Elvis Presley's father, Vernon Elvis Presley, was born in Tupelo, Mississippi, in 1916. According to the New York Times, he was the son of Jessie D. McClowell Presley who had five children. After Vernon Presley married Gladys Love Smith on June 7, 1933, they moved to Tupelo. It was hard for him to find a well paying job because he lacked in the area of education which is probably the result of dropping out of school when he was in eighth grade. Because he lacked in education, he held various odd jobs which included being a farmer, truck driver, and a painter. Elvis followed in his father's footsteps and also held odd jobs before he signed a contract with Sun Records!
Vernon Presley was not exempt from feeling the effects of the long bitter Depression especially after serving his jail sentence. During the time of the Depression, he was serving a nine month sentence in the Parchman Penitentiary for forgery. After being released from the Parchman Penitentiary, Vernon began working for the Works Progress Administration which was started under the Roosevelt Administration.
Contrary to popular belief, Elvis Presley also committed forgery, but he never had to serve time in prison for this act. Elvis Presley did not forge a check or other documents--his forgery was in a different manner. Elvis deceived his listeners with his voice making it seem like he was a Negro. Elvis's forgery seems to prove to some extent that there is some truth in the saying "like father like son."
Steve Tamerius stated that Vernon Presley was not always underpaid for the work that he did. At the time of Elvis's death in 1977, Vernon Presley was being paid $75,000 a year by Elvis for being his business manager. Vernon tried to do an adequate job and tried to get Elvis to stop spending his money foolishly.
Gladys Love Smith, Vernon's first wife, died of a heart attack on August 14, 1958, and is buried beside her son. Two years after the death of Gladys, Vernon married Davada Eliot Stanley. Elvis never attended the second wedding of his father which shows that he probably did not approve of the it. In the end, Vernon's second marriage ended in a disastrous divorce in 1977 after three years of separation.