July 29, 2002. Copyright, 2002, Graphic News. All rights reserved

Mourning Òthe KingÓ a quarter of a century on
By Mark Samms

LONDON, July 29, Graphic News:  When Elvis Presley was found dead in his bathroom at Graceland 25 years ago, tributes poured in from across the world as his peers, politicians, and all manner of ordinary people sought to put into words what this extraordinary man had meant to them.

But it was John Lennon who captured the moment perfectly. ÒBefore Elvis,Ó he said, Òthere was nothing.Ó

He meant that Presley had pioneered a brand of music in the fifties that began as rock and roll and has since evolved with each passing decade. But none of it would have been possible without the man from Tupelo, Mississippi, whose fame grew so far and so wide that he became one of the few people in the world capable of being recognised by his first name only -- Elvis.

He possessed the essential ingredients of any pop idol -- moody good looks, sex appeal and a voice that sparked a million impersonators. He also stacked up endless awards, gold discs, concert sell-outs and a personal fortune.

But Elvis Presley was not just any old rock star. He was the essence of his generation; a man whose appeal ran so deep that it not only survived his death, but continued to flourish after it.

A new generation of fans has joined those who were there at the beginning. His records continue to sell in vast quantities, an industry has formed around Elvis merchandise and his home at Graceland is one of AmericaÕs most popular tourist attractions.

Elvis achieved a great deal, but many of his fans are convinced there was much more to come. His potential as an actor was lost in a welter of turgid movies, and he had only begun to show what he could achieve as a singer and performer in the last six or seven years of his life.

Lennon was right. Before Elvis there was nothing. But on August 16, millions of people worldwide will quietly recall where they were on that day 25 years ago, when the shocking news of his death was announced. And they will think of what might have been.
/ENDS