Elvis Day by Day: The Definitive Record of His Life and Music

by Peter Guralnick, Ernst Jorgensen

From Elvis' foremost biographer, Peter Guralnick, author of the bestselling two-volume biography, Last Train to Memphis and Careless Love, and Ernst Jorgensen, the premier archivist and reissue producer of Elvis' recorded work, comes a unique chronicle of Elvis Presley's life and music. Granted unprecedented access to hundreds of thousands of photos, documents, letters, artifacts, and memorabilia by Elvis Presley Enterprises, Guralnick and Jorgensen present the King as you've never seen him before. Elvis Day by Day is a complete account of public, private, rare, forgotten, and renowned moments, captured with such detail and immediacy they read like diary entries in a life--from first steps to the first time the young "hillbilly cat" stepped on stage; from the creation of a revolutionary new sound to the last days of a universally known, tragically misunderstood music legend.

Lavishly illustrated with more than three hundred color and black-and-white photographs, this one-of-a-kind volume features such hitherto unknown details of Elvis' childhood in Tupelo as a father's touching postcards from prison and the family's backbreaking struggle to make ends meet. It includes Elvis' first work application at eighteen in which he describes his leisure-time activities as "sing[ing], playing ball, working on car, going to movies." At last, the complete story of how Elvis met his legendary manager, Colonel Tom Parker, is revealed in detail, and long-debated mysteries like Elvis's famous lost tryout for the Arthur Godfrey show are finally put to rest. In addition, the reader will find an invaluable and reliable reference guide to every recording session, record release, song hit, movie, and live performance (including a number of shows not previously documented)--clearing up in the process many misconceptions and misunderstandings about Elvis' life.

All the facts are here--from Elvis's unlikely visit with President Nixon in 1970 to his spontaneous articulation of patriotism and pride in a 1957 telegram to a marine private (coincidentally named Nixon). Within these facts are a story: funny, sad, sometimes uplifting, occasionally disturbing--but always fascinating for the disarmingly unbuttoned, behind-the-scenes view of a celebrated life.

From private moments to public milestones, this is the first complete and accurate chronology of Elvis' life, in a form that offers instant accessibility to Elvis expert and casual reader alike. Elvis Day by Day is an extraordinary piece of American musical history, bringing the life and times of Elvis Presley into dazzling focus for the record--and for the ages.

Genres: Music, Biography, History, Nonfiction, Reference

400 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 1999

About the author

Peter Guralnick is an acclaimed American music critic, author, and screenwriter best known for his deeply researched works on the history of rock and roll. He earned a master’s degree in creative writing from Boston University and soon began writing about blues, country, soul, and early rock music. His two-volume biography of Elvis Presley, Last Train to Memphis and Careless Love, is considered a definitive account of the singer’s life. Guralnick also authored landmark biographies of Sam Cooke and Sam Phillips, earning praise from critics and musicians alike. He has written liner notes for legends like Jerry Lee Lewis and Charlie Rich, winning a Grammy for his notes on Sam Cooke Live at the Harlem Square Club. His documentary scripts include Sam Cooke – Legend and Feel Like Going Home, directed by Martin Scorsese. Guralnick’s writing stands apart for its straightforward, unembellished style, earning him a reputation as one of rock’s most respected storytellers. He has taught at Vanderbilt University since 2005 and was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 2010. His recent works include Looking to Get Lost and a forthcoming biography of Colonel Tom Parker. Guralnick lives with his wife, Alexandra, and their family. His extensive archive is housed at the University of North Carolina’s Wilson Library.

Reviews

[Neal Umphred · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are lots and lots of books about Elvis Presley, most of them probably of no interest to anyone but the hardest of hardcore fans. But there are a few that should be of interest to researchers and historians of both Presley and rock & roll in general. Among these, ELVIS DAY BY DAY ranks among the most essential if only for the chunks of record facts and sales figures provided by Jorgensen throughout the book.

As another reviewer here at Goodreads noted, it's a pretty dry read if you're looking at it as a biography. If a biography is what you need, Guralnick's LAST TRAIN TO MEMPHIS is a must-read.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7...

[David Ward · Rating 3 out of 5]

Elvis Day By Day: The Definitive Record of His Life and Music by Peter Guralnick and Ernst Jorgensen (Ballantine Books 1999) (780.92) (3416). Author Peter Guralnick has compiled a chronology of Elvis' life from his birth in Tupelo, Mississippi on January 8, 1935 through his death in Memphis, Tennessee on August 16, 1977 at the age of 42. This book serves up “Elvis lite,” but it is full of good pictures. My rating: 7/10, finished 1/27/20 (3416).

[Dean · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are a handful of sources that will tell you what you really need to know about Mr. Presley: this book, "Elvis Day by Day"; the chapter of Greil Marcus's "Mystery Train" entitled "Elvis: Presliad"; Peter Guralnick's two-volume bio of Elvis; and Ernst Jorgensen's book on Elvis's recording sessions. The rest of the hundreds of books you can find on Presley will add something, but are not fundamental like those just listed.

"Elvis Day by Day" is out of print but you can find clean copies from used book sources. Well worth it.

[Steven Chernikeeff]

Bit dry but interesting none-the-less

[Phoebe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Guralnick is pretty awsome.

And I am thanked in this book too...

And I still have my edit copy somewhere...

[Monica]

I must have 1000 books on my to read, maybe-someday and can-read-a-bit-at-a-time-shelves. Somebody help me.

[Joe Hilley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lots of detail for Elvis fans.