Who was your favorite entertainer while you were growing up? The one singer, actor, dancer, band, etc., that you would have given ANYTHING to see. Mine was Elvis Presley. Elvis had already served his time in the Army before I had heard his music or was aware of who he was.

During my grade school years, he was making more movies than music – you know the ones. Boy meets girl, boy gets girl, boy loses girl, then they kiss and make up and have a happy ending. Sprinkle some mostly cheesy songs throughout the movie, and usually one REALLY bad one, and there you have the formula that was a successful moneymaker for Elvis (and his manager, Colonel Tom Parker, who wasn’t even a real Colonel…) for most of the ’60s. Every movie had a soundtrack album to go along with it, but during most of the ‘60s, Elvis didn’t tour much. He had also gotten married to Priscilla and had Lisa Marie during that time.

But in 1968, an Elvis Comeback Special was in the works for T.V. It was taped before a studio audience with him wearing the iconic black leather suit for most of the special. After that he started touring again. When I heard he was coming to the Chicago Stadium in 1972, where I lived at the time, you’d better believe I was jumping up and down, screaming at the top of my lungs at the chance to see him. I knew my mom wouldn’t want to take me, but my new stepmother, her sisters, and their mother were also huge Elvis fans. Her 50-something mother had posters of Elvis hanging on her bedroom walls – I’M NOT KIDDING!

So, there we were, a teenager, several 20-somethings (my dad married younger…), and a few 50-somethings – about 12 of us in all. After entering the stadium, we ran into a young guy from our church who was an usher at the stadium. He asked where our seats were (think nosebleed section). He said he could get us close to the stage in an area just behind the reserved wheelchair section but that we had to give him our ticket stubs and not draw any attention to ourselves. If we did and were asked for our tickets, we wouldn’t have them, which would have gotten all of us and our usher friend in trouble.

We were about 25 feet from the stage. I remember at one point, Elvis’s backup singers, The Sweet Inspirations, were standing in front of their high-top stools and were blocking my vision. Forgetting about the warning to not draw attention to myself, I just HAD to get a better look at Elvis, who was singing, “Love Me.” The ladies who were at the other end of our row gave me the binoculars (silly at 25 feet, right?) and told me to lean over their seats to get a better view.

So, me and my hot pants laid my body across the three ladies to my left, lifted the binoculars to my eyes, and just then, Elvis turned in our direction, looking straight at me with those blue eyes, and I could only imagine that he thought I must be a little cray-cray to be so close to the stage using a pair of binoculars and spreading myself across multiple seats. It was then that I remembered what our usher friend had told us about not drawing attention to ourselves, and I very slowly put down the binoculars, straightened myself up in my seat, and looked both ways to make sure no one saw me. BUT ELVIS DID and he started laughing! I was so embarrassed! But I will carry that memory with me forever.

I did inadvertently get the opportunity to see him again three months before he died in 1977. I wasn’t supposed to go that time, but someone couldn’t go at the last minute. This was a vastly different experience that the first one, and I almost wish I had stayed home the second time.

When Elvis died, I remember exactly where I was when I heard and was devastated. I visited Graceland twice within the few years after his death. I even sent flowers for the funeral. Crazy, I know.

During my first visit to Graceland with my friend, Lana, we were standing in the Meditation Garden, which was shortly after they had moved Elvis’ grave from Forest Hill Cemetery to Graceland due a failed break-in by graverobbers. A man came out of the house and started talking to us. We recognized him as Charley Hodge, Elvis’s friend who was the guy that used to hand Elvis his scarves and guitars on stage during performances. He talked about his friend and how much he missed him. It was a privilege to visit with him.

Because I like to bring everything back to relationships, there were many formed because of a love and appreciation for one man’s music. From the ladies with whom I attended the concerts to meeting up with my best friend again after she moved down to Alabama after our grade school graduation. I met her in third grade, and we are still friends to this day. I was even Maid-of-Honor at her wedding. (I will not call her one of my “oldest” friends, or she’ll kill me!) I sometimes visited her into our 20’s, and twice we made the drive from Alabama to Memphis, Tennessee to see Graceland, even taking my son and her twin girls on our second trip.

When we’re young, we put our idols up on pedestals and never expect them to fall. Later on, we become aware that they are human, just like us. He had one of the most beautiful male voices for the ballads he sang and one of the most recognizable voices stylistically. What I choose to remember about Elvis is his contribution to music and American pop culture that still stands even 43 years after his death.

Elvis may have left the building…..but he still has a place in my heart.

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https://www.graceland.com/