The Summer of '77 was an important time for me. I wrote earlier about my fascination with Star Wars, but I'll never forget the day 30 years ago (is it really that long ago?!) when the news came that Elvis Presley had died at age 42. Of course the whole world was stunned. I was only seven years old, but I still remember that day pretty clearly.
Although I didn't know Elvis' music very well, I definitely knew who he was. Probably I had seen his 1973 "Aloha from Hawaii" television special and since my Dad was a fan, we probably had Elvis music playing in the house from time to time.
Also, I had actually seen Elvis in person just a few years earlier in Fort Worth, Texas (my birthplace). My family remembers well the time when Elvis came to town for a concert and since my parents didn't have tickets, we went to the hotel to see Elvis return after the show.
The crowds went wild when the limos arrived and Elvis emerged from the car -- I still remember the screams and the flash bulbs exploding! My Dad held me up on his shoulders so I could see easier and Elvis saw me in the crowd and pointed at me before being whisked away into the hotel by his Memphis Mafia.
After Elvis died, my father took me to the local record store and bought me my very first two records of my own: Elvis' Gold Records and A Date With Elvis. I loved those records so much that I probably wore them out. My favorite songs were "Don't Be Cruel" (still love the bass line on that one!) and "I Want To Be Free", which was the perfect song to hear when I was grounded to my room as punishment for something.
Thirty years later, Elvis is still the international King of Rock 'n' Roll. I asked my students if they know who Elvis was and I'm surprised that they always do! My students are all about 20 years old from all over the world, especially Asia. It's astonishing to me that these kids know Elvis and his music. I played some Elvis songs in class today and they recognized some of the tunes, especially "Love Me Tender" and "Jailhouse Rock."
Long Live The King!!
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