On this day in 1977. . .

[keith_h 420]

When Elvis died I was living in SoCal trying to make it in the music business. All I can say is thank goodness I had a day job and an affinity for electronics or I would have starved. I would be back in the Chicago area by the end of the year and surprisingly made more money off music there but wouldn

t trade the experience for anything.

[Memphis 105]

I was working in downtown Memphis not far from Baptist Hospital where he was taken and pronounced. I didn't think much about it when I heard on the radio that Elvis had collapsed and been to the hospital.  But when they announced that he was dead I just could not believe it.  My father was in the music business and had played with Bill Black, and Scotty Moore (E's first band, Blue Moon Boys) He even went out to Graceland with them to give E grief over breaking his little finger in pick up football game. It was crazy in Memphis for a month or two.   

[djsamuel 322]

 

Look, across the water, there is the Empress Lilly, named for Walt's wife.  Fun times there. 

 

My wife and I had our big honeymoon dinner at the Empress Lilly in 1984.  Miss it since the change.  Ironically, our daughter had her rehearsal dinner at Fulton's Crab House.  It's still good, but showing it's age a bit.

[Command Module...AKA-Brian 8]

Wow, when Elvis died, we were at our last days of a Disney trip, I was 6 and we were in Kissimmee staying off 192 in an old Motel surrounded by orange groves, I remember we had just gotten in my Dad's VW Bug and heading to the Big Orange down the road for some orange ice cream, I was sitting on my Mom's lap in the front seat ( aahh the 70's) holding on to the grab handle above the glove box, when the song we were listening to stopped and a man came on and said the news that Elvis died, my Dad pulled over, and he and my Mom cried for a few minutes while they played Elvis's I did it my way, never did get that ice cream, but I will never forget that day and what I was doing at that exact moment, I didn't have that feeling again till 1981 when my Dad was stationed at Andrews AFB, the released hostages had just landed in Freedom One and I was able to see them deplane and start the motorcade, then sadly I felt it again on 9/11.  Brian

[Retired and Happy (Ken) 101]

I was working for the USAF and was TDY at MacDill AFB in Tampa.  Ironically the entertainment at the motel we were staying in was an Elvis impersonator.  He cancelled his show for that night.  We left soon after that, so I don't know how long he was down for.

 

And I still tear up near the end of the movie "Delta Force".  Real life events.