Every
year on 16 August the "ELVIS WEEK" vigil has become the most watched online event
via the Graceland cam. In death as in life Elvis will remain and remembered by his millions of fans around the world.
Many around the world make the Graceland pilgrimage. Other say a prayer at the Graceland Chapel, others pop in a DVD and remember Elvis
in concert, but mostly Elvis will remains in our hearts forever
August
16, 1977
was a day that,
much like the day that President Kennedy was assassinated, everyone
remembers where they were and what they were doing when they first heard
the news - "Elvis is Dead" Elvis
Presley's funeral two
days later became a media circus. With thousands of fans arriving in
Memphis to pay their respects to the King at Elvis' Graceland.
August
18, 1977 Elvis funeral service at Graceland was followed by a
ceremony and burial. A motorcade of 14 white Cadillacs with Elvis hearse
driven by Trent Webb lined the streets from Graceland to Forrest Hill
Cemetery. The officiating minister was Rev Bradley. Those attending the
funeral included, Priscilla, Lisa Marie, Vernon and Minnie Mae Presley,
Chet Atkins, Caroling Kennedy (who represented Rolling Stone Magazine) Ann-Margret
with her husband Roger Smith, Col Tom Parker, James
Brown, Charlie Hodges
George Hamilton, Ginger Alden, Linda Thompson, Sammy Davis Jr.
Jackie Kahane gave the eulogy
and Kathy Westmoreland
sang Heavenly Father.
The pallbearers at Elvis' funeral were, Jerry
Schilling Joe Esposito, George Klein, Lamar
Fike Billy Smith, Gene
Smith, Dr. Nichopoulous,
"Son, Daddy
will be with you soon. Daddy will be with you soon," cried Vernon Presley. Two years later
26 June 1979 Vernon Presley died of a broken heart.
Elvis
Eulogy | Elvis Will
| Elvis
Exhumed | Cause
of Death | Elvis
Autopsy | Elvis Coffin | Gladys
Funeral
President Jimmy Carter's message to the
nation was; "With Elvis Presley a part of our country died as
well." Others said that the American Dream died with Elvis. There
is no doubt that with Elvis' death rock n roll music died and the world
would never be the same again.
Elvis
(new) Medical Report Discovery
Elvis
Eulogy | Elvis
Funeral Service
| Elvis
Exhumed
| Cause
of Death | Elvis
Autopsy
Inside
Elvis' Coffin | Gladys Presley
Funeral |
Elvis Last Concert
| Elvis Last Will
Just after
2pm
Tuesday, August 16, 1977 Ginger Alden found Elvis, face down, unconscious, on the floor in the bathroom at
Graceland. Clad only in blue top and yellow pajama bottoms. Elvis was crouched over.
His face dark and bloated. By 3.30pm
Elvis had been pronounced dead after frantic ambulance ride to Baptist
Memorial
Hospital
where an unprecedented number of specialists battled to save his life. The official verdict was death by heart failure. The hospital called Vernon
Presley to tell him that his son was dead. Joe Esposito was going to announce the death, but was to overcome
with grief. Half an hour later, on the steps of
Graceland
a grief stricken
Vernon
announced to the world: "My son, Elvis is dead..."
Within minutes the press headlines announced: The Memphis Press
Scimitar announced:
-
LONELY LIFE ENDS ON ELVIS PRESLEY BOULEVARD
-
The French headlines read: L'ADIEU A ELVIS!
-
The British
frontpage said: KING ELVIS DEAD AT 42 AND ALONE.
-
The Soviet newspaper PRAVDA ran a
full-page ELVIS IS DEAD. THE
USA
HAS GIVEN US THREE CULTURAL PHENOMENON: MICKEY MOUSE,
COKE A COLA AND ELVIS
PRESLEY
-
The
Australian Herald - ONE HOUR BATTLE FAILS. KING ELVIS
DIES
-
Richard Nixon asked Americans fly their flags at half-mast. In
Tupelo Elvis' birthplace the mayor declared, August 16 an
official day of mourning. RCA sold 400 million Elvis Presley records to distraught
fans
|
Last known photo of Elvis taken hours before he died
|
|
Story Behind the Elvis in his Coffin Picture that appeared on the front
page of the Nation Enquirer Tabloid on 6 September 1977: Iain Calder, veteran Editorial Director of
National Inquirer wrote a book, The Untold Story: My 20 Years Running the National Enquirer.
Calder admits they
acquired the photo from Elvis' cousin Bobby Mann for $18,000. They bribed
Mann to sneak a camera into Graceland and take a picture of Elvis’ corpse. The shocking photo appeared on
the cover of the Enquirer and led to a record-setting sale of 6.5
million copies for the issue. It has since become the most famous cover
picture ever.
The return on the investment reaped National Enquire over 1000% profit
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