Elvis was an amazing person. Anything you say about this man is an understatement. All I can say is that I have been a fan of his since I was 5 years old. I unfortunately was born after he died, but that didn't stop the impact that he had on my life.
This man never let his fame give him a swelled head. He was the nicest, sweetest man. He gave things aways like it was nothing. He was always giving to charities. If someone, a stranger, came up to him and said that they like his ring or necklace or something he was wearing, he was known on occasion to just take it off and give it to that person. He absolutely loved what he did and he was always so humble about his fame. He never forgot where he came from or how he got where he is. Another thing that makes this man so great is that unlike stars today, Elvis knew it was the fans that got him where he is and he always treated them with the highest regard of respect. He did have his problems, but those problems are nothing, compared to the greatness of this man. He was a true southern gentleman.
Nothing I'm saying is coming out right. Elvis helped mold who I am today. He helps me get through some tough times. I actually was at Graceland for the 30th anniversary and it was the most amazing feeling. There were hundreds of thousands of people there. People from all over the world. All there because they loved Elvis. I would find myself crying because 30 years after his death, his fan base is still there and it's forever growing and that was the greatest feeling for me. I think Elvis was afraid that people would forget about him when he's gone and I would look around and.....he's not forgotten. I also went to the candelight vigil and let me tell you about this man's influence. The ceremony was at 9pm and we stood in line and the feeling of love and unity towards one man was greater than you could imagine. As we would be in front of the gates or in line, the entire crowd would start singing along with his gospel songs or his ballads. As we stood outside of those gates, we were having the best time of our life celebrating Elvis. My mom and I got into line about 1am and crossed through the gates at about 4am. Walking through those gates was like walking through a portal to a completely different world. Outside the gates, people were talking, laughing and having fun. Once people crossed through, there was silence and there was tears. There was love and respect for a man that left us way too soon.
They estimated about 75,000 people that walked through the gates on the night of the vigil. You talk about this man influence. What other person do you know that 30 years after his death, his fan base never faltered and continues to grow. What other person makes people want to make a pilgrimage to their hom every year. Graceland is the second most visited house in America. What other person, 30 years after his death can make people cry because he's gone. There isn't one person and that says a lot for Elvis.