Elvis Presley: How The King Of Rock ‘N’ Roll’s Birthday Is Being Celebrated
Today, January 08, would have been Elvis Presley’s 80th birthday. Elvis was born on January 08, 1935 in Tupelo, Mississippi and the man who became know simply as “The King” died in Memphis, Tennessee in August 1977. Fans from across the globe are gathering at “Graceland” and across the city of Memphis for a series of commemorative events.
“One of the main highlights of the celebration took place this morning on the Graceland lawn, where a ceremony was held, declaring Thursday to be Elvis Presley Day in Memphis. With Elvis’s former wife Priscilla Presley on hand for the celebration, a specially designed birthday cake was also cut,” ABC News reports.
Kevin Kern, director of public relations for Graceland and Elvis Presley Enterprises, shared some details about the festivities with ABC News.
“We’ve got a cake fit for a king, complete with eight tiers — one for each decade,” he revealed. “And it’s an exciting day, with members of the Presley family in attendance.”
Kern added that Presley’s daughter, Lisa Marie, would join her mother for the ceremony, which also featured a group singalong of “Happy Birthday” to Elvis.
Across Memphis this week there will be screenings of Elvis Presley movies, fan club meetings and musical events. At “Graceland,” Presley’s estate, the celebrations will continue throughout 2015. Two new exhibits will open that celebrate periods of Elvis’s career.
The Detroit News is reporting that one of the most exciting events takes place this evening at “Graceland” where there will be an auction of rare memorabilia, the most exciting item being the original 1953 acetate of the first record Elvis ever cut, a song called “My Happiness.” The auction sees more of Presley’s legacy being sold off, his private airplanes were recently sold, much to the anger of fans.
Elvis Presley was the man who put the ‘star’ in ‘Superstar’, his hip shaking, his curled lip smile, his slicked back quiffed hairstyle, combined with his charisma and dynamic performances propelled Rock ‘n’ roll into the mainstream and had a massive effect on pop culture. The fact that over half of the visitors to “Graceland” were born after the “king” passed demonstrates the power of his effect on the world of music.
Rolling Stone reports that Legacy Recordings have plans to release a series of Elvis recordings throughout 2015. This will allow modern day Elvis fans the chance to discover Presley’s music. The first release The Complete ’60s Albums Collection Vol. 1 has been released onto iTunes. The set highlights all the LPs Presley recorded between 1960 and 1965 with newly mastered sound for the digital medium. The set includes classics like “G.I Blues” and “Blue Hawaii.”
Even though he died in August 1977, Elvis has well and truly maintained his rock and roll crown by remaining one of the best-selling artists of all time. The celebrations of what would have been his 80th birthday is sure to raise his profile amongst younger music fans and will potentially bring Elvis’s music to a new generation of fans.
What are Inquisitr readers thoughts on the Elvis’s birthday celebrations? Do you have special memories of the King?
