Several years ago I enjoyed a tour through Graceland. Elvis was not like the entertainers of today in that he remained a genuine and nice person to all people. He gave gifts spontaneously to many people unlike some of the celebs today who give gifts in order to craft their image—see Doprah Winfrey for a shining example of the later. Elvis did serve in the military—how many today serve in the military?? Shortly after Elvis served, I remember Mohammo Ali refusing to serve in the military—Mohammad was awarded a brief, but luxuriant stay behind bars for his cowardice. I miss Elvis’s music, his good nature, and his decency toward all people. He died early because his promoter, his doctor, and other money grubers kept him hyped on drugs to keep him going.
I also remember exactly where I was when I heard the news that he died. It was a very hot afternoon (high 90s) in Columbia, Maryland, where I was working my summer job as a laborer on a house framing crew. I was carrying 4’x8’ sheets of plywood up to the roof, sweating my a** off and cursing my existence, when the owner of the building company, who was, it turns out, a huge Elvis fan, drove up in his red convertible Mercedes and announced that Elvis had died and all work would immediately stop for the rest of the day in remembrance of him. I had not been an Elvis fan before that afternoon and have not been since, but I must say that I was very much a fan that afternoon. :-)