Psychobiography on Elvis Presley Abstract

Elvis Presley is well known for his singing career. He was very successful and starred in many films and even made history with all his appearances on television. He sold over billions of records and won many Grammys and was known as the king of rock. Elvis Presley was a very generous and kind hearted man and had no problem sharing his wealth with all. However, Elvis was a different person on the inside then what he showed, his personality best reflects the theories of Carl Jung and Otto Kernberg.
Psychobiography on Elvis Presley Elvis Presley was a musician, singer and actor, born in Tupelo, Mississippi, on 8th January 1935. Despite the fact that he came from humble beginnings, he matured to become one of the greatest individuals in rock and roll. His presence on television, radio and screen began to be felt in mid-1950s (Guralnick, 2000). His early death in 1977 was as a result of heart failure due to drug addiction. However, even in his absence, Presley’s name is still popular and analysts believe that he is still a great music icon. As a result of the complex developmental history, comprehensive psychobiography of Elvis is a challenging task taking into consideration that there is a shortage of reliable information. However, experts such as Peter Whitmer, who is a clinical psychologist, have analyzed and composed a book-length psychological biography of Presley. Several aspects of psychobiography on Elvis have also been analyzed. Since Elvis became a famous personality, his name has been subjected to psychological speculation by several scholars. Psychiatrists and psychologists have been asked by journalists to diagnose Presley together with his fans. The questions became more insistent after the death of Presley (Rosenberg, 2011). However, theories we have learned in class can be used to describe Elvis in a psychological perspective, and he still remains a cultural and musical figure that continues to be published up to this moment. Factual bibliographies which have been published recently, such as those of Peter Guralnick, and jerry Hopkins, have not entirely ensiled the physiological developments of Elvis Presley. Examinations which have already been carried out are not only weak in theory but also in fact. However, scholars, such as Whitmer have put a great effort to analyze the Psychobiography development of Elvis Presley. Peter is more ambitious, when analyzing the psychological developments of Elvis, and he has even proposed the psychological nature of the “twinless twin” (Schultz, 2008). The twinless twins are children who were born twins, but one on them dies, or was separated from each other in their childhood. Whitner has analyzed the twinless twin from a distinctive psychological perspective. When analyzing the different personalities of Elvis, it is important to make a reference to some of the great materials he produced as a music icon. To start with, the twinless twin is in a dilemma because he wants to prove himself as a unique individual leading his own life. However, he is powerfully connected to his dead twin and he feels a great urge to reunite with him (McAdams, 2001). For instance, if he wants to win back his mothers love, he must shop show some emotions and grief for the death of his twin. However, he also has to establish his self-love as well as his own security, despite the fact that he is competing with an individual whom he is expected to mourn. First, it is critical to understand that Elvis was in fact the twinless twin because his own brother, Jesse, was still born. In other unpublished research documents, scholars have provided an example of twinless twins, but in Whitner’s book, Presley is the primary subject, if not the only example. When advancing a specific theoretical position, scholars, use psychobiography to illustrate new ideologies. It is well known that psychological ideologies can easily be accessed from the internet. For instance, Freud made a thorough examination of Leonard’s homosexuality (Guralnick, 2000). Second, Erikson examined the identity crisis which Martin Luther was associated with. When looking for accurate information related to early developments of Leonard, Freud encountered several challenges. The same situation applies to Erikson’s analysis of Martin Luther, since he had to rely on second-hand accounts of what was told by Luther’s followers. Critical analysis of psychobiography on Elvis Presley may have several challenges since books and research documents which we encounter may not be verified. The fact that Presley was the twinless twin, it is obvious that people have different opinions about his status. His status may still be a hidden secret since he never spoke about it in public (Rosenberg, 2011). Moreover, he never wrote about his status, neither did he disclose it in private. Different individuals who were part of his inner circle talked about the way Elvis used to listen to his dead twin. However, this only became evident after Elvis had passed on, and it was invented by scriptwriters when producing a television drama based on Elvis’ life. One of the main informants who were part of Elvis’ inner circle was known as Larry Geller. Geller has written several books and he has collaborated with other scholars to analyze the life of Elvis Presley. In addition, he has co-authored four books on Elvis and for more than 20 years, he has talked severally about the life and friends which Elvis associated with. There is a high possibility that Elvis really became fascinated with his dead twin or there were some mystic aspects of twin-ship (Schultz, 2008). However, according to some of the unverifiable aspects produced by Geller, Whitner has constructed a strong foundation on the different aspects of Elvis. Most of the major aspects of Elvis, according to different psychologists, are based on