Carl Warren bio

Carlyle "Carl" Warren was born to Marvin and Judith Warren on May 15, 1980, in Tupelo, Mississippi. His sister, Margaret, was two years older.

In the summer of 1985, while on a family outing to nearby Lake Lee, seven-year-old Margaret wandered into the water and drowned. The Warrens were devastated.

When Judith and Marvin were unable to have any more children, they devoted everything they had to young Carl. The family wasn't well-off, but every spare penny went toward satisfying every whim of their only child, who quickly became spoiled.

Although very bright, Carl showed little interest in school and maintained a C average in school, preferring to focus his efforts on the football field. By the time he graduated from high school, his charismatic personality and football success had made him very popular in his community.

Carl enrolled at Ole Miss but found college life much different than what he was used to. When his father suffered his first stroke in late 2000, Carl quit school, saying his parents needed him, though an ex-girlfriend attributed his return home more to his need to be the center of attention than a desire to help.

In 2006, with his parents' help, Carl purchased the house next door to them. Although he dated frequently, those closest to him say Carl struggled to find someone who could provide the devotion he sought.

In 2011, Carl met Hillary Sheppard through a mutual friend. Hillary was an avid Elvis fan, and though Carl had never cared much about Elvis, he couldn't dispute the uncanny hold Elvis had on his fans, even years after his death.

When he saw how moved Hillary was when they visited the Elvis Presley Birthplace in Tupelo, Carl was motivated to find out more. For the first time in his life, he was a model student as he learned everything he could about Elvis and his fans.

Hillary was excited to have found someone who shared her passion for Elvis, and Carl quickly became the only person Hillary praised more than the King. After the couple married the following year. Hillary wanted to start a family immediately, but Carl insisted they wait until they were better prepared to raise a family.

After five years of research into Elvis, Carl launched a website for the Elvis Faithful, touting a belief system based on the idea of one God with Elvis Presley as a moral guide. Inspired by the "What would Jesus do?" movement, Carl's website encourages the Elvis Faithful to ask themselves, "What would Elvis do?" when facing difficult decisions.

Carl and Hillary promoted the website online and at festivals and fan conventions. Before long, the Elvis Faithful gained popularity, and Carl began holding monthly meetings for followers in his home. As the number of Elvis Faithful increased, the gatherings became more frequent and moved to local meeting facilities. After a few years, Carl quit his job to devote himself full-time to spreading the word of the Elvis Faithful and serving as their pastor.

Carl and Hillary still have no children.