GLADEWATER, Texas — The "King of Rock and Roll" has been trending recently thanks to the new biopic “Elvis“ in movie theaters across in the nation.
It takes some East Texans back to the days when he shook, rattled and rolled through the area -- leaving behind many memories in their hearts.
We’re talking about Elvis Presley - whose fans, young and old, are re-visiting his legacy -- like Shirley Bush, a Diana resident, who also used to perform with a band at GM Records.
"We opened for Johnny Cash at one time," said Bush.
She remembers the first time she saw Elvis at the Bear Stadium in Gladewater.
"I had a girlfriend that was older and she could drive," said Bush. "So we went to see Elvis. She was one of those that was just shaken to pieces to see him. I remember he looked at her and smiled and I thought she was just gonna melt."
Bush didn't understand how Elvis made those famous moves. But while being a longtime fan, she understood he was inspired from the rhythm and blues that came from Black American culture in Memphis.
Bush also said her parents were not fans, but her grandmother was on another level!
"She just thought he hung the moon and the reason for her feeling that way about him was because he loved his mother so much," Bush said.
While some East Texas have some personal memories of Elvis, there's one special place in a town where his legacy in the area is displayed -- it's at the Gladewater Museum where you’ll see a bunch of fliers and even a chair he used to sit in.
"A lot of people call us the 'Elvis Museum,'" said Lois Reed, president of the Gladewater Chamber of Commerce. "Actually, we featured the history of all of Gladewater. In East Texas, Elvis wasn't a star, he was just trying to break into the music industry."
There is one particular picture in the museum of a four story building called the T. W. Lee Building where four giant letters spelled "KSIJ" on the roof.
"At the far back on the left hand side is where the KSIJ recording studio and radio station was," said Reed.
It wasn’t just Elvis who visited Gladewater, other stars of that era like Johnny Cash and Jerry Lee Lewis also made appearances.
But why did Elvis, of all places, stop in East Texas?
"He was driving and electrical truck in Shreveport, and so if you wanted to go to Dallas to Shreveport, we only had Highway 80," said Reed. "Interstate 20 wasn't built yet."
Reed also had some vintage mementos of her own. It was an ash tray and souvenir menu from the International Hotel in Las Vegas. She attended one of his residency shows in 1971.
"Now at hotels, we don't find ashtrays anymore," said Reed. "And the menu is considered a souvenir menu. You'd pay to go to the concert and dinner was included."
Out in Longview, Elvis performed at what used to be the REO Palm Isle, but is now currently the REO Starplex.
"The REO has a huge long history of famous performers," said John Allen, owner of the REO Starplex," and Elvis was just one of them."
Other recent stars who've performed at that venue including Miranda Lambert, Willie Nelson and Garth Brooks.
"The original building that he performed in burned down, but the REO was actually rebuilt in 1964."
This venue sends Allen down memory lane, and while cleaning out the place when he took over it he found two picture of Elvis. They weren't pictures of when he performed Longview, but rather two small cards, one of the star shirtless holding records, and the other of him laying in bed.
Elvis has surprisingly deep roots in East Texas. He also performed at Humble Camp Recreation Hall in Hawkins, the Mayfield Building in Tyler, the Rural Electric Administration Building in Gilmer and Gaston High School.
"There was a story about Elvis in Hawkins getting into a fight with one of the locals after one of his shows," Allen said. "I don't think you can go anywhere around here without getting a story or two about Elvis or the REO."
"We’re quite proud of him," Reed said "We’re proud of any of those up and coming starts that made a stop here in Gladewater."
"Elvis was just so down to Earth," Bush said. "To hear people talk about him. He was just a truck driver, he was just a guy and he happen to have a wiggle that turned everybody on."
The Gladewater Museum also mentioned that the big KSIJ letter from the T. W. Lee Building have since disappeared. The museum wants to let the public know that if anyone willing to donate the letters they would take it with no questions asked.