Royal Memorial Devotion Unwavering 20 Years After Elvis’ Death
In a ceremony that meshed rock ‘n’ roll madness with religious mysticism, tens of thousands of Elvis Presley’s fans marked the 20th anniversary of their idol’s death on the grounds and outside the gates of Graceland Friday night.
The candlelight procession began at dusk and was expected to continue until dawn today , the actual anniversary. Police could not provide a firm estimate of the crowd size, but tens of thousands of the Presley faithful were expected to have filed by his gravesite by the time the vigil concluded.
The massive turnout offered strong visual testimony to the continuing popularity of the “King of Rock ‘n’ Roll,” who died of “cardiac arrythmia” in his Graceland home on Aug. 16, 1977. He was 42 years old.
The sea of flickering lights extended for blocks along Elvis Presley Boulevard, a four-lane highway that was closed to traffic earlier in the day. The display of devotion was spectacular, with thousands of candles casting tiny circles of illumination against the gathering night.
Fans started staking out their places in line outside Graceland on Thursday, guaranteeing their right to be among the first to walk up the curving driveway to the Meditation Garden, where Presley and his parents and grandmother are buried.
“Elvis loved (Jesus) and respected his word. I understand these people and their love for Elvis. I think most of them keep it in perspective,” said fan Bill Rowe.
The vigil was the capstone to a week crammed full of tributes to Presley and bonding among his fans from around the world. Elvis Week events wrap up today with a benefit concert featuring live musicians and Presley performing via video technology, along with an annual road race Sunday morning.
Among the special tributes was a wreath placed near Presley’s grave by members of the If I Can Dream Elvis Fan Club of Massachusetts.
“This shows the dedication you have to have to go through this,” said club vice president Trish Garber, who has traveled to Elvis Week for the past 10 years. “We come here in August and it’s 100 degrees. We come here in January,” to celebrate Presley’s birthday, “and it’s 15 below.”
Looking back over the week, Presley fans had few complaints about the heat, or anything else.
“We’ve been dancing and making new friends from all over the world,” said Mayke DeKoniner, 53, of Belgium. Her group of 52 had spent five days in Memphis and will travel to Las Vegas, Palm Springs, Calif., and Hawaii to see other Presley haunts.
“It brings us such pleasure to celebrate the spirit of Elvis,” DeKoniner said.
Back outside the gates of Graceland, Rowe, who has attended 19 candlelight vigils and has been first in line for the last 10, reflected on the ceremony and the week’s events.
“It’s been great. The more the merrier. You can’t have enough people coming to show their respect for Elvis,” Rowe said.
And after the vigil?
“We’ll hang around for a while and hug each other. And after a real good cry, we’ll have to start thinking about getting back to reality a little bit.”