Happy Birthday, You Hunka-Hunka Burning Love

in Giggles on January 8, 2019

My husband and I were sleepily snuggled on the couch this morning…yes, we still snuggle…and yes, I know it’s a Tuesday. Our two youngest kiddos were trying to get out of the door for their first day of school after Christmas break. Hubby asks, “Anyone know what day it is?” Days run together on break… Emma popped up and told us it was Tuesday, January 8th.

Without hesitation, I chimed in and asked Alexa…

“When is Elvis Presley’s birthday?”

Today.

My family just shook their heads, wondering collectively, How does she just KNOW these random things?

I cut my teeth on Elvis’s music. Growing up, we had two types of music that played constantly: Country and Elvis.

Some of my greatest and most cherished memories have Elvis singing softly in the background. At my grandparents’ house, stood a building in the back pasture. This building, dubbed “The New Building,” housed a shuffle board table. Across the room, perched high on a homemade shelf, sat a stereo system with a cassette deck.

Yes, cassette deck.

My cousins and I would hone our shuffle board skills, with the vain hope of one day being able to beat my uncle, and listen to recorded tapes of Elvis. Every Thanksgiving and twice around Christmas, we would gather in that building. The laughter and love that surrounded those times make me smile.

For the record, we never once beat my uncle.

Today, Elvis would be 84 years old. I’m certain he would still be belting out his greatest hits with that silky smooth, velvety voice. Today, listen closely to your radios. I know that every radio station across the globe will be paying homage to one of the greatest entertainers that ever or will ever live.

Happy Birthday, King. Rest In Peace.

One thought on “Happy Birthday, You Hunka-Hunka Burning Love”

  • Tim Webber says:

    Interesting coincidence about “cassettes”. I returned from Wal Mart within the last hour after purchasing a “Cassette Tape Recorder”. I am doing a special project for Lutheran Braille’s Tape Ministry. I need a cassette tape version of an MP3 recording of the “Lutheran Witness”. The cassette technology is a bit “long in the tooth” technologically, but folks with vision problems still love them. Since “service” is a main part of Lutheran Braille Workers, I guess we will be doing cassette tapes for a few more years.

    Elvis was “one of a kind” and left us way too early!

    Tim

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