Can't boot from Recovery or USB Install Drive

Hi Folks,
My (mid-2011) MacBook Pro [Mavericks (10.9)] is not booting up – not matter what I try.
I've tried booting into Recovery (using command-R), Internet Recovery, and tonight I finally created a bootable USB install drive – no luck there either (pressing option to get to the startup disk manager). I can select which drive I want to boot from, but after selecting the USB drive and clicking on the arrow, I get to the gray apple screen (with the spinning progress wheel), and then it just stalls on a blank light gray screen (and the fans spin up). I've waited up to 45 minutes in this state, still nothing.
The same thing happens when I try to boot normally. I have Filevault 2 enabled, so I get to the user account screen – but after selecting my account, the machine goes from the gray apple startup screen to the blank gray screen and hangs.
I've tried resetting the NVRAM, booting from an install CD, etc., etc., and nada.
Does anyone have any advice where to go from here? I had hoped the USB install drive would be the answer, but for whatever reason, I'm simply having no luck. Any help would be greatly appreciated – this is my main rig and I can't afford to have it down for much longer…
Thanks so much!

What install "CD"?? (sure it's not a DVD disc) did you try.
Not sure it is related to the Filevault system but if you can't get the Recovery HD partition to boot that may be caused by having Filevault enabled.
Have you tried the Real Online Internet Recovery system? Hold down the Command + Option/Alt + r keys at startup and keep holding them down until you see a globe on the screen. If after you see the globe, or you never get a globe on the screen, and you get that same Grey color on the screen then you more than likely have a hardware problem. You should make an Appointment with your local Apple store Genius Bar for your Mac to be properly diagnosed.

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