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Elvis Vigil Draws Thousands
16-Aug-2008
Written by: Katharine Westfall
Fans descend upon Memphis for Elvis Week 2008.
On the anniversary of Elvis Presley’s death, fans gathered at his gravesite for their annual vigil. Thirty-one years have now passed since heart failure ended the singer’s life on August 16, 1977, but he is as much a star today as he was then. The Associated Press reported that this year several thousand people showed up to the “Candlelight Vigil,” where they paraded silently up the Graceland driveway to Presley’s resting place behind his home. According to the AP, the Vigil is merely a highlight of several days worth of events, known as Elvis Week. Fox News reported in 2007 for the 30th anniversary that an estimated 75,000 people are expected to descend on Memphis this week alone. According to E! News, only half that number of attendees was anticipated. Although many devoted fans were willing to brave the Tennessee heat and rain, People Magazine reported on its Web site that the vigil would also be accessible to people who chose to stay home via an online “vigilcast.”
The official Elvis Week Web site (elvisweek.com) listed among the offered activities a 5K Elvis run, a Graceland tour DVD theatrical premiere, an Elvis Gospel Breakfast, the Club Elvis private party, and a Fan Club Presidents’ event. Perhaps the most exciting is the Elvis Impersonators’ Competition in which 22 pre-selected contestants from the U.S., Canada, and Australia sing their hearts out. According to Country Music Television, the winner of the contest gets a 12-week paid performance contract with Legends in Concert and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to borrow the crown of the man they called “The King.”
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