Jesse D. McClowell Presley
Jesse D. McClowell Presley
Jesse D. McClowell Presley (April 9, 1896 – November 17, 2002) was the grandfather of rock & roll superstar Elvis Presley. He was born in Itawamba County, Mississippi.
He married Gladys Smith, the mother of Elvis, when he was 17 years old. They had two sons, Vernon and Jessie D. He was convicted of altering a check in 1938 and spent eight months in prison.
His Life
Presley was born in Itawamba County, Mississippi on April 9, 1896. He was the son of Jesse D. McDowell and Rosella Dunning (Rosella Presley).
He lived at 29 Saltillo Road in East Tupelo, Lee County, Mississippi with his mother and his grandmother, Doll Mansell. He worked as a lumberjack in the winter and was a sharecropper during the summer.
When he was fifteen, he was kicked out of his home and sent to a relative’s farm in Pickets, Mississippi for a year. He was supposed to straighten himself out, but he never did.
In 1954, Presley recorded his first single. It was a hit on Memphis radio station WHBQ. He was subsequently signed to a contract with the Louisiana Hayride, a country music radio show.
His Family
Elvis Presley’s mother, Gladys Smith, was a poor sharecropper, and she had to work several jobs in order to provide for her family. Despite their financial difficulties, Vernon and Gladys Presley were proud of their son, and they did everything they could to make him successful in music.
In the early years of his life, Elvis grew up in a close-knit family. He was surrounded by aunts, uncles, and cousins who all lived in Tupelo.
His father, Vernon Presley, was a hard-working man who did what he could to support his family. He had a strict and loving relationship with his son, and he was always proud of him.
After Elvis’s death, his estate went to his sister Lisa Marie Presley. She became the sole heir to Graceland and his fortune. She inherited his music and many of his possessions, including his guitar and his piano. He also left his family with a lot of music recordings, including some of his classics.
His Music
Grandpa Jesse Presley, also known as Jessie D. McDowell, was a handsome man with raven black hair. He was dapper, smart and had a reputation for being a lawyer.
He married Minnie Mae Hood on July 20, 1913 and had five children; Vester, Vernon, Delta Mae, Nashville (Nash) and Lorene. They lived in Fulton, Mississippi.
In spite of his philandering ways and drunken bar brawls, Jessie tried to be a good father to his children. However, he was never able to give his children what they needed.
As a result, Elvis felt like his grandfather was not a real father. This is one of the reasons why he grew up to be so angry and abusive. This anger echoes through his family and his music. He also blamed his grandfather for being a bad man who abandoned him. It was only through the help of his mother that he was able to overcome his feelings.
His Death
Despite his larger-than-life persona, Elvis Presley had a difficult early life. His parents, Vernon and Gladys, had little money when they were young, but they did everything they could to support their son and ensure he had a good life.
Although he was not born into wealth, Elvis lived with his family and enjoyed a close-knit community. He grew up with his grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins all living near each other in Tupelo, Mississippi.
He and his father, Vernon, made Graceland their home after they moved to Memphis in 1954. He was a popular concert performer, attracting thousands of fans each time he came to town. Sadly, Presley died at the age of 42 in 1977, after suffering complications from prescription drug abuse and poor eating habits.
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