I dreamed about Elvis last night.

In a dream last night, I found myself in some unremarkable diner in some unfamiliar town with some unrecognizable friends. But there was someone recognizable standing in from of the old jukebox just a few feet from our booth. I don't remember if anything was playing on it. But there he was, in all his Las Vegas, white, sparkling, polyester regalia. It was Elvis. And he was smiling at me!

I remember that he appeared very tanned and fit, unlike the some of the images of "The King" from his last years on this earth. He just stood there for a few moments, leaning on the jukebox, and looking over his shoulder, past that gargantuan shirt collar, and smiling that crooked Elvis smile in my direction, like he knew me. The unrecognizable friends at my booth didn't seem to notice him, only I did. Elvis and I just stared at each other for a second or two...and then, he turned and walked toward me.

I strained my neck to see past the other patrons walking by, obscuring my view of the approaching Elvis. He walked slowly in my direction, still smiling. Then, a large person stood right in front of me as I anticipated meeting The King of Rock & Roll. At that same second in time, I thought to myself, "How could this be happening? Elvis has been dead for almost 30 years!"

The large person standing in front of me moved out of the way...and Elvis was gone. I woke up. The dream was over.

I really hadn't given any thought before hand that the 30th anniversary of Elvis' death is this Thursday, August 16th. This was reminded to me in some stories now appearing on my internet browser...this morning. Elvis Trivia Quizzes, Elvis History, Elvis Death Stories, and so on. Did you know that Elvis Presley's real hair color was sandy blond? He died it black. Did you know he hated being called The King? He told everyone around him that only Jesus was The King. Did you know that he made thirty three movies, and he was only 42 when he died?

I cannot say that I was a huge fan of Elvis Presley. Maybe I just too young during his early hay-days. It was the Beatles that overwhelmed me in the 60's. Although the very first 45 rpm record I owned was 1960's, "It's Now Or Never" by Elvis. I was 10 years old.

When Elvis died on August 16th, 1977, I working as a DJ at a small, A.M country western radio station in Arroyo Grande, California. The phone lines became flooded with callers requesting to hear Elvis songs. The program director called and told me to play two Elvis songs per hour, no more. I complied, and didn't think too much more about it. Soon after, the news stories began surfacing surrounding the circumstances of his death. We've all heard them.

Is Elvis Presley really dead? Probably so. I highly doubt his still-living body is stored in some cryogenic laboratory next to Walt Disney or John F. Kennedy or Austin Powers, quietly and patiently waiting for stark reality to catch up with science fantasy.

But unlike the self-proclaimed King of Pop (Michael Jackson), Elvis denied the moniker bestowed on him by his fans. He was much more of a humble person to relish that kind of hype and spin. He was just a shy, simple, country boy who liked to sing. Someone who got caught up in the grinder called Pop History...sucked in, chewed up, and spit out. He, and many others like him, left the party too early...or not soon enough! They were removed before their time was up, before we were done with them. Jim Morrison, Janice Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Elvis, and others made the choice...choosing to deal with their fame in the same fashion...not realizing the price of fame before it was too late. They checked out long before their flames burned out.