Elvis' first recording, My Happiness, one of the holy grails of rock n' roll memorabilia, will be offered to collectors for the very first time at the anticipated Graceland Auction on January 8.

Elvis previously told enquiring fans that the acetate had been long since worn out

The unique 78mm acetate was cut by Elvis as a gift for his mother, with the new singer intrigued to hear his voice on record. Paying $4, he sang My Happiness (Side A) and That's When Your Heartaches Begin (Side B), kick starting one of most incredible legacies in pop music.

This is the only recording of My Happiness by Elvis extant and has been in private hands since it was made in June 1953 - very few fans have heard it.

Though intended as a gift for his mother, Elvis soon realised that the Presley family didn't have a record player and took the acetate to his friend Ed Leek's house. There, the two listened to Elvis' voice on record for the first time.

Elvis left the record at Leek's house, and it has remained with him ever since.

The auction features 68 items of Elvis memorabilia, all of which come from third-party collectors as items from the Graceland Archives are not for sale. However, all of the items have been authenticated by experts at Graceland.

Paul Fraser Collectibles has a selection of Elvis memorabilia for sale.