And now, it's 20 years later.

And the faithful by the thousands, as they do every year, again pay their respects in one form or another to The King.

An example of "in one form or another" is the recent appearance on local television of a couple of the members of the "Memphis Mafia." It was one of those Q-and-A setups where a local TV person asks questions about whatever the guest wants to promote. In this case, the "Mafia" members were promoting a video and other things centered around the revelation: "what many years with Elvis Presley were really like."

These guys (five are now in this core group; the total Mafia "membership" ranged from four to 13 over the years) were with Presley throughout the years from 1956 until his death. They knew Elvis; no doubt about that.

And, now, they have their own page on the World Wide Web: (www.memphismafia.com). It includes brief biographies of the five, a push for a video, and items from their own on-line store (a wool and leather black crew jacket with a red Memphis Mafia logo goes for $199.95).

More on the previously mentioned Cleveland connections to Elvis in a moment.

And one cannot be too certain about how warmly the Memphis Mafia doings are greeted by the folks at Graceland, in Memphis, can one?

And, of course, in Memphis, this is "Elvis Week" (Aug. 9-17).

A news release sums up the week: "...celebrating "the life and career of Elvis Presley, and commemorating the 20th anniversary of the singer's passing."

On that date of passing, Saturday, Aug. 16, the "most extravagant Elvis Week event ever" is planned (or was held, if you read this after the 16th).

"Elvis in Concert '97": the greatest of Presley's concerts projected on a giant screen with all sound removed except Elvis' vocals, and live musical accompaniment provided by the "Memphis Symphony Orchestra and more than 30 of his origial concert tour cast members from all eras of his career."

The whole idea in the planning for the production is to create a feeling of Elvis live in concert.

(Parenthetically, one might add here that some believe Elvis still is alive, if not in concert. But we've done that story a couple of times on past Cleveland Pages: "Happy Birthday, Elvis!" Jan. 8, 1997; "Presley Proof Positive?" March 21, 1997).

Cleveland's "tie" to Elvis, of course, goes well beyond the TV screen interview with Memphis Mafia members.

The Rock Hall has attendance problems and a money shortfall from its current psychedelic rock era exhibit. The Hall/Museum administrators are looking for a solution, and Elvis may be at least one part of the answer. Surveys show that many visitors would like to see more exhibits from those 1950s rock-and-roll days.

If Graceland and the Presley Estate say, "Okay," a major Presley exhibit could open next summer.

Down the street from the North Coast Harbor to Playhouse Square, the Cleveland Ballet can thank its "Elvis connection" for a chunk of the money that has brought the ballet into the black...well, at least a little way into the black.

"Blue Suede Shoes" knocked 'em dead from its opening in May, 1966, at the State Theatre through a local encore performance and on tour this year here to Detroit, San Jose and Los Angeles.

Early next year, Emmy-honored Tony Charmoli's taped production of the rock ballet is to get a nationwide audience on public television stations, in additon to international distribution and home video availability.

Next year, "Blue Suede Shoes" is to play in Chicago, St. Petersburg, Denver, College Station, Tex., Houston and Miami.

(Footnote: last month, the Cleveland Ballet dancers came back to work here in town and filmed a dance number for the "Drew Carey Show." Cleveland comic Carey came home to shoot a series of "local color" scenes for his show's next season.)

The Elvis estate/Graceland goal now is a focus on the man's music, rather than on banana-peanut butter sandwiches and fancy dress.

It is music that Plain Dealer critic Michael Norman and others have called a merger of "...country and white blues with black rhythm and blues."

And focus on the music is highlight of another Cleveland moment: "Show Boat" has opened at the State Theatre (through Oct. 5; tickets, $32.50-$70; (216)-241-6000 or 1-800-766-6048).

The hype for the show was almost as big as the production itself: full page ads for it began weeks ago. That's not new for "Show Boat." In New York, when the production premiered at the Ahmanson Theatre, critics said it "...lived up to its hype." Locally, critic Marianne Evett said the touring production (one of three on-the-road) "...captures this flowing sense of life, a 40-year-sweep from 1887 to 1927."

This is a strong cast, and the stirring voice of Michel Bell's "Joe" (Bell was in the 1994 Broadway production) still produces the show-stopper, "Ol' Man River," both in the first act and in the second act reprise.

When this revival of "Show Boat" premiered in Canada, there were picket lines from Black community organizations, protesting the show as racist. In her review, Marianne Evett emphasizes the infusion in this production of "...a new social awareness into a 70-year-old classic musical."

"Show Boat" was the most honored show of the 1994-95 Broadway season. And "off Playhouse Square" (sorta' like being "off Broadway"?), Cleveland Public Theatre's open-air production of "Much Ado About Nothing" also got good reviews.

The Shakespeare comedy has been re-sited to a Texas border town from Italy and a "hacienda set" has been built to accommodate it in the Hoyt Courtyard downtown at 700 W. St. Clair, just west of Public Square.

It runs through Aug. 24 with Wednesday through Sunday performances. Tickets are $10, $5 for students and seniors, and $3 on Sundays. Proceeds above production cost will go toward the renovation of the Gordon Square Theatre near CPT's "home" on Detroit Avenue.

A couple of other "just-in-case-you-haven't-heard" notes:

The governor has signed a bill giving Mayor Michael R. White control of the Cleveland schools. It could go into effect in 90 days, but the Cleveland Teachers Union says it will take the matter to court.

The aforementioned mayor took the occasion of his 46th birthday (Aug. 13) to file petitions for a third term. "I'm looking forward to doing more," Mayor White said.

Herb Score is looking forward to doing less. After this season, he says he will put the cover on his microphone after 34 years of broadcasting Cleveland Indians baseball.

And Tiger Woods says he will play Firestone in the NEC World Series of Golf that begins Aug. 21. Anticipation of Woods' participation caused a run on tickets, of course. Weekend tickets are sold out, and there will be no sales at the gate.

Oh, did you know that they let the grass grow at some courses to make it tougher for the professionals?

Which segues into this final item:

It's ragweed season.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh-choooooooooooooooooooo!

(With apologies to allergy suffers to whom this season is no laughing matter).