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Thousands of Elvis Presley fans braved 105-degree heat as they gathered on Wednesday for a graveside procession to mark Thursday's 30th anniversary of his dying. |
Thousands of Elvis Presley fans braved 105-degree heat as they gathered on Wednesday for a graveside procession to mark Thursday's 30th anniversary of his dying.
The heat led to the death of a fan from New Jersey, a 67-year-old woman.
Despite the promise of another furnace-like day, some fans began lining up early in the morning for the candlelight vigil, setting up umbrellas and folding chairs on the sidewalk along Elvis Presley Boulevard. The memorial ran through the night and into Thursday.
The procession, with fans walking mostly single-file and holding candles, filed up Graceland's long winding driveway and past Presley's grave in a small garden beside the white-columned house. Many fans carried flowers, stuffed animals and other small gifts to leave at the grave.
Tom Vigil, 42, of Denver was determined not to let the heat stop him even though he was missing part of a lung from recent surgery.
Decked out in a black Elvis-type jumpsuit, Vigil pulled an oxygen tank behind him with a breathing tube attached to his nose.
"I'm not in the best of health, but I wanted to be out here and be part of this," he said.
Mary Powell of Salinas, Kan., said she took up her post at 5 a.m. to be sure to get near the front of the line. "A lot of people would say I'm crazy, but this has to do with my love for Elvis. He did so much for his fans," Powell said.
The legendary entertainer, acclaimed as The King, died 30 years ago Thursday at age 42 of heart disease worsened by drug abuse.
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本周四（8月16日）是“猫王”艾尔维斯·普雷斯利辞世30周年忌日。周三，“猫王”的几千名歌迷顶着华氏105度（摄氏40多度）的高温，聚到他的墓地举行纪念活动。
一位来自新泽西的67岁的女歌迷因天气太热而死亡。
明知道肯定又是个大热天，但一些歌迷为了参加烛光守夜仪式，一大早就排起了队。他们在沿着艾尔维斯•普雷斯利大道的人行道上撑起伞、支起了椅子。纪念仪式从周三晚一直持续至周四。
歌迷手持蜡烛、排成一个长队，沿着格雷斯兰蜿蜒曲折的车道行进，经过猫王的墓地。墓地位于白色圆柱房旁的一个小花园里。很多歌迷将鲜花、毛绒动物玩具和其它小礼物放在墓前。
来自丹佛的42岁的汤姆•维吉尔在不久前的手术中切除了一部分肺，但仍然冒着高温来参加纪念活动。
他身穿黑色的“猫王式”连身衣，身上背了个氧气罐，鼻子上插着一根呼吸管。
他说：“我的身体状况不大好，但我很想来，来参加这个纪念活动。”
堪萨斯州的玛丽•鲍威尔说，她为了能靠前一点，早晨5点就来“占地儿”了。她说：“可能很多人会觉得我疯了，但我这样做是出于对艾尔维斯的热爱。他生前为他的歌迷做了太多的事。”
具有传奇色彩的艺人“猫王”于30年前的一个周四死于滥用药物导致的心脏病，享年42岁。 |
