In a time-honored tradition, Elvis Presley fans descended on his famous Memphis home on Saturday to commemorate 43 years since the singer and cultural icon’s death. But this year, because of the coronavirus pandemic, only a select number of devotees could pay their respects during the annual candlelight vigil.
In the past, thousands congregated in the street outside Graceland, waiting in line—sometimes all night—to take the short walk from the estate’s gates to the King of Rock n' Roll’s gravesite. This time around, the global tourist attraction only permitted 720 permitted guests to make the pilgrimage and limited the amount of time they spent on the property.
Fans wore masks and were asked to maintain an 8-feet distance between groups. In order to avoid crowding, attendees only lined up right before their allotted reservation time, with the last bunch expected to be allowed in before midnight. In normal years, the vigil runs into the early hours of the next day.
“We knew fans would come anyway, and they would want to be here, [so] it’s important that we’re able to let them continue the tradition but safely,” says Debbie Miller with Elvis Presley Enterprises, the group that manages Graceland.
Carol Ikami was among the first in line with her sister after driving 31 hours from California. She hasn’t skipped a single vigil in 15 years but missed the throngs of people that usually color the event.
“Once a year, we all get together here. It’s like a big family reunion,” she says. “The last thing you say is ‘okay, we’ll see you next Elvis week.’”
But for Oklahoma resident Monique Mcallister and her daughter, it felt more intimate and special without the crowds.
“We walked through Graceland yesterday alone,” she says. “I mean we were by ourselves, it was wonderful.”
Brandon Ingram drove from Atlanta with his two young children. Given the circumstances, he says the night still felt appropriately reverent to the late singer.
“It kind of felt like a good year to be here just for a time stamp,” he says.