Quote:

"Elvis Presley is the greatest cultural force in the 20th century."

(Leonard Bernstein)


Quote:

"If you're an Elvis fan, no explanation is necessary; If you're not an Elvis fan, no explanation is possible."

(George Klein)


Quote:

"For a dead man, Elvis Presley is awfully noisy."

(Professor Gilbert B. Rodman)


Quote:

"History has him as this good old country boy, Elvis is about as country as Bono!"

(Jerry Schilling)


Quote:

"Absolute id crashed into absolute superego...as the uptightset man in America shook hands with just about the loosest."

(Mark Feeney on the 'Elvis meets Nixon' meeting)


Quote:

"Elvis is everywhere"

(Mojo Nixon & Skid Roper)


Quote:

"...especially in the South, they talk about Elvis and Jesus in the same breath"

(Michael Ventura, LA Weekly)


Quote:

"The image is one thing and the human being is another...it's very hard to live up to an image"

 

(Elvis Presley, Madison Square Garden press conference, 1972)


Quote:

"Elvis was a major hero of mine. I was actually stupid enough to believe that having the same birthday as him actually meant something"

(David Bowie)


Quote:

"No-one, but no-one, is his equal, or ever will be. He was, and is supreme"

(Mick Jagger)


Quote:

"I wasn't just a fan, I was his brother...there'll never be another like that soul brother"

(Soul legend, James Brown)


Quote:

"Before Elvis there was nothing!"

(John Lennon)


Quote:

"There were rock 'n' roll records before Heartbreak Hotel, but this was the one that didn't just open the door…it literally blasted the door off its rusted, rotten, anachronistic hinges…. producing....no propelling, an unstoppable, fundamental and primordial shift in not only musical, but social, political and cultural history"

(JNP, BBC website)


Quote:

"Elvis, the musician, is largely a relic belonging to the baby boomer generation...Elvis, the icon, is arguably one of the most potent symbols of popular culture"

( Dr. John Walker)


Quote:

"It [rock & roll] was always about Elvis; not just because he was Elvis, but because he was the big star"

(Bono from U2)


Quote:

"If they had let me on white radio stations back then, there never would have been an Elvis"

(Little Richard)


Quote:

"Elvis loved opera, and he especially liked Mario Lanza. He would watch The Student Prince which was set in Heidelberg, over and over again. He loved the power of the big voices. And he loved big orchestras. He liked real dramatic things"

(Marty Lacker in 'Elvis and the Memphis Mafia')


Quote:

"If life was fair, Elvis would be alive and all the impersonators would be dead"

(Johnny Carson)

 

 

 


Elvis' #1 Pop Singles on Cashbox, USA:

Heartbreak Hotel (1956)

Don't Be Cruel (1956)

Hound Dog (1956)

Love Me Tender (1956)

Too Much (1957)

All Shook Up (1957)

Teddy Bear (1957)

Jailhouse Rock (1957)

Don't (1958)

Stuck On You (1960)

It's Now Or Never (1960)

Are You Lonesome Tonight? (1960)

Surrender (1961)

Good Luck Charm (1962)

Return To Sender (1962)

In The Ghetto (1969)

Suspicious Minds (1969)

Burning Love (1972)

(The Cashbox chart is now defunct)


Elvis Facts:

Elvis was 5' 11" tall

 

Elvis' natural hair color was dark blond

 

Elvis' blood type was O Positive

 

Elvis' shoe size was 11D

 

One of Elvis'( maternal) ancestors, Morning White Dove (born 1800, died 1835), was a full-blooded Cherokee Indian

 

Elvis' uncle, Noah Presley, became Mayor of East Tupelo on January 7, 1936

 

The Presley family moved to Memphis on November 6, 1948

 

Elvis was issued a Social Security card in September 1950 with the # 409-52-2002

 

In 1954 some of the shows played by Elvis & The Blue Moon Boys were at the Overton Park Shell; the Bel-Air Club; Sleepy-Eyed John's Eagle's Nest Club and the Louisiana Hayride

 

Elvis' first manager was Scotty Moore, then Bob Neal, before signing with Colonel Tom Parker

 

The first DJ to play an Elvis record was Fred Cook (WREC), not Dewey Phillips (WHBQ). However, Dewey had the distinction of being the first DJ to play an Elvis record in its entirety

