Before he was the King of Rock ’n’ Roll, Elvis Presley was just a shy kid from Tupelo, Mississippi, with a shaky voice and a whole lot of nerves. But every legend has a starting point — and for Elvis, it all began with a little recording at a Memphis studio in the summer of 1953.

The First Recording

At just 18 years old, Elvis walked into Sun Studio (then known as the Memphis Recording Service) with a few dollars in his pocket. He wanted to make a record — not for fame, but as a gift for his mother, Gladys.

That first song? “My Happiness.”

It was a pop ballad, not the hip-shaking rock Elvis would later be known for. The recording also included “That’s When Your Heartaches Begin.” Neither track set the world on fire, but they marked the moment when Elvis first stepped in front of a microphone.

The Breakthrough Song

Fast forward to July 1954. Elvis, along with guitarist Scotty Moore and bassist Bill Black, cut a track at Sun Studio that changed everything: “That’s All Right.”

It wasn’t planned. The guys were fooling around between takes when Elvis launched into an upbeat version of Arthur Crudup’s blues tune. Sam Phillips, the studio owner, knew instantly they had something special.

“That’s All Right” was released as Elvis’s first single — and in many ways, it’s the song that birthed rock ’n’ roll as we know it.

Why It Matters

So, what was Elvis’s first song?

• Technically: My Happiness (his very first recording in 1953).

• Officially, as an artist: That’s All Right (his first single in 1954).

Both moments matter. One was the private gift of a son to his mom, the other the spark that set the music world on fire.

Final Thought

Elvis didn’t just walk into Sun Studio and become the King overnight. He started small, with a ballad for his mother, before stumbling into the raw, revolutionary sound that would define his career.

From My Happiness to That’s All Right, the journey of Elvis’s first songs reminds us that even legends start with baby steps — and sometimes, a little gift for mom can change music history forever.

Sam