Fans gather to mark death of Elvis

Presley, who was said to have long abused prescription drugs, died of a heart attack at his estate on Aug. 16, 1977. He was 42.

The Memphis Commercial Appeal said his admirers carried candles to a flower-strewn grave Sunday night.

They braved temperatures that reached 118 degrees on the "heat index," an Elvis fan said.

"It was a tough year marketing-wise because there's not a big anniversary ending with a zero or a five," Kevin Kern, public relations director of Elvis Presley Enterprises, told the Appeal. "However, going by ticket sales to our other events this week, we were very pleased."

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