Elvis At 76

Elvis Presley would have been 76 years old on January 8th. Can you picture him at that age? I can't.

I often wonder what he would be doing today if he was still with us. What if he had taken better care of himself?

Musicians generally keep on doing what they do, regardless of age. Take a look at the Rolling Stones. If you grew up with them like I did, you probably didn't picture the Stones touring regularly and extensively as they approached 70 years of age.

And if anyone was placing bets on which of the founding fathers of rock and roll would still be alive and making compelling music, would anybody have picked Jerry Lee Lewis? His new album 'Mean Old Man' is getting rave reviews.

Jerry Lee abused himself at a far more frantic pace than Elvis during the same time frame. But there's genetics for you. Keith Richards is still alive and he could make the King and Jerry Lee look like choir boys.

One of the rescued Chilean miners was in Memphis over the weekend to celebrate Elvis' birthday. He was the one who sang Elvis tunes to pass the time and keep things calm while they were waiting for help. It turns out those Elvis songs are about all of the English he knows. But I heard he did learn a new word while he was in Memphis. Y'all.

The great thing about music is that it outlives its creator. And we do our best to keep the music and the memories alive. Thanks for listening to True Oldies 100.7.