People who met Elvis Presley often struggled to explain the first few seconds. Photographs had already prepared them for the dark hair, blue eyes and face that had become recognizable around the world. Yet the recurring surprise was that the larger-than-life image didn’t necessarily make him seem distant. Ginger Alden remembered meeting him with her family years before their later relationship. Elvis recognized her father, walked over, shook hands with everyone and affectionately patted the young Ginger on the head. When she encountered him again at Graceland in 1976, she expected something almost theatrical when he entered the room. Instead, Elvis quickly sat down and began talking with everyone. The icon had entered, but then behaved like a host.
People who met Elvis Presley often struggled to explain the first few seconds. Photographs had already prepared them for the dark hair, blue eyes and face that had become recognizable…