Elvis Presley

[glenneaglesfan]

Mrs Frey has reminded us that today is the 30th anniversary of the King's untimely death. Tributes to one of the all time greats of rock and roll.

[Mrs Frey]

Thank you for this, Kate. This is a special day for all Elvis fans, and I'm sure we all celebrate his life and feel sadness for his passing in our own ways, even if we can't all be in Memphis at the annual candlelit vigil. I've managed to make time for him today, and the great man still has the same effect on me as he did 22 years ago, when he stole my heart.

Elvis , we'll always love you, God bless you and may you rest in peace.

[Brooke]

I love Elvis too! Such a shame his life ended so early. I've been to Graceland. It's a beautiful and unique place.

So, what's your favorite song? I think mine is Love Me Tender. Or Suspicious Minds. Like the Eagles, it's hard to pick just one.

[DonFan]

Elvis was all over our news this morning. There is a huge tribute going on at Graceland.

My family & I toured Graceland last summer, and I highly recommend the trip--it is a must for Elvis fans. To actually walk through his home, and be surrounded by his music, stage costumes, pictures, awards & gold records, was quite a thrill.

Elvis, you are sorely missed, but you will live forever in our hearts!

[EasyFeeling]

I must admit I'm not a huge fan of Elvis, because I was too young back then, but I like many of his songs. He was in the German news too and I heard a few songs today. Yesterday a TV channel honored him with the film Flaming Star, concert recordings like The 1968 Comback Special and Aloha from Hawaii. I've never seen this so I wanted to tape it but missed it.
Today TV shows the film Cafe Europa (is that the original titel?) and after that a documentary film.

As I already told you earlier I had been to an Elvis exhibition which was very interesting. I saw his letters, guitars, concert suits, scarfs, his last will, military stuff and his last car, a cadillac. And I could follow his life, pictured with photos and descriptions from birth to death. Not to forget the competition which had won a young guy. He looked and sang like Elvis it gave me chills.

[Freypower]

My favourite song is Suspicious Minds, easily, followed by In The Ghetto. Actually....

1. Suspicious Minds
2. In The Ghetto
3. Heartbreak Hotel
4. Jailhouse Rock
5. Burning Love
6. Return To Sender
7. Can't Help Falling In Love
8. Viva Las Vegas
9. American Trilogy
10. Guitar Man

But I am not a massive fan. I'm a Beatles person. I thought after he left the army he wasted his obviously massive talent.

[Maleah]

Elvis is the legend of all legends. He will probably always be remembered more easily than any other singer of any style of music. He was AWESOME! I preferred young Elvis.....with songs like "Jailhouse Rock," "Heartbreak Hotel," etc...... I've heard you are usually either a fan of Elvis or the Beatles but usually not both. lol I'm an Elvis person.......runs in the family

[Mrs Frey]

I love Elvis too! Such a shame his life ended so early. I've been to Graceland. It's a beautiful and unique place.

So, what's your favorite song? I think mine is Love Me Tender. Or Suspicious Minds. Like the Eagles, it's hard to pick just one.

Brooke, a lady after my own heart. You love both Elvis and Glenn ! I'm so that you've been to Graceland. That has been my lifelong dream - and I'm still dreaming... Now I have another dream: to see the Eagles in concert! Oh, the pain .

It's difficult to pick a favourite Elvis song - as you say, it's like the Eagles - so tough to pick just one. However, I've always had a soft spot, since my childhood, for "Don't Be Cruel". I love most of his songs, though, and I have a vast collection of his albums (which has taken years to compile! ). My favourite periods of his career would have to be 1954 to 1958, 1960 to 1962 (the studio non-soundtrack albums he recorded in this period, with perhaps the "GI Blues" soundtrack thrown in) and 1968 to 1970, when he made his stunning comeback to television and to the concert arena, after years of pointless, talent-wasting movie making. The evening of 14 January 1973 was also a triumph for him, having performed the "Aloha From Hawaii via Satellite" concert, which was beamed to an estimated 1.3 billion people worldwide, the first such satellite concert in television history.

