Elvis Presley is such a seminal figure in the history of rock and roll and pop culture that over 40 years after his death, we still worship and celebrate him. Elvis is amongst the most famous singers of all time, but he was much more than that: he was a symbol of American culture and an undeniably historic figure whose influence still resonates today.

Elvis’ unmistakable style on and off the stage made him beloved by both men and women of every generation. But who was Elvis, the man? A new book called Elvis: The Legend contains over 150 photos of the singer that will help us get to know this icon better.

The King… of Calories

Elvis had a fierce appetite for both life and breakfast, and the latter was filled with fried bacon, deep-fried biscuits, and butter – lots of butter! Presley’s food habits were so famously sinful that we now owe him the invention of heart-killing dishes such as bacon-wrapped meatballs and peanut butter and bacon milkshakes.

The King was brought up in the South with meals that were highly rich in carbs and unwanted calories, but he eventually found a way to take Southern alimentation to a whole new level! Once, Elvis and his friends famously flew for 800 miles straight on his personal jet for a loaf eating marathon.

Elvis, The Soldier

In 1958, Elvis Presley joined the Army in what eventually became a marketing move to the benefit of the US military. But being a patriot, it’s highly likely that Elvis intended to serve his country in the best way possible. After arriving at Fort Chaffee in Arkansas, Elvis claimed that he was fully available to do whatever the American Army demanded.

After training, Elvis joined a military unit in Germany; there, he was introduced to amphetamines and spent his days answering fan letters and signing autographs. In this picture, that was taken one year later in Presley’s beautiful Graceland property, the King poses in his military uniform.

Relaxing in Graceland

Being the King of Rock and Roll was not the sort of responsibility you could avoid, but Elvis found the time to relax and enjoy his off-days. Back in Memphis, Tennessee, Elvis used to go to the movies, visit the Fairgrounds, and play football in the park. In order to avoid his unstoppable fans, Elvis would sometimes rent the whole park. He was also very fond of watching movies, and, of course, he had the whole theater to himself.

In this picture, we can see Elvis relaxing in his Graceland porch in 1956. Fun fact about the King? He preferred Pepsi to Coca-cola! We’d have thought that the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll would go with the king of soda, but apparently, he liked the contender to the throne!

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Rare Pictures of Elvis Presley That Show The Rare Human Behind The Legend

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