ON THIS DAY IN 1954, MUSIC HISTORY WAS MADE AS ELVIS PRESLEY SIGNED HIS FIRST RECORD DEAL

Presley had relocated to Memphis, Tennessee with his family, and was working as a truck driver for the Crown Electric company. He went into Sun Records in August of 1953 to cut a first single, and a receptionist took down his name. Throughout the next year, Presley recorded a couple of other songs until his eventual signing on the 12th of July, 1954.

Presley began working with producer Sam Philips, who was primarily concerned with mainstreaming the sounds of African-American music and making them more accessible. This tactic was immediately successful, as when Presley debuted on the radio, stations were inundated with requests to know more about the young singer.

Elvis went on to play his first live show on the 17th of July, at the Bon Air club, playing alongside two local musicians. This is where Elvis pioneered his signature leg-shaking dance moves, apparently starting as a combination of his rhythmic responses and nervousness at playing for such a large crowd. The moves reportedly caused many a young woman in the crowd to start screaming. And so began the career of a truly remarkable performer and one of the first rock and roll greats.