By Ann Stanton Rock Springs, Wyoming
I first fell in love with Elvis at a very young age. Which is unusual, because by the time I discovered his wonder, his power over an audience, his music, he'd been gone for five years. And I was only eleven years old.
I'll never forget the day I first thought to myself, "Man, this guy is just the coolest thing on earth." It was August 16th, 1982, the fifth anniversary of the King's death and my parents and I were on a picnic. Mom and Dad sat under the trees on a blanket with picnic basket, but I sat mesmerized in the cab of that old pick-up truck listening to the radio. The DJ announced that there were another two hours of Elvis music coming up and I decided I wasn't going to move a muscle. They continued with their musical tribute to a man the world had fallen in love with and I was in awe.
I remember the song "Follow That Dream" coming on. In a strange, childlike way, it said something to me. I guess it was my first message song, so to speak. "When your heart gets restless, time to move along. When your heart gets weary, time to sing a song. But when a dream is calling you, there's just one thing that you can do. You've gotta follow that dream...." I still love that song and I've been known to rewind a cassette or set the record needle back two or three times so I can hear it again. It makes me smile, it gives me butterflies.
I can't necessarily say it's my favorite because of its musical or lyrical value, but everytime I hear it, it reminds me of a time in my life that was magical. It takes me back to the time and place where I discovered something that somehow became a very important part of my life. I discovered Elvis. I had discovered Music.
Thank you Ann. You'll be receiving your book, Elvis Presley: A Life in Music, in a few days.
This was an exciting week for Elvis fans as we watched the tribute to him on the CMA awards. Even more exciting was his induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame, in Memphis Tennessee.
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