It's very solemn around Graceland at this time every year, and this year was no different. Mourners with bowed heads paid their respects to Elvis Presley at his grave to mark the 34^th anniversary of his death. Thousands of them walked in the humid night to the grave, some wiping away tears as they filed past. Temperatures were in the high 80s much of the day, sharply down from the suffocating 100-degree heat last August.

The annual tradition began when some Elvis fans traveled to Graceland the year their idol died. It became an organized event in 1982. The vigil was to extend past midnight and into this morning, marking the anniversary of the King's death on August 16, 1977. The vigil is the main draw of "Elvis Week," and some waited for hours outside of the gates of Graceland for the procession to start, and many came from far away. Some from as far away as Japan, England, Germany and other countries to be here for Elvis. Paula Penna came with her family from her home in Brazil to be there for the vigil. Paula was born 27 years ago on August 16th and met her Brazilian husband in an Elvis fan club. She says the songs of Elvis have helped her and her family through both good times and bad.