Elvis Presley image used by permission, Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc.

The King is gone, but he’s certainly not forgotten — especially in Memphis, where the city is gearing up for Elvis Week, the annual pilgrimage of fans marking the loss of a cultural icon.

This year’s Elvis Presley activities kick off Tuesday, Aug. 10, when an Elvis tribute artist (that’s a euphemism for Elvis impersonator) re-creates one of Presley’s first noteworthy concerts at a venue formerly known as the Overton Park Shell. It all wraps up Aug. 16 — the anniversary of Elvis’ 1977 death — with a concert at Graceland Mansion.

In between those bookends is a wealth of panel discussions, movie screenings and even a 5k run and walk. Naomi Judd’s husband, Larry Strickland, will take part in a performance during one event as a member of the Stamps Quartet. He was a part of the vocal group when it toured with Elvis during the 1970s.

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Billy Currington photo by Danny Clinch, courtesy of UMG Nashville.

#9 on GAC’s Top Stories of 2009 |  View all »

People, Billy Currington noted in his award-nominated story song, are crazy. Sometimes Mother Nature is, too, and she left Billy black and blue in the most shocking of a bunch of country-music health stories that made headlines in 2009.

Billy’s weather disaster — which occurred in Camrose, Alberta, on Aug. 1 — was a doozy. A major storm toppled the outdoor stage. One fan died when a speaker fell on her, Billy was hospitalized with a concussion, and bass player Alex Stevens needed surgery for a severed artery after he was pinned for 30 minutes beneath the stage.

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