where were you when E.P. died

[memphis 77]

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.

[vulcandude]

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.

[ForeverTheKing]

I can't have memories of that day...I don't know if I have to say "fortunately"!

I was in heaven in that period, waiting for him since I was born in 1978...but I can perfectly imagine what many of you felt in that moment...surprise, a terrible sadness and sense of emtyness

[polksaladhasie]

I was almost 3 years old and don?t have a idea where i?ve been.

But i just can imagine, what you felt then omg.. so ... sad

[riley]

I was leaving for France with my parents on a holiday.

We listened to the radio the whole way long and there was nothing BUT elvis music, interviews etc...

It was the first time I listened to Elvis Presley and being a young girl it was the first time I fell in love.

Now it is 30 years later and I'm still madly in love.

Riley

[Polk-Salad-Annie]

At that time i was 11 years old, but i don?t have a idea where i was at that moment.

[presley]

I was born in 78, so sadly l didn't know who he was than.

[PAUL26205]

I heard the sad news after I got home from work.....well.....I took the following day off work and all day I played my elvis records.

[poormansgold]

I Was at home in my room I was in my own another world because that year i found out I epilepsy and things was out of control, I came down My
Room I turn TV on, The special News Came On Say That Elvis Presley Die At 2:30
Eastern Time, In his Home In Memphis, Tenn. after thatI was more lost is going on, that's I remember on 8/16/77 , I know I had few weeks left of Summer i go back To School .

Tom

[MauriceColgan]

I was 35 when I heard the news. Late at night. The following morning my first thought on waking was, Elvis is gone forever! I lay in bed for sometime as the reality sunk in. It was like losing a close relative.

Yet we had never met.

Elvis provided (and still provides through his music) so much pleasure to my life I am glad I am still here to tell the stories.

http://irelandtoo.blogspot.com

[JDD]

Playing Football with the neighborhood kids. I was told by a Neighbors sister he died, I didn't believe her because she usually lied about everything and just liked to cause trouble and everyone knew I liked his music.

[ribotcb]

Well,I in my home I was 11 years OLd!! But I remember this day!! My parents love Elvis!! and I collector... My father and I cry..

[LocoBandito]

not born yet

[elvisfan4life]

yes, still going thru old topics.....

I remember the day like it was yesterday. We got a call from a friend saying that Elvis had died and she had told my dad to turn on the news and of course my father didn't believe her...... we were all in shock, crying, - I remember it like it was yesterday. The sun was shining outside - we were sitting in the livingroom....... and we were glued to the tv for the remainder of the day.

My father had just started to get his life back together because my mother had died in June of '76. He started his tribute to Elvis show a couple months before Elvis died and then another tragedy...... the two most important things in his life had been taken from him - his wife (who left him with 3 girls under the age of 11), and Elvis Presley - the person the admired the most in his entired life.

A day I'll never forget.

[KPM]

I had just finished some paper work for a store I worked for and the radio in the store was in the background. I heard a breaking news flash but only got the end of it and it seemed like I heard ----n-roll dead at -2. I thought it can't be Elvis , maybe Chuck Berry or LIttle Richard. But I went into the store and a lot of people had tears in their eyes and were talking here and there about what a shame it was, and he will always be the King of Rock n Roll. I knew it was Elvis. I got 4 calls in the next hour from a brother and some friends asking if I'd heard. Like losing a close family member....

[Lisarose]

I was getting ready to leave home for college in the big town of Houston from a small town - 40,000 pop. I heard the news but I didn't really let it sink in. I didn't want to feel sad. Then one song kept running through my mind - Little Egypt. One of the few 45s I owned & had worn out playing. I knew all the words to this song & could sing it without prompting! I can't figure it all out - just my way of remembering him, I guess.

[mislulu]

I was 15 and I remember driving in my sisters car when I heard the news. I was so sad. I felt as thought I lost a family member!

[Elvis_Priestly]

I was 6, I don't remember the day of his death but I do clearly remember seeing his funeral on the news and knowing it was someone very important to have all those white cars. It was to be another ten years though before I got hit by the Elvis bug.

[jon_burrows]

I was 9 years old. Elvis died 1 week before my 10th birthday. I vividly remember the evening it was just so sad as my brother and parents are all Elvis fans. We were all watching TV when about 7.30pm local time a news flash came on and announced that Elvis had died.

[riley]

I was wondering, was the funeral aired on american TV.