January 20th in Elvis History

It's January twentieth, and on this day in 1958, principal photography began on Elvis Presley’s second film for Paramount, *King Creole*. While filming on the lot, Elvis met one of his personal heroes, the legendary actor Marlon Brando, in the studio commissary. The meeting between the rising King of Rock and Roll and the brooding icon of method acting was brief but deeply meaningful for Elvis, who had long admired Brando's screen presence and dramatic style.

And on this day in 1969, Elvis returned to American Sound Studio in Memphis to record a song he had initially hesitated to tackle—*In the Ghetto*. With a growing conviction that it could become a hit, he pushed through 23 takes over the course of the night, finally wrapping up at 4 a.m. The socially conscious track would go on to become one of the most iconic songs of his late career.