Elvis Presley’s life began with a tragedy that happened only minutes before his own birth.
On January 8, 1935, Gladys Presley gave birth to twin boys inside the family’s tiny two-room house in Tupelo, Mississippi.
The first baby, Jesse Garon Presley, was stillborn.
About 35 minutes later, Elvis was born alive and healthy. Historical records describe Jesse as Elvis’s identical twin brother.
Gladys and Vernon Presley would never have another surviving child, leaving Elvis to grow up as their only son. Graceland says he became the center of his parents’ lives, especially for Gladys, who developed an exceptionally close bond with him.
Jesse was buried near Tupelo, while a memorial for him was later placed in the Meditation Garden at Graceland.
Elvis did not simply forget that he had been a twin. Accounts of his life say he spoke about Jesse throughout his lifetime, and biographers have often discussed how being the surviving twin may have affected the way Elvis thought about himself.
Elvis Presley’s Early Life in Tupelo
The story adds another layer to Elvis’s unusually strong attachment to his family.
He grew up poor, but Vernon and Gladys poured their attention into their only surviving child. When fame finally came, Elvis used his success to give his parents the security they had never enjoyed during his childhood.
He bought homes for them, moved them into Graceland and remained particularly devoted to Gladys until her death in 1958.
Millions eventually knew Elvis Presley as the King of Rock ’n’ Roll. But his story had begun as one of two brothers, with an absence that was there from his very first day.