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Elvis Presley’s First Recording Sells For $300,000

1375233632_Elvis-PresleyHow much would you pay for Elvis Presley’s first recording. One lucky person got to answer that question at an auction when they paid $300,000 to own the acetate containing the first song Elvis ever performed in the studio, according to a report in The Guardian (via Rolling Stone). The unnamed bidder purchased a recording of “My Happiness,” a pop standard that an 18-year old Elvis recorded at Sam Phillips’ Memphis Recording Service in 1953.

The disc, which also features Elvis performing “That’s When Your Heartaches Begin,” has a number of origin stories. One story says that Presley intended to give the disc to his mother as a gift, while the account of Presley’s friend Ed Leek–who also claims to have given Presley the four dollars necessary to record the song–says that Presley left it at his house one day. Record Collector magazine lists the value of the “My Happiness” acetate as $500,000, so whoever bought it got it for kind of a bargain, all things considered.

Other items that sold at the auction, which was held on what would have been Elvis’ 80th birthday, included an autographed copy of the “That’s All Right” single, the jacket Presley wore in Viva Las Vegas, and his first driver’s license.

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