Untill We Meet again

[Gayle]

;">

Thirty years ago at Indianapolis's Market Square Arena an exhausted, disillusioned and sick Elvis Presley stepped onto a stage for the final time. He would be backed by his James Burton led TCB band, a band often described as one of the greatest live bands ever assembled, and he would perform 21 songs from all parts of his remarkable 23 year career. The reviews of the Indianapolis show were among the best of that emotionally and physically devastating 1977 Summer tour but the reality is that it is like many of the shows from that year, a combination of a tired artist walking through some songs while investing others with explosively spiritual readings that would show the last things to leave Elvis Presley were his voice and heart.
Much has been written about Elvis in that final fateful year of his life. It has always baffled me as to how people can take such glee in cruelly making fun of someone who was in such an obvious state of emotional and physical turmoil, but that is exactly what the last thirty years have brought. Whether it be the ill conceived CBS television special that was aired to pay off Colonel Parker's gambling debts, or the factually and spiritually corrupt Albert Goldman assignation job of a book in 1981 to people who have no conception of how important culturally and devastatingly talented this man was; 1977 and the years since have taken much away from the legacy of Elvis Presley.
The thing that strikes me most about that fateful final year is just how, even at his most vulnerable and damaged, great Elvis Presley remained. For all of the rushed through and lifeless performances that he gave that year, each show would also feature some of the most powerhouse vocals of his career. I'm not an apologist for Elvis in 1977. The man was sick and needed to be in a hospital and not on the stage but there are moments, like when he is singing HURT, HOW GREAT THOU ART, BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATER and especially a exorcising UNCHAINED MELODY, that the most powerful aspects of Elvis come out. Also noteworthy is that this was clearly a man who was remembering something special from his past and the spirited performances of TRYING TO GET TO YOU, LITTLE SISTER and an acoustic driven THAT'S ALL RIGHT all point to the fact that Elvis seemed to be finding solace in much of the rock music of his youth. A planned rock and roll studio album was being discussed for late 1977 and with people like John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Mick Jagger and David Bowie clamoring to write and produce for him, the late seventies could have been a most glorious time of renewal for Presley.
But it wasn't meant to be and as tragic as the final year of Elvis Presely's life was, it is hard to imagine things any other way now. The site of Elvis Presley's final show was a sports arena built for the Indiana Pacers in 1974. Elvis had played there before but in that final show it has been reported that the 18,000 people that saw him thirty years ago tonight was the most the arena could hold.
The show was pretty typical for 1977 with the aforementioned THAT'S ALL RIGHT being the opening song after the 2001 theme played. The beguiling and always powerful CAN'T HELP FALLING IN LOVE closed the set which included readings of songs ranging from YOU GAVE ME A MOUNTAIN to LITTLE SISTER to a surprising, for 77, I CAN'T STOP LOVING YOU. The final words Elvis Presley spoke on stage were, "Until we meet again, may God bless you...adios."
The Elvis Presley of 1977 was the same Elvis Presley who had stunned people in his legendary 1968 comeback special, just like he was the same man who had made millions of people happy in his 31 feature films, and the same person who had inspired every major rock artist of the sixties and seventies with his work in the fifties...and finally the Elvis Presley of 1977 was the same little boy who grew up in poverty stricken Mississippi dreaming he could reach something else. The career of Elvis Presley can be split up into parts but it should never be forgotten that this was the same man all the way through and there was still a lot of that young dreamer left in him even at the end. Elvis in 1977 is often described as 'old Elvis' which is a mistake because Elvis Presley never had the chance to grow old, he was just 42 when he died.

Like many landmarks Americans take a weird satisfaction in destroying, Market Square Arena was imploded a few years ago to a crowd of hundreds; a crowd that erupted in a mixture of boos and cheers when the destruction happened. It has always reminded me of a line Lou Reed wrote in 1989, "Americans don't care too much for beauty, they'll shit in a river and dump battery acid in a stream..then complain that they can't swim." There is a strong element in our country that takes a certain sick satisfaction in tearing down our landmarks and idols. Certainly for the last thirty years they have tried to do it to Elvis Presley and yet somehow he remains; like some sort of indestructible reminder that you can't kill a dream that millions of people have ended up sharing.

