The 'King' turns 80: Du Quoin woman, 20 friends plan birthday bash Saturday with Elvis movies and music
As comptroller for the REA clinics in Southern Illinois, Du Quoin resident Linda Quillman's career is nothing short of serious healthcare business.
But mention Elvis Presley and she lights up the room and loves to talk about "The King." Elvis turns '80' on Thursday and there is no thought to singing "Are you Oldsome Tonight?" Instead, Linda and 20 of her family and friends are going to celebrate Presley's 80th birthday in their basement family room which she has christened "Graceland II."
The party starts at 2 p.m. with Elvis movies, Elvis music, Elvis memorabilia and Elvis recipes. It's a recipe for a great afternoon remembering the king of music.
The Quillmans have been to Elvis' home in Graceland many times. She knows so much about his life, movies and music that the frauds out there can't slip anything past her.
Interestingly enough, she shares her love of Elvis with longtime Du Quoin police officer Danny Bell, who suffered a stroke in recent years and is a resident of a local nursing home. She visits him often and they talk about Presley.
"I told Danny when I win the lottery we are going to charter a big bus to Graceland with enough money to shut down the place for a day and enjoy it all by ourselves."
Staff members at the Du Quoin REA Clinic have lived Elvis' life through Linda and since leaving her role as clinic manager here and moving into her role as comptroller in Christopher, staff members there are now Elvis fans, too.
You need to see both her office and her family room--Graceland II. Ahhh, life is good.
Elvis' 80th birthday will be celebrated at Graceland all week with a host of Elvis fans and special guests, including Priscilla Presley. Former wife to Elvis, Priscilla Presley, helped open Graceland to Elvis fans in 1982 Two of Elvis' studio musicians, David Briggs and Norbert Putnam, will help kick off the birthday celebration with the Official Graceland Insiders Reception on Wednesday, Jan. 7. Priscilla Presley will join fans on the north lawn of Graceland on Jan. 8 with the Elvis Birthday Proclamation Ceremony. Putnam and Briggs will speak at Conversations on Elvis, along with karate champ and Elvis' friend Bill "Superfoot" Wallace and Elvis biographer Peter Guralnick. Dixie Locke Emmons, who dated Elvis as his career was taking off, will speak at the Fan Club Presidents' Event on Friday, Jan. 9, along with two of Elvis' childhood friends from Tupelo, Sam Bell and Guy Harris.