Sunday, August 20, 2006

The King

Hubby is on his way back home this morning. I'm sipping Private Collection's Cinnamon Hazelnut with Southern Butter Pecan creamer to get me going in this quiet house.

The anniversary of Elvis' death has come and gone again. Thinking back to August 16, 1977, when it came over the radio that he was found dead in his bathroom, it seems forever ago. I was working at an auto dealership in the office, my first full time job out in the adult world. Out of school and learning to make a living. Granted, Elvis was way past his prime but still, it was such a shock. And the event of his death with the drug overdose reality was so very sad.

My father worked in a world that often had him rubbing shoulders with celebs and other well-knowns and he had a sweet Elvis story. Back in the day, when Elvis was just beginning to make it on the national stage, he purchased the first of his pink Cadillacs. Still hanging around the Gulf coast of Mississippi, he was a frequent visitor to the beach. One day he drove the new Caddy to the beach and several teenagers recognized him. They ran over and while he was visiting with them, a couple of girls took sea shells and wrote their names and phone numbers on the car with the sea shells. Someone with Elvis started to stop them but Elvis told him to hang back. He said, "They paid for it", and my father said from that time on he had no doubt that Elvis would never forget where he came from. Nice story.

And here's a tip: Ladies, steer clear of car salesmen. They are a different breed. I'm just sayin'...

4 comments:

Beverly said...

That is a wonderful story about Elvis. Remember on the Ed Sullivan show when they wouldn't show him below the waist because of gyrations? I wish that day were here again.

Me said...

Someone else this week wrote about Elvis... I was only 7 years old. I was walking up the street to our house when my bratty next door neighbor opened his front door and yelled to me that "Elvis died." When I went home Mom had the radio on and I could tell she had been crying.

They played Elvis on the radio non stop for 2 days.

srp said...

I was never an Elvis fan. I know that is next to blasphemy, especially in Mississippi but there you have it. Of course compared to today's music, he was really tame, especially in the early years.

Jennifer said...

That's one of the best Elvis stories I've ever heard. I remember my older cousins going NUTS about him when I was small. One night in particular stands out, when they were curling their hair to go see Their Man live in concert in Charleston, WV. I've never seen two girls act more ... girlie. ;-)

The day he died, I was riding in the car with one of those cousins. We had to pull off the road to let her get a grip on herself. I remember it like it was yesterday.