 

Elvis once dated famous stripper, Tempest Storm

 

Elvis was filmed from the waist up only during his 3rd and final appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show

 

In the 50s Elvis was friendly with rising stars, Natalie Wood, Robert Wagner and Ty (Bronco Lane) Hardin

 

Gladys Presley was 46 years old when she died, not 42, as many books suggest

 

The Roustabout album sold 450,000 copies on its initial release, 150,000 copies more than any of the preceding three soundtrack LPs. It was Elvis' last "soundtrack" album to reach #1 on the major album charts in the US

 

Elvis received $1m for filming Harum Scarum (aka Harum Holiday). The film grossed around $2m in the US

 

Elvis and Priscilla married on May 1, 1967

 

They were officially divorced on October 9, 1973

 

Elvis earns nearly $3.5m in 1968 and pays just over $1.4m in income tax

 

Elvis' return to live performing in Las Vegas on July 31, 1969 was in front of an "by invitation only" audience. Stars in attendance included Wayne Newton, Petula Clark, Shirley Bassey, Burt Bacharach and Angie Dickinson

 

On January 9, 1971, the national Junior Chamber of Commerce (Jaycees) announced Elvis as one of "The Top Ten Young Men of the Year". Elvis spoke at the official awards ceremony on January 16

 

"Elvis: Aloha From Hawai" made entertainment history on January 14, 1973, when it was beamed around the world by satellite. In the Philippines it drew 91% of the audience, in Hong Kong 70%. The viewing audience was estimated at more than 1 billion

 

For his 4 week Hilton Vegas season in August 1973 Elvis received $610,000

Sales of Elvis' 1973 album, Raised On Rock, were less than 200,000 units on its initial release

 

Elvis paid $2,959,000 in income tax in 1973

 

In December 1976 Elvis was sworn in as a special deputy sheriff of Shelby County (Memphis) by Sheriff Gene Barksdale

 

Elvis' final live concert was in Indianapolis on June 26, 1977

When Elvis died, he and his father Vernon, were embroiled in an FBI investigation called Operation Fountain Pen

More than 1,500 books have been published about The King in more than 30 languages

 

At Dec 2005 Elvis' biggest selling album in the US is the budget priced, Elvis' Christmas Album, with accredited sales of 9 million units (fingers crossed it reaches 10 million to give Elvis his first "Diamond" award)

 

By early2006, Sony BMG's "collectors label", Follow That Dream, had released more than 50 Elvis CDs

 

During the 1980s, tour guides at Graceland stated that Elvis' biggest selling album (globally) was Moody Blue, with sales exceeding 14 million

 

While Sony BMG estimates Elvis' global sales exceed 1 billion, the company is unable to substantiate this figure. Accredited sales worldwide are estimated to be less than 400 million

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Graceland: At home with Elvis

JOHN BORDSEN, Travel Editor

What's the No. 1 Road to Rock & Roll destination?

Cleveland may hold the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but it plays second fiddle to Memphis, Tenn. Last year, 413,000 souls toured the collection on Lake Erie; about 600,000 made the trek to ...

Well, to see Elvis and what he left behind. The anniversaries of his birth (Jan. 8) and death (Aug. 16) are major events; his Graceland mansion on the city's south side is the hub of the Elvis Universe.

Graceland, where he lived, died and is buried, is part holy grail, part cash register. When you visit, keep these things in mind:

 

1. This ain't Queens Road

Graceland -- 3734 Elvis Presley Blvd. -- is about nine miles south of central Memphis. The house was built in 1939 by a doctor whose wife's family had long owned the Graceland farm.The mansion is nice, but in our time of McMansions, Graceland isn't palatial.

Elvis bought it in 1957 for a bit over $100,000 and moved his folks there from a ranch home he'd bought the year before. The 22-year-old's star was clearly on the rise.
The same couldn't be said for the area around Graceland. When suburban flight hit Memphis in the '60s, wealthy residents built mansions east of downtown. Bellevue Boulevard -- the road renamed Elvis Presley Boulevard in 1971 -- was and is a pre-interstate highway to Mississippi, a mishmash of stores and car lots. It looks like Charlotte's South Boulevard, not Queens Road. Not that Elvis had much truck with the neighbors, anyhow.
 

