Elvis Presley Death Anniversary: 34 Years Later

by NowPublic Staff | August 16, 2011 at 07:13 am

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August 16: Anniversary of the Death of Elvis Presley

Elvis Presley died on August 16, 1977 at age 42. His fame lives on, and he remains highly relevant in musical and pop culture. Had he survived the excesses of fame, Elvis would have been 76 years old in 2011. (Regardless of what Michele Bachmann thinks, August 16 is not Elvis Presley's birthday. That would be January 8.)

We continue to learn new things about Elvis Presley's life and career all the time, due to his rise to fame occurring as mass media also began its ascension.

The Kiss Photo: Barbara Gray and Elvis Presley

The death of Elvis is commemorated by fans all over the world. The faithful gather at Graceland to hold a vigil each year on August 16. In Melbourne, Australia, Elvis Tribute Week is kicking off in Docklands, with several days of Elvis-centric concerts and events.

Via The Daily Beast, here are 10 celebrity Elvis impersonations.

'Elvis Has Left the Building!'

Horace Lee Hogan, producer of Louisiana Hayride, spoke the famous words into his microphone in order to get thousands of screaming fans to stay and watch other acts: "Please, young people. Elvis has left the building. He has gotten in his car and driven away. Please take your seats." Eventually shortened to "Elvis has left the building", it became a catch phrase to indicate that the show was over.