I never refer to Elvis as the King of Rock 'n Roll. He was such an incredible singer that he could adapt his voice to almost any kind of music he wished to sing. Whether it was rock, country, blues, ballads or even light opera (such as "It's Now Or Never" and "Surrender"), the man could deliver the songs with beauty, power (or subtlety, if required) and passion, and they usually had "hit" written all over them. He was simply "The King". Elvis' popularity speaks for itself, with more than a billion records sold worldwide, 17 UK no. 1 hits (a tie with the Beatles), 20 US no. 1 hits (before the release of the remixes of "A Little Less Conversation" and "Rubberneckin'", it was officially 18, four behind the Beatles), and he holds the album record in the UK for the most weeks at no. 1. I stand to be corrected regarding his UK no. 1's - if I'm not mistaken, "A Little Less Conversation" went to no. 1 there too, bringing Elvis' tally in the UK to 18, thus overtaking the Beatles.

And this is only scratching the surface. His amazing voice was only one aspect of a man who touched so many lives with his unbelievable charisma and stage presence, his warmth and generosity towards his fans, friends and family, and just the public in general. Elvis supported many charities quietly, apart from the gifts he regularly gave away to even perfect strangers. He knew what it was like to be poor, and never hesitated to try and improve the lives of others. He was loved and respected by contemporaries, both actors and singers/musicians, who were particularly impressed with his humility. He was admired and copied, and inspired countless musicians to make great music, not least of all the Beatles and the Eagles . Elvis may not have written his own songs, but he was a musician (he played both guitar and piano) who was able to rearrange and reinvent songs to suit his style and make them his own. He was also a good actor, whose potential to become a great actor was never realised because his manager considered Dollars to be more important than artistic credibility. Elvis was already so great, and it's almost scary to think that he could have been so much more if he had been managed more intelligently (Also because of his manager being an illegal alien, he was not able to tour the world, and his concert appearances were restricted to the United States and Canada - amazing then that he is so popular worldwide). He had an instinctive ear for a hit, and probably more of a "singles" artist than an "album" artist, although his albums are great pieces of work. It is impossible to overestimate the importance of the first recordings he made, combining blues, country, gospel and pop as no one (despite claims to the contrary) had done before him. To quote the great John Lennon : "Before Elvis, there was nothing". I couldn't agree more, and the fact that tributes still pour into Graceland 30 years after his passing, just reinforces the fact that the magic of Elvis will live on.

[Mrs Frey]

I must admit I'm not a huge fan of Elvis, because I was too young back then, but I like many of his songs. He was in the German news too and I heard a few songs today. Yesterday a TV channel honored him with the film Flaming Star, concert recordings like The 1968 Comback Special and Aloha from Hawaii. I've never seen this so I wanted to tape it but missed it.

EF, I was 11 months old when Elvis passed away!

I must recommend that you get your hands on the "1968 Comeback Special" and "Aloha From Hawaii" DVDs. I have both on video, although I'm yet to get the DVDs. As Maleah describes Elvis , the DVDs are AWESOME, and I guarantee that he will blow you away. I haven't seen "Flaming Star" yet, though. TCM Classic Movies had a tribute to him yesterday, the whole day, and on two other days as well, apparently. I don't have satellite television, so I missed out!

[Mrs Frey]

My favourite song is Suspicious Minds, easily, followed by In The Ghetto. Actually....

1. Suspicious Minds
2. In The Ghetto
3. Heartbreak Hotel
4. Jailhouse Rock
5. Burning Love
6. Return To Sender
7. Can't Help Falling In Love
8. Viva Las Vegas
9. American Trilogy
10. Guitar Man

But I am not a massive fan. I'm a Beatles person. I thought after he left the army he wasted his obviously massive talent.

Ah, FP, so you are an Elvis fan! I like your top 10. In all the years of being such a huge fan, I've never bothered to make a top 10, as it's just too tough. I found your inclusion of "Guitar Man" rather interesting, since it's quite an obscure song to the general public not all that clued up about Elvis . Of course, the song was the running theme in the '68 Comeback Special.

I love the Beatles too, as you know, but Elvis will always rule my heart! The Eagles have helped me to complete my top 3 of all time!

DF, it's great that you got to tour Graceland with your family. The experience will probably stay with you forever, and you may even return!