An Elvis Sighting!

Tender
By Childress, Mark
1998-04 - Ballantine Books
9780345419033 Check the Library

East Tupelo was a sprinkling of poor houses at the scratched-out back edge of Mississippi--and the birthplace of a boy who would become the greatest rock legend of his time.
In Tender, novelist Mark Childress has redefined the American epic. He takes us on a wild ride through the last three decades as his fictional hero, Leroy Kirby, makes his meteoric rise to stardom, from the poverty-stricken child of an overprotective mother and absent father, to an icon who stands for everything American--a role that will ultimately consume him. After reading Tender, you will never think about the South, fame, or rock-and-roll the same way again. …More

Tender is so close to the facts that author Mark Childress might have decided to get it published as a biography of Elvis Presley. Instead, he wrote it as a novel of the early years of Leroy Kirby, rock n' roll superstar.

Not being an avid Elvis fan myself, I was unaware of the extremely humble beginnings of the Presley family - dirt-poor and only one step ahead of the law. The story of how Leroy/Elvis tried his utmost to leave his past behind and fulfill his dreams of adulation and wealth is fascinating indeed. Some of this is so unbelievable that I've got to read an actual Elvis biography to check it out!