Daily Oklahoman (Oklahoma City, OK)
August 10, 1997, Sunday CITY EDITION
Faithful Hordes Still Swarming The King’s Castle

BYLINE: Bobby Ross Jr., Tamie Ross, Staff Writers

SECTION: NEWS; Pg. 1

LENGTH: 2036 words

DATELINE: MEMPHIS, Tenn.

Goose bumps formed just below James Hubert’s
earphones as he followed the Graceland Mansion tour group into the
dining room.

As Priscilla Presley recounted on audiotape how Elvis Presley
chomped southern cooking, played poker and swapped stories in this
room, the Lawton man passed from commercialized present to
nostalgic past.

Suddenly, there at the head of the eight-foot table, Hubert
could see him.

Him.

“Man,” Hubert said, “Elvis walked through here eating a peanut
butter and banana sandwich.”

‘Promised Land’

The king of rock ‘n’ roll left the building 20 years ago.

When Presley died Aug. 16, 1977, at age 42, Hubert didn’t
qualify as an Elvis fan.

Then a 17-year-old high school student, he banged his head to
Van Halen and KISS – the hard stuff.

But as the 20th anniversary of Presley’s death approached, the
Lawton city equipment operator stepped into Elvis’ world.

He was far from alone.

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