Elvis Fight Site Mini-Monument

Madison, Wisconsin

One of Elvis Presley's most colorful exploits came near the end of his life, in the early morning hours of June 24, 1977, on the east side of Madison. He had just flown into town from a concert in Des Moines, Iowa, and was on his way to a Madison hotel when his limo stopped at a traffic light. Elvis saw a teenager on the ground, being attacked by two other youths at a gas station. According to the underwhelming monument that marks the site, Elvis sprang from the car and assumed "his classic karate stance, saying, 'I'll take you on.'"

"After a few classic karate moves by Elvis," the tiny monument continues, "the youths recognized him, stood, shook hands, and promised to stop fighting."

A story in the following day's Wisconsin State Journal adds details: the teen being attacked was Keith Lowry Jr, son of the gas station owner, and one of his young attackers was a former employee. Keith said of Elvis, "he was overweight and had jet black hair." The story claimed that Elvis was still wearing his blue Elvis jumpsuit from his Des Moines concert (Others said it was a blue track suit emblazoned with "DEA Staff"). After posing for a few snapshots, Elvis climbed back into his limo and said, "Did you see those guys' faces?" Less than two months later, Elvis was dead.