By ADRIAN SAINZ Associated Press August 16, 2012 8:54AM
Priscilla Presley, left, Elvis Presley's ex-wife, and Lisa Marie Presley, right, the daughter of Elvis and Priscilla Presley, speak to fans gathered at a candlelight vigil at Graceland, Elvis Presley's Memphis, Tenn. home, on Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2012. Fans from around the world are at Graceland to commemorate the 35th anniversary of Elvis Presley's death. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)
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Updated: August 16, 2012 8:54AM
MEMPHIS, Tenn. â" Thousands of devotees converged on Graceland to mark the 35th anniversary of Elvis Presleyâs death and got a surprise welcome from the Kingâs former wife and daughter, the first time Priscilla and Lisa Marie Presley have appeared together at the annual gathering.
The two women appeared on an elevated stage in front of the crowd Wednesday night, the eve of the Aug. 16 date when the rock and roll icon died at home in 1977 from a heart attack after battling prescription drug abuse.
Fans held up lit candles, illuminating their faces in orange light as they stood in the street outside the gates of Graceland, Elvisâ longtime home and his burial place.
âYou should see this from our point of view. Itâs amazing,â Priscilla Presley said, standing alongside Lisa Marie. âThe candles are lit. Itâs truly a sight to behold.â
The two women stunned the crowd with their unexpected appearance. It was the first time both of them had appeared together at the annual gathering.
Later, fans who participated in the vigil moved up the tree-lined driveway to the right of the mansion, where the gravesite is located near a swimming pool. Heart-shaped wreaths made of red and white flowers lined the entrance to the site.
Mourners walked slowly through the tomb area, their candlelight casting shadowy figures against a stone wall.
Some teary-eyed fans laid flowers on the gravesite, where Presleyâs father Vernon, mother Gladys, and grandmother Minnie Mae Hood Presley also are buried.
âThis is something that Elvis would never, ever have believed could have taken place here,â she said.
Elvis admirers from around the United States and the globe have flocked each anniversary to Graceland to celebrate his life and career. His abrupt death at 42 shocked legions of fans still mesmerized today by his singing, sex appeal and on-stage charisma.
The vigil, which was set to run through Thursday morning, marked the high point of Elvis Week, an annual celebration of Presleyâs life and career. Organizers said about 75,000 people were expected by authorities to take part in the vigil.
Lisa Marie Presley told the fans she loved them for their devotion to her father. She also acknowledged she had shied away from making public appearances at past anniversary vigils.
âIâve always avoided this because I felt that it would be too emotional, but I really felt it was important to come down here tonight,â the singerâs daughter told the crowd. âI love you very, very, very much.â
Outside, some fans used chalk to draw pictures of Elvisâs face on the street, where groups of fans set up folding chairs to wait for the line to die down.
Sergio Galleguillo, of Santa Cruz, Argentina, said he became emotional when he walked past the graves.
âI felt the spirit of Elvis there, as if he was alive,â said Galleguillo, who was making his first visit to the United States. âIt really was a beautiful experience.â
Earlier Wednesday, a group from a Brazilian fan club waved that nationâs flag, danced and sang Presleyâs early-70s hit âBurning Loveâ in the street in front of the entrance.
Steps away, an Elvis impersonator, complete with a white-sequined jumpsuit and red sash, sat alone in the street in front of the entrance, lip synching âIn the Ghetto.â
Many fans set up chairs along Gracelandâs outer wall starting early Wednesday morning, eager to get a good spot in line for the vigil.
Allen Black, 47, braved the scorching afternoon sun as he sat alongside the outer wall of Graceland. Black â" who is from Aurora, Colo., scene of the July 20 movie theatre shooting massacre â" said Elvis was a great performer but also someone who treated others well.
âFor some people, itâs the music, but for a lot of people, itâs the man, the charisma, the humanitarian,â Black said. âAt first, they probably got drawn in by the music, and then the more they learn about the man, and the way he treated people, it draws them in even more.â
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