Wade Jones takes the cup on a tour of the old Charlotte Stadium. (AP Photo/Courtesy of Wade Jones)

It's not the Holy Grail ... though for some Elvis fans, it's close. (AP Photo/Courtesy of Wade Jones)

We're celebrity-obsessed.

We clamor to hear about Brangelina's new baby, how Janet Jackson lost those 70 pounds and why she gained them in the first place.

But when does an obsession get out of hand?

Meet Wade Jones. He says he can't do anything without thinking about Elvis.

While watching "American Idol"...Who would Elvis want to win? A news report? What would Elvis think? Something that happened in the 1970s...Was that before or after Aug. 16, 1977?

The Belmont, N.C. salesman and father of two says he has a spiritual connection to the King in the form of a styrofoam cup. It's a cup he swears Elvis used during a concert in 1977, and one he says he's held onto for nearly 30 years.

Jones says he was 13 and was at the concert at the Charlotte Coliseum with his mother when he went to the stage looking for a souvenir. A policeman told him he could have the cup, so he tasted the water (to make sure it was water), took it home and put in his mom's freezer.

The cup stayed in his parent's deep freezer until 1985 when he moved out, he says. In 2004, he says he auctioned three tablespoons of the water for $455.

But he's not letting the cup go. He keeps it in a protective case in his bedroom.

"Elvis' spirit is being channeled through this cup," says Jones. "I have been given insight into Elvis' soul that other people don't have because of this cup."

Sound crazy?

It's really not all that unusual, says Neal King, a sociologist who teaches pop culture at Virginia Tech. He says Elvis has "group magic," which means the fact that so many people love makes him ever more attractive.

"There are people who have religious relationships with Elvis, shrines, who believe Elvis is spiritually among us," says King. "There are fans who make pilgrimages to Graceland and spread the belief that Elvis is not dead."

Jones does not think Elvis is alive. He doesn't dress up in sparkling jumpsuits, wear sideburns or blast "Heartbreak Hotel."

But he does have a Web site, elviscup.com, he makes public appearances with the cup and he bombarded asap with sketchy pictures supposedly showing Elvis holding a foam cup.

"If my house caught on fire, I would get my wife and kids out, get the family photos and then my Elvis cup," says Jones. "Some say it's just a cup. But it's symbolic to me. I have wondered in 200 years where this cup would be, what kind of future it holds."

Jones says he is so connected to Elvis, he can get the King's take on any situation. We put him to the test.

First, tell me about these magical powers.

Jones: "I don't get a physical sign from the cup. It's not like I pose a question to the cup and get an answer. It's just that Elvis has been such a big part of my life for so many years, I feel that I can tell you or anyone what Elvis would think about any given situation. A thought will come to me, 'What would Elvis think of these low approval ratings of President Bush?' I get his take on it."

Would he have rooted for Taylor Hicks on 'American Idol?'

Jones: "I immediately got the vibe Elvis would be pulling for Taylor Hicks. Him being a southern guy from Alabama, Elvis would relate to that, and his variety of songs, his style, the choice of songs. During the competition, Taylor Hicks sang "In the Ghetto" and "Jail House Rock," (two Elvis songs). I think Elvis could appreciate his vocal style, even though he's not a slick polished singer.

How about music? Country? Rap?

Jones: "He wouldn't consider today's country music true country. He would think a lot of the singers were pretentious, manufactured images, like Keith Urban, where they got a nice looking guy from Australia and taught him how to sing. I think he would have loved Luther Vandross. He would have appreciated Destiny's Child. But a lot of the male artists in rap, I don't think he would have cared so much for."

Michael Jackson?

Jones: "I think he would have seen Michael Jackson as a true talent. In the early 1970s, he had someone take his daughter to a Jackson Five concert. But everything is cool until you get to some of these sexual allegations, he totally wouldn't go for that. He would keep his distance."

The president?

Jones: "I know it's been tough with so many things going wrong for President Bush, but he would stand by him. I think he would have liked Bill Clinton, would have considered him one of the fellas. He would have appreciated Clinton's human side. Nobody's perfect and Elvis knew that."

Immigration. Send them home or let them stay?

Jones: "I think he would appreciate the hard work of people of Hispanic descent. He wouldn't want to see all these people deported. He would want to try and find a solution for them to be able to stay here and work. He would be compassionate to their plight."

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Megan Scott is an asap reporter based in New York.

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