I want to know where you were 30 years ago when Elvis died? How did you find out that he died? What were you doing when you found out that he died? Have you been to Graceland? What do you think of it all?
I watched a little bit of the interview last night that Larry King did out at Graceland when he interviewed Priscilla Presley in the wee hours of the morning. I’ve also been to Graceland and toured the house and property. I still think Elvis himself was much bigger in fame than the house. The house didn’t seem all that big to me by today’s standards. I can picture how lavish it must have been back then. I think Pricilla said they had purchased it for around a hundred grand back then.
I vaguely remember where I was 30 years ago today. I was seven years old. I can remember our family was stationed in Germany and watching some sort of Elvis special on television. I think it was before he died. There was a concert of his that had been televised at the time.
You know how Elvis met Priscilla Presley when she was 14 years old? Well, her father was stationed in Germany. I believe that they lived in Wiesbaden and at some point she had gone to General H.H. Arnold High School. Well, my brother went to that high school when our family was stationed in Germany years later.
In August of 1977, I had just gotten married for the second time and was living in a walk-up apartment in old town Bellevue. I figured the King wasn’t long for this world when he appeared bloated and confused, so it didn’t surprise me.
Fifty years ago, in 1957, I was living upstairs from a record store in Madrid, Spain. They played Elvis records all day and I liked it. I saw “Jailhouse Rock” in a theater back then, and the audience danced in the aisles. I’ve never seen anything like that since.
I remember where I was when I found out Elvis died. I wasat work in Temple, Texas.
A fact you might like to know, being a Killeenite. When Elvis was stationed at Fort Hood, he lived in a house on Oakhill Drive, right down from Conder Park.
I knew a girl from my early, early years, who had a photo of herself, sitting on Elvis’ lap at her 4th birthday party. It was taken when he was stationed at Fort Hood.
The girl’s father was very important in Killeen and arranged to have him come to her birthday party.
I am spending the day watching Elvis movies on Turner Classic Movies. I report back to school tomorrow for in-service.
Take care and have a good weekend.
It’s so interesting that you posted on this today. My daughter saw the article on the front page of the paper and asked:
“why do people still care that he’s dead Mom? Why don’t they just get on with their lives.”
Ahh … youth.
I was on my way back from a trip to Indiana. I heard it on the radio. I did go and visit Graceland, years after that. It was a beautiful place.
Debbie
Playing with my blocks? I was only three!
I was 12. Didn’t care about Elvis.
ptg~
That was a neat story. I’m so glad you shared it with me. I think dancing in the isles at the movie theatre sounds like a lot of fun. I can hardly picture today’s movie theatres doing that. They just don’t make movies exactly the same way any more, ya know? On the flip side I think Elvis would be shocked at what is being shown at the movies these days. I wonder what he would say.
TexasTruth~
Thanks for sharing your story too. Since you are familiar with Killeen I can say that there was a very tiny house across the street from Ellison High School that was always rumored to have something to do with Elvis. Can you tell me if that was true or not?
Laura ~
My daughter is fascinated with the popularity of Elvis. I used to read those unauthorized biographies about Elvis when they came out back in the late 80’s. Deep down I used to wonder if perhaps he really wasn’t dead. He was so popular and could never live his life in a regular way that I always thought maybe he was hiding out somewhere. As an adult I realize that isn’t the case at all.
Debbie ~
What did you think of the way they had Graceland decorated for those times? Did you check out his grave?
Dana ~
I’m only 4 years older than you. :)
I am fascinated by how much Lisa Marie looks like her Dad.
Angela, I had never heard about that. Ellison first opened in fall of 1978 and before that there was little on the land in that part of Killeen except ranch/farm/undeleloped land. I will see if I can find out anything about it.
Elvis really didn’t exist for me in my teens, so I didn’t notice his death.
I could tell you where I was when I learnt about John Lennon’s death or Princess Diana’s, though … (1. studying philosophy in my student room, and 2. up horribly early with two very small children trying to feed and entertain them – children’s television cancelled).
When John Lennon died I was sitting in the living room watching TV with my Mom. That’s when our program was interrupted with late breaking news telling us that John Lennon had been shot.
