August 2026:

Paul Lillie entertained us with his unique talk on Elvis Presley the King of Rock and Roll.

At the same time as we listened to the life story of Elvis, Paul painted a very recognisable image of The King which we saw on the big screen, and when he paused his painting he took up his guitar and sang well known songs, to which the audience were more than happy to sing along.

We heard about the King’s rise to fame from his birth in 1935 in Tupelo, Mississippi, growing up in poverty, mixing and learning folk music from poor blacks and whites around him.

Slowly gaining recognition on the world’s stage he became a super star. He was drafted into the Army, he married Priscilla, made several films and was offered several prestigious acting parts which his manager Tom Parker encouraged him to turn down for more lucrative work. His reliance on prescription drugs gradually caused his health to break down and he died in 1977 and his home Graceland in Memphis still remains a pilgrimage site

This was a clever and very enjoyable presentation and the songs were very familiar to most of us and evoked tender memories, for me anyway, of teenage crushes and dancing at the church youth club!

Marianne White