Fans all over the world have gathered to mark the 34th anniversary f the death of Elvis Presley.
Even after 34 years, fans still gather to mark the death of the “King of Rock and Roll.” Silent mourners with bowed head and candles in hand paid their respects to Elvis Presley at his grave at Graceland, his longtime Memphis home.
Thousands devotees walked in the humid night to the graves of Elvis and his relatives, some wiping away tears as they filed past. Flower arrangements and heart-shaped wreaths were all over the burial site as “If I Can Dream” and other songs played softly in the background.
The vigil was to extend past midnight and into Tuesday morning, marking the anniversary of the King’s death on Aug. 16, 1977. The vigil is the main draw of “Elvis Week,” and some waited hours outside the stately mansion for the procession to start.
A word or two on Elvis:
Elvis Presley came from humble beginnings. He was born in a two-room house in 1935 and performed with his parents at camps and church meetings in his childhood. After graduating from high school, he drove a truck.
He began his music career in 1954 and became a national sensation in 1956 with the release of “Heartbreak Hotel.” He went on to captivate audiences with his unique musical style, provocative hip gyrations and electric personality, producing such hits as “Don’t Be Cruel,” “Hound Dog,” “Love Me Tender,” “All Shook Up” and “Jailhouse Rock.”
In December 1957, Mr. Presley was drafted into the United States Army. Upon his release from the military in 1960, he returned to his recording career, adding romantic ballads to his hip-shaking rock repertory and eschewing concert tours to act in largely forgettable but commercially successful films.
On Aug. 16, 1977, Elvis Presley died at the age of 42 at his Graceland home.
Mr. Presley had been found unconscious in a room in the mansion in Memphis, and was pronounced dead at a Tennessee hospital an hour later. A subsequent autopsy determined that Presley had died of a drug overdose.
Elvis Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977)
