August 16th Would Have Been 33 Years Since Elvis Presley's Death

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="275" caption="Elvis in Nashville"]

photo credit: PPandM[/caption]

As a boy in the Caribbean, my neighbor Samuel loved everything Elvis – but I had never heard anything from Elvis that really moved me until I heard “In the Ghetto” (see live video of In The Gehetto on page two of this article) and “Suspicious Minds” (Live video of Suspicious Minds see page three of this article). To this day, the latter song is still one of my favorites and although I am not a fan like my long ago neighbor, I appreciate the man’s talent.

August 16^th marks the 33rd year since his untimely death and his fame is still renowned. The proof of Elvis’ fame is in the fact that he still makes a mint, although he has been dead – well depending on whom you ask – from the grave. Elvis’ impersonators are still making a good living and the traffic to his Graceland home, where he lived and is buried, almost rivals, per capita, those who visit Florida’s Disney Land.

I would be remiss if I didn’t address the parallels of Elvis’ death to that of Michael Jackson and so many others, including those who are currently struggling with prescription addiction.

We are also reminded that by looking at Elvis’ truncated life how far back drugs have been a problem and its lingering presence in the lives of our gifted stars. I do not know how to address curing the problem, I can only say that those around those who are gifted and addicted should give no quarter to their addictions and only to regret it later – are you listening, those around Whitney Houston or Dina Lohan?

Live Video: Elvis Presley - Suspicious Minds

Elvis Presley - In the Ghetto

All over Vegas, the tributes will be plentiful and flowing; and I dare say that the traffic at Graceland will be significantly increased Monday in honor of the man with the spectacular voice. I am going to speculate that had Elvis lived, his voice would not have abandoned him.

Case in point, many of his contemporaries – Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis, Sam from Sam & Dave - among others, are still performing. Like John Lennon, Bob Marley, Jimi Hendrix, and Michael Jackson, Elvis deserves remembering for his contributions, which sprinkled our lives with an assortment of joyful memories. I hope you have been resting in peace for these past 33 years, Elvis.