Elvis
in an alternate universe
by ‘EagleUSA’
In
an alternate universe, Elvis is alive and well and turning
70 on Saturday. He'll be celebrating his birthday with daughter
Lisa Marie, her children, his wife of 11 years - Kate, and
their two young children, as well as several friends.
He's
also celebrating the success of his evening variety television
show, "Elvis", which is now starting its 4th season. It began
as a 9/11 Special, earning him an Emmy, and turned into a
critically acclaimed weekly show. It gives him an outlet to
perform songs he enjoys in front of a small audience, while
sometimes showcasing talented young artists he discovers and
produces in his Memphis studio.
The
format is loose and relaxed. Sometimes Elvis will simply jam
with old friends who "drop in" and chat with them between
songs. Johnny Cash was a recurring favourite until his health
problems prevented him from singing. It was a real treat to
watch these two legends harmonizing together on their personal
gospel favourites. Elvis had a tough time at Johnny's funeral.
I'm sure he misses him.
Elvis
plans to keep doing the show for another few years, if the
ratings hold as well as they have so far, and then retire.
He and Kate have been talking about another trip with the
kids....maybe back to Australia. They haven't been there to
visit since his performance in Sydney for the global "Farewell
Tour" in '99. He and Kate would like to show the kids around
Europe too.
Now
that John and Susan are a bit older, they'll appreciate Daddy's
stories of being a soldier in Germany and how much it touched
him when he was finally able to visit England on his first
world tour in 1980 and realize how much the fans there loved
him.
Today,
Elvis looks back on the last two and 1/2 decades with an appreciation
of what he almost lost and what it took to reclaim his life.
Then he smiles when he realizes he's the luckiest man alive.
Happy
birthday, Elvis.
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