2. Bring your wallet

You're asked for cash before you get out of your pink Cadillac.

The mansion is on the west side of the street; parking, the visitor center and shops in Elvis Presley Plaza are on the other. Parking is $5. (Tip: Park for free in the strip center just to the north of the plaza -- it's also loaded with stores selling Elvis stuff -- and walk over.)

Besides souvenir shops, the official plaza has restaurants (nothing fancy), a theater and two museums. Graceland tickets are sold in the visitor center, as are -- surprise! -- souvenirs.
Pay just to see the mansion if your interest is only slight ($22), shell out $8 more for the Platinum Tour that includes the Sincerely Elvis museum ($7 separately, for several rooms of personal items), Elvis Presley Automobile Museum ($12 separately, to view cars and motorcycles) and tour the King's two jets ($8 separately). The $55 VIP tour is for die-hards.
 

3. This world is not flat

Graceland is not well-suited for visitors in wheelchairs or with strollers. You must board a shuttle bus for the ride across the boulevard and through the gates. While the mansion's second floor is closed to the public, some key rooms are down narrow stairways in the basement. Graceland was built as a private residence, not a walk-through shrine. The standard route through the place is maze-like.If you can't handle stairs, forget about touring the jets at the plaza. Access is walk-up only.

4. Think smaller

Graceland was built more than 60 years ago, when rooms tended to be smaller. At 17-by-24 feet, the dining room is large but not grand. Authorized photos, like those in the "Official Guidebook," make the chambers appear larger than they are and do not show the ropes visitors must peer over.

Tip: You can shoot photos inside Graceland, but you can't use a flash. Flashed light harms artifacts. Spokesman Kevin Kern says, "Guides and attendants are fairly well-trained on helping guests turn off the flash on a variety of cameras." If you're unable to do this on your camera, it's OK to hold a credit card or something like it over the flash.
 

5. The lived-in look

The dining and living room you see first are formal; much more interesting are the places where The King relaxed.The kitchen cabinets have see-through fronts; they're filled with everyday glassware and such. And they're still used every December, when ex-wife Priscilla, daughter Lisa Marie and Presley relatives in Memphis gather for an after-tour-hours holiday party.

Downstairs holds the pool room and TV room -- well-appointed according to the famous owner's tastes and times, but a gussied-up basement nonetheless.

The pool room's ceilings and walls are covered in close to 400 yards of bright print fabric. You can't help but notice the big rip in the tabletop felt. The TV room next to it is an eye-popper in Prussian blue and bright yellow; built into the far wall are three TV sets -- an idea Elvis seized upon after he heard President Johnson liked to watch all three network newscasts simultaneously. There's a small bar, though Elvis was said to be not much for spirits.

But he did love TV: More than a dozen sets are around the mansion. Sadly, much of his personal record collection is missing. Archivists snatched most of it. There's a record player and a couple of LP jackets to show where he kept it.
 

6. Not as tacky as they say

So how over-the-top is the decor? You hear a lot about the faux wilderness look of the Jungle Room -- his first-floor den. Its look comes from his fondness for Hawaii, where "decor" is always laid on with a trowel.

EP bought the furnishings in Memphis, in a single 30-minute shopping spree in 1974. The room wasn't called the Jungle Room; he simply knew it as "the den."

The glass partition that sets off the music room from the living room looks more Shakey's Pizza than Louis Comfort Tiffany. Elvis commissioned the panels, which bear matched peacocks; they replaced glass blocks he didn't care for.

And the dining room with its high-back chairs around a 6-foot mirror-top table is ersatz chic.

But keep in mind that many rooms have been locked by curators into the colors and furnishings of the 1970s, an era that many professional decorators would just as soon not discuss.
Elvis was not well-educated and, despite his wealth, not a recreational traveler. Much of what you see reflects his working-class sensibilities and time spent in glitz-crazy Vegas.
But consider this: He could've knocked out walls or built onto the old Georgian colonial house, but he had enough sense to leave it largely alone.
The meditation garden (and ultimate Presley resting place) south of the mansion, and the racquetball building out back, were built in 1965 and 1975 respectively. Both are functional; neither is smothered in tackiness.
 

