Where were you on August 16,1977.....

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~sudsshane

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when the King of Rock n Roll, Elvis Presley died?

I was outside with my brother riding around on my "Big Wheel"..My mother came outside crying and was talking to our neighbor. My 8 year old mind couldn't understand why they were so upset. Little did I realize a legend passed on that day.
 
Playing outside

with my sister and some of the other kids from the neighborhood.
I remember the lady that lived behind us became a grandmother that day for the first time.
Us kids had been out riding bikes and such for most of the afternoon, then congregating in out garage. The lady next door came over and announced her new grandchild, and my mom who'd been cooking dinner came out our back door and said that there was an announcement on the radio that Elvis had died. I'd never really cared all that much for Elvis, but I do remember feeling sorry for him after the details of his death emerged.
Not much dignity for a man who'd brought so much pleasure to so many...
 
I had just moved to Fargo, ND to attend college and was playing in a band. We had a gig at the Sunset Lounge in Moorhead, MN (the Twin Cities of the north) that week.

Elvis's death didn't hit me as hard as the death of Marc Bolan (from T.Rex), which came exactly a month later. In fact, Bolan, who was writing a column for Melody Maker at the time, commented "I'm so glad I didn't die on the same day as Elvis or I wouldn't have made the headlines!" Yikes.

My sister and I visited Graceland in the early '90s. We had just come from touring the Biltmore mansion, so Elvis's house seemed pretty quaint by comparison. The yellow Naugahyde on the walls in his rumpus room was quite a sight. Someone was still living upstairs at the time, so we weren't allowed to go up to see the famous Bathroom Of Death.
 
I was working in the accounting office for the film lab at MGM studios in Culver City. A girl in the office had a radio that was always tuned to the soulful station KJLH (Kindness, Joy, Love & Happiness) out of Compton. A news bulletin came over reporting the death of Elvis. As I recall there wasn't much of a reaction in the office. I was not an Elvis fan, never have been, so while I felt a little older, I was not devastated.

In later years I've come to appreciate the tacky side of the whole Elvis phenomenon and I do have a couple of his earlier 45's in my '60 wall-mount Rock-Ola jukebox. I guess I should fire it up today and play those. I do likewise for other artists like Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin when I remember to observe them as well.
 
Just this morning on ABC

I think it was Diane Sawyer visiting Graceland and interviewing Lisa Marie. Gosh, SHE has an 18 year old daughter now. How time does fly.
Anyway, Diane was talking about Graceland, and they were discussing the upstairs that is closed to the public. She said it still looks like the day her father died, but nobody lives up there anymore. Diane asked if she ever stays overnight in the house and Lisa Marie said no, she doesn't and that she'd the only one who ever goes up there anymore. So it is kinda like her own personal museum of her father. Besides she said, it's so dusty up there and she is allergic to dust. She also mentioned that the tourists come in the house quite early in the morning too.
She also turned on the light in the master suite as a tribute to her father for this anniversary. That light hasn't been on in years.
 
I do not remember a thing about it except that all of a sudden, he was dead. I do remember a very good Elvis impersonator I saw in Melbourne, FL. in '77. She was gay, and a dynamite performer. Elvis was still here, and I hate to think how the death may have affected her.
 
I was 17 years old, and me and my friend had spent the day at Cedar Point, in Sandusky, OH. We were on our way back, driving in a beautiful sunny day, on the Ohio Turnpike. But we were listening to a radio station from Toledo, about 20 miles away, and they were on emergency power, because they were in the middle of a thunderstorm, and a tornado had touched down!

In between reports about the tornado, they kept mentioning that Elvis had died. We couldn't believe it, but later found out it was true. 30 years ago.....

kennyGF
 
I was just out of high school that summer, and I do remember that I was on a date the night before the news was announced. To an 18-year-old in 1977, Elvis seemed like something from another era (funny how short the eras were back then), and the news of his death did not have much of an effect on me. I remember having a much greater reaction to the death of Anissa Jones, which occurred in the same month the year before.
 
really do not remember......

the announcement......I was 15 going on 16. I do remember that year for my birthday (october) and for christmas - ALL I got it seemed like from everyone was elvis albums and eight tracks. hmmmmm. Not really all that much of an elvis fan.
 
Well, let's see I was 10 years old so ...
I mustav been in juvile detention. People get so upset about accidentally starting the neighbors house on fire. Really.
There there was that whole egging the principals car thing. ...jist, kid fun stuff.(shrugging shoulders)
and I tried to tell them I didn't spray paint tomb stones at the local grave yard but they said finding matching over-spray on my fingers was some how an indicator that I did it. sigh.

Oh, well they never found out about putting 5 pet mice in old mrs. Matzners broken basement window. well, it was broke after I threw a rock through it. And that whole thing about her having a massive fear of rodents and a bad heart. Like I was to blame that the ambulance came the next day and we never saw her again. (shaking head)

(O.K.- I should write childrens books)

I wasn't an elvis fan. though my idiot 6th grade male teacher was. God, talk about self centered ego maniac. I swear all I remember about 6th grade was his pathetic stories about putting barn boards all over his family room walls and how sad he was when elvis died a few years earlier. blah, blah, blah.
 
Great Thread!
I was at a piano lesson, and my mom came flying in the door and announced what happend. My mom and piano teacher went into another part of the house, and was there for like an hour watching the news.
I do remember it made me sad. I now think of how YOUNG he was. When I was 11, I though, "well, he had a nice long life".
Brent
 
was this a significant, life changing event for you at the time Shane?
Being almost 9 years of age and all, at the time?
 
I was very young....

But IIRC my aunt was taking me to my very FIRST drive in movie! It was "Freaky Friday." And on the way the radio mentioned Elvis death. I remember nothing they said on the radio, just that when we got to the drive in, the radio stayed on well into the movie, my aunt having to hear the news from more than one source before believing.
 
I remember that it was very hot in Council Bluffs, and it was the summer we didn't have air conditioning. A friend and I were in the living room watching TV when my sister came running in, screaming about how "The king is dead!" (My sister is now, and always has been, a drama queen)

I was between the sixth and seventh grade at the time, and Elvis meant very little to me. He was the fat guy with the TV specials and the glitzy costumes. Sort of like Liberace.

I've since come to appreciate Elvis Presley: his movies, his music, and his nice personality. Another great talent who was used and abused by Hollywood.
 

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