Elvis Presley's Last Train to Memphis

Categories: In the News , Entertainment , Travel , Nonfiction

Several years ago, my friend and I went on a weekend bus trip to Graceland, Elvis Presley’s home in Memphis, Tennessee.  On the way, I listened to Elvis: 30 #1 Hits and watched his movies Jailhouse Rock and King Creole.  By the time we arrived on the front porch of Graceland, I was ready to meet the King.

Ever since that trip, I’ve enjoyed reading about his fascinating life.  As the 30th anniversary of his death approaches on August 16th, I decided to read Last Train to Memphis: The Rise of Elvis Presley.  Considered the definitive biography of Elvis, Peter Guralnick recounts Presley’s early life and music before the rhinestone jumpsuits and peanut butter and banana sandwiches.

Based on hundreds of interviews and a decade of research, Guralnick vividly documents Elvis' first 23 years--from his childhood to his first recording of "That's All Right" at Sun Records to his meteoric rise to hip-swiveling fame, concluding with his draft into the Army in 1958.

The second volume of this acclaimed two-part biography is Careless Love: The Unmaking of Elvis Presley.  Both are quite lengthy, so if you’re looking for a lighter read, try Elvis Presley by Bobbie Ann Mason or Elvis: A Celebration: Images of Elvis Presley from the Elvis Presley Archive at Graceland.