It's Good To Be King

Don't tell me Elvis is dead. Elvis is alive and well. He presided over the renewal of our wedding vows just a few weeks ago. He was looking fit and not nearly as bloated as I had heard. I suspect that it's the outfit that gives him that look. Who doesn't look a little chubby when they're wearing a white jumpsuit with a collar as big as all outdoors?
As Mojo Nixon has made so very clear, Elvis is everywhere. He's a lot like Santa Claus that way. Sometimes we see lots of Elvises in one place, but we shouldn't worry since those are just his helpers. The real Elvis exists in the hearts, minds and peanut butter and banana sandwiches of each and every one of us. The folks in Tupelo, Mississippi are depending on this. So are the friendly denizens of Memphis, Tennessee. Even though this week marks the anniversary of the "death" of Elvis Aaron Presley, a world of fans have taken it upon themselves to prove just how very much alive the King of Rock and Roll continues to be. Forbes magazine will tell you that Kurt Cobain places second in earnings for dead rock stars, but they've obviously missed the point: Kurt is worth more because he's dead. Elvis is worth more alive.
That's why he is the King of Rock and Roll. Nobody had to vote for him, he just ascended to the throne. John Lennon once said, "Before there was Elvis, there was nothing." Try to imagine any pop music star without a significant chunk of Presley DNA. Even the assertion that he was the white guy who made black music safe supports this. Eminem and Michael Jackson know that. Way back on August 16, 1977, Elvis became one with the world and everyone from the Ramones to John Travolta soaked up the essence. The King isn't dead, Long Live The King.