The King of Rock and Roll's birthday is today, Jan. 8. If he was still alive today he would be 78 years old. The Associated Press reported that it is also Elvis Presley Day in commemoration for his birthday, Jan. 8, 1935.
Elvis was born in Tupelo, Mississippi and moved to Memphis when he was 13. He died at the young age of 42 on Aug. 16, 1977.
Fans gathered at Graceland in Memphis to celebrate his birthday. The AP reported that hundreds of elvis fans watched 13-year-old Isabella Scott, who heads an Internet Elvis fan club, cut a birthday cake on his Graceland lawn.
The mayor of Memphis and Shelby County also came to Graceland and read a proclamation of Elvis Presley Day. The AP reported that people from all over the world came to celebrate The King's birthday including fanatics from Japan, Spain, Brazil, England and France.
"Like coffee and cream, grits and gravy, peanut butter and bananas ... Memphis and Elvis is a combination that was just meant to be," Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr. told the crowd the AP reported.
Celebrations started on Saturday with thed Memphis Symphony Orchestra doing a concert to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Elvis' "Aloha from Hawaii" show. There was also a new exhibit at the Graceland touris attraction, about his movies and concerts in Hawaii that opened on his birthday.
"His talent, good looks, sensuality, charisma, and good humor endeared him to millions, as did the humility and human kindness he demonstrated throughout his life," Elvis.com states about Elvis."Known the world over by his first name, he is regarded as one of the most important figures of twentieth century popular culture. Elvis died at his Memphis home, Graceland, on August 16, 1977."
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