34th Anniversary of Elvis Presley’s Death – August 16th [VIDEO]

34 years ago today (August 16th 1977) the world lost the King Of Rock And Roll, Elvis Presley. He was just 42 years old. Never in our history has there been a musical performer with the impact of Elvis Aron Presley. From his beginnings at Sun Records, to a series of over 30 movies, to the record breaking performances in Las Vegas and across America, he remains 'The King'.

I was fortunate to see Elvis Presley in concert twice, both times right here in Abilene.  He played the Taylor County Coliseum in 1974 and again in 1977.  The March 1977 show was very special because I attended with my Mom.  I was 15 years old at the time, and of course not licensed to drive.  So Mom stood in line at the coliseum and got tickets in the 15th row dead center.  She had never seen Elvis before, missing out on his shows in the Abilene area in the 1950s.  She was like a school girl again as the opening theme music began before the show.  It was a night I'll always remember, as much for her reaction and our shared experience, as the stellar concert that night.

Last night in Memphis (August 15th), they held the annual candlelight vigil at Graceland, Elvis' legendary home. Fans as usual showed up in droves, over 20,00 strong, from every state in the union and from other countries to pay tribute. Elvis week in Memphis is always special. It's a positive celebration of the life and music of a man who is one of the ultimate rags to riches stories. Elvis' well known problems with prescription drugs that led to his demise are overshadowed by the power of the music and the immense talent and charisma.

As always, there are numerous music and video releases that coincide with Elvis week. One of the standouts is the reissue of 'Elvis: The Great Performances' on DVD. The set has been out of print since 1990 and is now enhanced with remastered sound and video as well as some rare bonus features and footage. If you want an ultimage collection of Elvis Presley performances captured on video, this is it. From movie songs, to live performances that span over two decades, this DVD collection captures Elvis' at his best. See more info on the set here at trueoldiesabilene.com/elvis. And take some time to listen to the music. In the end, it's what really matters. You can hear a LOT of Elvis Presley songs today on the True Oldies Channel 100.7.  Online, you can listen live at trueoldiesabilene.com/listen-live.  There's a great story in today's Abilene Reporter News about Elvis and Big Country Fans.  See it here at ReporterNews.com/Elvis Here's one of the ultimate movie performances of all time, from the movie 'Jailhouse Rock'.