Elvis Presley August 16

[Jed Cooper]

Today is the 30th anniversary of Elvis Presley's passing.  Any fans that wish to weigh in here and post thoughts, comments, insight, memories, etc. please do.  
 
*Moderators, please do not move this to the Elvis Presley Appreciation Thread for a bit.  Mucho gracias!  

It’s almost hard to believe it’s been 3 decades since The King Of Rock ‘n’ Roll “left the building” for the last time.  Below is my 30-year timeline by decade regarding Elvis Presley’s music in my life.  A lot of his recordings, much like The Beatles, are just plain fun to hear no matter how many times I play them.  They are before my time but I’m glad to be able to experience their respective legacies via session and live recordings as well as concert and movie performances.  I can’t explain why, but Elvis’ recordings spoke to me above and beyond those of any other.  They still do and probably always will.  

8/16/77:  Elvis’ death had a major impact on the media and that’s what got my attention, especially an advertisement of a greatest hits album.  All of a sudden, his voice and likeness was everywhere; radio, television, posters, magazines and books.  I was just 10 years old and barely knew who he was.  It was my first experience of an American icon’s passing.  One of my first albums was from the 1968 t.v. special, otherwise known as The Comeback Special.  He was in great form during these recordings and it remains a favorite.  I loved discovering his 1950s recordings with Sun Studios and RCA.  Like many, I consider that era to be his greatest work but don’t disregard his later output at all.  Many of his best recordings came from the 60s and 70s.  

8/16/87:  I laughed at the numerous "sightings" and rumors that Elvis was still alive.  For the most part, he was considered the punch-line of many jokes, wasn't taken seriously and not respected much as an artist.  Well, that's the impression I was getting from various sources including television and radio.  I’d stopped collecting in 1985 and would start up again shortly after hearing a local radio program called Elvis Only on WODS Boston 103.3 FM hosted by Jay Gordon; still a great, fun program to listen to.  This was my source to the latest rarities being released.  A lot of his recordings were as yet unreleased on cd and this was frustrating because that’s the only format I wanted to collect them on.

8/16/97:  I was glad to see his catalog of music being treated far better than in recent years, beginning with the 5-cd set "The King Of Rock 'N' Roll: The Complete 50s Masters".  His greatest recordings.  Elvis as an artist was being taken seriously again and his catalog of recordings from here on in would be treated much better.  Many unreleased recordings would be made available to his fans for years to come.  Once again, in 1995, I’d stopped collecting and liquidated all of my possessions save for my car to consolidate my debt.  Later that year I treated myself to a few box-sets and slowly began collecting again.  What sealed my fate was Ernst Jorgensen’s 1997 book, “Elvis Presley: A Life In Music - The Complete Recording Sessions”.  That was the best source of information for me and I used it as a template to create my own electronic file for recordings released thereafter not included in the book.  In 1990 I took my first of two trips to Memphis to see Graceland with a friend.  When we arrived, it was closed and I had visions of Bruce Springsteen jumping the wall and running up to the front door when he visited in 1975.  I came to my senses and decided not to do the same.  After all, what’s the sense of being potentially banned when Elvis was no longer with us anyway?!

8/16/07:   Before the turn of the century, I’d returned to Graceland with my wife Diana.  My favorite part of Graceland is the massive, impressive collection of gold & platinum awards.  I also loved visiting Sun Studios.  We took side trips to Tupelo to see Elvis’ birthplace and Nashville to see the Grand Old Opry and Nashville’s Studio B.  I was fortunate to see the Virtual Elvis concert 3 times, the first being at New York’s Radio City Music Hall in 1998 and twice since at Mohegan Sun in Connecticut.  With the birth of my son Nicholas, I’ve decided to discontinue collecting.  I'd become a serious collector, but not an unrealistic fan placing Elvis on a pedestal far above all others.  He was a decent human being with great talent and loads of charisma.  The desire to spend any more time, money or effort on my hobby has left me and I’ve sold off all of my collection.  Maybe someday I’ll have Sirius satellite radio, which features an all Elvis station.  That will be more than enough.  Through the years, his music has provided me with countless hours of entertainment and I'll always consider Elvis the greatest rock 'n' roller and my favorite.

