Elvis Honored With His Own Stamp By JPnMO on Mar 27, 2009 - Updated Oct 15, 2011

Elvis Presley is a name known all around the world. His fans still flock to Graceland, his home in Memphis, Tennessee and there is no shortage of Elvis merchandise that can be purchased. That seems amazing, since he died in 1977. His legacy lives on.

I was fortunate to see Elvis in concert 3 times during the mid 1970s. The first two times were out of state and I traveled with a group to see him. Our seats were so far away that it was impossible to recognize him from that distance. But, I was there! The last time I saw him, he happened to come to my city. I camped out for 3 days to get tickets and ended up with front row center. It was a thrill to see him so close. Little did I know that 6 weeks later, he'd be dead.

At the concerts, I bought Elvis t-shirts and other memorabilia. At home, I had most of his records and listened to them often.

When Elvis died, it seemed like the world stopped. Everyone was glued to their TVs to see the news and try to understand how ELVIS could possibly be dead. It didn't seem real. Thousands of fans from all over the world descended on Graceland. The funeral procession was shown on television. It was the biggest live news event that I recall in my life up until that time, other than the assassination of President Kennedy.

After his death, Elvis was as popular as ever, if not more so. He played a huge role in the music that became known as rock and roll. He would never be forgotten.

In 1992, the U.S. Post Office issued commemorative Elvis stamps. I only bought a few, but have kept them safely tucked away for all these years. I don't know if they're worth anything more than what I paid and it really doesn't matter. I bought them as a fan, not a collector.