艾维斯普里斯莱；猫王(1935～1977年)

Presley, Elvis (Aaron)

美国流行歌手，「摇滚乐之王」。出生於密西西比州图珀洛，在孟菲斯长大，从小唱的是五旬节教会音乐，听的是黑人音乐家的蓝调音乐和电台大奥普里（Grand Ole Opry）广播。还听过黑人音乐家的蓝调音乐。1954年他开始为制作人菲利普斯（Sam Phillips）录唱片，这位制作人一直在寻找一位声音酷似黑人的白人歌手。1956年在新经理人「团长」派克（Tom Parker）的掌控下，他发行了专辑《心碎旅店》，这张包括了〈猎犬〉、〈全身摆动〉的歌曲成为了他的首张白金唱片，此後还有无数张白金唱片问世。同年，他还主演了全部三十三部演技普通电影中的第一部《温柔地爱我》，还出现在许多电视节目中，其中最着名的是「埃德.沙利文剧场」。他的无数歌迷，其中大多数为女性，狂热的崇拜他。1958年到1960年的军队服役结束後，他重新开始了录音和表演，在早期的那种沙哑的风格已有所缓和。1968年他开始了一场以拉斯维加斯为基地的与管弦乐队和福音唱诗班合作的巡回演出。普里斯莱开始对抗强大的公众压力、体重增加和对毒品的依赖，经历了人生的最低潮时期。四十二岁时去世，原因是自然死亡。数十万的歌迷在他孟菲斯的豪宅格雷斯兰为他哀悼，这栋房子至今仍是其仰慕者的朝圣地。普利斯莱在世时其唱片销量超过了五亿张，这也使他成为唱片史上最成功的独唱艺术家。

English version：

1935～1977年

Presley, Elvis (Aaron)

U.S. popular singer, the “King of Rock and Roll.” Born in Tupelo, Miss., Presley was raised in Memphis, where he sang Pentecostal church music and listened to black bluesmen and Grand Ole Opry broadcasts. In 1954 he began to record for the producer Sam Phillips, who had been searching for a white singer who sounded like a black man. In 1956, under his new manager, “Colonel” Tom Parker, he released “Heartbreak Hotel,” the first of numerous million-selling hits, including “Hound Dog” and “All Shook Up.” In the same year, he appeared in Love Me Tender, the first of 33 mediocre films, and on several TV shows, notably the “Ed Sullivan Show.” Presley's intensely charismatic style—including his sexy hip shaking, ducktail haircut, and characteristic sneer—excited young fans, especially females, to wild adulation. After a stint in the army (1958-60) he resumed recording and acting, but his earlier raucous style was moderated. In 1968 he introduced a Las Vegas-based touring act with orchestra and gospel-type choir. Battling public pressures, weight gain, and drug dependence, he underwent a personal decline. His death at 42, attributed to natural causes, was mourned by hundreds of thousands of fans at Graceland, his Memphis estate, which remains a place of pilgrimage. Over 500 million of his records are claimed to have been sold during his lifetime, making him the most successful solo recording artist in history.