Gatto Kimberly - All the Kings Horses: the Equestrian Life of Elvis Presley

Table of Contents

WORDS AND MUSIC BY EVERETT BROWN

Summertime had final arrived

I was living in Memphis, the King was alive

My car broke down and I was walking to a phone

Past gates of iron and a wall of stone

CHORUS:

I saw the King riding Rising Sun

Early one morning cross the Graceland lawn

Shining like a diamond in the delta dawn

I saw the King riding Rising Sun

I never shall forget that face

Clean-shaven every hair in place

Around his throat he wore a purple scarf

His bodyguard behind him in a white golf cart

Rising Sun was the horses name

A Palomino with a golden mane

A silver saddle and a flashing stride

A pony fit for a king to ride

CHORUS:

I was wishing for a camera along about then

All I had on me was a paper and pen

I held it high as he rod by

Thats the way it was for the King and I

The tabloids tell us the King has been seen

In Mississippi playing a slot machine

But I know better that the King is gone

Whatever happened to Rising Sun?

I saw the King riding Rising Sun

Early one morning cross the Graceland lawn

Shining like a diamond in the delta dawn

I saw the King riding Rising Sun

Copyright Everett Brown 2003

April 25, 1912: Elviss mother, Gladys Love Smith, is born in Pontotoc County, Mississippi to Robert and Octavia Doll (Mansell) Smith.

April 10, 1916: Elviss father, Vernon Elvis Presley, is born to Jessie and Minnie May (Hood) Presley in Fulton, Mississippi.

June 17, 1933: Vernon Presley and Gladys Smith are married in Pontotoc County, Mississippi.

January 8, 1935: Gladys Presley gives birth to twin sons, Jessie Garon and Elvis Aaron, at 4:00 AM and 4:35 AM, respectively. Tragically, Jessie Garon is stillborn. (Elviss middle name was listed as Aron on his birth certificate, which Elvis changed to the biblical spelling as an adult.)

January 9, 1935: Jessie Garon Presley is buried at Priceville Cemetery in an unmarked grave.

January 8, 1946: Elvis receives a guitar for his birthday. Legend states that he had wanted either a bicycle or a rifle, but his mother convinced him to choose a guitar instead.

Late 1948: Elvis and his parents relocate to Memphis, Tennessee with their belongings packed in a trunk, which is strapped to the roof of their 1939 Plymouth automobile. They make their home in a public housing project in Memphis.

June 3, 1953: Elvis graduates from L. C. Humes High School. During high school, he works at various jobs to help support his family, including a stint as an usher at a movie theater.

1953: Elvis creates a demo of the songs My Happiness and Thats When Your Heartaches Begin for his mother at The Memphis Recording Service at the Sun Record Company. At the time, Elvis worked as a truck driver.

1954: Elvis releases his first song, Thats All Right, on the Sun label. He and his band begin to perform at various small venues throughout the South.

August 15, 1955: Colonel Tom Parker becomes Elviss manager.

November 20, 1955: Elvis signs his first contract with RCA Records. He is paid $40,000, with a $5,000 bonus.

January 10, 1956: Elvis records the song Heartbreak Hotel at his first session with RCA Records.

January 27, 1956: Heartbreak Hotel is released by RCA. The song goes on to sell more than 300,000 copies in its first three weeks. Heartbreak Hotel earns Elvis his first gold record award.

January 28, 1956: Elvis makes his first network television appearance on Stage Show on the CBS network.

March 1, 1956: Elvis performs a screen test for Hal Wallis and Paramount Studios, which eventually results in his casting in the film Love Me Tender.

March 13, 1956: Elviss first album, Elvis Presley, is released.

Summer 1956: Elvis spends time riding horses at the Gulf Hills Dude Ranch with girlfriend June Juanico.

Summer 1956: Elvis makes TV appearances on both The Milton Berle Show and The Steve Allen Show.

August 1956: Elvis begins shooting Love Me Tender, which involves riding and driving horses.

September 9, 1956: Elvis appears for the first time on The Ed Sullivan Show.

November 16, 1956:Love Me Tender opens at the Paramount Theater in New York City.

January 1957: Elvis begins work on his next film, Loving You, in which one scene is filmed in front of a horse paddock.

March 1957: Elvis purchases Graceland for his parents and himself.

May 1957: Elvis begins production on the film Jailhouse Rock, in which he stars as ex-con Vince Everett.

December 1957: Elvis receives his draft notice. He requests and is granted an extension in order to film the movie King Creole.

January 1958: Elvis begins work on the film King Creole. He would receive excellent reviews for his acting in this film.

March 24, 1958: Elvis is inducted into the U.S. Army.

August 14, 1958: Elviss beloved mother, Gladys, passes away, leaving Elvis devastated.

October 1, 1958: Elvis arrives in Germany for his Army service. He will eventually be promoted to sergeant.

September 1959: Elvis meets his future wife, Priscilla Beaulieu, in Germany.

March 5, 1960: Elvis is officially discharged from active duty.

April 1960: Elvis begins filming G.I. Blues.

August 1960: Elvis begins work on Flaming Star, which includes a substantial amount of horseback riding.

November 1960: Elvis begins filming Wild in the Country.

March 1961: Elvis begins filming Blue Hawaii, which includes a scene where he rides a horse on the beach.

July 1961: Elvis begins work on Follow That Dream.

October 1961: Elvis reports for filming on Kid Galahad.

March 1962: Elvis begins work on Girls! Girls! Girls!

August 1962: Elvis begins filming It Happened at the Worlds Fair.

January 1963: Elvis begins work on Fun in Acapulco.

July 1963: Elvis starts filming Viva Las Vegas, which costars Ann-Margret. The two will remain close friends for the remainder of Elviss life.

October 1963: Elvis begins work on Kissin Cousins.

March 1964: Elvis begins filming Roustabout.

July 1964: Elvis begins shooting Girl Happy.

October 1964: Elvis starts work on Tickle Me, which includes a scene where he sings in a stable of horses.

March 1965: Elvis begins filming Harum Scarum, which includes a horseback riding scene.

May 1965: Elvis begins filming Frankie and Johnny