The King of Rock and Roll burst onto the stage in 1954 when he was only 19 years old with his unique brand of musical talent. Even at his last performance ever in 1977 at Indianapolis’s Market Square Arena, where he sang the ballad “Are You Lonesome Tonight?” before his sudden death at the age of 42 later that year, his inimitable talent was on vivid display.
His musical style was a distinct blend of rhythm and blues merged with rock and country-western, delivering a musical product that was truly unheard of. In addition to his success in the music industry, Elvis was also a hit in Hollywood, starring in various movies and television productions, according to Elvis Australia.
The list of accolades for Elvis is long. The legendary artist won three Grammy Awards and the coveted Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award when he was just 36 years old. But Elvis’ true love was performing on stage. One of his favorite songs to perform was “Are You Lonesome Tonight?” The song was originally written by Roy Turk and Lou Handman in 1926, according to Song Facts, but it was Elvis who made it shine. Elvis released the song in November 1960.
According to Irish Central, Elvis performed the track at his final concert in June 1977 in front of an audience of around 18,000 fans at Market Square Arena in Indianapolis. The entire set ran about 80 minutes, featuring classics like “Jailhouse Rock,” “Hound Dog,” “Hurt” and a cover of “Bridge over Troubled Water.” Irish Central reported that his final words to the audience that night were: “We’ll meet you again, God bless, adios.”
Elvis passed away that summer on Aug. 16, 1977, at his home in Graceland, Memphis, Tennessee.
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