On this day back in 1935, Elvis Aaron Presley was born in Tupelo, Mississippi. So here are five facts that you probably didn’t know about the King.
Elvis had an identical twin
Elvis actually had an identical twin brother named Jesse Garon Presley. Now, we know what you’re thinking: ‘How come I’ve never heard of Elvis’ twin brother?’ Well, the sad fact is that Elvis’ twin brother was stillborn 35-minutes before the King came along. Elvis’ mother Gladys was convinced that Elvis was blessed with superhuman abilities due to the loss. When one twin died, she believed, the other “got all the strength of both.”
There’s still a market for the King
When Elvis died in August of 1977 there were reportedly around 80 or so impersonators, or ‘tribute acts’ as they prefer to be called. These days there are at least 100,000 people wandering the earth in a pair of blue suede shoes claiming to be ‘the one’. Some are better than others…
Elvis wanted to be an DEA agent, so tricky Dick made it happen
Apparently, Elvis once wrote to President Richard Nixon requesting that he be made a Federal Agent in the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs – no prizes for guessing why. Nixon, being a man of his word (we’re joking, by the way), sent Elvis a Special Agent Badge, without the authority.
The pair met in the White House and it’s said that Elvis brought a WWII vintage handgun to give to Nixon as a thank you.
Elvis was buried twice…
Some people believe that Elvis got sick and tired of all his fame and left for a remote island where he could finally rest in peace. However, the more realistic fans will know that he was buried next to his mother, Gladys, at the Forest Hill Cemetery in Memphis, Tennessee in August 1977.
Sadly, the King didn’t get to rest for long as several youths attempted to steal his body, so both Elvis and his mother were reburied at Graceland, his Tennessee home, in October 1977.
The Boss almost met the King
These days, Elvis’ Graceland home is the second most visited house in the USA – only second to The White House – but back in the day, no one was allowed in for a tour. So some went to extreme lengths to meet the man himself, take, for example, a teenage Bruce Springsteen, who hopped a fence and went in search of Elvis.
Sadly for Springsteen, he was apprehended by security before he got to the house. Not that it would have mattered, as the King was apparently away for the day.
