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American Morning

Remembering the King

Aired August 16, 2001 - 11:41   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LAURIN SYDNEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It was 24 years ago today that the King went to rock 'n' roll heaven. The anniversary of Elvis Presley's death was commemorated last night at Graceland in Memphis by an annual candlelight vigil. An estimated 15,000 fans attended and it was broadcast live on the Internet.

Next year's 25th anniversary is expected to bring thousands more to Graceland, similar to what happened for his 20th. We were there for those festivities back in 1997, and had Mark Scheerer look back at the legacy of Elvis Presley.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ELVIS PRESLEY, SINGER (singing): Everybody let's rock

MARK SCHEERER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): How do you assess the impact of a legend? Well, it takes one to know one.

GEORGE HARRISON, FORMER BEATLE: Because it was still very Victorian attitudes in Great Britain and Europe from the '40s and the '50s, and when Elvis came along, you know, that kind of gave everybody hope, just that rock 'n' roll.

(CHEERING)

SCHEERER: Elvis Presley's music continues to sell consistently.

BRUCE HORNSBY, MUSICIAN: I think there's a guy at RCA whose sole job is to just find new, clever ways to repackage the same old Elvis music.

SCHEERER (on camera): For a guy who didn't write his own music, he had an enormous impact.

ERNEST JORGENSEN, RCA RECORDS PRODUCER: Yes, but if you go back to the time, so Dean Martin, and so did Doris Day, so did everybody. So did Frank Sinatra.

RIC OCASEK, ROLLING STONES: Elvis just was a songsmith. I mean, I certainly liked his voice and, you know, and stuff, but I was never a big Elvis fan.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: Mr. Teenager is on has way to attaining a popularity unparalleled in theater history.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHEERER: It's as a performer that Presley may have imprinted on more of those who followed him.

K.D. LANG, MUSICIAN: I don't think there's a performer alive today that wasn't influenced, directly or indirectly, by Elvis Presley.

PAUL RODGERS, MUSICIAN: He was a god, wasn't he?

(LAUGHTER)

RODGERS: He was brilliant. I never saw a bad photograph of him either, you know? He had something extremely special.

UNIDENTIFIED MUSICIAN, BETTER THAN EZRA: I mean, he was the king. You know? He started -- he started the whole thing, really.

UNIDENTIFIED MUSICIAN, BETTER THAN EZRA: I think he was the first person to have that, the dangerous rock 'n' roll appeal.

UNIDENTIFIED MUSICIAN, BETTER THAN EZRA: Charisma.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: The handsome king of rock 'n' roll will soon be seen in his first picture titled "Love Me Tender."

PRINCE, MUSICIAN: Well, I saw his movies when I was a child. I like the fact that he always got the girl.

BOB WEIR, GRATEFUL DEAD: And then he sort of went slick, and I lost my interest in his offerings and got more into Chuck Berry and the guys who still had a lot -- Little Richard, guys who still had a lot of edge.

AMY GRANT, MUSICIAN: In my eyes, as disrespectful as this sounds, he was not at the top of his game.

JON BON JOVI, MUSICIAN: You know, to think that at age of 42 the guy died, simply because there was nobody around him to tell him what was right and wrong.

SCHEERER (on camera): When you realize that Elvis Presley has sold over a billion records, it does tend to remind you that first and foremost it's about the music.

Mark Scheerer, CNN Entertainment News, Memphis.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SYDNEY: And when we return, a look at some people who are continuing the country rock legacy that Elvis left us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SYDNEY: They came from a family of 11 children.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (singing): If you need a friend to talk to, someone to help you get through a stormy day, I'm right here...

SYDNEY: These six brothers who make up the Clark family experience grew up making music together, being taught their instruments from their father.

That story and performance of the inspiring group, later today in our 2:00 p.m. "Showbiz Today reports." Until then in New York, I'm Laurin Sydney.

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