where were you when E.P. died
that fateful day i was tuning my car [oil lube filter] to get ready for the long drive to PENNSYLVANIA, to stop at judy palmers home to pick her and janice up, so we could follow E.P.'S following tour, we were going to wait out the PORTLAND SHOW, AND FOLLOW HIM to the next show, as i was changing the oil i had the radio on and a loud beep[bullitan] came over the radio that ELVIS PRESLEY was in the hospital[initial reports] , i just froze, and as they said they would keep us informed and they played his new album through out, about five minutes after a call came from judy , my mother called me to the phone, judy was crying uncontrollable all i could make out was hes dead, i said what the hell are you talkin about she told me to turn my tv on, as my mom turned it on the news was on[odd hour] nbc ny, BULLETIN read across the screen ELVIS PRESLEY DIES AT 42, I TOLD judy this is a prank, a friend of ours LARRY YATES who lived in memphis had seen E.P. the night before and took 5 photos of him down at the gate[this was on the 13th] even though ELVIS asked everyone not to take his photo , he would sighn whatever they had, JOHN GADORE had ELVIS sighn his t shirt, because no one was expecting ELVIS to come down to the gate, LARRY just took frame after frame, CHARLIE and BILLIE asked him to please put the camera away along withe the other 40 people, [these were known as the GATERS] a group of fans who hung out at the gates almost everyday , i tried to get through to larry but no answer , i knew he was at the gate , i phoned judy back and told her i was headed straight to memphis, i had to find out, as i talked to her i kept hearing the tv reports , MY HERO WAS GONE! I DROVE TO AIRPORT and bought a one way ticket to memphis , the agent had trouble with my card , finnally she got it right i was so pissed off, i couldn't wait as the departure time came close more people were comming in to go to memphis and saying did you hear.... the airport was a buzz with so many people saying ELVIS PRESLEY IS DEAD, I just broke down right there in front of the departure desk, i was a totally sad sight, as i made my way onto the plane it was obvious there were at least 5 fans onboard and taking the trio down there, i had lost my HERO, but gained 3 new friends, even the pilot as we aproached our destination said it was a sad day in memphis and around the world.
where I was when Elvis died
I'll never forget that day. Like the Iran hostage situation, John Lennon's murder and the Challenger disaster later, this was a day to be forever embedded into my memory. I was seven years old, had only been a fan for two years. Elvis was my favorite, except for The Monkees. I had been out playing with friends, and I returned home to watch the old 60s TV show "Batman". (I had to see if he'd get out of his latest predicament.) When I turned on the TV, initially there were commercials, and then a news bulletin interrupted to announce Elvis had died. Even at such a young age, I felt a strange sense of saddness come over me...like I just lost a family member or something. I didn't just cry, I bawled my eyes out. It was unthinkable. How did this happen? How could it have happened? WHY did it happen? To this day, these questions plague me. I lost a part of myself when Elvis died....and to be honest, I think we all did. Even today, nearly 30 years later, I still cry sometimes.
