"I feel closer than ever to Elvis Presley, listening to you guys,'' a burly male fan spluttered, choking back the tears before getting to his question: ``What happened at that meeting with the Beatles?''

For hard-core Elvis fans, the quintessential act of remembrance was not a pilgrimage to kitschy Graceland but a trip to Humes Junior High School, in a poor, black Memphis neighbourhood. This was where Elvis earned his school diploma, which he framed and hung on a wall.

These most devoted of fans paid $8 to pack the school auditorium to listen to some of Elvis's friends and associates reminisce about the man whose fame is greater than ever, 20 years after his death.

Among the guests on stage were Sandy Martindale, who dated Elvis when she was aged 14 -- accompanied by her mother on their first few dates. ``I don't care if you're King Farouk, this is my daughter,'' Sandy's mum told a bemused Elvis.

Sandy's husband and former DJ, Wink, regaled the audience with the beginnings of the Elvis legend, when radio listeners lit up the switchboard after the station played That's Alright Mama, the first of many hits.

Colonel Bill Taylor, who commanded Elvis in Germany, said: ``Elvis could read a map better than anyone in the platoon.''

Despite the neighbourhood, there were hardly any black people in the audience. Most were middle-aged women, with a smattering of Elvis look-alikes with swept-back hair and pork-chop sideburns.

There were a fair number of younger fans, including about 30 Brazilians. Most could barely speak English, but the language barrier has not prevented them from coming to Memphis every steamy August for the past 15 years, to commemorate the anniversary of their idol's death.

This week, about 75,000 fans descended on Memphis for the twentieth anniversary, and many of them will gather at the Graceland gates, carrying lighted candles as they file past Elvis's grave.

Elvis Week will climax in Saturday's Elvis in Concert 97, when The King will be reunited via video technology with musicians who accompanied him over the years. The Jordanaires, The Sweet Inspirations, D. J. Fontana, Charlie Hodge and others will sing live in sync with video clips of The King

.The week has been filled with such events as Elvis impersonator contests, the screening of a documentary called Elvis: The Karate Years, the dedication of an Elvis statue near the new Elvis Presley's Memphis restaurant, and seminars about his life and times.

``We seem to be at that point where you can intelligently talk about an emerging quasi-religious movement,'' said Norman Girardot, a professor of comparative religions, who teaches a course on Elvis at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. ``There are parallels in the origins of Christianity, Buddhism, Confucianism and the Elvis movement.''

The school event was part of the deification. Elvis was a warm human being, he was like a father who listened to your problems, he was very humble and polite, he was a real southern gentleman whom you would want your daughter to date.

Larry Keller, hairdresser to Hollywood stars who gave it all up to attend to Elvis's locks, was applauded when he said: ``Stories of Elvis on drugs are not true. Elvis was not into recreational street drugs like heroin, cocaine or marijuana.

He was against it. He was on medication because of his hectic lifestyle, he was continually working, on the road. If he took care of himself like he took care of his fans, he'd still be here today.''

As for his ballooning weight, that was because Elvis drank a lot of water, said one guest.

The afternoon ended on a high note Elvis's meeting with the Beatles, recounted by the loquacious Keller. Elvis wore a blue silk shirt and was very excited. ``We were all sitting in the den, when we heard screaming outside,'' Keller told rapt fans.

``The four Beatles came in and all sat down on the floor at Elvis's feet. There was silence in the room, they were looking up at Elvis. `Well if you guys aren't going to talk to me, I'm going to bed,' Elvis said, and that broke the ice.''

When the evening, which included a guitar jam session between Elvis, George and Ringo, ended, Elvis saw the Beatles out. The fans screamed even more loudly, prompting John to say how dangerous and scary it was. Elvis replied: ``If you're scared, you're in the wrong business.''

The Observer News Service

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.