Elvis Presley Remembered: A Look at How Rolling Stone Covered the King on the Thirtieth Anniversary of His Death
In honor of the thirtieth anniversary of Elvis Presley‘s death, fans worldwide are holding candlelight vigils, screening his movies and being entertained by hordes of Elvis impersonators. Here at Rock Daily, we’re celebrating the King by looking back at some of his most memorable appearances in the pages of Rolling Stone. In 2004, Bono examined Presley’s impact, writing, “In Elvis, you have the blueprint for rock & roll.” In 1981, the magazine ran an excerpt from Albert Goldman’s Elvis that focused on the singer’s “party years” in the late 1950s and early 1960s; the year prior, RS provided a lengthy chunk of Jerry Hopkins’ Elvis: The Final Years.
At the time of Presley’s death in 1977, Rolling Stone published details of his last days and a report from his funeral as well as a story exploring the scene at Graceland as 75,000 fans rushed Elvis’ famous home in anguish. In that issue we also examined what it was like working in the studio with the King, allowed fans like Bruce Springsteen, Paul Simon and Mick Fleetwood to share their Elvis memories, and published Greil Marcus’ recollection of his thoughts immediately after receiving the news of Presley’s death.
Click here for easy access to all of Rolling Stone‘s reviews of Presley’s albums, here to check out photos of the King over the years and here for shots of fans gathering at Graceland this week. And search through our Rock Daily blog to see how Presley has stayed in the news, from stories about Elvis-inspired candy to the sale of his rural getaway.