Yesterday marked 38 years since music legend Elvis Presley passed on to rock the heavens. Yet, his legacy remains solid, just like his fan following. We walk down memory lane with glimpses of a few iconic moments and memorabilia reproduced by one such Mumbai fan.
A woman poses next to large scale photographic prints of US singer Elvis Presley, during a photocall for the Elvis at the O2 exhibition in London on December 11, 2014. The exhibition will continue till August 31, 2015 and includes a variety of items from
Fali Singara, a Mumbai based Elvis fan hits rewind mode. He reminisces, "Elvis died at his home in Graceland, Memphis, Tennessee on Tuesday, August 16, 1977. He was to fly to Portland, Maine, that night and perform at a concert there the next day on the 17th and start a new tour."
A woman poses next to large scale photographic prints of US singer Elvis Presley, during a photocall for the Elvis at the O2 exhibition in London on December 11, 2014. The exhibition will continue till August 31, 2015 and includes a variety of items from the Elvis archive, including costumes, cars, records and personal items such as Presley-s credit cards and house keys. Pic/AFP
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Singara adds that Elvis went to bed at 7 am on August 16, as he had spent the night discussing tour details. He was found dead later that afternoon. He was only 42 years old. His death was one of the last century-s biggest media stories. The press coverage was mind-boggling as it lasted not for days, but for over two months, and this was before the Internet.
With former TV personality Wink Martindale. Scanned from a copy of The Memphis Press Scimitar
Elvis with Ann-Margret in Viva Las Vegas. Scanned from a copy of The Memphis Press Scimitar
"One of the first newspapers to break the news of Elvis- death was the local newspaper located 15 minutes from his home — The Memphis Press Scimitar. Over 1,50,000 copies of an Elvis tribute edition were printed — but few exist today. It ceased publication in 1983. The next country to break the news on its front page was Canada. Equally rare is finding a copy from there that announced his death," Singara informs.
Tossing a scarf at a sea of stretched hands at a sold out show
Elvis weds Priscilla. Scanned from The Memphis Press Scimitar
Elvis Coloured Vinyl Albums
"My father had collected over a 100 albums of Elvis alone by the time I was born and over the years, I-ve added to that. The coloured pressings and picture discs of his vinyl albums are among the most collectible.
Elvis record. Pics courtesy/ Fali R Singara
A favourite would have to be a rare edition of Elvis- 40 Greatest —that was released as a special -pink colour pressing- edition in the 1970s. This was the first Elvis compilation that featured all of his hits spanning his entire career up to that point. The original pressing of the album hit 1 on the UK charts one week after Presley-s death and became the 10th bestselling album of all time in the UK at the end of the 1970s."
Turning on the home-town crowd at the Mississippi Alabama State fair, September 27, 1956. Scanned from a copy of The Toronto Sun
Elvis in his later years. Scanned from a copy of The Toronto Sun
Elvis Wall Plates
"Over the years, one of the most collectible items of Elvis are the limited edition wall-plates that are released for a very small period. The plates are signed by the artiste, on the back. Today, some of the rare ones with the artiste certificate and original box are worth Rs 15,000 to Rs 50,000 each. There are three favourites in my collection of many.
Elvis Wall Plate Collection
The first is the iconic pose from his NBC Comeback Special in 1968. The next is a scene from his movie, Wild in the Country, and the third is a scene from the movie, Loving You. These plates are almost three decades old."
With baby Lisa Marie. Scanned from The Memphis Press Scimitar
Elvis Signed Photos
"In my collection is an inscribed message from 1955 on the back of a photo by the King himself.
Elvis Signed Photo
Scanned from a copy of The Toronto Sun
I have two Elvis signed items framed in my collection but this is the more interesting one, as it is from the year when Elvis became a superstar."
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