Elvis lives

Immediately after his first appearances, the public and media are in shock. Elvis was a "male atomic bomb", said one TV presenter. Headlines such as "Elvis Presley sings like Marylin Monroe walks" do the rounds. Rebellion, sex appeal and teenage romanticism make a pact with rock'n'roll. His stage show is demonized by his elders, but his young fans go into ecstasy. Yet this Elvis Aaron Presley from Tupelo, Mississippi, is a shy boy and an impeccable gentleman. One who loves and adores his mother. Elvis is surprised: "They say I'm vulgar - and they call me a rebel." The army drafts him in 1958. The rebel becomes a citizen,
whom everyone suddenly liked.

Bob Dylan later said: "Listening to his music was like breaking out of prison." For Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones, Elvis had united black and white music. And for ex-Beatle John Lennon, "there was nothing before Elvis".

For his studio debut at the age of 19, the boy from the moonshiner milieu wanted to record ballads. But Sam Phillips, producer at Sun Studios in Memphis, waved him off. "That's All Right, Mama" is his last chance. And Elvis seized it. Phillips had predicted it: "I want a white guy who plays black music with all his heart. You can make millions with that." Overnight, the small Sun label became a hub for the hottest music on the planet. But this Elvis is quickly too big a deal. A short time later, Phillips received the then record sum of 40,000 dollars from the RCA record company: Elvis had his first major record deal in the bag. As it turned out, it was a license to print money. More importantly, the poor trucker with the great voice became a star. The King was born.

But the conditions were lousy. A father with odd jobs, a sick mother, a poor wooden house in the rural, depression-stricken south. This is where the future King of Rock'n'Roll saw the light of day. His twin brother Jesse was born dead half an hour earlier. A southern drama.

This Elvis rises to become the first and biggest star of a still nameless music. And ends the static nature of the pure recording situation. The King makes his movements audible and room-filling. Even if he is filmed from the waist up in Ed Sullivan's famous TV show "for reasons of decency": The man is unstoppable. Hit after hit follows. He sold 400 to 500 million records during his lifetime. In 2007, 30 years after his death, the billion mark is already exceeded.

A generous heart

With success comes wealth. His first gift to his mother was a pink Cadillac. Later, he buys himself a stately home called Graceland. The ever-generous superstar gathers his friends around him in the imposing columned building. This is where he lives and works, where the King celebrates and where he will die.

Elvis' legendary career has legendary breaks. What followed were tremendous comebacks. In 1968 in Memphis, all in black leather, he put on one of the best rock shows of all time. In 1973, live in Hawaii, clad in a white, sequined jumpsuit, over a billion people watch him via satellite. Whenever the Elvis story seems to have come to an end, it starts all over again.

The King dies on August 16, 1977 at the age of 42. The then US President Jimmy Carter condoles: "A piece of America has been lost." 711 songs, 31 Hollywood films, countless stories and anecdotes remain.

Elvis has 13.5 million Facebook friends. He is played, covered, streamed, honored and still listened to. Best of all: Elvis is going on tour again! On May 18, you can experience the King, his songs and a large symphony orchestra in Zurich's Hallenstadion. In this spectacular production, Elvis can be seen on a giant screen and star guest Priscilla Presley talks about his life. "Elvis - The Musical" comes to Switzerland in January 2018. The acclaimed production is a wonderful tribute featuring the King's career highlights. "50 million Elvis fans can't be wrong" was boldly written on the cover of "Golden Records Volume 2" back in 1959. His record company was proved right. Just the King.