ELVIS IN TUPELO AND IN MEMPHIS (GRACELAND)

We have seen Houston Space Center, Kennedy Space Center, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Smithsonian, the Liberty Bell and several other "monuments" of national stature.  However, as far as Brenda is concerned, these must necessarily pale in comparison to a visit to the birthplace of her musical icon and hero, Elvis Presley.

While staying at Grand Harbor Marina, we had the use of a courtesy car and thought it convenient to take the car and drive 70 miles south into Mississippi to the small town of Tupelo.  As they say, most of us have heard of Graceland.  Most of us know of Elvis Presley's metoric rise to fame and stardome.  Some of us have some idea of how it all ended for the Kiing of Rock and Roll.  But, I suspect few of us know about where it all began. 

Elvis was born in Tupelo in January 1935.  He only lived there until he turned 13 at which time his family packed up and moved to Memphis.  However, and despite the relatively short part of his life spent in Tupelo, Tupelo is the heart and soul of the inspiration that made Elvis who and what he was. 

Elvis's father, uncle and grandfather built the small house Elvis and his twin brother Jesse were born in.  Times were hard then and it might be said that the Presleys moved just about every time the rent was due.  Nevertheless, during the 13 years Elvis lived in Mississippi, he attended church every Sunday.  It was here that Elvis was first exposed to the Gospel music that is said to have influenced his musical style.  It was in Tupelo that Elvis was first exposed to bluesmen in the shake rag community community where he lived.  Moreover, his family listened to locally broadcast country music radio programs which also influenced his career.

At age 10, while still living in Tupelo, Elvis made his first public radio broadcast.  He stood on a chair in the radio studio and sang "Old Shep" in a youth talent contest.  He won second place.

At age 11, Elvis' mother took Elvis to a hardward store in Tupelo to buy a 22 caliber rifle Elvis wanted.  Gladys Presely wisely persuaded Elvis to consider a guitar instead.  He tried it out and decided to purchase it.  He took guitar lessons from his pastor. 

In 1948, the family moved to Memphis where Elvis' father hoped he could make a better life for his family, thus ending Elvis Presley's time in Tupelo.

The house where Elvis was born was constructed by Elvis' father, uncle and grandfather with $180 that Vernon Presely borrowed from his boss.  It is a two room affair that is quite small and which consists of a bedroom and a kitchen.  The entire house was lit by two single lightbulbs.  However, the family was too poor to afford to connect the home to electrical service, so they survived using oil lamps.  The house has been restored and stands in its original location.  It appears to be furnished, but the furnishings are not original.  Vernon sold everything when the family moved to Memphis.

When the family moved to Memphis, they did so in a 1939 green Plymouth sedan, a replica of which is displayed on the premises.

Elvis's childhood church has been moved to the park.  It is here that Elvis was first exposed to the rich Southern gospel that became a staple of his musical prowess.  The church was of The Assembly of God Pentecostal.  You have to sit in there to imagine what it must have been like in the summer in Tupelo when more than 60 worshipers crowded inside to pray and sing for most of the day. 

Elvis returned to Tupelo often after his career began to take off.  He always envisioned a chapel where one could go to meditate.  Well, with the generous donations of many followers in the area, such a chapel was constructed.  The stained glass windows are a testament to the love of Elvis followers.

We very much look forward to travelling to Memphis where we plan to spend the better part of an entire day visiting the Graceland Museum.  After visiting Tupelo, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and the Country Music Hall of Fame, a visit to Graceland will complete the Elvis cycle and Brenda will certainly feel complete.

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Graceland -

Two days later, we hopped in the car and took off to Memphis, Tennessee, a nearly 100 mile drive.  Our mission:  Graceland. For an Elvis fan, this is Mecca, and going to Graceland is like the sacred pilgrimage to Mecca.  For the rest of us, it's a beautiful ride across some of Northern Mississippi and into Western Tennessee.

Graceland is the name of the house Elvis bought for him and his family in 1956, when Elvis was just 21 years old.  If you can believe this, he paid $100,000 for the house (he later spent more than twice that building a racquetball court on his property.

The house itself is not that big, but the amuzement park surrounding it takes up several acres.  Across the street is the "Elvis Complex", so to speak, where you purchase your tickets, visit one of several cafes, browse through several gift shops, have your picture taken with the King, etc.  There are also two planes that Elvis used to travel in.  One is a small, high speed jet, and the other is like a small passenger plane.  The larger plane has 4 cabins including a bedroom in the back.  While in general, the planes are not so lavish compared to the jets superstars fly around in today, there is no mistaking that these were Elvis's planes.  I think it's the gold plated seat belt buckles that give it away.

