The King of Rock and Roll’s earliest recorded material was up for grabs yesterday and bidders from all over the world scrambled to get their hands on the rare item.
The auction took place at Memphis’ Graceland estate on January 8th 2015, on what would have been Elvis’ 80th birthday.
The most prized object up for sale is described as ‘the most important 78 m record ever offered’.
The item in question is, ‘Lot 32: Elvis Presley’s First Recording Acetate‘. Recorded in 1953, at the Sam Phillips’ Memphis Recording Service, Elvis walked in and laid down two tracks ‘My Happiness’ (Side A) and ‘That’s When Your Heartaches Begin’ (Side B).
Elvis was asked by Marion Keisker, assistant to Sam Philips, who he sounded like? The young man simply replied: “I don’t sound like nobody.”
The version of ‘My Happiness’ is the only known copy of the song. ‘The King’ paid the hefty price of $4 to make the record as a birthday present for his mother Gladys.
It was estimated that to get your hands on this very rare vinyl, it was going to cost you an estimated €60,000 – €80,000.
Those predictions were a little off the mark. The bidding started at €42,000, but quickly rose to eventually sell for €255,000 to an undisclosed bidder.
There were several other interesting items up for sale including a collection of Christmas cards €800, a 1975 tour jacket €3000, his army first aid kit €4000, a watch €2,500, a signature pair of his prescription sunglasses €12,000, the singer’s first driving licence €16,000, an Elvis crown €1,200, and a sheriff’s badge used by the King in the sixties.