in East Tupelo, Mississippi, the only son of Gladys and Vernon Presley. His twin, Jesse Garon, was stillborn. It was in the middle of the great depression and times were hard. Gladys worked at a garment factory and Vernon performed odd jobs. Vernon built a home on Old Saltillo Road for the new family. When he was eight, Elvis sometimes sang on a local radio broadcast called Saturday Jamboree that let the audience participate. At age ten his school teacher entered him in a children's talent contest at the state fair where he sang "Old Shep" and later got a spanking from Gladys for going on a carnival ride. Gladys gave him his first guitar for his eleventh birthday. He wanted a rifle. Elvis occasionally performed for his classmates throughout junior high, but when his idol Mississippi Slim invited him to perform on his show, Elvis apparently had acute stage fright. He eventually got over it and the rest is history. Here are some remarkable images of The King as a wee prince. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="370" caption="Elvis with his parents, 1938"][/caption] [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="290" caption="A very young Elvis Presley, 1939"][/caption] [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="400" caption="Elvis, Age 6, 1942"][/caption] [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="400" caption="With His Parents in 1943"][/caption] [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="208" caption="Elvis, 1943"][/caption] [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="408" caption="Elvis and Gladys Presley"][/caption] [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="208" caption="Elvis in the 7th Grade, Milam Junior High"][/caption] In honor of Lullaby Renditions of Elvis Presley, out yesterday, it's Elvis week on the blog. Stop by each day for fun stuff including a free Rockabye Baby Elvis coloring page, activities, and more! Can't get enough baby Elvis? Listen to an exclusive full-length sneak peek of "Love Me Tender" (lullaby style) here. Oh, and by the way, we're giving away five Lullaby Renditions of Black Sabbath CDs! Enter here.