Product Description

That voice, those eyes, that hair, the cars, the girls...Elvis Presley revolutionized American pop culture when, at the age of twenty-one, he became the world's first modern superstar. A Memphis Beau Brummel even before he found fame, Elvis had a personal style that, like his music, had such a direct impact on his audience that it continues to influence us to this day. Elvis Presley compellingly examines Elvis' life and style to reveal the generous, complex, spiritual man behind the fourteen-carat-gold sunglasses and answers the question, "Why does Elvis matter?"

"Elvis Presley is the greatest cultural force in the twentieth century," proclaimed Leonard Bernstein. By any measure, Presley's life was remarkable. From his modest beginnings in a two-room house to his meteoric rise to international fame, everything about his life -- his outsized talent to his car collection -- clamored for attention. And he got it; even today, Elvis continues to fascinate.

Written with the assistance of Elvis Presley Enterprises, Pamela Clarke Keogh's biography draws on extensive research and interviews with Presley friends and family, among them Priscilla Presley, Joe Esposito, Jerry Schilling, Larry Geller, Bernard Lansky, famed Hollywood photographer Bob Willoughby, and designer Bill Belew. Offered access to the Graceland archives, the author considered thousands of images, selecting more than one hundred color and black-and-white photographs for this book, many of them rarely seen before.

Both a significant biography of the greatest entertainer of our time and a provocative celebration of what Presley means to America today, Elvis Presley introduces the man behind the myth, a very human superstar beloved by millions.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #654831 in Books
• Published on: 2004-07-06
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 272 pages

From Publishers Weekly
In this slim illustrated volume, icon biographer Keogh (Audrey Style; Jackie Style) presents an homage to Elvis from a unique perspective, explaining how his inimitable style-not just the way he dressed, but also the way he spoke and behaved-influenced the music and the sensibilities of Americans unlike anyone before or after him. He was "the original Slim Shady," Keogh writes; "his appearance on Ed Sullivan ripped the 1950s in half." "Before Elvis, there was nothing," John Lennon said. Keough breaks down the Pelvis’s life into chronological chapters, from Elvis’s early days in Memphis through his last days at Graceland. Keough highlights major milestones as well as small, personal anecdotes, and includes essays such as "Elvis’ closet," which recounts his style choices. ("Things the King Never Wore-Baseball caps, Dockers, golf shirts, boxer shorts with funny patterns, rep ties, clogs, a Snugli, Earth shoes, a fanny pack, you get the idea.") And she gives an especially moving account of the early relationship between the singer and his 14-year-old love, Priscilla Beaulieu. Appealing though uninspired photographs of Elvis at moments of celebrity and privacy round out this intimate portrait of a man who was larger than life.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
Keogh freshens up a musty biographical perennial by making Elvis' style--his manners, grooming, clothes, interior design choices, and preferences in consumer goods--the leitmotif of an otherwise breezy overview. Her bottom line is that Elvis was cool, cooler than any other man of the twentieth century. Shy with the ingrained inferiority of deep poverty, he asserted himself early with his long, greased hair and, once the Lansky brothers opened their men's store in Memphis, just in time for Elvis' upper teens, clothes otherwise favored by black entertainers. At the other end of her account of the rock 'n' roll king, Keogh rhapsodizes about the decor at Graceland. The author of previous books on the stylistic impacts of Audrey Hepburn and Jackie Kennedy, Keogh certainly speaks with authority about mid-twentieth-century American fashion, but she can be a little off when the subject is Elvis' music; for instance, she misquotes the opening lines of his first, regional hit, "That's All Right, Mama." Profusely illustrated with some of the King's most flattering photos. Ray Olson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

About the Author
Pamela Clarke Keogh is the author of the internationally bestselling biographies Audrey Style and Jackie Style. Educated at Vassar College, she lives in New York City and heads down to Memphis whenever she can. Her website is: www.pamelaclarkekeogh.com.

Customer Reviews

Ray Fitzpatrick
I have been a lifelong Elvis fan from collecting his records and pictures to every article and book I could get my hands on. I thought I knew as much as anyone could know about Elvis. I was dead wrong. Pamela Keogh's fresh and insiteful look at Elvis Presley's life and career had me entranced. From the minute I read the first page I knew I could not put this book down. Her take on Elvis and the incredible impact he had on the world is compelling. I would highly recommend this book to everyone whether an Elvis fan or not. And to Pamela Keough I say bravo "a brilliant writer who gets it"

Elvis Presley: The Man. The Life. The Legend.
Pamela Clarke Keogh's biography of Elvis is quite witty and insightful. I think that the greatest accomplishment of the author is her ability to respect Elvis and present him as a human being. In doing so, she doesn't overemphasize either his great sucesses or faults but instead she writes about his enduring character traits. Also, she adequately discusses his life story through the narratives of people who actually knew him. I really enjoyed this book and I'm sure that other Elvis fans will too.

The cream of the crop
More books have been written about Elvis Presley than any other celebrity in the history of show busines. After reading only a few pages of Pamela Keogh's book, I was deeply engrossed and it became obvious to me that she had tapped into the very essence of Elvis' life. And what a joy every page from start to finish turned out to be! Her fresh, revealing and well-rounded account rings loud and clear. Knowing Elvis as I did (I was his personal hairstylist and close friend), I can say without reservation that the reader will experience new and revealing insights as they are skillfully taken into an exciting tour-de-force encompassing all aspects of Elvis' life and career. This book is a must for everyone!