interrelated explanations of his public behavior and private psychology. Most of the analyses have been hypothesized according to basic psychology of the twinless twin. For instance, in examining the white and black musical styles used by Elvis, we can categorically say that he had "the fuel to make one form of music from two seemingly disparate parts that no one but a twinless twin could provide” (Elms, 1996). Moreover, the origins of his genius mind are often attributed to his stillborn twin, Jesse. Most of his memories which gave him a haunting experience provided a firm foundation to establish his musical destiny. Moreover, Elvis had a major psychological enmeshment with his parents especially due to the bonding that had been created with his departed twin. Naturally, Elvis transferred most of the sensory needs from his brother to his mother. In addition, during his early years of becoming famous, Elvis had a preference for black and pink costumes a well as cars. Psychologists argue that this preference is not only connected to his early development, but they can be associated with the life he led as a young boy. Most of his public persona consists of his own individuality as well as that of his brother, Jesse. The pink color can be associated with his soft nature as an infant while the black color can mean that he can become as harsh as death. Therefore, his entire persona made an autobiographical statement, which is not only concentrated to his personality, but the life he could have led with his departed twin (McAdams, 2001). It is important to note that the psychobiography on Elvis Presley can be verified due to the fact that scholars have made documents which have been prepared by key players. Most of the individuals were part of the supporting cast used to produce music and movies which Elvis was part of. In addition, the written documents did not depend entirely on published materials. Psychologists were determined to evaluate the true characteristic of Elvis, not only as a famous individual but also his private life. Moreover, experts noted that the status of a musical and cultural icon can be twisted to a level where the people are presented with information which is not trustworthy (Elms, 2003). In fact, Whitner, who is one of the leading scholars to analyze Elvis’ life, says that there are several modern-day impersonators of Elvis. This includes individuals who pretend to have concrete knowledge about Elvis, yet the information they present is at best, dubious. Scholars have tried to differentiate the true aspect of Elvis life so as to minimize the information which cannot be verified. For instance, Elvis was unable to manage the negative aspects which are associated with being a famous individual. He indulged in alcohol and drugs, which prompted his early death. Even currently, several famous personalities have succumbed to drug related illnesses which have significantly affected their careers. Despite the fact that Elvis came from a humble beginning, he made a lot of money after becoming a music icon, however, he did not put much effort towards protecting his heath status (Elms, 2003). From a psychological perspective, we can note that Elvis established a status that is still emulated by several individuals, but very few people have leant from what he experienced. Money can be worthwhile, but it can also damage not only the career of a famous personality, but it can also lead to an early death. A thorough analysis of Elvis has been presented severally and most of the available information is cited by different interviewees. However, there is a huge possibility of this information being exaggerated depending on the people who are analyzing the different aspect of a famous individual. Most of the analysts may have interacted individually with Elvis, and this implies that they hold different opinions of his lifestyle (Rosenberg, 2011). Therefore, current analysts who have to rely on different ideologies presented by past scholars must try to differentiate the between what is factual and what has been exaggerated. For instance, the twinless twin syndrome is highly connected to both the private and public life of Elvis. Moreover, it has also been characterized with people who were closely connected to his life. Therefore, it may be untrue to describe the life of Elvis based on the nature of people who he associated with. Although his close friends became part and parcel of the life Elvis led, there were individual characteristics which can be used to differentiate him from his life style (Elms, 1996). Different analysts argue that the dysfunctional family system which Elvis had is attributed to respective contributions of his parents. However, it is difficult to get some informative and straightforward contributions of his parents, friends, or the decisions he made individually. However, the efforts to explain Elvis Presley psychologically can be described as not only persuasive but also interesting.
References
Elms, A. C. (1996). Elvis: Nothin' but a Twinless Twin. Retrieved April 12, 2012, from http://www.ulmus.net/library/articlespage06ec.html?ID=90
Elms, A. C. (2003). A Presley Pathography. Retrieved April 11, 2012, from http://www.ulmus.net/ace/aceworks/presley.html
Guralnick, P. (2000). Careless Love: The Unmaking of Elvis Presley. Back Bay Books
McAdams, D. P. (2001). The psychology of life stories. Review of General Psychology, 5(2), 100-122.
Rosenberg, J. (2011). Elvis Presley: A Biography of the King of Rock 'n' Roll. Retrieved April 11, 2012, from http://history1900s.about.com/od/entertainers/a/elvis.htm
Schultz, W. T. (2008). Genius and Madness: From Elvis to Picasso and the thorny intersection of "madness" and creativity. Retrieved April 12, 2012, from http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/genius-and-madness/200804/elvis-was-too-lonesome-sing-lonesome