Elvis and Graceland  

It is safe to say that everyone knows Elvis. At least, everyone in America knows the story of this country boy born in the humble two-room home of Vernon and Gladys Presley in Tupelo, Mississippi, on January 8, 1935. You may not know that he had a twin brother, Jessie Aaron, who was stillborn.

The trip from a two-room house to Graceland ­ which hosts 600,000 visitors each year and is the second most famous home in American after the White House ­ made Elvis Aaron Presley an icon of the ages. By the best calculations, Elvis has sold a billion albums worldwide, a record that no other records artist(s) have even come close to touching. The number two slot goes to the Beatles who have sold 600 million albums.

Life was rough for the Presley Family during Elvis' early years. There was little money, and the family often moved from house to house. During this time, two turning points came in Elvis' life. In 1946, the future King of Rock 'n Roll wanted a bike for Christmas. Not being able to afford one, his mother talked him into accepting a guitar instead. The second turning point was when his family moved to Memphis in 1948. It was here while growing up in public housing and low rent homes that Elvis absorbed the blues, R&B and gospel music that shaped his music. He also regularly attended all-night gospel sings (both black and white) downtown.

Elvis' singing career "debuted" at the age of ten when he stood on a chair and won a second prize of $5 singing Old Shep at the Mississippi-Alabama Fair and Dairy Show in Tupelo. After high school and odd jobs including truck driving for the Crown Electric Company (where he started wearing his hair in the truck driver style of a ducktail), Elvis began cutting records in 1954. His first session at Sun Records did not impress owner Sam Philips due to Elvis' natural shyness. But in a later session, the true Elvis came out while singing That's All Right (Mama). He started horsing around and cut loose with a style that was eventually tagged "rockabilly," a combination of country, rhythm and blues, and rock.

Later that year, country singer Roy Orbison saw Elvis perform in Odessa, Texas, and described Elvis' style this way: "His energy was incredible, his instinct was just amazing... I just didn't know what to make of it. There was just no reference point in the culture to compare it." 1

The same could still be said of him. There just is no frame of reference with which to compare Elvis. No wonder that his home at Graceland has been visited by people from every State in the Union and from nearly every country in the world.

The Tours of Graceland
The tour of Graceland includes the living room, music room, Elvis' parents' room, kitchen, TV room, pool room, jungle room, Elvis' office and the racquetball building, which now exhibits his 1971-1977 collection of costumes, gold records jewelry and photos. The tour is audio-guided and features commentary and stories by Elvis and his daughter, Lisa Marie. The living room features a custom-made, 10-foot coffee table and matching white sofa. Elvis' Jungle Room is decorated with carved wooden furniture, tiki bar, and lime green shag carpet on the floor ­ and on the ceiling.

The mansion tour lasts 60 to 90 minutes and ends in the Mediation Garden where Elvis and members of his family are laid to rest.

On other tours are:

• Elvis' Car Museum ­ features 33 of his vehicles, including his famous Pink Cadillac, the red MG from Blue Hawaii, and Harley-Davidson motorcycles.
• Elvis' Custom Jets ­ the Lisa Marie has a luxurious living room, conference room, sitting room, private bedroom, gold-plated seatbelts and 24-karat gold-flecked sinks. Elvis' Lockheed Jet Star, used for short trips, has green and yellow custom interior.
• Elvis After Dark ­ Elvis often came out to play at night by renting the Memphis Fairgrounds as a personal amusement park or by flashing his "police credentials" to "work" a car accident scene. This exhibit features clothing, personal items, photos and other items from Elvis' life at night.

New Exhibits At Graceland
Two new exhibits chronicling two key periods of Elvis' life ­ "Private Presley" and "Elvis 68" ­ are scheduled to open in March and will feature items that have never been on display.
"Private Presley" covers the time fifty years ago when, at the zenith of his early superstardom, Elvis was inducted into the Army. After completing basic training and initial service in Texas in October 1958, Elvis was sent to Germany where he served until March 1960. It was during his time abroad that he met his future wife Priscilla Beaulieu.

The "Private Presley" exhibit will include Elvis' fatigues, dress uniforms, his army foot locker and suitcases. Other novel items include the jacket he wore at the 1960 press conference at Graceland upon returning home, as well as the blue army dress jacket he wore on the train ride home from New York to Memphis and then on the special "Welcome Home, Elvis" edition of Frank Sinatra's television variety program. Another key item never before on display is the cedar chest Elvis kept in the Graceland attic to store both his army clothes and some of his late mother's belongings.

After the Army, Elvis returned to the recording studio and to his film career. After three benefit concerts in 1961, Elvis did not perform again live in front of an audience until 1968 during the taping of his first television special. This NBC special catapulted his career to new heights and secured his reputation as the King of Rock 'n' Roll. Broadcast as "Singer Presents Elvis," it was the season's top rated special, attracting 42 percent of TV viewers.
The "Elvis 68" exhibit will include: the white suit Elvis wore for the "If I Can Dream" finale; a black suit he wore during the club scenes of the program's big production number; a wristband he wore with the famous black leather outfit; a red vest worn for promotional photos; and documents relating to the special, including tickets to the tapings, photographs and a script.

A new and expanded VIP Tour will offer an exclusive exhibit featuring several never-before-seen artifacts. The new displays enhance the current VIP Tour allowing visitors the luxury of front-of-the-line privileges, special shuttle service and an all-day pass to tour Graceland mansion, the Elvis Presley Automobile Museum, Lisa Marie Airplane Tour, Elvis' Jumpsuits: All Access exhibit, as well as the two new "Elvis 68" and "Private Presley" exhibits.

It will also feature the first-ever professional photos of Elvis. The Presleys could not afford professional photos of the family, but in 1955, Elvis posed for his first photo shoot with William Speers in Memphis. This portion of the VIP exhibit allows visitors to see the original proofs from that photo shoot, including Elvis' personal handwritten notes indicating his favorites.

Other new displays include a first-hand look at a young Elvis during his days at Humes High School through a display of artifacts including his high school diploma, Class of 1953 tassel and high school yearbooks.

Also new to the VIP Tour are artifacts that relate to the personal side of Elvis, including the deed to Graceland, a gift from Elvis to his parents, and items from Elvis' personal wardrobe. And for the first time ever, the living room furniture from Elvis and Priscilla's honeymoon hideaway in Palm Springs will be on display in the VIP Tour exclusive exhibit. The working barn behind Graceland is one area that is rarely seen by visitors. The new VIP exhibit will feature items from that space, including Elvis' personal saddle, chaps and other artifacts relating to the Presley's equestrian activities, as well as information on the horses that still live at Graceland.

Tickets to various tours of Graceland are $27, $32 or $68, depending on the tour.
For more information or to purchase tickets, visit Elvis.com or call 800-238-2000.

1 National Park Service, National Historic Landmark Nomination