Elvis Presley was often described, throughout his life, as someone who wanted nothing more than to make the people around him happy, and up to those last moments when he walked off that Indianapolis stage he was still doing just that. His ultimate sacrifice for making people happy was finally his own life, which perhaps says as much about the world we live in as anything else ever could. Ironically, even thirty years after he sang those final notes, Elvis Presley continues to make millions upon millions of people happy.
"Moon In the Gutter"

</" alt=""

>

Until We Meet Again

[Sonya]

Hi Gayle,this was very well written and excellent info too. Couldn't agree more -you go, Girl! Blessings, Sonya

[Gayle]

Thanks a bunch Sonya

[Larry Blong]

We were waiting at Memphis Aero when Elvis returned that night from Indianapolis. We followed directly behind the Mercedes and saw Elvis stroking the back of his head. My brother commented that that action shows that someone is worried. Elvis stayed in for the remainder of the night. We did not see Elvis come out of the main gates at Graceland the entire month of July which we thought was strange. People were reading the West's book inside of the gates. We finally saw Elvis come back from Libertyland amusement park on Sunday morning August 7th around 7am. We got a big wave from Elvis as we sat on the white curb leading up the drive. Elvis was laughing heartily. We flew back to Philly on Monday the 8th of August and got the horrendous news the following week. I was there in Memphis for two years and your article about Elvis in those last days hits the nail right on the head!

Larry Blong

[Wanda June Hill]

Thank you so much for writing this wonderful piece about Elvis and his last tour- so beautiful put, so insightful and gracious, and very much enlightening to anyone who might not think about it other than what's been "told" by so many who apparently don't "think much" except in their brain-and leave the heart out totally. You have heart- and that is a treasure becoming rare in today's world. I'm happy to know there are some of you (us) out there still - people are going to need some guidance more and more going down this road in time. So much is changing- and I have to say too, Elvis didn't change- he reamined the same young at heart, caring and kind soul from day l of his life until that 42 year of his life. He used to say, "Listen you your heart- it knows, when the brain can't reason- the heart won't steer you wrong." He was right. wjh

[Sonya]

Beautiful, Wanda, thanks for what you added. I wish more people out there were like Elvis... but that kind of gift comes once in a thousand years.... or less ;-)

Sonya

[Gayle]

Wanda, thank you for those kind words,yes there are a few of us still out here.I am the kind of person that rather keep personal convictions and beliefs to myself also,have found that to try and speak is usally not good idea, for someone will surely ridicule you or try to discredit you.I am quiet by nature an observer and have found that you can see and understand more that way. you're right people of the world are in deep spiritual trouble. Not much heart or compassion left in many.No the heart won't steer you wrong if you just be quiet and listen ,,
I Am sorry i havn't been on here much, lot happening personally just lifes little problems and weather is bad lately tornados in area ,storms knocking power out a lot. hoping all is well with you,,will try and stop in here more often,,Loveya, Gayle

[mike]

what a write-up about a boy and still had a lot of boy left in him when god took elvis home, he seen that he was so wore out and knew he could not keep going on like he was, he gave the world his all, and even served his country and could have went in the army and done nothing but entertain the servicemen and woman back then, but he went in just like any another man, and still came out and gave his all never knowing that inianapolias indiana would be his last stop, thank you elvis you made alot of people happy with your movies and the music you worked so hard on, to bring joy to our hearts , we all i am sure there are more that love you than don't , we'll always remember you and keep you even now in our prayers that god is still guiding you everywhere, we miss you so much and when we listen to you sing them songs we feel your right here beside us and maybe you just are, i hope i will always have that feeling that you are still with us, rest in peice for now, because when god comes for the rest of us he will be using you to entertain us just like you are down here , thank you again for the love that you showed people what love really is, to be blessed with a voice like you have, would be wonderful to have, but you have to have the heart to go with a voice like god gave you to have,