Hand was a printer at A. Gaunt & Sons, in Heanor, with a passion for popular music.
In April 1959, he persuaded his boss to allow him to print a batch of fanzines about his favourite artist, Elvis Presley, which included hand drawings of the star.
The first edition was printed while Presley was taking a break from recording music to serve with the military.
It sold out within a week and gave Hand the confidence to run a monthly publication.
These magazines grew in popularity, distributing 90,000 copies across the continent each month by December 1962.
Hand also became the president of the Official Elvis Presley Fan Club of Great Britain in that year.
“He created a community of Elvis fans that’s still here today,” said self-confessed Elvis fanatic, Matt Hill.
“It was the social media of its day,” he added. “You could put an advert in the back of his magazine so you could connect with other fans and write to them.”