It was 37 years ago to the day that legendary performer Elvis Presley died. His influence on popular culture in the mid 20th century is hard to overstate, and he left a broad range of recorded music that endures. Like millions of his fans, I remember precisely where I was when I heard the news of his death (Geyser basin, Yellowstone National Park). Elvis’ music has been a blessing to my life ; I never grow tired of listening, and it always seems fresh and new.
I’ve twice visited Elvis’ Memphis home, Graceland. The first visit was just a few years after it opened to the public and the second decades later. I was surprised to see how Elvis’ popularity seems not to have diminished over the years. The place was packed and attendance at Graceland increases yearly. Elvis’ recordings still sell millions of copies annually and now there’s a whole generation of fans who never knew what the world was like when Elvis lived on it.
Elvis often evoked very strong emotional responses from his fans, and that’s true to this day. Folks still leave heart-felt tributes to the man as graffiti on the wall of Elvis’ Graceland estate, as seen in our highlighted series of photos today. The estate scrapes the graffiti off frequently but it reappears in short order.
I think Elvis touched a lot of people in one way or another, Dr F. When we visited Graceland we had mixed emotions and enjoyed the tour immensely. I am a fan from way back and appreciate the contribution he made to the music industry. I also get a little ticked off when people who maybe don’t know a lot about his private life ridicule him and put him down. The man had a heart of gold and was very misunderstood in many ways. He was born poor and when he came into wealth all he wanted to do was give it away and show acts of kindness that made people close to him love him even more. The King lives on not only in his music but also in many hearts. Graceland is a place everyone should visit. Thanks for the tour.
Thanks for your comments, Islandman. At his heart, Elvis was and remained a country boy. He never lost his connection to his roots, despite his great success and wealth. I think something that most bothered him about his fame was his loss of privacy — he could never go anywhere without being “mobbed” by people who literally loved him to death.
But he had a giving heart and it was a great pleasure for him to see the joy in someone’s face when he gave them an unexpected present, like a car.