Fans fill Graceland for vigil marking Elvis' death
Shadows danced on the faces of Elvis Presley fans as they carried candles and walked silently by his grave during a Sunday night vigil at Graceland, marking the 33rd anniversary of the American icon's death.
Thousands of Elvis admirers from around the world flocked to Graceland to attend the annual candlelight vigil and procession, which runs into the morning hours. Presley died at age 42 at his Graceland mansion on Aug. 16, 1977. Memorials started the following year.
Elvis ballads like "If I Can Dream" and "Fools Rush In" played as participants solemnly filed in through the gates. Flowers and photos lined the entrance to the grave site, which also is the resting place of Presley's father Vernon, his mother Gladys and grandmother Minnie Mae. Some people wiped tears from their faces as they walked past.
Thomas Hollis, 52, said he thought of his wife, who passed away in May from cancer. It's his sixth Elvis vigil, but the first without his wife. Sunday was the couple's 13th wedding anniversary....
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Thousands of Elvis admirers from around the world flocked to Graceland to attend the annual candlelight vigil and procession, which runs into the morning hours. Presley died at age 42 at his Graceland mansion on Aug. 16, 1977. Memorials started the following year.
Elvis ballads like "If I Can Dream" and "Fools Rush In" played as participants solemnly filed in through the gates. Flowers and photos lined the entrance to the grave site, which also is the resting place of Presley's father Vernon, his mother Gladys and grandmother Minnie Mae. Some people wiped tears from their faces as they walked past.
Thomas Hollis, 52, said he thought of his wife, who passed away in May from cancer. It's his sixth Elvis vigil, but the first without his wife. Sunday was the couple's 13th wedding anniversary....