30 Years and Countless Tears

It was 30 years ago today that the news came down from a small Memphis radio station, The King is Dead...

That was August 16, 1977. I was about to turn 8 years old. But, I was old enough to understand that we lost a legend and a treasure. When my neighbor Mrs. Judy was in tears for three days, I understood. When the news spoke of nothing else for a week, I understood. And when I, as an 8 year old felt as if I had lost a grandfather, everyone around me understood.

If you are laughing now, I expected it. But consider this, without even metioning his name yet, you already know who I am talking about.

Elvis changed the world for all of us. If you are a fan of popular music, you owe a debt of gratitude to Elvis. Yes, since his death there have been an increasing magnitude of jokes and jabs aimed at the King. Admittedly, this is in no small part due to his own doing and the charactor he created in his final years. But you all know that the King that died on the thrown that day, as fat and flawed as he was, still had inside him the greatness that changed the world.

If you still don't beleive that Elvis was the most important entertainer of the last Century, take this little quiz. Without the aid of that interweb thing, tell me the date any of the following died:

Frank Sinatra
Ray Charles
James Brown (many of you may have known this one, but afterall, it was Christmas Day, and it was just last year.)
Marilyn Monroe
Louis Armstrong
Count Bassie
Johnny Carson
even, John Lennon...

Hmm...

AMC, TCM, CMT, Spike and every major network news broadcast will have a tribute today, as they have every August 16th since 1978. Who else does this happen for?

Forget about the jumpsuits, the peanut butter and banana sandwiches, and Hunka Hunka Burnin' Love, and listen to the compilation "Elvis at Sun". You will thank me, and you will miss Elvis too.

Respectfully submitted,
Z

PS - Don't Piss me off!!