January 8, 1935
Elvis Aron Presley is born to Gladys and Vernon Presley in a two-room cabin on North Saltillo Road in East Tupelo, Mississippi.
SUMMER 1953
Elvis Presley stops at Memphis Recording Service to record two songs, "My Happiness" and "Thats When Your Heartaches Begin," as a birthday present for his mother. Phillips notes that Presley has a good feel for ballads and should be invited back.
July 18, 1953
Elvis Presley, then earning his keep as a truck driver, drops by the Memphis Recording Service, home of Sun Records. He privately records two songs ("My Happiness"/"Thats When Your Heartaches Begin") for the sum of $4, leaving with a ten-inch acetate. Office manager Marion Keisker jots a note for owner Sam Phillips: "Good ballad singer."
January 4, 1954
A young Elvis Presley visits the Memphis Recording Service to record "Casual Love Affair" and "Ill Never Stand in Your Way" and meets Sun Records owner Sam Phillips.
June 27, 1954
After several fruitless recording sessions, Sam Phillips pairs Elvis Presley with guitarist Scotty Moore and bass player Bill Black. He hopes the singer might find his voice by rehearsing with other musicians cut from the same country, pop, gospel and R&B cloth.
July 5, 1954
Rock and roll history is made when Elvis Presley, Scotty Moore and Bill Black spontaneously perform bluesman Arthur "Big Boy" Cruddups "Thats All Right" in romping, uptempo style. The next day, bluegrass pioneer Bill Monroes "Blue Moon of Kentucky" is given a similarly playful treatment. On July 19th, the two songs are released as Elvis Presleys first single, which bears the legend "Sun 209."
July 19, 1954
Sun releases "Thats All Right" and "Blue Moon of Kentucky" by Elvis Presley, backed by guitarist Scotty Moore and bassist Bill Black.
July 20, 1954
Elvis Presley makes his first public appearance, performing on a flatbed truck in Memphis. This inaugurates a period of wildly performed and riotously received concerts that will be interrupted only by Presleys induction into the U.S. Army.
August 15, 1955
Elvis Presley signs a management contract with "Colonel" Tom Parker, whose other clients included country-music stars Eddy Arnold and Hank Snow. The relationship with Parker will continue till Presleys death.
November 1, 1955
Despite Presleys growing popularity, his five Sun singles fail to make a dent on the national charts. Phillips sells his contract to RCA Records for $35,000.
November 20, 1955
Elvis Presleys contract with Sun Records, including all previously released and recorded material, is sold to the New York-based RCA label for $35,000.
January 27, 1956
Elvis Presleys debut single for RCA, "Heartbreak Hotel," is released
