ELVIS Presley fans all over the world marked the 37th anniversary of his death over the weekend.

As this week’s centre pages of Rewind show, our original story back in 1977 focused on the star’s drug issues rather than his musical legacy, which caused controversy.

In the years that followed, though, we marked major anniversaries by speaking to his most ardent fans.

A decade after the King died at his Memphis home, we interviewed Pam Hall, 57, at her house in Walcot’s Courtenay Road. She worked as a knitter for a Burford garment firm.

We wrote: “Treasures jostle for position on top of the freezer. Elvis clocks mark the passage of time. The religious record His Hand in Mine takes pride of place on the record player.

“A founder member of the fan club’s Wiltshire branch, she knows how to dress for conventions.

“Pam took in a pair of black trousers from the waist down and opened them up from the knee to insert red silk flares. Elvis scarves hang from her hips. Her badges are displayed on a specially knitted cardigan.

“And she even has a certificate of authenticity for her unique Elvisly Yours replica of the Elvis Aloha concert belt.

“Pam paid £40 for the studded leather belt about six years ago. It is number 418 of a limited edition of 2,000.”

The superfan told us: “I would love something that belonged to Elvis personally.

“I just love his music and the things he used to do for people. He was always kind and generous, would never shun anyone, was never cruel and was always polite.”

We spoke to Pam again a few years later as part of a series of features about readers’ homes. By that time her collection included scores of Elvis key rings and many replicas of the rings Elvis wore on stage during the later part of his career. The more valuable items were stored in grandchild-proof containers.

We marked the 20th anniversary of his death in 1997 by talking to another fan, 33-year-old wiring operator Andy Johns of Volta Road, who planned to spend the day listening to some of his 1,500 Elvis records.

Andy, whose devotion to the King went as far as naming his daughter Marie Lisa in honour of Elvis’s daughter, Lisa Marie, said: “I always have a full day of playing Elvis’s records on the anniversary, but this year will be special.”

A decade later, 30 years after the death of Elvis, the devotion of fans hadn’t wavered.

One of them was Joe Galati, 46, of Whit-worth Road. Like Andy Johns, his enthusiasm extended not just to a huge collection of records and memorabilia but also to naming his home Graceland after the Memphis mansion where Elvis lived and died. He stored his collection, including a life-size statue, in a dedicated Elvis room.

Joe’s passion was shared by his wife, Michelle. He said of Elvis’s premature death: “It is a big shame. I think of him as if he is still alive.

"Obviously we still play his music and talk about him. He is always in our hearts.”