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With his curled lips and swaying hips, Elvis Presley was a musical icon. He's been gone since his untimely death in 1977, but if he were still alive he would be 75 years old today, and three Nikiski women are "All Shook Up" about celebrating the date.

"We're die-hard Elvis fans," said Durainey Rawls, who along with Carolyn Gabbard, and Gabbard's daughter Peggy Flatt, will be honoring the occasion.

"We'll have dinner and cake and listen to his music, but I guess we always do that last one," Rawls said.

For many, Presley's music is something to bob your head to when it's heard on the car radio or while playing in the background in stores and restaurants. But Rawls said for her, his music is so much more than that.

From that first time she heard the Tupelo talent sing "Jail House Rock" on the radio when she was just a 12-year-old girl, to now when she brings up "Blue Suede Shoes" on her iPod, she has always found Presley's music moving.

"He's not just the king of rock and roll, he's the king of music," she said. "He could do everything. From gospel to country to rock and roll, he did all genres and everything he did was good."

Rawls' love for his music also has spread from beyond her musical collection of 45s, LPs and cassettes. She has numerous Elvis related items in her home, such a music boxes and pieces of artwork.

"I pretty much have something in every room," she said. "I even have an Elvis night light in my bedroom."

Rawls also has a Christmas tree decorated with ceramic Presley ornaments, has "ELVIS2" license plates on her car (Flatt has ELVIS1 and Gabbard has 4ELVIS), and even used a familiar Presley saying for her Durainey's Crane Service heavy equipment business.

"T.C.B., 'Taking care of business,' was his motto," she said. "'Taking Care of Business in a Flash' is our motto."

Rawls said she hopes to soon visit Graceland -- Presley's home and burial spot in Tennessee, now turned museum. According to her friend Gabbard, it will likely be a life-changing trip.

"I love it there," she said. "I've been 10 times and try to go back every other year."

Gabbard said before her first visit to Graceland she liked Presley's music, but didn't really consider herself a fan. All that changed after touring the estate.

"Seeing the mansion and all his records, and all he did and contributed to, it showed what a humanitarian he was," she said. "Something just came over me. I felt like he wasn't just a good entertainer, he was also a good man, and I became a fan."

Gabbard said as she left, hearing Presley's "If I Can Dream" playing in the background made the whole visit to Graceland a very emotional trip.

"I cried through the whole tour," she said, "but when I heard that, it just gave me goose bumps over my whole body."

Gabbard returned to Alaska, and like Rawls began collecting Presley merchandise and memorabilia, and some of her collection goes wherever she does.

"I have two Elvis tattoos," she said. "One is a profile of Elvis on my leg, and on the other leg I have T.C.B. with a lightning bolt through it."

Despite all this, Rawls said she doesn't consider her, or Gabbard or Flatt's, love for the king to be too over the top, like one of "those" fans.

"I don't consider myself worshipping an entertainer or anything like that, because that's where people get messed up," she said. "I just really appreciate his ability. Elvis was, and still is, the king of rock and roll. They can try and replace him, but there's only one king."

Joseph Robertia has officially left the building, but he can be reached at joseph.robertia@peninsulaclarion.com.