CityView Magazine

CityViewNC.com | 31 A MOVIE PREMIERE AND A TOUR OF GR ACELAND My late wife, Jean, and I lived in Charlotte during the early 1970s. On a Sunday morning (I believe in 1975) a front-page article in e Charlotte Observer indicated Elvis Presley had scheduled a concert at the coliseum. My wife directed me to get tickets right away. So at 8 a.m., I drove to the outdoor box office at the coliseum. When I arrived, there were already two lines a block long at the ticket window. I waited a while, got two tickets for $24 and returned home. I learned later that the concert had sold out by 10 a.m. We saw Elvis but were surprised that he had gained a lot of weight. We later moved back to Fayetteville and learned that Elvis had performed three shows in August of 1976 at the Cumberland County Memorial Arena. We were surprised that he had come to Fayetteville. He stayed at what then was the Ramada Inn Hotel on Eastern Boulevard. en, out of the blue, the King of Rock 'n' Roll was scheduled to return to Fayetteville on Aug. 25, 1977. He didn't make it because he died of an apparent heart attack at his home in Memphis on Aug. 16. Folks with tickets to the canceled concert were told they could get refunds or donate to the heart fund in Elvis' memory. e names of those who did so were inscribed on a plaque that was hung on the wall outside the arena. A renovation of the area in 2008 resulted in the plaque being removed. Country music singer Ronnie McDowell and the Stamps Quartet appeared at the arena on Aug. 25 as a tribute to Elvis. McDowell, who described himself as a big fan of Elvis, is remembered for his 1977 song Jeff Thompson and his wife saw the premiere of the movie 'This Is Elvis' at the Memphis theater that Elvis often attended. They also were among the first visitors to go inside Graceland when it reopened after Elvis' death. Photo by Tony Wooten before closing. I'd have never signed the papers had I known. Just before his death, Buddy came to see the house, bringing me the black velvet painting, a gi I couldn't refuse under the circumstances. It hangs on a bedroom wall, hidden behind the open door, but it's there — a remembrance of Buddy and the friendship we shared. e painting stays with the house when we sell. I loved Buddy, but not enough to keep an Elvis painting. – Tammie Rice, Eastover "e King Is Gone," a testimonial to Elvis. e radio station I worked at bought several dozen copies of the Aug. 17 Memphis Commercial Appeal newspaper and sold them for a dollar each to people who came by the station wanting mementos. e money was donated to the heart fund. In 1981, Jean and I were invited to attend the premiere of the movie "is Is Elvis'' at the Memphis theater that Elvis oen attended. While in Memphis, we stayed at the prestigious Peabody Hotel. During that trip, we were among the dozen or so visitors who were the first members of the public to go inside Graceland. It had been closed since Elvis' death. We were taken to the room where Elvis' jumpsuits and memorabilia were exhibited. – Jeff ompson, who lives in Fayetteville, is a longtime radio newsman.

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