Elvis Presley: What would have been?

The old man wanders through the halls of Graceland. Up on the walls, gold, platinum and multi-platinum albums framed and hanging, serving as a chronological history of success. More than 600 million albums sold, 91 gold records, more than any other artist. The day is Jan. 8, and the old man takes a deep breath—today he turns 80. He casts a last glance towards his records, continues down the hall and into his bedroom to go to sleep. He’s lived a long life. The pelvis that belonged to Elvis is only a fond memory. He’s tired.

Is that how it would be if Elvis Presley were still alive today—turning 80 this year, and living peacefully at Graceland? Would the King of Rock ’n’ Roll be shuffling in his slippers through his vast castle of luxury?

Or would Elvis at 80 be in good enough physical shape to able to stage late-in-life Vegas performances a la Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett? After all, country singer Willie Nelson packs his concerts with fans (he plays Vegas this week), and he turned 81 last year.

As the Justin Timberlakes and Justin Biebers of today fill the MGM Grand Garden Arena, is Elvis still relevant? Do the 21 year olds that fly into town for the DJs and pool parties even know who Elvis the Pelvis was? Despite the ever-changing Las Vegas culture, the facts still remain.

Today, Elvis is still the biggest-selling solo artist of all time. The crown of rock ’n’ roll still belongs to Elvis; he has yet to be usurped. Besides Graceland, no other place in the world is synonymous with Elvis Presley except for Las Vegas. It started with the 1964 movie Viva Las Vegas, and his marriage in 1967 to Priscilla Ann Beaulieu, but it was really his ground-breaking 1969 concert series, that helped open The International Hotel, which established Elvis’ reign over the city. With 837 consecutive sold-out shows over a span of seven years, Las Vegas fell in love with Elvis, and has since kept his memory alive.

Although 1976 was the last year Elvis appeared onstage in Las Vegas—and he passed away less than a year later—his legacy flourished in the city. He received a star on Las Vegas’ Walk of Stars, at Hard Rock Café and Hard Rock Hotel, cases of memorabilia are dedicated to The King, and, at one time, a museum was established in his honor, Elvis-A-Rama, which housed million of dollars worth of memorabilia. And, although the flood of Elvis impersonators and sole exhibits of Elvis memorabilia have waned, you can still find vestiges of the King being celebrated in the city.

It’s not only at wedding chapels that the Elvis impersonator walks again—shows like Legends in Concert at Flamingo, The Million Dollar Quartet and Pete Vallee as Big Elvis at Harrah’s and All Shook Up at V Theater, allow fans to still revel in the performance magic of the man.

So, the big question, will Las Vegas’ love affair with Elvis Presley simply fizzle out? The shortest answer: No. Yes, love can be fickle, and people’s tastes change. But, try and think of a city that loves the man more, and it simply can’t be done.