The ‘King of Rock and Roll,’ Elvis Aaron Presley, dominated the rock music industry for two decades before his sudden death. A flamboyant personality who soon rose to become the teen idol of the decade, Presley was both handsome and talented, with a voice that inspired many to dream.
So, it comes as no shock that even years after his death, his music inspires new emerging artists. To submerse back into some of the most prominent days of the lives of the global musician and actor, this list brings twenty-nine handsome pictures of young Elvis Presley that you can’t miss!
Starting his career with ‘The Hillbilly Cat’ performing a fusion of country and rhythm with a strong backbeat, commonly known as rockabilly at the time, Elvis rose to fame aided by his versatile voice and his unique composition of music making that combined diverse influences such gospel, ballads, and pop with rock.
After coming back from his military service in the 1960s, Elvis turned a new leaf in his career path by entering Hollywood and bagging his first role in the film ‘Love Me Tender.’
His charisma and sensuality while performing on the stage earned Presley his nickname of ‘Elvis the Pelvis,’ even barring television companies from recording beneath his waist. After delivering a total of thirty-three films to the cinema along with several television appearances, the king of rock and roll and now an entertainer and an icon reclused himself to a lifestyle of drugs and addiction that eventually became the cause of his death.
Elvis Presley rose from poverty and built a magnificent career, married an army damsel he met during his military years (Priscilla Presley), and lived to inspire many then and now. Elvis Presley garnered the hearts of many young women and gained international fame, his music often challenging the social and racial hurdles of the time.
Credited with ushering in the new era of music in America and becoming a humongous part of today’s pop culture, this 14-time Grammy nominee and Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winner left the world way too young at just forty-two.
Handsome pictures of young Elvis Presley from his golden years
This year would have marked what would have been Elvis Presley’s 88th birthday, and to celebrate such a grand landmark in the deceased rockstar’s life, here is a collection of pictures highlighting his journey on and off the stage.
Elvis’s touseled hair-do
Among the famous hairstyles that Elvis kept, his touseled and textured updo might just take the top spot, followed closely by the pompadour that he adorned very frequently.
His hair alone was enough to win the hearts of his young fans, so much so that the hairstyle went on to be referred to as the ‘Elvis cut.’ This particular photo of picture-perfect Elvis was taken on the set of his film ‘Jailhouse Rock’ between the shooting of the infamous swimming pool sequence in 1957.
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The king of Rock and Roll in a white button-down
This picture was taken on the set of ‘King Creole’ directed by Michael Curtiz in 1958, with Elvis Presley wearing a white button-down with his signature hair.
Elvis Presley accomplished a lot, both as a musician and an actor, even though he left the world too soon. With more multi-platinum album sales than any other performer to date, he was the first pop idol in the world.
Elvis and his glasses
Elvis was seen adorned in his signature Neostyle Nautic Gold sunglasses frequently, just like in this picture from the wedding of George Klein that took place in Elvis’s International Hotel suite in December of 1970.
Richard Davis, Glen Campbell, and Red West were others in attendance at the wedding between Klein and his bride, Barbara Little.
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Elvis Presley dazzles with his smile.
On his way to shoot a new movie, Elvis delivers this dazzling picture during a press conference inside his private railroad car at the Los Angeles Union Station.
Taken right after he got discharged from his military service, this film marked his re-entry into Hollywood.
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Family time with Priscilla and Lisa Marie
Elvis’s legacy stayed behind after his death through his only daughter, Lisa Marie, who was just nine at the time and also died young at the age of fifty-four. Born just nine months after their marriage, Elvis and Priscilla’s daughter Lisa was born and then raised in their Graceland estate.
This picture shows the beautiful family of three huddled together for a photoshoot.
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Jailhouse Rock
Jailhouse Rock was one of the iconic rock and roll songs by Elvis Presley, which came out in 1957 and was recorded by him for his film of the same name, directed by Richard Thorpe.
Co-starring with him on the American musical drama were Judy Tyler, Mickey Shaughnessy, and Vaughn Taylor.
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Elvis in the sixties
This picture of a dashing Elvis Presley was taken during a photoshoot in the year 1960. Following his return from military service, fortune and popularity grew infinitely for the star as he continued to deliver worldwide musical hits and stars in high-grossing movies.
It was during this decade that Elvis delivered the biggest film of his career, ‘Viva Las Vegas’ and also started his courtship with his future wife, Priscilla.
