In 1956, Alfred Wertheimer was asked by Presley’s new label, RCA Victor, to photograph Elvis Presley’s budding career just as it was about to take off in a way the world had never seen. With unimpeded access to the young performer, Wertheimer captured unguarded and everyday moments in Elvis’s life during that crucial year. It was a year that took him from Tupelo, Mississippi, to the silver screen, the verge of international stardom, and his crowning as the “King of Rock 'n' Roll.” As Wertheimer photographed Elvis during 1956, and again in 1958, he created classic images that are spontaneous, unrehearsed, and without artifice.
A PIVOTAL YEAR: Dubbed the “King of Rock ’n’ Roll” in 1956, 21-year-old Elvis, placed 17 songs on Billboard’s Top 100 singles chart, including 3 singles that reached #1, appeared multiple prime-time TV variety shows, performed 143 times in 79 different cities, and released his first film, Love Me Tender
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