Famous Elvis announcer dies in car crash

Al Dvorin, famous for the line, "Elvis has left the building," died Sunday in a car crash at the age of 81. The concert announcer was on his way home from an Elvis convention in California. Ed Bonja, an Elvis photographer, was driving the car when it went off the road on a highway in the Mojave Desert. Bonja was injured in the crash, and Dvorin was thrown from the car and died from his injuries.

Dvorin met Elvis in 1955, but he first used his famous catchphrase during a concert in 1970, when he needed to quiet the crowd down and let them know that Elvis would not be performing an encore. He announced, "Ladies and gentleman, Elvis has left the building. Thank you and goodnight." The words were instantly famous, but Dvorin was never paid for the many recordings of his announcement.