Elvis Presley was one of the biggest names in the world by 1956, something that likely would have shocked his high school classmates. For the vast majority of his high school career, Elvis was the target of teasing and physical aggression. One of his few defenders shared why Elvis was constantly getting picked on.
Elvis was a target for bullies in high school
Elvis attended high school in Memphis, Tennessee, and was always a bit of an outcast. His future bodyguard, Red West, recalled multiple occasions where classmates and even staff members bullied him.
“It seems that the way I remember it, someone was always picking on him,” West said in the book Elvis: What Happened? by Steve Dunleavy. “Don’t know why. He was easygoing enough, quiet, well mannered, was always respectful of his elders, and he never wised off at anyone. In many ways he was a very good kid, a lot nicer than some of the others around.”
Though Elvis was a mild-mannered teenager, he stood out from his classmates because of his hair. While most of his peers favored close-cropped styles, Elvis spent a long time styling his long hair.