[Canadian Lady]

Well, great post Brian!! 
I have been watching the candle light vigil held at Graceland, on the internet.  And can't believe the amount of fans! It is incredible!! Even after 30 years!! Elvis is probably very proud!!

RIP Elvis! 

[Gant]

Some friens of mine are out in Memphis this week playing various tribute shows at the Peabody hotel etc.. Sounds like fun, wish I was out there..

30 years ago..man, thats flown by. I can still remember hearing the news from a friend...Presley's music didn't really mean that much to me at the time but I still felt a sadness at his passing..

A supreme talent..the first white soul boy 

Always nice to stick some of his records on and appreciate the mans talent.

[lovelyrita]

Great post Brian.
Elvis was an immense talent. His '68 Special was the original unplugged. I had the good fortune to see his show in Las Vegas. It was purely magical. He was a great entertainer. AND he had an amazing sense of humor. I remember seeing him on the Ed Sullivan Show. I was a little girl.

My daughter was a music major in college and one of her professors stated in class that Elvis had an amazing tenor voice.

On this 30 years of his death I often wonder if someone had intervened and told Elvis NO, no more drugs. Doctors who stopped giving him prescriptions. He was surrounded by YES people. I do remember watching the movie "Walk the Line" . I am thinking back on the part when the Carter family stood by Johnny Cash while he dried out from his use of prescription drugs. I often wish that someone would have been able to penetrate Elvis's addiction. Just thinking..

I have a few CDs. One I especially love is the NO 1's I think that is the name. Woah he was a gift!
Too bad we weren't  allowed to keep him longer.

[WeAllHaveItCominKid]

Elvis Presley is the best, no questions. I dare you to name somebody that's better in the music industry and I'd love to debate it. That's just my opinion of course. 

[Jed Cooper]

Thank you for the compliments, Canadian Lady & lovelyrita and for your posts, too, Gant and WeAllGotItCominKid 

My top 2 favorites are Elvis and The Beatles.  That's a debate unto itself, but I choose to enjoy the best of both worlds.  I'll always love their earliest recordings the best because they're the most enjoyable and fun.  I was just singing Don't Be Cruel to Nicholas yesterday and he was all smiles.    I recently memorized the words to McCartney's solo recording of Every Night and just sang Nicholas to sleep with it, what a joy!   

I've been catching most of the t.v. specials about Elvis on this anniversary and upon reflection, would like to think that had he lived, Elvis might've finally realized the negative physical effect all those prescription drugs were having on him and stopped.  Maybe, just maybe, he would've renewed his contract with the Colonel or dropped him and started making better movies to redeem his 60's output.  Music was his life, so I think he'd still be recording and performing.   

I sometimes wonder what it would've been like, had he and Lennon lived, for Elvis and The Beatles to get together and jam, perhaps even do an acoustic live performance together.  That would've been great!    

Ok, the fantasy's over.  Back to reality.  If I had just 2 cds to choose from if I were on a deserted island, I'd pick Elvis: 30 #1s and The Beatles' 1 (not that anybody asked). 

[lovelyrita]

Brian,

I am also a Beatle Fan. Saw them when I was 15 at Shea Stadium. I too always wonder what would have happened if John Lennon had lived. I do believe that there would have been a reunion concert. I remember reading years ago that the Beatles all four of them were fans of Elvis as they were growing up. How could they not be he was as popular in Great Britain as he was here.  Elvis's '68 Comeback Special was as good as it gets. That concert still holds up today.

I like you always wonder what would have happened if John and Elvis had lived. How different might their lives have been. I was truly affected by both of their deaths. Both were tragic.  I have to say in Elvis's case how I wished he had the chance to come to grips with his addiction, but if he had lived I would hope that he would have broken his relationship with the Colonel. Yes the man in someway made him but Elvis was a good actor, I know this in my heart and perhaps he would have gotten the chance to act in a movie with some real substance.

At least Elvis got to perform with audiences that stopped screaming to listen. The Beatles weren't as lucky. I look back on the Shea Stadium Concert and wondered how many of those there heard the music. Years later all of the Beatles said as much.

Oh well as you stated - "back to reality"!

