going to Graceland

[grouchmuffin]

Just a quick note to let ya'll know that I'll be down in Memphis, singing with the King. We'll be gone until Sunday.

I also have good news about a guy in our writers' group...his name is Corky Sutherland and he just published a biographical account of his adventures in hitch-hiking from 1934-1948 (he's in his 70's or 80's) called Thumbs Up at Five. Our group got to enjoy a number of his stories as he was proofing the book-a fascinating life he's led. We will be planning a celebration for him later this month or next~as we do whenever any of our writers is published! =)

Hope everyone is doing marvy-I'll post more when we return-next week.

~grouchy

[Elle Rush]

How was Elvis' homeplace?? I have never been. We have another member here, Dan Stafford that went last year with his wife, Saren. He is also a huge Elvis fan.
The Memphis legend sure was the real thing, I admire his spirit & talent greatly. Did you learn anything new about him? SHARE, PLEASE!
Elvis & I share signs, I believe? Isn't he a Capricorn?

[grouchmuffin]

Had a great time in Memphis! ;D Lots of good BBQ, good blues and Graceland was pretty impressive...especially the corridor with all of his platinum & gold records and awards. I like Elvis' music, but I'm not a HUGE fan, so what I learned was that he had a twin brother who died at birth. Probably commonplace knowledge, but it was new to me! Meditation Gardens was beautiful and I guess people get married there too. They also open it to the public for free early in the morning, which I thought was nice. We also went to the Pink Palace Museum and watched the Duck Walk at the Peabody. Lil Grouch got to sing on Beale Street which was exciting!

[Elle Rush]

Sounds like an awesome trip! I admire Elvis, but I wouldn't say I know much about him, I didn't know he was a twin, fascinating! What did you sing??

[AquarianM]

We were there for New Year's Eve 2002. The place was all lit up for Christmas and the holidays still. Elvis used to keep up the Christmas lights until his birthday on January 08. It was his favorite holiday. The decoractions they use at the mansion are all the original ones he had. At the museums and shops across the street they are all more modern, usually all gifts from fans, some very well heeled, too. There was an absolutely HUGE display across the street. We'd gotten a package deal through www.elvis.com and we spent the night at the Heartbreak Hotel. They have free 24 hour Elvis movies in the rooms there. The package included dinner at Elvis's restaurant on Beale Street, which has now shut down. I wrote "1950's Leather" about a young couple that was dancing there that night. Saren & I were married on 01/01/01 at 1:10 am. That night was our first wedding anniversary. We are both fans and both wanted to go.

Amazingly, Elvis had a number one album AND a number one single in 2002. This was twenty five years after the man died, can you imagine? The single was a re-mix of "A Little Less Conversation" by a Netherlands DJ, and the album was "30 #1 Hits" featuring mostly his best known hits. The cool thing was, they had digitally re-mastered 30 #1's from the original studio tapes with modern technology. You can hear things on that CD that you couldn't in the original release back when they first became hits. I pre-ordered a copy and it's one of my treasures. I have about eight hours of Elvis music in my collection. I absolutely adore his CD "White Christmas" with 25 Christmas songs.

Another interesting thing is the Graceland Vigilcast. On the night of August 15th every year, there is a candle light vigil held all night long at Graceland. Thousands upon thousands of fans slowly march past the mansion and meditation garden with candles lit. Elvis died August 16th 1977. The fans often write messages to Elvis on the wall in front of Graceland. This tradition goes back to when he was alive. The messages are recorded and then cleaned for the next year's visitors, and the practice is encouraged by EPE. Elvis.com streams an internet viewing of the candle light vigil including interviews with those who worked with or were close to Elvis each year via AOL on 8/15 as it happens. The next day they post the playback at elvis.com. It usually lasts several hours. They also have a "virtual wall" which is an online board where people from all over the world post wall messages on the night of the 15th since they can't be at Graceland. (There is even al Elvis themed cafe in Israel, I saw it online once.)

"Elvis the Concert" is a world touring production featuring a larger than life digital projection of Elvis doing some of his most memorable concert renditions of his songs. I've heard it's almost like being at a real Elvis concert. He always wanted to tour the world but never got beyond the USA. Some believe Colonel Parker feared US Immigration Services but who knows why it really was? So in this respect, EPE is carrying out one of his unrealized dreams posthumously for him.

Also, Elvis was never awarded a Grammy for any of his pop / rock tunes. Not one. Yet well over 75 gold records, including several at various levels of platinum. He did win three Grammy awards though. All of them were for gospel albums. His gospel singing was exquisitely beautiful. As a small child his mother had to keep him from singing and dancing down the aisles at church. As a young child he would sneak up outside the black churches and listen to the rhythm and music of their services. It was one of his secret joys.

An interesting note for me, my home town of Beloit, WI is situated right on U.S. Highway 51. If you follow U.S. 51 South, it enters Memphis and becomes Elvis Presley Boulevard, going right past the driveway of Graceland.

Elvis has a very special meaning to me. His was the music of the generation that came before me. I was a little child in the early 1960's. I used to watch Elvis movies with my mother, brother, and sister when I was very little. All three of us loved them. I watched his 1968 TV special (the one with the black leather suit) live with my grand parents as a young boy, as well as several appearances on Ed Sullivan. I saw Aloha From Hawaii when it was originally broadcast, "live via satellite." It was one of the very first satellite TV transmissions from Hawaii or anywhere. Whenever I hear him sing or see his movies, it evokes those happy childhood memories of my grandparents and mother and siblings. My mother and both grandparents are all gone now, so that makes this especially poignant for me. It also doesn't fall far from the truth to say that as a little boy, and like millions of other little boys in my era, I wanted to grow up to be like Elvis as he was portrayed in the movies, with all the fast cool cars and always being in love with the most wonderful girl in the end. Childhood dreams die hard, or maybe they just lie under the surface somewhere of your soul.

Yeah, I guess you could say I'm a fan.

Blessings,

Dan

[Elle Rush]

I love it!! That was awesome, Dan! And I am thrilled to have confirmed that Elvis was a Capricorn!