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The wife and daughter of the Elvis Presley shocked fans of the rock and roll icon when the pair attended a vigil for the star to commemorate the 35th anniversary of his death.

Pricilla and Lisa-Marie Presley spoke to fans from a stage inside Elvis' Gracelands mansion's ground, while fans held candles outside the Memphis site.

The Presley women spoke of their response to the fans dedication to Elvis.

"This is something that Elvis would never, ever have believed could have taken place here," said Priscilla, who was married to Elvis until the pair divorced in 1973.

Daughter Lisa-Marie spoke of the courage it had taken to attend the event and fears of her emotional response to the annual vigil.

"I've always avoided this because I felt that it would be too emotional, but I really felt it was important to come down here tonight," said Lisa-Marie Presley to the crowd. "I love you very, very, very much."

The vigil took place on Wednesday night into Thursday morning, and marked the anniversary of Elvis death, who died of a heart attack on 16 August, 1977.

Below: classic photos of Elvis Presley