For those of us who lived and breathed his music, it’s hard to fathom Elvis Aaron Presley will have been dead 35 years as of Aug. 16. To hear that music morph from Blue Suede Shoes to In the Ghetto was to chronicle the changes in the very fabric of our lives – from care-free kids to socially-conscious adults. Maybe that’s why so many people still come to Graceland each year to remember.
This year’s commemoration is being billed as the “largest Elvis Week in history.” It starts Friday, Aug. 10 and runs through Saturday, Aug. 18. The best way to keep track of what’s happening in Memphis this coming week is to download the official Elvis app.
Serious fans will want to be at the Songwriters Showcase on Saturday, Aug. 11 at 2pm. That’s where you’ll hear the men behind the music reminisce. Mark James (Suspicious Minds), Mike Stoller of the team Leiber and Stoller (Hound Dog) and Dickey Lee (She Still Thinks I Care) will all be there. This is oral history folks, related by the people who made it happen.
More insights into the life of the King of Rock ‘n Roll come from Presley’s family. Lisa Marie Presley appears Friday, Aug. 17 at 1:30pm for Conversations on Elvis – Behind the Stage. Priscilla Presley is a special guest for Conversations on Elvis – Behind the Camera. That’s set for Wednesday, Aug. 15 at 10am.
Elvis Week 2012 overflows with music. Jose Feliciano and Elvis fan favorites Terry Mike Jeffrey and Andy Childs perform Thursday, Aug. 16 at 1pm – 35 years to the day after Elvis died. The roots of Elvis’ music lie in southern gospel, of course. And it’s remembered too. MARK209 joins Elvis’ Imperials Sunday, Aug. 12 at 9am.
As for transportation, there’s a shuttle from Graceland to Memphis’ FedEx Forum on Aug. 16 for the 35th Anniversary Concert.
(Image: Official Elvis Presley Photos)