Elvis used these planes when he went out on tour.  There is also a story about the time he realized young Lisa Marie had never seen snow.  He packed up the plane and flew to Colorado.  He and Lisa Marie played in the snow until she had had enough and then they all flew back to memphis.

There are at least two smaller gift shops/museums devoted to Elvis's fashion and clothing.  According to videos playing, Elvis loved clothes.  He did what he liked and liked what he did.  He was not a knowing trend setter.  It just happened.  One thing I found interesting was that, after Elvis met success, he never again wore jeans.  According to his dauther, he associated wearing jeans with being very poor and he had had just about enough of that.

Then there was the Elvis Car Museum where probably 15 of his cars were on display.  None, however, were as cool as his first: the pink Cadillac.  It's a 1955 Coup de Ville and it is sweet.  But, Elvis also had a big Lincoln, a couple Mercedes Benz, a Ferrari, and even a Harley Davidson motorcycle.  You've just got to see this to believe it.

What I enjoyed the most, however, was the house, itself.  Graceland is not as big as I thought it would be.  It is a "southern mansion looking like ranch house".  The tour begins in the front door.  Turn to the right and there is the living room.  To the left is another living/dining room, only it is more formal.  You have to understand that the decor was flashy 1970's.  It stands frozen in time and has remained unchanged since Elvis lived and died there.  On this floor is also the room where his parents lived.  Tourists are not permitted to go upstairs.  Legend has it, Elvis was a rather private person, and although he was always surrounded by friends and family in the home, he would go upstairs when he wanted privacy.  In fact, as the story goes, he would always come downstairs nicely dressed.  Nobody ever saw Elvis not nicely dressed.  He was definitely not a slob.
 

The tour then takes you downstairs to what some might call a basement.  This was actually a more informal living floor complete with a nicely appointed, although dated, kitchen and a couple more lounging areas including the Jungle Room.  Elvis added on the space that became the jungle room.  He liked animals and tropical things. 

After going downstairs, you come back up into a space that was devoted to business.  This is where Elvis's father and mother worked.  You can well imagine the amount of fan mail Elvis received.  He, or his entity, tried to respond whenever possible. 

The tour takes you out of the house and onto the grounds, to the Trophy Room, the Racquetball court, the pool, the horse stables, and the meditation garden.  Elvis and his immediate family are all burried in the meditation garden.  Again, contrary to his perceived elaborate and extreme nature, the grave sites are quite simple and elegant.

The Trophy Room (only a small part of it, actually)

This is in the racquetball building.  Elvis played on the piano
shown in this picture the morning he died.

Because we purchased the "see all" tour, we got to visit a "bonus room."  This room was set up to display the extensive charity that Elvis performed.  Whether the cause was cancer or canned food for the hungry, Elvis lent a helping hand to those who needed it, and to those he cared about.  Elvis's handlers described him as generous to the core.  He used to sing about walking a mile in another man's shoes, and according to those around him, never judged another soul.  Rather, Elvis was the guy with his mouth closed and his checkbook open.  We saw what had to have been thousands and thousands of checks written to all sorts of charitable causes, each of which bore his signature.  Certainly, Elvis had people who could have written these checks for him, but he chose to do it himself while sitting behind the desk he had made for himself.  Simple but elegant and functional.

Whatever Elvis meant to you, or to your parents, to me, as I believe he was to the people who knew him best, Elvis was a nice person with an extraordinary talent fueled by a true love of music.  I doubt he confided in aliens.  It is even less likely that he was one.  No.  Elvis was an extraordinary fellow who, unfortuantely, died way too young.  The person we should also feel for is Elvis's dad.  His wife died when she was only 42.  Elvis died when he was 42.  Elvis had a twin brother who died at birth.  Elvis's father died alone. 

Elvis had a wife, Percilla, and a daughter, Lisa Marie.  Today and together, they hold Elvis Presley Enterprises together.  This must be one hell of a marketing concern.  You can get things with Elvis's likeness printed on them that you might not expect.  However, when you float through the various gift shops on the compound, you cannot help but notice such things as Elvis chapstick, or Elvis shotglasses, Elvis pencils, and Elvis coffee mugs.  You name it, and you can find it with an image or likeness of Elvis on it. 

All in all, I learned a few interesting bits about the King that I didn't know.  For Brenda, I'm sure the pilgrimage put an exclamation point on some of the things she has always known about her favorite musician, and lent an image to many of the things she has read.  She must have experienced the buzz of recognition when standing in a room she knows was once inhabited by her musical hero.  It must have been very cool for her to experience this.  I am glad I was able to take Brenda to Graceland.