THE STORY OF

THE STORY OF... “ A Single Shining Star” ©

ON A WARM, STEAMY MEMPHIS NIGHT AROUND 2AM IN THE MORNING OF AUGUST 16th 1998 … MYSELF & WIFE, STELLA ATTENDED OUR FIRST CANDLELIGHT VIGIL AT GRACELAND.
IT WAS TO THIS DAY ONE OF THE MOST HEARTFELT MOMENTS OF OUR LIVES.
THE ENTIRE SURROUNDINGS WERE BLANKETED WITH A DELICATE MIST THAT
DRAPED OVER THE GRACELAND MANSION LIKE A WARM VELVET CURTAIN.
WE PASSED BY PEOPLE WEEPING & SOBBING OPENLY, AND WITNESSED INDIVIDUAL
REFLECTIONS OF SOLITUDE AS THE WORLD PAUSED TO PAY IT’S RESPECT TO THE MEMORY OF THE KING, ELVIS PRESLEY.

THE SHEER ENERGY THAT RADIATED WITHIN THE GROUNDS OF GRACELAND WAS UNBELIEVABLE….. AND VERY DRAINING.

AS WE STEADILY MADE OUR WAY UP THE HILL TOWARD THE MEDITATION GARDENS, WE
FELT OUR THROAT MUSCLES TIGHTEN AND OUR BODIES BECOME OVERCOME WITH EMOTION, STELLA POINTED TOWARD THE NIGHT SKY AND NOTICED A BRIGHT LIGHT DIRECTLY ABOVE THE GRACELAND MANSION. BELIEVING IT MAY HAVE BEEN A NEWS HELICOPTER OVERHEAD, WE NOTICED IN FACT IT WAS A SINGLE SHINING STAR. WE POINTED IT OUT TO OTHERS TOO.

THEN SUDDENLY ALL OF THESE STRANGE SENSATIONS AND MIXED EMOTIONS STARTED TO ACCUMULATE AS WE DREW CLOSER AND CLOSER TO THE FINAL RESTING PLACE OF OUR MOST CHERISHED SINGING IDOL, ELVIS PRESLEY.

I WAS FLOODED WITH MELODIES AND PHRASES IN THE INTENSITY OF THE MOMENT WHILE ELVIS LOVE SONGS ECHOED SOFTLY AND HAUNTINGLY IN THE BACKGROUND. WE COULDN'T TAKE IT ANY LONGER AND BROKE DOWN.
I ASKED STELLA FOR SOME FORM OF WRITING PARAPHERNALIA. ALL SHE HAD WAS A TISSUE AND EYEBROW PENCIL !.
I BEGAN JOTTING DOWN ALL MY INNERMOST FEELINGS AT THAT PARTICULAR POINT IN
TIME , AND BY THE TIME WE ARRIVED AT THE KING’S GRAVESIDE ( HIDDEN BENEATH A MOUNTAIN OF TEDDY BEARS AND FLORAL TRIBUTES), I HAD PENNED THE INITIAL WORDS FOR A SINGLE SHINING STAR. NEVER BEFORE HAD WE FELT THE AWESOME POWER OF EMOTION AT THIS LEVEL. WE WERE TOTALLY STUNNED AND MESMERIZED BY THE INTENSITY OF THE SITUATION. BUT….WE WERE NOT ALONE ! WE DID NOT FEEL OUT OF PLACE.

ON OUR WAY DOWN THE HILL BACK TOWARDS THE GATES, STELLA AND I WERE LEFT TOTALLY NUMB WITH NO FEELINGS AND NO SENSATIONS ………… AND TOTALLY SPEECHLESS.
WE HAD INDEED WITNESSED OUR FIRST VIGIL AND IT HAD LEFT US PHYSICALLY AND MENTALLY EXHAUSTED.
IT WAS NOT UNTIL LATER ON IN THE DAY THAT WE HAD REALIZED WHAT WE HAD BEEN A PART OF THIS SOMBER OCCASION ….. AND PROMISED OURSELVES THAT IT WOULD BECOME AN IMPORTANT PART OF OUR LIVES AS IT HAD DEEPLY EFFECTED US BOTH.
WE HAD MADE MANY NEW FRIENDS DURING OUR FIRST ELVIS WEEK AND AS THE YEARS HAVE PASSED US BY, THESE FRIENDS HAVE BECOME MORE LIKE FAMILY.
THE HARDEST TO DO IN MEMPHIS WAS TO SAY ……..”GOODBYE”.
IT WAS THEN THAT OUR DEARLY LOVED FRIENDS, DANNY & LAYNA McCORKLE INVITED US BACK TO PERFORM AT ELVIS WEEK THE FOLLOWING YEAR (1999).

