Fans flock profitably to Presley grave
NZPA-AP Memphis As Elvis Presley tapes played in the background, 5000 fans carrying candles filed solemnly past his grave early on August 16, on the seventh anniversary of his death. “For me, it’s been almost 22 years that I’m in love with Elvis, even in death,” said Marie-Elizabeth Izzo, a fan from St Tropez, France. As police blocked off a section of the four-lane Elvis Presley Boulevard, a brief memorial service was held at 11 p.m. before the faithful marched up the circular driveway of Graceland, Presley’s former home, to view his grave. Ever since “The King” died on August 16, 1977, thousands have made annual pilgrimages to his palatial former residence. Pat Sargent and her sister, Ann Kimbrell, waited to place a single red rose on Presley’s grave. They wore custom-made black T-shirts
with a gold sequined portrait of Presley on the front and the name, “Elvis” in elaborate script on the back. “We come here every year,” Mrs Sargent said. “We all love him. We don’t believe all that junk they wrote about him in the papers.”
Asked what “junk” she meant, she said, “The dope.” The Shelby County medical examiner said Presley died of heart disease, but widespread reports said he abused drugs. As the fans passed through Graceland’s gates, they touched their candles to a torch lit from the eternal flame that bums at his grave. Presley recordings of “Memories”, “The Green, Green Grass Of Home” and other songs played over the crowd. The candlelight vigil was begun six years ago by Presley fans. Even though the Georgian-style, whitecolumned house has drawn thousands of people since the singer’s death, it was opened to public tours only two years ago. In recent years, tourism promoters have, worked to spread the Elvis anniversary business throughout town. Now the anniversary celebration is called “Elvis International Tribute Week”, a slickly managed enterprise that pumps tourist dollars into dozens of Memphis businesses. •
Permanent link to this item
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19840821.2.85
Bibliographic details
Press, 21 August 1984, Page 12
Word Count
327Fans flock profitably to Presley grave Press, 21 August 1984, Page 12
Using This Item
Stuff Ltd is the copyright owner for the Press. You can reproduce in-copyright material from this newspaper for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 3.0 New Zealand licence. This newspaper is not available for commercial use without the consent of Stuff Ltd. For advice on reproduction of out-of-copyright material from this newspaper, please refer to the Copyright guide.
Copyright in all Footrot Flats cartoons is owned by Diogenes Designs Ltd. The National Library has been granted permission to digitise these cartoons and make them available online as part of this digitised version of the Press. You can search, browse, and print Footrot Flats cartoons for research and personal study only. Permission must be obtained from Diogenes Designs Ltd for any other use.
Acknowledgements
This newspaper was digitised in partnership with Christchurch City Libraries.