Elvis Presley

If you love Elvis you will love this book. Everything you wanted to know about Elvis in astonishing detail: his life, his love of music, his movies and his career. 'If you had just landed on this planet and had no idea who Elvis Presley was, you might listen to a song and say, 'That's good', but if you walked into an arena and watched him perform, it would be a different beast altogether. He had incredible stage presence. If you want to know what the 'X Factor' really is, watch Elvis Presley' from the Foreword by Russell Watson. On Tuesday 16 August 1977 Elvis Presley collapsed and died in the bathroom of his home in Memphis. He was 42 years old. The media went into overdrive. On the news, there were pictures of fans weeping and late-night vigils. There were special supplements in the newspapers and experts analysed his career - the good and the bad, but never the ugly. Once again, Elvis Presley was the biggest-selling record artist on the planet. Spencer Leigh, renowned biographer, has written a masterful account about Elvis. He delves into how music became an integral part of the America's Deep South - Elvis' birthplace. He discusses what separated Elvis from his contemporaries, just how old was Priscilla when they first met, his bizarre relationship with his manager Colonel Parker, how did he reinvent himself for Las Vegas and most importantly, why did he have to die so young?

Spencer Leigh was born in Liverpool in 1945 and still lives there. He is an acknowledged expert on popular music, both as a broadcaster and journalist. His On The Beat programme has been on BBC Radio Merseyside over 30 years and he is regularly featured in Record Collector, Now Dig This and Country Music People. His many books include Best of the Beatles: The Sacking of Pete Best, The Cavern Club, Love Me Do to Love Me Don't: The Beatles on Record, Frank Sinatra: An Extraordinary Story and Simon and Garfunkel: Together Alone, all for McNidder & Grace.