Technology paves the way for new generation of Elvis fans

Elvis Presley would be 72 years old if he were alive. But the King's draw is skewing at a young age, unlike the cultural fadeout of his peer icon James Dean, whose hometown festival (in Fairmount, Ind.) was canceled in recent years because of a lack of interest.
Mitchell J. Slater, chief operating officer of CKX Inc. the parent company of Elvis Presley Enterprises, said that between 40 and 50 percent of the 600,000 people who annually visit Graceland are younger than 35.
"A lot of them weren't even born when he passed away," Slater said last week in an interview from New York. "Instead of people imposing their taste on a generation, Elvis was the first time a generation found something they could connect to. Their parents weren't saying, 'Listen to Elvis Presley.' You were defined as a teenager and said, 'This is what I want to listen to.' It made a difference in popular culture.
"Through every phase of his career he lived in a larger-than-life way. He was an American hero that did his time in the military, he was a big movie star of his era, even though some would question the quality of his movies. Almost every musician looks at Elvis as a guy who created a path for them."
Slater said that technology is playing a role in attracting young Elvis fans. EPE hooked up with Sirius satellite radio to create an all-Elvis station. EPE is constantly updating its www.elvis.com (with e-cards and downloads), and through technology Elvis himself appears in tribute such as Thursday's 30th Anniversary Concert with a live band and orchestra at a soldout Fed Ex Forum in Memphis.
"We can constantly introduce him," Slater said. "You saw it on 'American Idol' when he sang 'If I Can Dream' with Celine Dion. It looked like he was there, young and vibrant."