Do you consider yourself to be a major Elvis Presley fan? Well, if you do, there’s a good chance that you know plenty of facts about him, besides being familiar with his brilliant music. However, even the most die-hard fans of the singer aren’t likely to know every single thing about him. In fact, here are a few odd facts about Elvis that are sure to surprise you.
Elvis had a twin
Elvis was born on January 8, 1935, but he wasn’t the only baby in the womb – he actually had a twin brother. Sadly, however, his twin didn’t make it and ended up being stillborn. Elvis’s parents still chose to name the baby, calling him Jesse Garon Presley. Elvis was given the middle name Aron as a reminder of his brother, but he later changed it to Aaron.
Elvis is believed to have always remembered his brother, and it is said that his interest in spirituality was partly motivated by his death. There are even rumors that he would speak to his brother at night when he was a kid.
Elvis’s favorite pet was a chimp
When you’re rich like Elvis, you get to have the option of owning exotic pets. Do you remember when Michael Jackson had a chimpanzee? Well, before Michael made it cool to own a chimp, it was Elvis who set the trend. The chimpanzee’s name was Scatter, and Elvis actually purchased him from a Memphis-based entertainer who used him as a prop in his shows. Scatter was known to be a naughty little chimp, and Elvis is said to have adored him.
Elvis was a fan of Captain Marvel Jr.
Like most mere mortals, Elvis too loved superheroes, and his favorite was Captain Marvel Jr. In fact, it is believed that his style and appearance were inspired by the character. This included everything from his sideburns, to his hair, and even the caped jumpsuits.
He also adopted the lighting bolt symbol as his own. Even though it was unofficial, he made sure it was used everywhere, including on the wall of his TV room, his jewelry, and on his private aircraft. The creators of Captain Marvel Jr. returned the favor by creating a character inspired by Elvis, called King Marvel, and even getting Captain Marvel Jr. himself to call Elvis a great modern-day philosopher.
He had a standard grocery list
When you’re as rich and awesome as Elvis, you can make sure you never run out of certain things. Elvis’s “grocery list” included pickles, banana pudding, shredded coconut, sauerkraut, Feen-a-Mint, six biscuit cans, lean bacon, and a few other things. It sure was great to be Elvis.
He was trained in the martial arts
Elvis served in the army, where he also gained an interest in martial arts. He actually trained in karate for about 15 years, progressing all the way to becoming a black belt, which is the highest rank in karate. He liked it so much that he decided to open a karate school in Memphis and even had a collection of books on the topic.
