Remembering Elvis

I was ten. Music and song was always a part of our lives, from Daddy's limited repertoire, the few long-plays on the Victrola, radio and television. We listened and memorized the lyrics of a mix of artists. Babs and I twirled to Andre Kostelanetz, Gene Vincent (who we thought was a Cajun because of his last name), Trini Lopez, Fats Domino and Chuck Berry. But it was Elvis Presley, who topped the charts that year several times, and three of his songs got our blood flowing: "Love Me Tender," "Don't Be Cruel" and "You Ain't Nothin But a Houndog." Mike and George combed their hair in ducktails as Elvis lookalikes and practiced strumming imaginary guitars and his pouting cool-boy look in the mirror. I remember calculating the difference between Elvis' age and mine, ahhhh eleven years, sigh... When Love Me Tender, the movie, finally arrived in Abbeville, we flocked to the Frank's Theater to watch and cry. It was a tearjerker for a ten-year-old, and though Elvis starred in lots of other movies, none grabbed my heart more than Love Me Tender. And every January 8, I remember Elvis.

PVA

8 January 2025