Elvis Presley: 10 Things You Might Not Have Known About The King

Thirty-four years after his shocking death, Elvis Presley remains the greatest star of rock 'n' roll history and one of the most popular and influential of American icons.

Here are some things you may not have known about the man who made songs like "Hound Dog" and "Heartbreak Hotel" internationally beloved.

* Elvis only performed five concerts outside the U.S. (all in Canada, in 1957). He never performed in Europe or Japan, where he was wildly popular.

* In late 1970, Elvis met with President Richard Nixon at the White House and asked the chief executive if he could become a federal agent with the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs. Nixon reportedly gave Elvis a "Special Agent" badge.

* As a 19-year-old in 1954, Elvis auditioned for a gospel quarter group called the Songfellows at Sun Studios in Memphis. He was rejected.

* Elvis had a twin brother named Jessie Garon who died during childbirth.

* Elvis collected statues and figurines of Joan of Arc and Venus de Milo.

* Elvis recorded more than 600 songs, but never wrote a single one.

* Elvis only won three Grammy awards – none for rock, all for gospel recordings.

* Long before Michael Jackson became famous for his pet monkey, Elvis had a pet chimpanzee. It was called Scatter and he was adopted by Elvis in the early 1960s.

* When Led Zeppelin met Elvis in 1973, he exchanged his gold/diamond watch for a Mickey Mouse watch worn by bassist John Paul Jones.

* Elvis was good friends with boxer Muhammad Ali and once gave him a robe with the words “People’s Champion” emblazoned on it.