Many people want to be immortal in some sense, to leave a legacy, to create something that lives on forever. Maybe they do that by teaching their children recipes and traditions. Maybe they do that by starting a company or creating a product that outlives them. For entertainers, they do that through the entertainment they create.
While there are many entertainers that most of us have never heard of, there are many who are timeless. Marilyn Monroe comes to mind as does Michael Jackson, and we can definitely include the King of Rock and Roll on this list, Elvis Presley.
Elvis certainly had a successful career. According to Graceland.com, “In America alone, Elvis has had 150 different albums and singles that have been certified gold, platinum or multi-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), with more certifications expected as research into his past record sales continues and as current sales go on.”
Elvis was more than just a singer. He was a performer. He starred in 31 movies and 2 documentaries. He also made multiple television performances, the first one being in 1956.
Now, we have access to footage of Elvis’ very last performance in 1977. He flew to Lincoln, Nebraska to perform a concert at the Pershing Municipal Auditorium. His health was not the best at this time, but he was determined to perform.
Jack London uploaded footage of the concert on YouTube, and he included a note saying, “Elvis loved you, his heart was filled with love of his fans and people! He had to take painkillers to make it through a live show, and even his doctors wanted to cancel this show, he said: ‘No, no way I will cancel this show and let those people down!’- he instructed his doctors to give him anything that will make him through this show and to be able to make the best of his performance in that time. So, they agreed and gave him a cocktail of painkillers and steroids to be able to do the best possible performance! And God knows he did it, his talent came through the clouds of painkillers and sang his love above any drugs! No pills could put his love and talent down and will for singing to his fans that he admired so much! More than his own life! Elvis was a beautiful human being and there will be no other but him always!”
In the video below, watch Elvis sing a haunting rendition of “Unchained Melody” just six weeks before he passed away.
