Elvis - the Legend
Now to discuss a subject near and dear to my heart. Ahh. . . . that gorgeous creature. . . . I watched Elvis-The way it Was last night on TV. Wow. . .what other words can I say? This man was the epitomy of manhood. OK, I tend to go for the rugged, extremely masculine type. And you don't get much more masculine than Elvis, do you? Who could argue with that? But his charm was natural - nothing about it was put-on. He was just naturally bursting with macho-ism. Good grief, there will never be another that could come anywhere close to his charisma, his looks, his sex appeal. I just about melted when he smiled at some random member of the audience now and then. The man was pure showman, all the way through. A born entertainer of the highest calibur. He lived for his shows, the audience. He put everything he had into each performance. I still can't believe he's gone. What a legend. A legend we will never see the likes of again.
The Beatles and Elvis - they were "it" when I was young. I grew up with them, and no one has held a candle to them before or since. An era gone by, and how tragic that this dynamic man died at the age of only 42. How many songs were never sung? We were cheated, and Elvis most certainly cheated himself. That deep, melodic voice that no one else could come close to, those completely original moves, the hypnotic dark blue eyes, the magic that he posessed. He was born for the stage, and for adoration from the millions of admirers who still pay visits to Graceland regularly, but especially on his birthday every year, and its been. . .what? 28 years, I believe, since his death. Who else in history could boast that? And what other dead person is still making millions upon millions to this day, over a quarter century after his death?
I read once in some book I had lying around about Elvis that he went for an audition with someone before he was famous. This person happened to be a straight male. Even HE could instantly feel the power, the magnetism the moment Elvis walked in the door. He had such a presence. The man was quoted as saying, "That man was so handsome that it didn't matter if you were a man or a woman. . . it was just a fact."
As I sat in front of the television last night, I was grateful that the movie gave him so much respect. They didn't mention his death except in passing, and nothing about the details. The movie ended with the end of a concert that was shown from start to finish, complete with the grand finale that Elvis was so famous for. He was at his very height of success then. Elvis would have been very pleased with that movie. I sat there with tears streaming down my cheeks most of the time, but especially when he sang "The Wonder of You," which is my all-time favorite of his songs. Sounds corny, I know. But it was heart felt.
Yes, Elvis was everything a woman dreams of in a man. He had some issues to be sure, but doesn't everyone? He was quirky, childish and. . . toward the end, materialistic. But it didn't start out that way, as almost everyone who knows anything about Elvis can attest to. He was born to extremely poor southern parents who nevertheless instilled precise manners and courtesy into their son at a very young age. He was a true gentleman who always used the terms "sir" and "ma-am." But his phenomenal success ruined him, in the end. The fast life, money, grandeur, rich foods and easy access to drugs took him to a premature grave. I hardly recognized the bloated, lethargic man toward the end, and it saddened me, but I never dreamed he would come to such a violent, unseemly end. And it was violent. He struggled to live and breathe on his bathroom floor, with no one to help him or even hold his hand at the end. He was completely alone, and I can't even attempt to imagine the panic he felt. All his money, his mansion, his expensive horses and cars, even his fans could not help him. The body does not give up easily. Everything within a living body wants to continue living. It resists dying valiantly, and the process could not have been anywhere near easy for Elvis.
To this day, I never tire of listening to his singing. Everything from his "wiggly" left leg to his almost bashful crooked smile make me realize that the legacy of Elvis will live on forever in my heart.
The Beatles and Elvis - they were "it" when I was young. I grew up with them, and no one has held a candle to them before or since. An era gone by, and how tragic that this dynamic man died at the age of only 42. How many songs were never sung? We were cheated, and Elvis most certainly cheated himself. That deep, melodic voice that no one else could come close to, those completely original moves, the hypnotic dark blue eyes, the magic that he posessed. He was born for the stage, and for adoration from the millions of admirers who still pay visits to Graceland regularly, but especially on his birthday every year, and its been. . .what? 28 years, I believe, since his death. Who else in history could boast that? And what other dead person is still making millions upon millions to this day, over a quarter century after his death?
I read once in some book I had lying around about Elvis that he went for an audition with someone before he was famous. This person happened to be a straight male. Even HE could instantly feel the power, the magnetism the moment Elvis walked in the door. He had such a presence. The man was quoted as saying, "That man was so handsome that it didn't matter if you were a man or a woman. . . it was just a fact."
As I sat in front of the television last night, I was grateful that the movie gave him so much respect. They didn't mention his death except in passing, and nothing about the details. The movie ended with the end of a concert that was shown from start to finish, complete with the grand finale that Elvis was so famous for. He was at his very height of success then. Elvis would have been very pleased with that movie. I sat there with tears streaming down my cheeks most of the time, but especially when he sang "The Wonder of You," which is my all-time favorite of his songs. Sounds corny, I know. But it was heart felt.
Yes, Elvis was everything a woman dreams of in a man. He had some issues to be sure, but doesn't everyone? He was quirky, childish and. . . toward the end, materialistic. But it didn't start out that way, as almost everyone who knows anything about Elvis can attest to. He was born to extremely poor southern parents who nevertheless instilled precise manners and courtesy into their son at a very young age. He was a true gentleman who always used the terms "sir" and "ma-am." But his phenomenal success ruined him, in the end. The fast life, money, grandeur, rich foods and easy access to drugs took him to a premature grave. I hardly recognized the bloated, lethargic man toward the end, and it saddened me, but I never dreamed he would come to such a violent, unseemly end. And it was violent. He struggled to live and breathe on his bathroom floor, with no one to help him or even hold his hand at the end. He was completely alone, and I can't even attempt to imagine the panic he felt. All his money, his mansion, his expensive horses and cars, even his fans could not help him. The body does not give up easily. Everything within a living body wants to continue living. It resists dying valiantly, and the process could not have been anywhere near easy for Elvis.
To this day, I never tire of listening to his singing. Everything from his "wiggly" left leg to his almost bashful crooked smile make me realize that the legacy of Elvis will live on forever in my heart.
posted by seaecho @ 1:34 PM
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