For years, Elvis Presley existed for me more as an image than a person. I knew the hair, the jumpsuits, the famous poses and the photographs reproduced thousands of times. Maybe that familiarity was exactly the problem. When someone becomes an icon, we stop examining the face and start recognizing the symbol. I understood why Elvis was important, but I never quite understood why people who had actually seen him could become almost speechless describing how beautiful he was.
For years, Elvis Presley existed for me more as an image than a person. I knew the hair, the jumpsuits, the famous poses and the photographs reproduced thousands of times.…