Elvis Presley's Star on Hollywood Blvd 1977
When this photo was taken in 1977 the US had just produced a worldwide phenomena, Star Wars, and I was in Los Angeles on the Thin Lizzy and Graham Parker Tour.
I had seen Star Wars at a press screening in London earlier in the year, but, the chance to see it at the famed Gauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood was a something I was not going to miss. With a gig to go to in the evening I decided to attend the 12.00 showing, it had only just recently been released and the cinema was pretty full considering the time of day. Seeing Star Wars on this massive screen in such a legendary Theatre was a great experience, in fact I stayed for the next show and saw it a second time.
Afterwards I wandered off to a comic bookstore to seek out some Star Wars material, I did not realize that I was walking down the Hollywood Walk of Fame, back then it was exactly that, a long line of legendary Actors and Actresses, then, lo and behold, I was standing at Elvis Presley's Star. He was of course well past his prime at this point in his career, but that afternoon standing by his star had quite an effect on me. He may have had his career ruined by entering the Army, or more likely by making too many bad films, but you can't deny his ability as a stage performer.
The following year I was at a Ted Nugent Concert at Hammersmith Odeon, we heard the news that Elvis had died during the encore, I was going to visit with Phil Lynott after the gig and broke the news to him. Philip was deeply affected by hearing of Elvis's death, he went to his room and wrote King's Call.
The NME put him on the cover the following week, just a photo, no words, there was nothing you could say really, other than the King was Dead...