7. Best indoor places to linger

The tour route leaves the house to take in dad Vernon Presley's garage-like office and the trophy building -- a rec room that holds display-case exhibits -- plaques, clothes (including Army fatigues and stage jumpsuits) and curios. The collection is extensive, a place to wallow in pop culture and American folkways. The Sincerely Elvis museum back at the plaza pales in comparison.Part of the racquetball building displays costumes from his later concerts, but the mood is more serious than sequinned.

The attendant stationed there tells you Elvis spent part of the morning of Aug. 16, 1977, at the spinet piano in the lounge, playing/singing for girlfriend Ginger Alden and Presley cousin Billy Smith and his wife.

That concert for four, which included singing "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain" and "Unchained Melody" was his last gig: Elvis went to bed and was found dead hours later.

In both buildings, you have elbow room just to linger.
 

8. Do see the Lisa Marie

Besides the display areas behind the house, there's a special exhibit area in the mansion. (Among the items that were on view this spring: his desk from upstairs. On it were the books "The Creative Process in the Individual" and "Gods From Outer Space.")

The Lisa Marie, at the plaza, is intriguing -- a Convair 880 jet that may be the only walk-through attraction time-bending curators haven't fiddled with. He purchased it in 1975 and would probably think it little-changed. As his "flying Graceland," the Lisa Marie is his lifestyle in miniature.

Some touches show his affection for conspicuous consumption: The guest bathroom up front has a sink basin with gold flecks and gold-plated sink.

More intriguing are the personal details learned from video monitors that offer snippets about the King and his jet, like his choice of in-flight beverages -- lime Gatorade and diet Dr Pepper.

Or his taste in the then-new world of home videos. His favorites? "Blazing Saddles," Peter Sellers movies and episodes of "Monty Python's Flying Circus."

With the King

For hours and prices for visiting Graceland, Elvis Presley's home and final resting place, call (800) 238-2000, toll-free; or visit www.elvis.com/graceland. A TRIP THROUGH MUSIC HISTORY

 

Reviews
The King (graphic novel)
'Elvis On Tour Outtakes' DVD review
'Hitstory' CD EIN in depth review
CD: Hitstory (USA edition)
FTD: Summer Festival
Book: The Year the Music Changed
Playboy magazine: In Bed With Elvis
DVD: Born To Rock
Book: Elvis Aaron Presley: A Candle In The Wind
FTD: Too Much Monkey Business
Book: Desert Storm
Book: Elvis On Stamps
Photobook: A Tribute To The King
DVD: Lilo & Stitch 2
FTD: Elvis Today
Concert: Elvis Leaves His Mark
Book: Elvis-UFO Connection
Book: Behind The Image Vol. 2
Book: Elvis on Screen
DVD: Elvis & Me
FTD: All Shook Up
FTD: Tickle Me
CD: Elvis by the Presleys
Book: Warman's Elvis Field Guide
DVD: Why Elvis?
Book: Dewey and Elvis
CD: Black & White Elvis
CD: All Shook Up
Book: Rough Guide to Elvis
FTD: Rockin' Across Texas
FTD: Elvis Is Back
TV Special: "Elvis by the Presleys"
Book: Elvis by the Presleys
CD: A Legendary Performer Vol. 5
Mini-series: Elvis
FTD: Big Boss Man
Articles
Elvis and Las Vegas
The man who bought Elvis (Robert Sillerman)
Presley Commission Report
Paul McCartney on Heartbreak Hotel
Barbara Pittman
Mario Lanza meets Elvis
A Kick Upwards For Elvis' Movies
How Mario Lanza influenced Elvis
Enduring economic power of Elvis
Graceland - the ultimate bachelor pad
Elvis was not a racist!
The Definitive Elvis "blues" album
Elvis on The Creative Edge - Part 2 - The CD
'Elvis Seriously'- Why is Elvis' voice too often ignored
Elvis & Ed Sullivan - The Real Story
It's Over - Gordon Minto on 18 #1's
Elvis - symbol of freedom or not?
The importance of being Elvis
Elvis rules on television! (updated August 2005)
Tribute to Elvis (16 August 2005)
Elvis in the 50s - Maxine Brown
Meeting Elvis & Priscilla
How & where to sell your Elvis collection
Elvis in the 1970s
More on Elvis on TV
"Orion" gunned down!
Elvis Is Back
Elvis - Hero with 1000 faces
Elvis Film Guide
Elvis rules on television! (updated May 2005)
Elvis & other major artists miss out on Grammy Awards
How did Elvis die?
 
