Memories of Elvis: As a young boy, the T.V. came on late in the day with a test pattern, in black and white. It featured an Indian. but when you're about 10 years old, it was the future. After all, my "radio" had been a crystal set, oatmeal box, wire to the plumbing, a headset and the crystal, with the needle you scratched with, to dial in the stations. So, on that afternoon when, I believe it was Paul Whiteman, the memory is so old now...anyway, a variety show. "Ladies and Gentlemen, ELVIS PRESLEY." What? El-vis, what kind of name is that? It wasn't Jimmy or Billy, or anything I knew...And this guy comes on, like a wild animal, black hair, sideburns, guitar, looking from side to side like somebody was going to jump him...And then he starts to sing..."You ain't nuthin' but a hound dog", and he's shaking, like he's possessed(I may not have even known what possessed was at the time) but one thing for sure...I NEVER saw or heard anything like THAT before...
    It was wild, crazy, I didn't know what to do. Then came the stories, how he was dangerous, or he was doing something wrong, something you couldn't show on T.V. So the next time he was on T.V., Mom and Dad were there. Dad said he had a good voice, and liked him. Mom just watched. And the show played, but you could only see him from the waist up. Then the screams, the song, and it was over. And Ed Sullivan said something like, "this is a fine young boy." Elvis was looking from side to side, shy like.
    And the mockers spoke with their "Elvis the Pelvis" and the later years it contnued with "the fat Vegas clown in the white jump suits." But I like to go back to that afternoon when I first saw him. And I'm going to remember the love of Gospel Music, "How Great Thou Art", the crazy stories,"Elvis, you just gave away $300,000 this month, we can't go on like that..." "It's O.K. Daddy, I'll just go on the road and make it all right back." The humility, the smile, sometimes making fun of himself and his image, with the lip. He would be your friend, if you just got to meet him. You knew he'd never let you down. All of that.
   No friends, for millions of fans around the world, Elvis was a lot more than a singer. He was a member of your family, everything that was decent, the man who stood up for what was right. All the good things America could be. So to all the fans around the world, he hasn't really "left the building". He's just smiling down on us...Thanks Elvis, God Bless...
bob