It was a moment Judy Cherry had dreamed of for 14 long years. On February 18, 1970, that dream came true in the most heartwarming way imaginable—when she came face to face with Elvis Presley, the man whose music had shaped so much of her life.
“The first thing I said when he came out was just a whispered ‘Elvis,’” Judy recalled, still breathless from the memory. “He put his arms around me and gave me a nice, warm hug.” For someone who had waited so long, that embrace was pure magic.
“I told him I had waited 14 years for this,” Judy continued, “and he said, ‘Have you? That’s a long time to wait, isn’t it honey?’” His voice, his kindness—it was everything she had imagined and more.
Judy wasn’t alone. Her friend Jamie had traveled all the way from England to share in the moment. Elvis, ever gracious, gave her a warm hug too and said, “Did you come all the way from England?” When Jamie replied yes, he smiled and said, “Thank you, hon.”
Always thinking of his fans, Elvis didn’t hesitate when Judy asked for a photo. “Sure,” he said warmly. As Jamie fumbled to get the camera ready, Judy showed Elvis a treasured copy of The Elvis Presley Story—a booklet she had held onto since 1957. Elvis was visibly moved. He flipped through it, paused at an old photo, and said with genuine amazement, “This really is old, man. I was 21 years old here!”
They snapped one picture. Then another. And in a moment that captured his famous charm, Elvis turned to Jamie and said, “Now we are gonna get one with you, aren’t we honey?” That was Elvis—always making sure no one was left out, always thinking of others.
As their brief but beautiful encounter came to an end, Judy told him, “Goodbye, Elvis. I’ll see you tomorrow night… whether you see me or not: I’ll be going to the show every night for the rest of the time.” His reaction was one of true surprise and gratitude. “Eleven times! Thank you so much, sweetheart. I just wish I could meet every one of you!”
He kissed her goodbye. And just like that, he was gone.
But for Judy Cherry, those 5 or 6 minutes were timeless.
“They’ll stay in my heart forever.”
