It was very cool! I wasn't a huge Elvis fan when I was young...but now I really appreciate his music so much more. The amazing thing is that even in the era in which he performed, (when singers didn't wear the ear monitors) he was always right on. Right on pitch, right on the beat. And what a powerful, emotional singer he was. See for yourself - check out "Elvis, Aloha from Hawaii" and the "68 Comeback Special" Those are Elvis at his finest.
For Easter vacation one year, Don, Jennifer and I went to Memphis and visited Graceland. It was awesome and we want to go back soon.
"Twenty Interesting Things About Elvis"
1. Elvis was born in Tupelo, Mississippi.
2. Elvis had an identical twin brother, who was stillborn.
3. When Elvis received a guitar for his eleventh birthday, he was disappointed; he was hoping for a bike.
4. Elvis was reportedly regarded by fellow students as a “trashy kid who sang hillbilly music” when he took his guitar to school and sang during lunch.
5. In the eighth grade, Elvis received a “C” in music.
6. Elvis never learned to read music.
7. Elvis made only one appearance at the Grand Ole Opry, in October of 1954. They never invited him back.
8. The first riot following an Elvis concert occurred in Jacksonville, FL, after Elvis finished a show by saying, “Girls, I’ll see you backstage.”
9. Frank Sinatra, in a magazine interview, decried the new brand of music that Elvis introduced as “brutal, ugly, degenerate, vicious.
10. “Heartbreak Hotel” was the first Elvis single to sell over a million copies.
11. After a controversial (and sensuous) performance of “Hound Dog” on The Milton Berle Show, Elvis appeared on The Steve Allen Show, where he sang “Hound Dog” to a Basset Hound.
12. The first Grammy Award Elvis won was for the 1967 Gospel release, “How Great Thou Art.”
13. Elvis reportedly had a problem with teenage boys wanting to beat him up on his tour stops.
14. Elvis was six feet tall.
15. The Cleveland Browns was Elvis’ favorite football team.
16. Elvis’ natural hair color was blond (in his early years) and light/dirty brown; he dyed it black.
17. Elvis wore a cross, a star of David, and other religious symbols around his neck, explaining “I don’t want to miss out on heaven due to a technicality.”
18. Elvis was awarded two medals while serving in the Army, one for expert marksmanship, the other for sharpshooting.
19. Elvis held a black belt in karate.
20. Elvis died of a heart attack on August 16, 1977. Many mistakenly believe he died of a drug overdose.
Bonus fact: Graceland is the 2nd most visited house in the United States (The White House is #1).
He was an American original and he was fantastic! ~
