Thousands mourn Elvis The King

With flickering candles in hand, tens of thousands of Elvis fans marched solemnly through the gates of Graceland to mark the 30th anniversary of the King's death yesterday.

They came bearing roses, teddy bears and tears as a seemingly endless line of mourners snaked its way up the rolling driveway towards his poolside gravesite.

Among the fans was a couple from Melbourne.

Coral Johnson, 63, and her husband, Francis, were taking a tour of Elvis' private jet, the Lisa Marie, after flying in earlier in the week.

"We're having an absolute ball," Mrs Johnson said of the trip the couple planned for over a year. "I'm afraid of flying, but I knew that this was the 30th anniversary and I had to come."

Mournful Elvis songs, meanwhile, echoed through the grounds as the fans made their way past the white-columned mansion whose windows were light up so it looked as though the family was at home.

A striking number of the most dedicated returnees in Memphis are carrying passports and international flight tickets along with their VIP passes for Graceland tours.

Handmade memorials from around the world lined the road and the memorial garden where the Presley family is buried.

There was a yellow horse from Belgium. A windmill from France. A Brazilian flag made of crushed paper.

"I come here every year because I love Elvis," said Yosuke Funabashi, as he paused in the garden after visiting the grave.

Originally from Japan, Funabashi moved to Memphis a few years ago to run an Elvis souvenir shop called Love Me Tender on Beale Street.

"I love his style, he's an original."

Bill Rowe lined up and spent a day sweating in front of Graceland's graffiti-marked fence so he could be the first person through the gates.

He's been to every vigil since Elvis died and forced himself to stay awake all night because it would be "rude and disrespectful" to sleep on Elvis Presley Boulevard.

"I grew up a somewhat lonely child," the 57-year-old from Ohio said.

"Elvis took me into his world. He taught me some valuable life lessons along the way. Never speak ill of somebody, especially in public. Remember your roots and, if you can, help your friends."

A poor Southern white boy who brought black music into the mainstream, Elvis Presley made rock 'n' roll the international language of pop.

The combination of virulent sexuality, boy-next-door good manners, incredible stage presence and an ambitious manager propelled Elvis into two decades of television specials, films, blockbuster concerts and merchandising.

He changed the way people thought about music and made an indelible mark on American culture.

"Before there was Elvis, there was nothing," John Lennon once said.

Elvis remains the best-selling solo artist with over a billion albums sold and still generates about $US50 million ($61 million) a year through licensing fees and the Graceland exhibits.

Opened to the public in 1982 and declared a national monument in 2006, Graceland draws nearly 600,000 visitors a year.

During Elvis Week, the party spills out across the city with fan club festivals, an expo and convention hosting book signings and a hundred merchants, impersonator contests, scholarly talks and memorial services.

A huge marketing blitz accompanied events this year which drew an estimated 75,000 people.

"It's official - this is the biggest Elvis week and the biggest candlelight vigil ever," Todd Morgan, executive director of Elvis Presley Enterprises said as he opened the ceremonies.

There were plenty of grey-haired old ladies who had fallen for Elvis when he smashed through the social conservatism of the 1950s and got white kids to shake their hips.

But there were also a surprising number of people who were children when he died on August 16, 1977, of a heart-attack. And quite a few who hadn't even been born yet.

Debbie Quinn-Booth, 38, was among thousands of British fans who flew in for the anniversary.

"I love Elvis. He's my hero. He's the love of my life. I can't explain it, it's just something about him," she said. "I'm here to pay my respects."

Frenchman George Lassus, 62, said the appeal of Elvis was quite simple.

"We were part of the (cultural) revolution of the 1960s ... without Elvis we wouldn't be here," he said.

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Specially for the 30th Anniversary ;

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- A personal Presley pilgrimage By Scott Jenkins

76 babies named after Elvis Presley in Queensland

Mr Shine, whose portfolio responsibilities include the Births, Deaths and Marriages Registry, said it was obvious Queenslanders had not forgotten the man dubbed The King.

"Interestingly, the number of newborns named Elvis spiked in the 1990s with 35 sharing the name," Mr Shine said.

"However, a more modest 21 newborns have been named Elvis this decade, with four of those last year.

"Elvis Presley is an icon and obviously some parents have thought so highly of him to name their children Elvis," he said.

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