I was just shy of 14 and watching the evening news(I was a news nerd). Still remember where I was sitting.

Remember it well - I was on my way to bowling league.

I remember it well. I was running the little league baseball in the county and while a game was going on a fellow comes up to me and said, "The King has died. It's on the news."

So I ask him in what country was he the King. And he said, "No, Man! The King. The King. Elvis!"

 

So I told the guy who was umpiring the games for us that Elvis had been found dead, and he loudly exclaimed, "No Way! Are you kidding? Ive got floor tickets to see him at Rupp!"

Then he cursed a little and fumed and went back to his umpiring. He recently told me he still has his tickets. Never asked for a refund.

I lived in Memphis at the time. I was working communications in the office and one of the agents in the field happened to be driving by Graceland shortly after it was discovered Elvis died and called it in on our radio. That is how I remember the moment.

 

A little history of the area:

Although I grew up in Memphis, I have never toured Graceland. In the years before he died and before Whitehaven (the area) was annexed into Memphis, it was actually a very nice area and Highway 51...now EP Boulevard was lined with big houses and/or mansions. When the city of Memphis annexed the area in 1970, it immediately turned for the worse. The Graceland neighborhood which sits behind the mansion had tremendous Christmas decorations as the neighbors would all band together and have a theme for each street...the streets would even be renamed for Christmas....eg. Candy Can Lane. It was the neighborhood to tour every Christmas. Elvis's mansion was always decorated with blue lights. Not many people seem to realize he also owned a ranch (Circle G) in Horn Lake, MS about 10 miles away. We used to drive by it when I was a teenager, but it was very private and surrounded by a chain link fence so not much could be seen. I won't go on, but it was a lot different then.

Took my mom when we lived in Fulton down to Graceland...much smaller than expected.

 

Fulton County?

Don't see that on here much

Took my mom when we lived in Fulton down to Graceland...much smaller than expected.

 

I could PM this, but when were you in Fulton? We had friends that owned the Derby Inn....small world.

I could PM this, but when were you in Fulton? We had friends that owned the Derby Inn....small world.

 

We lived out there in 95-96, lived right in town for about a year and out in the county for a year.