ELVIS - 8/16/1977 gone but not forgotten

I was listening to the radio on the way over to my house earlier today and I heard an Elvis song, "Burning Love". After the song ended, the DJ mentioned that another Elvis song would be played shortly. The station was doing a tribute weekend in honor of the anniversary of Elvis' death. Even now, if asked, I could tell you that Elvis died on August 16, 1977. Yes, I am one of those people that still remembers exactly where I was and what I was doing when I heard the news. I remember being in total disbelief.

In August of 1977, I was on summer break from high school. I am sure that I spent part of the summer contemplating what it was going to be like to be a high school senior when school started in early September. Elvis was probably not a huge focus of mine at that time of my life, but if asked, I still would have said that I loved him. That day, I was in the downstairs television room at my parent's house watching an afternoon movie. I loved old movies and whenever I got the chance, I would watch the one that came on in the afternoon. Our house didn't have central air conditioning and the tv room was partially underground, so it was the coolest place in the house. I don't remember what the movie was, but I do remember the phone ringing and at the same time, our next door neighbor, Mrs. Palma, was yelling over the fence. The phone was ringing and Mrs. Palma was yelling, "get Debbie, tell her to come quick - has she heard?" Mom grabbed the phone - it hung on the kitchen wall, the room next to the tv room. I got up from the sofa that was in front of the tv and went to the back yard to find out what Mrs. Palma was yelling about. I was sort of annoyed - I hate it when someone interrupts a movie! At almost the same time as I stepped through the door and into the yard, I could hear my mom on the phone saying "Oh, Lou, I can't believe that!". She sounded upset as she hung up the phone and then followed me out the door. Mrs. Palma taling fast, but the jist of what she was saying was "Did you hear - Elvis is dead!" I started to deny it. It couldn't be true. If Elvis were dead, I somehow would have known it the instant that it happened - I would have felt my heart break. But, my mom was repeating the same thing. Her brother had just called to tell her. After it all sort of sunk in, I walked back into the house to turn off the television so that I could walk across the alley to tell my friend Brenda. When I looked at the tv, here was a special report and a news person was talking about Elvis being found dead. I remember being in shock and disbelief and totally sad the rest of the week.

Elvis was a huge part of my early life. I loved Elvis for as long as I can remember. I loved the young Elvis, the singer Elvis, the actor Elvis, even the fat Elvis. I still have a few of my Elvis albums - even now, I can't bare to part with them - I don't listen to them anymore, but I can't discard something so important with that part of my young life. Eventhough in my heart, I knew that he was a terrible actor, I have probably seen every movie that he has ever starred in. And, if I happen to flip past a station playing one of them, I will most likely pause for a while and watch a part of it - just to see his smile and hear a song or two. My friend Brenda and I used to fight over which one of us would marry Elvis when we grew up! We would sing Elvis songs and play "meeting and marrying Elvis" in our back yards. Till this day, I do not like Priscilla Beaulieu Presley! I hated her when Elvis married her, I hated her more when she divorced Elvis and I hated her even more when she became a tv personality. Childhood hatreds die hard!

It is strange how that song and the DJ's reminder of the anniversary of Elvis' death brought all of those memories back to me. I had wanted desperately to see Elvis in concert and never did. I remember pleading with my father to let me watch the Elvis Concert via satelite from Hawaii when it was on. He was watching something else and finally he gave in and changed the channel so that I could watch Elvis in the white jumpsuit with the rhinestones.

I'll have to play a few of my favorite Elvis songs (I have the collection on CD now) later this week as a tribute and a memory of my first infatuation with a star. There were others back then (Bobby Sherman and David Cassidy) and a few in more recent history, but none of my infatuations, past or present, have ever rivaled my love of Elvis.