30 Years Ago Today, August 16…
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…where were you when you heard the news about Elvis Presley?
I was driving north on Hwy 54 going into Jefferson City, MO with my baby girl in the seat next to me when I heard the news that Elvis had passed away. I’ll never forget it. Even I, who as a little girl grew tired and weary of sitting in front of the musical note gates of Graceland with my Mom and brothers, and who turned down a date to one of his 1974 Memphis concerts because I didn’t want to sit next to my ex-boyfriend and his new girl, broke down and cried.
These are for those of you who would’ve said, “Ta HELL with the ex-boyfriend!!!” and went to the concert anyway. Enjoy!
- Where it all began
- Elvis
- The Original unofficial Elvis Home Page
- I can’t say something about Elvis without mentioning the WHOLE Memphis music scene and its history during his time. What a FANTABULOUS time and place to have grown up!
- Elvis: Midnight in Vegas at the FedExForum in Memphis tonight may be about as close as you can get to the real thing these days.
I debated about including these, but, we-e-l-l-l-l, ok.
- From the looks of this one, maybe I’ll get another chance to see a concert…
- Hmmm….nah, this ain’t the dude MY Mama was watchin’ for at the gates, but nice try.
Popularity: 44% [?]
Interesting question. Since he had been out of the glare of the spotlight and everybody thought he was abusing drugs, I don’t think it came as much of a surprise.
Therefore, I don’t remember.
Comment by GoingLikeSixty — August 16, 2007 @ 2:07 pm
Loved Elvis story!
Check out
www.AllMemphisMusic.com
Wonderful station!
Comment by jon — August 17, 2007 @ 9:39 am
Ahhhh, yes, for some maybe it didn’t, but as time has revealed, the many that it did surprise viewed his as a spirit that would live on forever.
Y-Y-Y-Y-E-E-E-E-E-e-e-e-e-s-s-s-s-ssssssss! Thank you, AllMemphisMusic.com for stopping by and alerting us to your station! LOVE it!
Comment by angela — August 17, 2007 @ 11:19 am
I was on my first trip to California, and my first trip to Disneyland, which is a strange place to visit by yourself. I was 30. I had broken up with a girlfriend of long standing in New York, and this was a vacation that turned into a 3 year stay — I was untethered, confused, and open to anything — in short, a typical Californian. After visiting the Park, I came out to the car, and heard the news on the radio as I headed back to where I was staying. In my state of mind, Elvis dying somehow closed a huge phase of my life that had started when I first started listening to popular music and taking my cues from the outside world instead of my home and family.
Comment by Jim Hoekema — August 20, 2007 @ 11:09 pm
Oh wow, Jim. I can REALLY relate to your comment about it feeling as though a huge phase of your life had closed.
Having just recently moved at that time in my life to another city and state that was SO different from Mphs and its music scene, suddenly having to “grow up” due to certain circumstances in my life, and then hearing he had passed away, I felt that way, too.
It felt as though not only had he passed away, but we had also passed into a whole new era.
Comment by angela — August 20, 2007 @ 11:38 pm