Also Read: Priscilla Presley’s Net Worth
Elvis’s military discharge
On March 5th, 1960, Elvis Presley was discharged honorably from his military service with the rank of sergeant.
Elvis attended a press conference with Nancy Sinatra at Fort Dix, New Jersey, immediately after, still in his uniform as seen in the picture.
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Life on the stage
Elvis Presley ushered in the era of rock and roll with his song Heartbreak Hotel in 1956.
Shortly after, he released It’s Now or Never, which shot on to become his most fetching number-one hit.
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Elvis and his guitar
Presley served in two different battalions while in the U.S. Army and wasn’t shy of picking up his good old guitar every now and then to entertain his fellow military folks and relish his musical days.
In this stunning photo of Presley, we see him holding his guitar while in his uniform, taken between 1958 and 1960.
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Elvis, in his Military Uniform
There’s nothing like dashing young rock music icons in uniform! This photo before Elvis leaves for his time in the military was taken in his driveway on June 2, 1958.
The photo went on to become the poster for the album A Date with Elvis, which is a compilation album by Presley with songs such as I Forgot to Remember and Young and Beautiful.
Elvis the Pelvis
The picture here was taken on Presley’s third and final time performing on the Ed Sullivan Show, where he sang his hits like Too Much, Don’t Be Cruel, Peace In The Valley, etc.
Censors had determined the rule to shoot Elvis during his performances only from the waist up, which he blatantly mocks by breaking into wild hip thrusting at the end of the Don’t Be Cruel performance on the show.
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Elvis is pictured in his element!
If there was one place where Elvis was most comfortable other than behind a camera on his film sets, it would definitely have to be the stage in front of his screaming and adoring fans.
This particular photograph of Elvis was displayed at the American Cool exhibition by the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery.
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Sweet Pea with Elvis
This photo of Elvis Presley was taken in 1956 on the evening of October 18th after the entertainment icon had gotten into a mild fistfight with two gas station attendants.
Pretty early in his career, when he was still rolling out his raw and rebellious music, Elvis was sentenced to appear in front of the court the following morning after the altercations that occurred prior to this picture with Sweet Pea, the puppy.
Got to tame the touseled hair!
Elvis Presley was memorialized in the recent 2022 film Elvis, starring Austin Butler in the role of the King of Rock and Roll. The biographical drama was directed by Baz Luhrmann and shed light on Elvis’ role in shedding light on racism in the country through his music.
The movie was well received by the deceased singer’s family and the audience as well and bagged a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Picture.
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Vegas-Era Elvis
Elvis Presley was photographed at the Madison Square Garden, New York, performing on stage in June 1972, just a few years before his demise.
Bill Belew designed this particular white eyelet jumpsuit and the cape that came with it, which was auctioned off along with Elvis Presley’s other belongings.
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Elvis and his collars
It was widely known that if there was something bigger about Elvis Presley other than his international fame and hair, it was his shirt collars!
Even today, and especially after the release of the new biopic Elvis, the late singer’s extravagant and trailblazing fashion statements have become relevant again.
His career spanned decades, and with it came an ever-evolving closet that encompassed from his early slicked-back hair and jeans looks to the later glitter jumpsuits and stand-out glasses and, of course, the emboldened collars.
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With his natural hair
There are many theories as to why Elvis Presley started dying his hair black, the most common ones being it was a tribute to his late mother, who also had a dark head of hair and the fact that the jet-black hair gave him more of an edgy look that appealed to the ladies.
In this picture taken during the shoot and press of his film Follow that Dream, Presley was spotted with his natural hair color that he also kept in the film shot in Florida after his return from the military.
Graceland Mansion: Elvis’ home
Presley bought the Graceland Estate, which spans over 13.8 acres of land, in 1957 for $102,500. This Memphis, Tenessee mansion was renamed ‘Elvis Presley Boulevard’ in 1971 and was also the place where the singer lived out his last days before his death in 1977.
Forty-six years ago, this estate was where Presley’s then-girlfriend, Ginger Alden, found him collapsed on the bathroom floor, and years later, millions of fans visit this estate to pay homage to the singer and his life’s work.
The property that a young twenty-two-year-old Presley bought in the late 1950s currently stands at a price of over $1 Million.
Beverly Hills
Elvis Presley was photographed wearing this fashionable ensemble at his Beverly Hills residence in November 1969.
