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Historical event

Elvis Presley · 1959

Elvis Presley

Historical music event in the Radio Music History database.

October 2, 1959Legal⭐⭐⭐⭐

Description

In communist East Germany, 15 teenagers were imprisoned in Leipzig after marching through the streets, chanting “Long live Elvis Presley,” and mocking officially approved local music. Authorities described their rock 'n' roll demonstration as capitalist subversion and sentenced them to terms ranging from six months to more than four years in prison; one source gives the upper limit as four and a half years.

Related events

  1. Elvis PresleyAugust 10, 1959
    Chart⭐⭐⭐⭐
    Elvis Presley reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with “A Big Hunk O' Love.” The song was recorded during Elvis’s only recording session while serving in the US Army, in four takes, with the released version assembled from the third and fourth takes.
  2. Elvis PresleyAugust 3, 1959
    Chart⭐⭐⭐⭐
    “A Big Hunk O' Love” became Elvis Presley’s 14th consecutive gold record.
  3. Elvis PresleyAugust 6, 1959
    Personal⭐⭐⭐
    Elvis Presley was serving in the military in Germany.
  4. Elvis PresleyAugust 15, 1959
    Chart⭐⭐⭐⭐
    The single “A Big Hunk O' Love” reached No. 1 on the US chart.
  5. Elvis PresleyAugust 17, 1959
    Chart⭐⭐⭐⭐
    Elvis Presley had the song “A Big Hunk O’ Love” at No. 1 on the chart for a second consecutive week, bringing his career total to 60 weeks at the top.
  6. Elvis PresleyAugust 21, 1959
    Other⭐⭐⭐
    Elvis was serving in the military in Germany. From February 3, 1959 to March 1960, he lived at Goethestraße 14 in Bad Nauheim, Germany.
  7. Elvis PresleyAugust 22, 1959
    Chart⭐⭐⭐
    Elvis's song “My Wish Came True” reached No. 12 on the U.S. chart.
  8. Elvis PresleySeptember 3, 1959
    Chart⭐⭐⭐⭐
    “A Big Hunk O’ Love” became Elvis Presley’s fourteenth consecutive gold record. The recording was made in Nashville during his military service and was Presley’s first hit without guitarist Scotty Moore and bassist Bill Black.
  9. Elvis PresleyAugust 11, 1958
    Chart⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
    Elvis Presley's “Hard Headed Woman” became the first rock'n'roll single to receive RIAA Gold certification. At the time, a Gold single required documented US sales of at least one million copies.
  10. Elvis PresleyAugust 7, 1958
    Personal⭐⭐⭐
    Elvis Presley absolvoval vojenský výcvik ve Fort Hood v Texasu v rámci pokročilého výcviku obsluhy tanků u 2. obrněné divize.
  11. Elvis PresleyAugust 13, 1958
    Personal⭐⭐⭐⭐
    During his military service in Memphis, Elvis spent most of the day and evening at the hospital with his mother, Gladys Presley.
  12. Elvis PresleyAugust 14, 1958
    Personal⭐⭐⭐⭐
    While staying at home at Graceland, he received a telephone call from his father telling him that his mother Gladys had died. She died at the age of 46. At the time, he was a private in the US Army stationed at Fort Hood, Texas, and was home on emergency leave. At her funeral two days later, he was so overcome with grief that he could not stand and had to be supported. More than 500 police officers supervised the service to keep the enormous crowd from gaining access.