If I were on a desert island like you and had to pick 2 CD's, 1 of each. I agree on your choice for Elvis but the Beatles would have been Sgt. Peppers or maybe A Hard Days Night. Tough choice.

[Canadian Lady]

Wow lovelyrita! It must be amazing to be able to go back in your memory and think about seeing The Beatles and Elvis LIVE!!! WOW I am truley jealous!! Congrats for you!

As, growing up with a parent as a fan, which made me a fan. I am greatful.

[Jed Cooper]

I love The Beatles!  You know, I read somewhere once that The Colonel stopped Elvis touring in '57 for that very reason; the screams were getting too loud. 

Elvis' and The Beatles' best recordings will probably hold up forever, if not for a very long time! 

Brian,

I am also a Beatle Fan. Saw them when I was 15 at Shea Stadium. I too always wonder what would have happened if John Lennon had lived. I do believe that there would have been a reunion concert. I remember reading years ago that the Beatles all four of them were fans of Elvis as they were growing up. How could they not be he was as popular in Great Britain as he was here.  Elvis's '68 Comeback Special was as good as it gets. That concert still holds up today.

I like you always wonder what would have happened if John and Elvis had lived. How different might their lives have been. I was truly affected by both of their deaths. Both were tragic.  I have to say in Elvis's case how I wished he had the chance to come to grips with his addiction, but if he had lived I would hope that he would have broken his relationship with the Colonel. Yes the man in someway made him but Elvis was a good actor, I know this in my heart and perhaps he would have gotten the chance to act in a movie with some real substance.

At least Elvis got to perform with audiences that stopped screaming to listen. The Beatles weren't as lucky. I look back on the Shea Stadium Concert and wondered how many of those there heard the music. Years later all of the Beatles said as much.

Oh well as you stated - "back to reality"!

If I were on a desert island like you and had to pick 2 CD's, 1 of each. I agree on your choice for Elvis but the Beatles would have been Sgt. Peppers or maybe A Hard Days Night. Tough choice.

[Jed Cooper]

I agree, that must've been awesome.  At least there's enough of each artists' legacy preserved that they can be passed on for generations to come to enjoy. 

Wow lovelyrita! It must be amazing to be able to go back in your memory and think about seeing The Beatles and Elvis LIVE!!! WOW I am truley jealous!! Congrats for you!

As, growing up with a parent as a fan, which made me a fan. I am greatful.

[Tang Lung]

About the drugs , comment from a close friend :

"I get angry at Elvis...he was a smart man and he knew what he was doing !" 

Sadly Elvis never consider the pills as drugs , only street drugs were bad in his view

Also his doc later got his licence revoked...nuff said :/

He was gonna fire Parker in Sept '77 & then he was gonna have 1978 as a yr off....imagine if he'd make a comeback around 1980 , in kick a** shape....that'd be something    

[Jed Cooper]

I just found this on Wikipedia:

Although Dr. Nichopoulos was exonerated with regard to Presley's death, "In the first eight months of 1977 alone, he had written 199 prescriptions totalling more than 10,000 doses of sedatives, amphetamines, and narcotics: all in Elvis' name. On January 20, 1980 the board found him guilty of overprescription, but decided that he was not unethical [because he claimed he'd been trying to wean the singer off the drugs]." His license was suspended and he was given three years' probation. In July 1995, his license was permanently revoked after the Tennessee Board of Medical Examiners found that he had improperly dispensed drugs to a number of his patients, including some who had subsequently died.

In 1994, the autopsy into the death of Presley was re-opened. Coroner Dr Joseph Davis declared: "There is nothing in any of the data that supports a death from drugs. In fact, everything points to a sudden, violent heart attack."  However, there is little doubt that long-term drug misuse caused his heart to fail.

About the drugs , comment from a close friend :

"I get angry at Elvis...he was a smart man and he knew what he was doing !" 

Sadly Elvis never consider the pills as drugs , only street drugs were bad in his view

Also his doc later got his licence revoked...nuff said :/

He was gonna fire Parker in Sept '77 & then he was gonna have 1978 as a yr off....imagine if he'd make a comeback around 1980 , in kick a** shape....that'd be something