The picture was taken the same year that Elvis’ movie Change of Habit came out, starring Ed Asner, Jane Elliot, and Barbara McNair as well.
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Elvis and Friends
This 1968 picture of Elvis Presley was taken along with the key members of the ‘Memphis Mafia’, which was the nickname given to the closest friends, managers, and cousins of Elvis.
In this picture, Elvis is surrounded by Joe Esposito, one of Presley’s closest friends and his co-best man at his wedding, along with Alan Fortas, Col Parker, Lamar Fike, and Charlie Hodge. Presley met Joe during his military service, and the pair remained friends for years after until his death.
Elvis Presley with Hollywood starlets
Elvis’s guest, Venetia Stevenson
Daughter of actress Anna Lee and Mary Poppins director Robert Stevenson, Venetia was photographed for the first time with Elvis in 1957 during a screening of the film Loving You. Venetia visited Presley at his home in Memphis and was seen wearing his signature initials ‘EP’ t-shirt.
Once titled ‘the most photogenic girl in the world’, Venetia Stevenson, who went on to marry Russ Tamblyn briefly, was rumored to have been dating Presley in the late 1950s.
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Anita Wood: Elvis’s long time girlfriend
Before Presley married Priscilla, he was dating Anita Wood, who was also known as Little Betty, from 1957 to 1962 through his military service.
Elvis even referred to Wood, the star of The Andy Williams Show, as his ‘No. 1 girl’ on several occasions. Anita Wood, who later married Johnny Brewer, the football player, went on to talk about her relationship with Elvis Presley on the Larry King Show in 2005.
Sophia Loren meets The King on the set.
Sophia Loren met Elvis Presley on the set of King Creole at the Paramount Studios in the year 1958. This Italian actress started her career in 1950 and went on to become the first actor to win an Oscar for a role in a foreign language for her film Two Women.
The gorgeous star happened to come across Elvis in a food court and was stunned by him. She plopped down on his lap for a picture that was captured by a photographer nearby.
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Elvis and Priscilla
After they tied the knot and got married in Las Vegas, the King of Rock and Roll and his sweetheart stayed married for six years, divorcing just four years before the singer’s untimely death.
They met when she was just fourteen years old and got married in 1967 after she turned twenty-one. At their wedding, the couple danced on ‘Love Me Tender’ and welcomed their first and only child soon after in February of the following year.
Also Read: Where Was Elvis 2022 Filmed? Filming Locations
With his co-star, Mary Ann Mobley,
Former beauty queen and actress Mary Ann Mobley was a two-time co-star of Elvis Presley, starring opposite him once in Girl Happy in 1965 and then again the same year in Harum Scarum.
Mary Ann Mobley was one of the few Miss America winners to have established a flourishing career in Hollywood.
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Judy Taylor and Elvis’ fond friendship
Elvis Presley starred opposite Judy Taylor in Jailhouse Rock, which came out in 1957. The duo had a great relationship and were often spotted having lunch together during breaks.
Judy Taylor and her husband also visited Presley in Memphis at his home, and both passed away shortly after the movie’s shooting in a car accident.
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Sherry Wilson and Vince Everett in real life!
Jennifer Holden also shared the screen with Elvis Presley in his 1957 movie Jailhouse Rock, where she played the blonde bombshell Sherry Wilson along with Elvis’ Vince Everett.
A model before she was cast in Jailhouse Rock, this American actress appeared in other movies such as Buchanan Rides Alone and Gang War.
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Follow That Dream: Anne Helm and Elvis Presley
Canadian actress Anne Helm is most known for her roles in television shows and for starring opposite Elvis Presley in his 1962 movie Follow That Dream.
The duo was often seen hanging out together after or between the shoots and was also rumored to be dating while the rock and roll singer was engaged to Priscilla, but nothing was confirmed from Presley’s side.
Some more Handsome Pictures of Elvis Presley
Presley and his signature fashion statements
Elvis Presley was photographed donning his signature white suit and aviator glasses at a promotional event.
Elvis in character
Elvis Presley played the character of Walter Gulick in the American musical film ‘Kid Galahad’ which was released in the year 1962, shortly after his return from the military.
The King
In this picture, Presley was spotted sporting his classic slicked-back pompadour with a red scarf and a black button-down, which came to be known as his signature style.
Elvis in White
Elvis Presley, dressed in a white shirt, was photographed at a shoot held at his Graceland estate in Tennessee.
