Rock 'n' Roll's gain, and Elvis Presley's manager's too

Presley longed to be a serious actor but Parker, who adopted the title "Colonel," did nothing to help him, Stoller said. "Unfortunately, the Colonel had the golden goose and he wanted him to keep cranking it out." Stoller said he never understood why Presley gave Parker so much control over his life and career. Many of Parker's decisions were more for his own benefit than for Presley's. "The Colonel's only interest was the Colonel's... Elvis was merely a vehicle for his greed." Presley was 42 when he died on 16 August 1977, of drug abuse and heart disease at his Memphis residence. The house, Graceland, now draws more than 600,000 tourists a year. Graceland is the centre of an annual string of parties, fan get-togethers and memorials focused on the death anniversary. Over the week, estate managers expect up to 4,000 people a day to tour Graceland and for even more to shop at its complex of souvenir stores and museums. The week's highlight is a candlelight procession past Presley's grave in a garden beside Graceland.