Today, on the 30th anniversary of Elvis Presley's death, the date will be commemorated throughout Hawai'i and the nation.

"You remember where you were when you heard he died," said Tom Moffatt, a longtime friend, career DJ and promoter in the Islands who had a hand in shows The King staged here.

"It's like you remember, if you're old enough, where you were and what you were doing, when JFK died. Elvis is in that league."

Charlie Ross, since 1978 the president of the Elvis Memorial Fan Club Hawai'i, concurs.

"Elvis had a Hawai'i connection and I think it's because this is one of the few places he could come and relax and not be bombarded by media or fans," she said in a phone chat from Memphis, Tenn., where she was attending a candlelight vigil at Graceland, which was to begin last night as part of Elvis Week, where 50,000 Elvis fans are commemorating the death of their idol.

"It's just amazing; there are people from all over the world; there's Elvis music coming out of the trees, and lots of candles," said Ross, a die-hard Presley booster in the Islands.

Another lifelong Presley admirer, Lovely Kwock, is out of town today, attending a work-related conference. But her first stop, after returning tonight, will be at the bronze Presley statue in front of the Blaisdell Arena, which was installed last month by TV Land, the cable network, to commemorate the historic 1973 "Elvis Aloha From Hawaii" concert at the site.

"I can't wait to get home," said Kwock, who met The King at the Hilton Hawaiian Village in her youth. Her passion has not diminished. "I've visited that statue every day after work, and the statue means I don't have to visit him at Graceland. I see him daily, I bring him lei. And I make sure there's no damage or graffiti."

HIS STAR STILL SHINES

Thirty years after Presley died of a heart attack at age 42, not much has happened to diminish the singer's appeal — or his status as a cultural icon, which remains unmatched among popular entertainers.

"Elvis is even more relevant today than he was 30 years ago," says Mike Shellans, a professor at Arizona State University's Herberger College School of Music.

Presley is an iconic figure, no doubt about it. But his staying power singles him out. After all, Bing Crosby revolutionized pop singing during the 20th century and was universally adored in his prime. Girls swooned for Frank Sinatra while Presley was still in short pants. Ol' Blue Eyes made better movies than Elvis, too, even winning an Academy Award for "From Here to Eternity." Michael Jackson pretty much defined the '80s, with a sound that appealed to both pop and R&B audiences.

But look at the landscape these days. You don't go to Las Vegas to see Bing impersonators. Sinatra's home isn't a tourist attraction. Jackson is more of a punch line than an entertainer.

And the Beatles? Even John Lennon was quoted as saying, "If there hadn't been an Elvis, there wouldn't have been a Beatles."

Though he died Aug. 16, 1977, in many ways Elvis never left the building. Last year, more than 600,000 visitors passed through the gates of Graceland, Presley's Memphis home. And this week alone, organizers of the annual Elvis Week in Memphis expect 50,000 people to descend on the city to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the icon's death.

According to Forbes magazine, his estate earned more than $42 million in 2006. In 2005, 19 of his singles were reissued in Britain. All reached the top five in the national charts.

Death simply hasn't slowed him down.

Paramount and Warner Bros. each have issued box sets devoted to his films. Harley-Davidson is producing special-edition Elvis motorcycles. Die-hard fans can buy (for $349) an animatronic, singing, talking life-size bust of Elvis from Wowwee Alive (www.wowwee.com). And if that isn't enough, even Reese's candy is getting into the game, with Elvis Peanut Butter and Banana Creme Cups in stores through December.

Contrast that with Crosby. At his peak, he was the epitome of cool, with a laid-back jauntiness and an effortless sense of style. But it didn't last. For proof, look no further than this odd bit of pop-culture confluence: this October also marks the 30th anniversary of Crosby's death, but there is no marketing blitz spreading nationwide.

It's that way with other pop-culture icons. From Sinatra to Madonna, Presley simply reigns over them. James Dean is eternally cool and Kurt Cobain forever incredibly mopey, but even they don't boast such a broad following.

WHOLE NEW SET OF FANS

"It's strange how the young generation has picked up his music, years after this death," said Moffatt. "Part of this is due to the fact that 'Lilo & Stitch' (a Disney-produced animated feature film, and subsequent Disney Channel TV series) has picked up this music. A whole new generation appreciates him now. And most weren't even born at the time of his death."

Fan club president Ross also had her take on why The King still reigns: "Much of the music today is so bad, where Elvis songs are very danceable, so much fun to listen to or dance to, and 30 years after his death, the music still stands up. Elvis had so many styles and moves; he appealed to everybody — ballads, hard rock, country. He had all these facets."

Apparently, there's a reason why they called him The King.

Shellans thinks he pretty much still is. He has taught a course about Presley for five years at ASU. And although the thought of Presley being more relevant now than in 1977 sounds odd, it makes sense. When he died, Elvis had become almost a caricature of himself.

He was overweight, middle-aged and drug-addled. His last acting role had been in the forgettable "Change of Habit" eight years earlier. He hadn't been in the Top 10 since "Burning Love" had dropped off the music charts in 1972. He was on his way to being a nostalgia act.

Presley's premature death put a stop to that downward slide.

In a strange way, even that seemed to work for him. When Crosby died, he was an antiquated performer best known for his golf swing and sentimental holiday specials. By the time Sinatra died in 1998, he was reduced to singing with a Teleprompter and occasionally fumbling the lyrics. Cobain flirted with suicide more than once before finally going through with it.

But in Presley's case, he was almost seen as a victim of his fame, and the public was intrigued by stories of his final days.

"From 1972 to 1977 — really, that was a terrible legacy to leave," Shellans says. "But every stage of his life is so fascinating, and that is something else people are attracted to."

Advertiser staff writer Wayne Harada contributed Hawai'i information to this report by Randy Cordova, Gannett News Service.