British collector buys iconic Elvis Presley shoes for 45,000 U.S. dollars

The white boots worn by the so-called King of Rock Elvis Presley were bought by a British collector at an auction Saturday for 45,000 U.S. dollars.

Presley wore the size 11 boots as he sang the hit song "If I Can Dream" during a coast-to-coast television special broadcast in 1968 on the NBC network.

The singer recorded the song just months after the assassination of civil rights campaigner Dr Martin Luther King. The song was a tribute to Martin Luther King, Jr written by Walter Earl Brown, and included direct quotations from Dr. King. What amazed viewers at the time was the moment Presley fell to his knees as he sang the song, as if it was a religious experience.

The auction, by coincidence, took place in the week that a 14-track album of songs by Presley, re-mixed with backing by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, topped the album chart in Britain, and entered the Billboard chart in the United States at number 21. The album's title is "If I Can Dream".

There was world wide interest in the boots when they came up for sale Saturday at an auction house in Devizes, Wiltshire.

Auctioneer Andrew Alridge of Henry Aldrige and Son had estimated a price tag of between 38,000 U.S. dollars and 45,000 U.S. dollars.

After the sale Andrew Aldridge said he was delighted the historic shoes had reached their target price.

"It was a good day for us," said Aldridge, "the boots represent a tangible link to a truly iconic moment in showbusiness history. The song, If I Can Dream, was the closing number of one of the greatest moments in entertainment history and is regarded by Elvis collectors as one of the 'Holy Grails'."

Along with the boots was a handwritten letter from stage director Charlie Hodge, who appeared on the NBC show alongside Presley. After the show Presley gave the boots as a gift to Hodge. Endit