When Princess Diana died I was sitting in the break room at work at Ameristar Casino in Council Bluffs Iowa when the program on the TV was interrupted with late breaking news telling us that Princess Diana had died.
I was so sad when she died. I adored her and thought she was a kind person. Always doing good for others. I remember my Mom waking me up at 4:00 o’clock in the morning when her and Prince Charles were to be married so that we could watch the wedding on TV.
4 o’clock in the morning! Now that is dedication …
I remember when they announced Elvis had died. I was on the floor of my childhood home and the big ole console TV was on when it came across the news. My mother gasped…she absolutely had loved Elvis. Two stories about that. My dad was in the Air Force and before Elvis was wildly popular, my dad was sitting at a bar in El Paso and who sat next to him and drank a few beers with him? A very handsome, young Elvis Presley. My dad never lost that moment with him. He said he was one of the nicest guys you’d ever meet. The day Elvis died my mother showed me her prized possession, a little 45rpm record on the Sun label. Come to find out it was Elvis Presley’s first single ever released…there were only ~250 cuts of that first run single. My dad still has it, locked in a safety deposit box.
Where was I when Lennon died? I can’t remember…but I do remember Princess Di…I was in the hospital on complete bed rest as they were trying to stop me from delivering my son too early. I was bedridden for 2 weeks, and all they played was her story, her funeral. I was a hormonal wreck and was a blubbering fool because of the coverage, but I couldn’t help but watch it…so compelling and so sad.
When Elvis died – I was 10 and spending the night at a slumber party for my cousin on her birthday. We were in the car when the announcement came on the radio. My aunt pulled the car over and wept.
When Princess Diana died – I was a bartender and was at work. The bar became suddenly and eerily quiet so the televisions could be turned up and everyone hear the horrible news.
When John Lennon died – I was getting ready for school. I remember the news segments, but never really got into the Beatles that much so I didn’t pay much attention.
When the Shuttle blew up – I was getting ready to go to my first job out of high school. I’ve never been able to eat cheese hot dogs since. I was having lunch watching the actual launch – when it blew, I totally lost my appetite that day.
When Charles and Diana got married – my dashound dog was in the process of delivering EIGHT puppies. That was almost as big as the wedding itself. I do remember watching the fairy tale wedding and dreaming like all teen girls do.
I was 27 and on vacation when a local newscaster interrupted a scheduled TV show to inform us that ELVIS had died. I turned to my wife and told her that the story was about Elvis’ father, since his name is Vernon ELVIS Presley. To our shock, a picture of Elvis appeared with January 8, 1935 and August 16, 1977. We gathered our two sons, ages 7 and 4 and drove 525 miles to Memphis. We spent 3 days camped across the street from Graceland in the parking lot of a strip mall that has been replaced with Elvis shops, his planes, a museum and the ticket station for Graceland tours. I schedule my vacation for the week of August 16th each year and have returned to Memphis 14 times since his death.
Now THAT is devotion and LOVE for Elvis for sure!!
How did he impact your life in a positive way before his death??
I know there must have been something about Elvis that moved you to the point of honoring him when his anniversary rolls around.
What is it?? I know that it’s different for everybody and would love to hear more about this aspect of Elvis and how he may have touched the lives of so many.
Everybody’s story is different and has it’s own importance which I would LOVE to know more about.
I was 6 years old when I first heard the voice of ELVIS PRESLEY. My teenage sister took me to see Love Me Tender.
Sometimes, we are unable to know why we feel a certain way about people or things. ELVIS fits that category for me.
Later, I admired him because he entered the Army without attempting to receive an exemption. His charitable nature is another reason I continued to cherish him.
But, the definitive answer for my admiration of ELVIS is that he possessed the greatest voice I ever heard. Listen to his rendition of “(YOUR SO) YOUNG AND BEAUTIFUL” from his movie, Jailhouse Rock!
At his funeral, a Swedish journalist as me for my favorite ELVIS recording. I told her that my answer depended on my mood at the moment, but it would be much easier to tell her my least favorite ELVIS tune; (NONE) was my answer.