By the time I was aware of who Elvis was, he was already well down the crappola trail, with the godawful movies and schlocky Vegas schtick. It took a long time for that stink to wash off and to appreciate him from back when it all meant something to him. He was at his best when he was acting like a member of a band, rather than as the star of the whole shebang,
Elvis now means much more, to me, as an example of what happens to talented, careless people in this culture than does any of his music.
In the mid 50s when I was 7 or 8, I remember being at my aunt's with my mom when he came on the tv. My older cousin was 13 or 14, I remember her coming home from a friend's just to watch Elvis. I didn't know who he was and wondered what she was crying about when he started singing.
I had no appreciation for him when he was doing movies, the kind of movies that were easy to make fun of. There was a documentary done about him and his Vegas shows. That's when I started to appreciate his showmanship. I regret not seeing his show in Vegas.