Looking back, Elvis Presley's five Huntsville concerts in 1975 really were amazing. I was there as a young reporter, and even I had forgotten.

Historically speaking, they shouldn't have been amazing. This was Vegas-era Elvis, past-his-prime, pudgy Elvis. And some of the cliches of that era were on display: the "2001: A Space Odyssey" theme entrance, the scarves, the screams, the roses, the glittery jumpsuits and, finally, the Voice-of-God announcement that "Elvis has left the building."

But look a little closer and you can see the power that week had for the city and its brand new Von Braun Civic Center. Remember that:

- Forty-four thousand tickets were sold.

- Five local teenagers were hurt throwing themselves off a 20-foot balcony trying to land on the stage.

- Sixty rooms in the Hilton Hotel were taken by Elvis and his entourage. Sixty rooms. That's a star tour.

- A stage security guard had his finger bitten to the bone by one of eight women trying to rush the stage.

- Three hundred teddy bears were thrown and recovered.

- Three 55-gallon barrels of flash bulbs were swept from the arena floor after each performance

It's hard to imagine any of that happening at a concert today, except maybe the flash bulbs. We'd have to put down our phones.

Elvis returned to the concert stage to escape the painfully bad Hollywood movies that almost ruined his career and his legacy. And even though those last concerts were more famous for his interactions with fans than the music, look at what he sang here.

- He opened with "C.C. Rider" playing an old guitar reminiscent of his best movies such as "Blue Hawaii" and "Roustabout."

- He sang "I Got A Woman," "Love Me Tender," "All Shook Up" and "Don't Be Cruel."

- He sang "Dixie" and "The Battle Hymn of the Republic."

Elvis died two years and three months after the Huntsville shows. He was 40 when he came and 42 when he died on Aug. 16, 1977. It's such a waste.

In Huntsville, 44,000 people can tell you exactly where we were when we heard the news. And every one of those 44,000 people who survive can remember that we heard the King of rock and roll sing live on stage "Love Me Tender," "All Shook Up" and "Don't Be Cruel."

That's pretty amazing.

(Facts and figures about Elvis' week in Huntsville from a story by Huntsville Times reporter Peter Cobun)