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Elvis remembered by his contemporaries

Portrait of Elvis Presley, mid 1960s.
Portrait of Elvis Presley, mid 1960s.Hulton Archive/Getty Images

by Luke Taylor and Erianna Jiles

August 16, 2017

On Aug. 16, 1977, Elvis Presley died at his home in Memphis, Tenn., at the age of 42. Forty years on, we've gathered some archival video of Elvis's contemporaries sharing their thoughts about the late rock 'n' roller.

B.B. King


"He had everything; the looks, the talent, he had everything to me."

Tom Jones


"When I met him in '65, he said, 'How do you sing like that? Where do you get it?', and I said, 'From listening to people like you.'"

Jerry Reed


"I was blown away — I'd never seen a dude that good-looking."

Ann Margret


"He was so gifted … I just cherish his memory."

Steve Martin


"He walks by me and he sees me, and he says, 'Son, you have an oblique sense of humor.'"

The Beatles


"You couldn't get close. It's not like we would have become friends, it was impossible."

Resources

Elvis Presley - official website