Interviews
Marty Lacker (part 2)
Marty Lacker (part 1)
David Bendeth, producer of 'Elvis 30#1s'
Ernst Jorgensen
Ernst Jorgensen & Roger Semon 2002 FTD discussion
Ronald King (Elvis On Stamps)
Bernard Lansky
Albert Wertheimer
Priscilla Presley
Marshall Terrill
Lisa Presley on Larry King Show
Tony Joe White
Stanley Oberst
Bud Glass (part 2)
Red & Sonny West
Ed Bonja (Part 2)
Ernst Jorgensen
Phil Aitcheson (Presley Commission)
 
Audio-visual
Elvis On Tour (Hampton Roads) footage
Elvis On Tour
Graceland cam
Listen to the Elvis "strung out" in Vegas audio
The "Real" Elvis off-stage
Unreleased Elvis audio now online
View EPE Graceland tourism ads
View video of "All Shook Up" opening night on Broadway
 
Reference
All about Elvis
All about Elvis tribute artists
All about Lisa Presley
All about Graceland
Elvis books 2005-07
Elvis film guide
Elvis Online Virtual Library
Elvis Presley Research Forum
Elvis was a racist? (archives)
Elvis Week 2005
Links to Elvis' family & friends
Online Elvis Symposium
Sale of EPE "Archives"
6th Elvis Website Survey
Spotlight on The King
"Wikipedia" Elvis bio
 
 

Quote:

"Elvis Presley is the supreme socio-cultural icon in the history of pop culture"

(Dr. Gary Enders)


Quote:

" Elvis is the 'glue' which holds our society together....which subconciously gives our world meaning"

(Anonymous)


Quote:

"Eventually everybody has to die, except Elvis"

(humorist Dave Barry)


Quote:

"He is the "Big Bang", and the universe he detonated is still expanding, the pieces are still flying"

(Greil Marcus, "Dead Elvis")


Quote:

"I think Elvis Presley will never be solved"

(Nick Tosches)


Quote:

"He was the most popular man that ever walked on this planet since Christ himself was here"

(Carl Perkins)


Quote:

"When I first heard Elvis' voice I just knew I wasn't going to work for anybody...hearing him for the first time was like busting out of jail"

(Bob Dylan)


Quote:

"When we were kids growing up in Liverpool, all we ever wanted was to be Elvis Presley"

(Sir Paul McCartney)


Quote:

"You can't say enough good things about Elvis. He was one of a kind"

(Johnny Cash)


Quote:

"It isn't enough to say that Elvis is kind to his parents, sends money home, and is the same unspoiled kid he was before all the commotion began. That still isn't a free ticket to behave like a sex maniac in public"

(Eddie Condon, Cosmopolitan)


Elvis records reaching #2 & #3 on the Cashbox Pop Singles chart:

#2: A Fool Such As I (1959)

#2: A Big Hunk Of Love (1959)

#3: Hard Headed Woman (1958)

#3: One Night (1958)

#3: (You're The Devil) In Disguise (1963)


Elvis Facts:

Tickets for Elvis' show on March 29, 1957 in St. Louis cost $2.00 to $2.50

 

While in Germany Elvis was hospitalised with tonsillitis in October 1959

 

Despite being an illegal immigrant, photographic evidence shows Colonel Tom Parker traveled to Canada with Elvis in 1957

 

Elvis strongly believed there weren't enough good songs in King Creole to justify releasing a soundtrack album. RCA initially agreed, releasing two very successful EPs from the movie. A soundtrack LP eventually followed

 

During the 1960s Elvis had his own football team, Elvis Presley Enterprises, which played in the Menphis touch football league. In the 1962 final, EPE narrowlt lost to Delta Automatic Transmission. 6-13.

 

In Clambake, (Elvis) Scott Hayward's driving licence shows February 23, 1940...taking 5 years off Elvis' real age

 

In the 1970s Elvis was ofered $5m to stage a concert in front of the Pyramids in Egypt. When the Colonel declined the offer, Saudi billionaires raised the offer to $10m