August 16, 1977: Where were you on the day that Elvis died?

Like most of you, I learned of Elvis Presley’s death from TV reports.  I was stunned.

Elvis’ death was indeed a universal event or a story carried around the world by radio and TV.  

I recall countless of magazines with Elvis’ picture on the cover.  We are still reading books, watching documentaries and entertaining theories about his death, or whether he even died at all.

Elvis made a comeback in 1968 with a huge TV special.  It started a streak of very popular songs, such as “If I can dream”, “In the ghetto”, “Don’t cry daddy” and the #1 “Suspicious Minds”.   

In the 1970s, his concerts in Las Vegas were legendary.  It reconnected him with his 1950s fans and created new ones like me.  It was Elvis on stage, full of the youthful energy and the charisma that made him the #1 recording star in the world.

It all ended on this day in 1977.  In retrospect, we should have seen it coming.  Elvis was not taking good care of himself.  He was overweight and too dependent on pills for this and that.   

It’s many years later and Elvis is still selling music!

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