1. Elvis’ income dropped from $400,000 a month to $78 a month after he was drafted into the U.S. Army on Dec. 19, 1957.
2. The King’s entourage were known collectively as the Memphis Mafia. All sported diamond and gold rings, given to them by Elvis, on which a thunderbolt and the letters TCB had been imprinted. TCB stood for “Taking Care of Business”.
3. The Beatles visited Elvis at his home in California on Aug. 27, 1965, joining him in an informal jam session that, tragically, wasn’t recorded.
4. Elvis called milk “butch”.
5. Elvis gave away so many cars – including Corvettes, Cadillacs and Lincolns – that nobody has ever been able to come up with an accurate count.
6. The King’s last car was a 1976 Cadillac Eldorado which sported gold-plated hubcaps, TV – and a bar.
7. Elvis’ concert jumpsuits were given names. They included: Peacock, White Prehistoric Bird, Flame, Gypsy, Mad Tiger and King of Spades.
8. The King’s manager, Colonel Tom Parker, made more than Elvis. He got 50% of what the star made from 1967 on and then earned extra pay as a technical adviser on Elvis’ films.
9. The King’s first guitar cost $12.95.
10. Football was The King’s favorite sport and the Cleveland Browns were his favorite team.
11. Elvis’ favorite movie was James Dean’s Rebel Without a Cause, which he memorized line by line.
12. Some of Elvis’s be jewelled jumpsuits weighed more than 25 pounds.
13. The first country to honor Elvis on a postage stamp was the Caribbean island nation of Grenada.
14. Elvis owned 37 guns and liked them so much that he wore a two-shot derringer during live performances in the 1970s.
15. Elvis’ natural hair color was blond, but he dyed it black.
16. Elvis was awarded two medals while serving in the Army, one for expert marksmanship and the other for sharpshooting.
17. Elvis wore a cross, the Hebrew letter chai, and a star of David around his neck. “I don’t want to miss out on heaven due to a technicality,” he said.
18. Elvis recorded more than 600 songs in his music career, but didn’t write a single one of them.
19. Elvis’ favorite meal: Pork chops with brown gravy and apple pie for dessert.
20. Among the many nicknames Elvis went by were: E, Big E, Big El, The Bopping Hillbilly, The Cat, The Chief, Mr. Dynamite and, of course, The King.
