Died at 91
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Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American businessman, entrepreneur, singer and actor. Dubbed the "King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. His energized interpretations of songs and sexually provocative performance style, combined with a singularly potent mix of influences across color lines during a transformative era in race relations, led him to both great success and initial controversy. Presley was born in Tupelo, Mississippi, and relocated to Memphis, Tennessee, with his family when he was 13 years old. His music career began there in 1954, recording at Sun Records with producer Sam Phillips, who wanted to bring the sound of European-American music to a wider audience. Presley, on rhythm acoustic guitar, and accompanied by lead guitarist Scotty Moore and bassist Bill Black, was a pioneer of rockabilly, an uptempo, backbeat-driven fusion of country music and rhythm and blues. In 1955, drummer D. J. Fontana joined to complete the lineup of Presley's classic quartet and RCA Victor acquired his contract in a deal arranged by Colonel Tom Parker, who would manage him for more than two decades. Presley's first RCA Victor single, "Heartbreak Hotel", was released in January 1956 and became a number-one hit in the United States. Within a year, RCA would sell ten million Presley singles. With a series of successful network television appearances and chart-topping records, Presley became the leading figure of the newly popular sound of rock and roll, though his performative style and promotion of the then-marginalized sound led to him being widely considered a threat to the moral well-being of the European-American youth. In November 1956, Presley made his film debut in Love Me Tender. Drafted into military service in 1958, Presley relaunched his recording career two years later with some of his most commercially successful work. He held few concerts, however, and guided by Parker, proceeded to devote much of the 1960s to making Hollywood films and soundtrack albums, most of them critically derided. Some of his most famous films included Jailhouse Rock (1957), Blue Hawaii (1961), and Viva Las Vegas (1964). In 1968, following a seven-year break from live performances, he returned to the stage in the acclaimed television comeback special Elvis, which led to an extended Las Vegas concert residency and a string of highly profitable tours. In 1973, Presley gave the first concert by a solo artist to be broadcast around the world, Aloha from Hawaii. Years of prescription drug abuse and unhealthy eating habits severely compromised his health, and he died suddenly in 1977 at his Graceland estate at the age of 42.
John Wayne is a former football player who tries to box in his spare time. He is already at 50 and his results are several wins against local opponents, but they are not good enough for his coach to be satisfied with. At that time, however, happiness smiles at Wayne. To the world boxing champion, Charles Drederick, his opponent gives up an agreed match for two WBA and IBF titles, and he needs to find a replacement. Drederick declares that he will give any boxer a chance to beat him in the ring and become a world champion. John Wayne, despite his wife's insistence, takes it as a challenge and finds a new coach, a former champion, James Sullivan, and begins to work like a future heavyweight champion, but is it enough? Before the agreed duel of John with the champion Drederick, he will face the Indian champion, Amrit Ravel, to show that he has what it takes to box for the title, John defeated him by K.O. in 7th round. But no one still trusts him and gives him no chance. Although John Wayne knows he has no chance to beat him, he is determined to endure all fifteen rounds of the match. He enters the match as a complete outsider. John's wife Rose is afraid, but in the end she stands by him and supports. John in the ring gives Drederick a lot of work but loses narrowly to points, John is a hero and he doesn't give up. John competes for IBO with Larry Ellis 2 months later, wins K.O. in 5th round and challenges Drederick to retaliation.
