Deep Thoughts: Where were you when Elvis died?

Sunday, August 18, 2013

Where were you when Elvis died?

I'm listening to a CBS Sunday Morning piece on the 36th anniversary of Elvis Presley's death. It dredged up a memory from the 70s. I was 17 at the time and driving with my friend Craig to his cousin's house for a game of basketball. We were listening to KMET when the news broke. We pulled over to listen to the story. I remember sitting on a treelined street in Yellow VW bug and thinking, "How is this possible?"

Where were you?

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Gary Hill · 609 weeks ago

I'll never forget the day Elvis died and not because it was my birthday. I was hitchhiking from Sligo to Dublin (Ireland) and was picked up by a guy who was on his way to a music festival in Belgium. We heard Elvis had died on the car radio. So we got talking about music and he asked me what I thought of the Irish band Planxty and I told him I didn't like them at all. It turned out he was Paul Brady, a founder member of what I now know is considered one of the greatest bands ever produced by Ireland. Ironically, I like them now.

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Mikko 54p · 609 weeks ago

I didn't exist in 1977

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@ken_ramsey · 606 weeks ago

I was 10 years old on Tuesday, Aug 16, 1977, out playing in my front yard. Mom had bought me my first "grown up" record when I was six years old, it was Elvis Presley's "Burning Love", and since that time I was a huge Elvis fan. I idolized the man, I adored him. Knowing this, my friend David from up the street came by to see me and said, "I'm here to tell you that Elvis is dead." He had a cruel streak at times, so I thought he was messing with me. He said, "No, I'm serious. It's on the radio." So we went inside and turned on the radio. The station was playing, "How Great Thou Art", so I went around the radio dial trying to find news. I found, "Love Me Tender". Then, "My Way". Every single radio station, every single one, was playing an Elvis song. Even the black funk/r&b stations. Even the news stations. All them, no exceptions, playing Elvis music. And the songs were all gospel or ballads, the stately stuff, the dirges, the funereal stuff. So it hit me. I was overcome. I fell to my knees and starting sobbing, I felt like somebody had punched me in the gut. David was laughing at me at first. But I couldn't stop crying, and it got awkward. David went silent. Mom came in, took me in her arms, and we cried together for a long, long time. This was the first day anybody I loved had died. It seemed the world was lesser place, that something special had gone. Man it sucked.

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Sunday, August 18, 2013

Where were you when Elvis died?

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