Elvis lives!

At 9 in the morning, we set off - unfortunately in the rain - to see Elvis, that is Graceland, his residence. He bought it at the age of 22 and it is still owned by the family and allegedly still used by them. Hard to believe when you've witnessed what's going on there.

The entrance fee for the house, costumes, cars, and planes is a whopping 65 dollars, but we are only here once in a lifetime, so let's go. It's a Monday, not a holiday, nothing. Yet after a short introductory film, we already wait 25 minutes for the bus that takes us to the house. And in front of the house, another half an hour on the bus until we are allowed inside. It makes sense though, because only small groups are allowed in, the people on the VIP tour have priority.

The house is small by today's standards. When you consider how much money Elvis earned at a young age, it is downright tiny. Nowadays, such a star would have a 50-room villa 🏘 and 5 more houses. On the ground floor, Elvis had a living room, a small room with a grand piano, a dining room, a kitchen, a bedroom with a bathroom where his parents lived, and another living room where he could listen to music with friends. The first floor with his bedroom, bathroom, etc. is not accessible. The basement was expanded with a TV room, a billiard room, and a bar. Elvis loved watching TV, there were 18 devices in the house (if I remember correctly). The house is not as eccentrically furnished as I expected. Only the yellow TV room and the jungle-themed 2nd living room are a bit crazy. In the jungle, there was a real waterfall on the wall, but it didn't run.

The garage was later converted into a recording studio and office (5000 fan letters a day had to be processed) and he built a small annex for his awards. The obligatory pool was added later, and behind the house, there was a large area for horseback riding for the boy from the countryside.

In later years, Elvis treated himself to a small annex with a living room with generous leather furniture, a piano, and a bar. The highlight was the racketball court, separated by a glass pane. This way he could make and listen to music, have a drink, and watch others play, or be watched. On August 16, 1977, he sat here with friends, then went to his bedroom to rest before the start of his tour. When he didn't come back after a while, his then-fiancée went to check on him and found him dead. 😢 (That's what the lady on site told us, there are also other accounts of Elvis' last hours).

The world was shocked, he was only 42 years old. I can still remember the day and the news, I was visiting my Aunt Ulla. Even today, you can still feel the mourning and deep admiration that many people still feel for Elvis on the Graceland tour - and not all of them are old.

The other exhibition halls on the grounds focus on the beginnings of his career, his time in the army and in Bad Nauheim, his cars and motorcycles, his costumes, and his concerts in Las Vegas. A large space is also dedicated to his social commitment. When he was asked for help, he hardly ever said no. He spent a lot of money on all sorts of social institutions, from his high school to the Boy Scouts to cancer research. And from the beginning, he had no reservations about black music and black musicians. Unusual for his time, but this influence made him and his music great.

The family was very important to him. He came from very poor circumstances and had promised his parents that they would have an easier life. He kept that promise, they both lived in Graceland until their deaths. And he adored his daughter. There is little information in the exhibition about life with his wife and daughter and the divorce. There is also no mention of his likely substance abuse.

His artistic awards are not numerous, there were three Emmys. But the platinum and gold records hang in the halls up to the ceiling. If you add it all up, he likely sold almost a billion 😳😳😳 records. And his tours and performances in Las Vegas were always sold out.

In short, he loved people and people love him. Elvis 🕺🏻 lives!

Afterwards, we spent some time in Memphis. Unfortunately, it was still raining, so the visit to Beale Street was not as enjoyable. There is one blues club after another there. And Memphis is also a place of history. Dr. Martin Luther King was shot at the Lorraine Motel on April 4, 1968. We could no longer visit the adjacent museum as it closed a few minutes later.

Finally, we treated ourselves to a drink 🍷 at the famous Peabody Hotel and an authentic Southern barbecue 🍖. Delicious!