Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, March 1, 1992 TAG: 9203030363
SECTION: HORIZON PAGE: E-5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: SANDRA KELLY
DATELINE: LENGTH: Short
Copy editor Marty Horne claims he was ready to head for home on Aug, 16, 1977, when writer Chris Gladden stumbled in to his office, emotionally affected, and stammered:
"Have you heard? Elvis died!"
Horne was certainly sorry. "I loved Elvis when I was in high school," he said. "One of my finest memories was of me and my best friend singing "Heartbreak Hotel" while we were thumbing a ride from Wytheville to Pulaski to see some girls one Saturday night."
But when Elvis died, Horne had another reason to mourn. The singer's passing meant the Extra section front page for the next day would have to be remade, and Horne would have to stay late to do it.
It didn't help either that Horne had lots of input from coworkers.
The then city editor offered a design for the page. That insulted Horne's assistant, who walked out in a rage.
Then a sports writer came to stand over Horne and observe: "But for the grace of God, it could have been Porter Waggoner."
And the resident quick-tongued copy editor, Fred Loeffler, the man who always likened any changes at the company to rearranging the chairs on the Titanic, strolled over to offer this farewell headline:
"Good-bye, Mr. Hips."
Yep, that was some day.
by CNB