I'm sure that lots of people born this date, January 8, in 1935, are still with us. I wish them well; they're turning 85 years of age today.
And one such person born that day, who left this mortal coil in August of 1977, is still with us in spirit, for his name is Elvis Aron Presley, and he brought coolness to music like no one had before.
The life of the King began in this shotgun shack in Tupelo, MS, and it ended in the mansion below in Memphis.
The great paradox of Elvis is that his greatest strength was that he never really changed from the unsophisticated country boy he was from birth, and his greatest weakness was that he never changed from the unsophisticated country boy he was from birth.
To the end he called his seniors "Ma'am" and "Sir." He accepted his draft notice and went into the army for two years at the very height of his fame and earning power.
But he accepted bad advice, trusting a crooked manager, "Colonel" Tom Parker, who cheated him and held him back from true artistic accomplishment, instead miring him in two dozen of the stupidest movies you ever saw. And like so many people caught in a vortex that takes them from everyday life to a whirlwind, he fell in with "doctors" who gave him very, very poor medical advice - advice that ended his time with us at 42.
But what he left behind is the spirit that gives a man the confidence to dress like this without regret:
Happy birthday, Elvis. We're still enjoying what you brought us.
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