I HAD TOLD DANNY OF OUR EXPERIENCE AND WAS RETURNING HOME TO SYDNEY (AUSTRALIA) TO BEGIN COMPOSITION ON A HEARTFELT TRIBUTE SONG TO THE MEMORIES WE HAD EXPERIENCED THE NIGHT OF THE CANDLELIGHT AT GRACELAND. WE SAID OUR TEARY GOODBYES AND STARTED COUNTING THE DAYS TO WHEN WE WOULD RETURN.

AFTER HAVING STOPPED OVER IN HAWAII ON OUR TRIP HOME , STELLA AND I SAT DOWN AND
PONDERED OVER OUR EXPERIENCE AT GRACELAND, AND IT WAS BY THAT TIME I HAD THE BASIS OF THE SONG NOW KNOWN AS “A SINGLE SHINING STAR”.

ON ARRIVAL IN SYDNEY, I APPROACHED MUSICIAN HANK PIPER TO ASSIST ME WITH THE MELODY. I HAD AN IDEA FOR THE SONG BUT WAS NOT CAPABLE OF TRANSCRIBING IT INTO MUSIC.
AFTER MANY WEEKS OF CREATING AN “ELVIS - TYPE” FEEL FOR THE SONG, WE SET ABOUT RECORDING THE MANY TRACKS REQUIRED FOR THE FINAL SESSION. ON RECORDING THE FINAL VOCALS , I TRIED TO RE-LIVE THE NIGHT OF THE CANDLELIGHT VIGIL .
THE SONG CAPTURES EVERYTHING WE FELT THE NIGHT OF THE VIGIL….AND THE WORDS GUIDE YOU THROUGH OUR VERY OWN TRUE LIFE EXPERIENCE AS WE STOPPED TO PAY OUR RESPECTS AT THE GRAVESIDE OF THE GREATEST ENTERTAINER OF THE 20th CENTURY.
STELLA AND I RETURNED TO GRACELAND IN 1999 WITH OUR BRAND NEW SONG.
I CAN RECALL THE FIRST TIME I PERFORMED IT AT GRACELAND CROSSING…… IT STILL GIVES ME GOOSEBUMPS. I LITERALLY FROZE…I HADN'T REALIZED THE AFFECT IT HAD ON SO MANY PEOPLE. I KINDA GUESS THEY FEEL WHAT I FELT.

NOW EVERY YEAR THAT PASSES US BY……. ANOTHER CANDLELIGHT VIGIL BEGINS TO DAWN ON THE ANNIVERSARY OF “THE KING’S DEATH”……I FEEL HONORED TO SING THIS SONG ON THE EVE OF THE KING’S PASSING.
I MUST ADMIT THE SONG GETS A LITTLE EASIER TO SING AS THE YEARS GO BY … BUT WE STILL FIND OURSELVES WITH THAT SAME “NUMB” SENSATION EACH AND EVERY TIME WE VISIT ELVIS & HIS FAMILY IN THE MEDITATION GARDEN …. AND ALSO THE TIME WE GET TO SPEND WITH OUR MOST CHERISHED FRIENDS. SO MUCH LOVE…SO MANY PRECIOUS MEMORIES.
AND WHEN I STAND UP BEFORE THE FANTASTIC CROWDS AT GRACELAND… IT GIVES ME SUCH A WARM AND WONDERFUL FEELING THAT SO MANY, MANY PEOPLE HAVE TAKEN THIS SONG INTO THEIR HEARTS, AND INTO THEIR LIVES.

I FEEL SO BLESSED THAT GOD HAS GIVEN STELLA TO ME, THAT WE MAY BOTH SHARE OUR LOVE AND LIVES WITH SO MANY BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE.
WE HAVE LOST DEAR FRIENDS & FAMILY IN THESE SHORT YEARS WE HAVE BEEN COMING TO THE USA .… SO NOW EACH TIME I SING THIS SONG….. IT IS TO THEIR BEAUTIFUL MEMORY THAT I DEDICATE THIS SONG KNOWING THAT THEIR SPIRIT WILL FOREVER GLOW IN THE LIGHT OF THAT “ SINGLE SHINING STAR”. THAT IS WHY I HAVE INVITED YOU ALL TO VISIT MY VERY OWN ”MEDIATATION GARDEN” AND SHARE WITH ME OUR LOVE FOR THOSE WHO ARE NO LONGER WITH US. I BURN A NEVER-ENDING CANDLE FOR EACH OF THEM….IN THEIR HONOR………….

GOD BLESS YOU ALL,

CHRIS DRUMMOND.

Click here for lyrics to song

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