The music industry has had its share of kings, queens and even a Prince, but among all the royalty, only one can simply be called ‘The King.’ Elvis Presley may not have invented rock n’ roll but he sure made it the most popular music genre of the late 20th century. Any account of his career is bound to be teeming with all sorts of superlatives so bear with us, The King is hard to summarize; unless you’re John Lennon—another musical demigod—who said, “Before Elvis, there was nothing.” Very apt.

Born to a poor family in Mississippi, Elvis nevertheless enjoyed a loving home where he received support and encouragement for his interest in music. His teenage years were spent in Memphis, which impressed Elvis with its rich history of rhythm & blues, gospel and country music. After high school was over, the aspiring musician headed to famous Sun Records to record two songs as a birthday present to his mother, with whom he had a strong bond. The folks around the studio took note of the young man’s vocal abilities and invited him to try out several songs until he hit upon a fast, jumping improvisation of the blues song “That’s All Right Mama.” Sun Records cut a record with that song and a similar treatment of “Blue Moon of Kentucky” on the B-side and introduced the world to Elvis. The two singles appealed to almost every taste because they sounded like R&B, country and rock all at once. Elvis’s good looks didn’t hurt either and his tour of the American South produced fainting and weak knees all around.

At this time, Colonel Tom Parker became Elvis’s manager, a post he held until the singer’s death. The Colonel signed Elvis with RCA Records and the young musician immediately produced a hit with “Heartbreak Hotel,” an instant #1 success across the charts. The hits kept on coming: “Hound Dog,” “Don’t Be Cruel” and “Love Me Tender” made 1956 the Year of the Elvis. The whole country got to see Presley up close and personal when he made guest appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show and The Milton Berle Show, even if the cameras had to shoot him from the waist up because his hip-swiveling dance moves were considered virtually pornographic at the time.

All that fame couldn’t be contained in the music business alone, so Elvis found himself acting in his first film, a Western set during the American Civil War. Audiences discovered that not only could Elvis sing and gyrate his hips, but he could act as well. He went on to star in many films after that, becoming a veritable double threat as musician/actor. He filmed three movies in one year, all of them featuring lavish musical numbers that showed off the star’s versatility.

In the midst of all this popularity, Uncle Sam put a damper on things by drafting Presley into the Army, breaking the hearts of millions. Elvis continued to stay in the spotlight throughout his tour of duty and by 1960 he was back in Memphis. He did suffer a personal tragedy during this time, however: his beloved mother, Gladys, died of hepatitis in 1958.

Leaving no doubt as to his return, Elvis churned out more hits in the studio and appeared in a television special with Frank Sinatra. He also starred in another movie, G.I. Blues, influenced by his recent stint in the Army; the next movie, Blue Hawaii also had a hit soundtrack that included one of his best-known songs (though really, all his songs are ‘best-known’), “Can’t Help Falling In Love.” For the majority of the 60s, Presley concentrated on films and their soundtracks, leading fans to complain that Elvis had neglected his music career. That grousing soon stopped when Presley appeared in a TV special titled Elvis that varied lavish musical numbers with footage of jam sessions between Elvis and his Sun Records studio band. The show was an immense hit and after one more film, Presley returned to the recording studio for “Suspicious Minds” and “Kentucky Rain” among others. He alternated studio time with live performances in Las Vegas, where he became a star attraction (and planted the seeds for thousands of Elvis impersonators).

The early 70s continued to bring a steady stream of hit singles and one of the singer’s best albums, Elvis Country. The world was hungry for The King, but Presley decided to spend more time at his sprawling ranch, Graceland, and he limited his public appearances. He didn’t withdraw from the public eye completely and he still released the occasional single. But his health had started an unstoppable downward spiral, mostly due to drug addiction, alcohol abuse and weight issues. In 1977, The King was found dead in his home. The next day, the gates of Graceland were besieged by grieving fans that wanted to say a final farewell to their beloved idol.

Thirty years after his death, Elvis is still the basis of a solid rock n’ roll education. Every aspiring musician and casual fan recognizes how important Presley’s contribution has been to modern music. There is only one Elvis and he will always be The King.