09/20/2026
Before the Cadillac, There Was a Work Truck
It’s strange to picture Elvis Presley this way.
No screaming fans. No gold records. No movie cameras. No famous pink Cadillac waiting outside.
In 1954, before the world knew his name, Elvis worked for Crown Electric Company in Memphis. He drove a delivery truck and was reportedly interested in training as an electrician.
At the time, music was still a dream rather than a guaranteed future.
Elvis would work during the day while continuing to chase opportunities to sing and record. Then everything began to change after his sessions with Scotty Moore and Bill Black helped produce the sound that would launch his professional recording career.
Within a remarkably short period, the young man driving around Memphis for work was suddenly hearing his own records on the radio.
Soon there would be Cadillacs, Hollywood contracts, packed concerts and crowds waiting everywhere he went.
But before all of that, there was simply Elvis Presley — a young man with a day job and an uncertain future.
⚡ Sometimes the most fascinating part of a famous life is remembering the moment when nobody knew what was coming next.
Could you imagine seeing Elvis driving a Crown Electric truck through Memphis in 1954 — and having no idea who he was about to become? ❤️
