Category: Graceland

As I drove south on Elvis Presley Boulevard around 11:30 AM on August 15, I remembered the traffic moving slow when I was approaching Graceland back on my first trip in 2002.  That year the traffic moved slow because of large crowds and vendors set up at the road selling old newspapers from 1977 when Elvis died.  This year the traffic moved slowly mainly because of construction on the road.  A much-needed southbound lane was being added. But they were also in the middle of a major repaving project. In year’s past, a project like that would have been completed before the crowds descended on Graceland.  But today, there are fewer people traveling to Graceland, so the construction is not a major obstacle. I had my pick of prime spaces in the parking lot to park, further evidence that there will be a smaller crowd this year.  Since my main objective each year is to experience the Elvis fans, I’m concerned that this will be a problem with fewer people here.  There were virtually no lines in the ticketing area. I thought there might be fewer international Elvis fans because of the current political environment.  My concerns were soon alleviated by the sight of a man posing in front of the cars in the car museum wearing an American Eagle style jumpsuit.  While I never got a chance to talk to him, I did overhear him speaking to the lady who took his picture in a language other than English.  They were international fans and they got bonus points for wearing a jumpsuit.  Later in the day, I would see this guy wearing shorts and a tee shirt.  He was committed but not that committed.

It’s now or never
Come hold me tight
Kiss me my darling
Be mine tonight”

These were the words I heard being sung while I was standing at a urinal in the men’s room in the visitors center soon after I arrived at Graceland.  But it wasn’t just Elvis singing.  A guy standing at another urinal just down from me was singing along with Elvis. If I wasn’t at Graceland during Elvis Week, I would have thought this was unusual.  But I see people singing along everywhere at Graceland.  When I exited the restroom, I stuck up a conversation with the singer.  Lou is from New York.  This is his 6^th time visiting Graceland and his 3^rd Elvis Week.  He has a TCB tattoo on the palm side of his left forearm.  He’s there with his girlfriend Jen.  He asks me for advice on good places to get ribs in Memphis.

My trips to the Candlelight Vigil have always been about more than people watching.  Meeting people has always been more interesting than just watching them.  I’ve always been willing to talk to people and ask them about their Elvis connections.  Interesting people sometime have the most interesting stories.

I was about to leave the visitor’s center at Graceland, and I held the door open for a group of four women to exit before me.  They all said thank you or said other words of appreciation.  The last lady in the group was using one of those walkers with the wheels on the front and a place that can be used as a seat. It took her a little longer than the rest of the women. As she passed by me, she looked me in the face and said, “Elvis would be proud of you.”

This would not be the only interesting thing that I heard during this year’s visit to the Candlelight Vigil. A young woman in the parking lot was having trouble keeping up with her mother as they approached the complex known as Elvis Presley’s Memphis.  The mom was encouraging her daughter to pick up the speed to which she replied, “If Elvis was alive, he wouldn’t pick up the speed.”

These two stories show the difference in the types of encounters I have each year at Graceland.  Sometimes you get a story by talking to someone, other times you get a story by just listening to others.

“Wow! What a rip-off!” I heard this early during this year’s trip to Elvis Week. The lady that said it was having issues with the lockers located outside of the ticket office at the visitors’ center at Graceland.  From what I heard them say, part of her issue was trying to use Canadian quarters to pay for a locker.  Some of her Canadian quarters had become lodged in the locker.  She was also complaining that you had to put more money in it every time you opened it.  I don’t have any idea how much the lockers cost or how much change they had fed into them already. But their complaints were small compared to the ones from the lady I heard call it a rip-off last year.  Losing some change to a locker was small compared to the complaints last year about the price of the tours and parking.  But complaining about Graceland has become the number one spectator sport in Memphis during August. 

I would like to start by apologizing for personally causing the COVID-19 virus.  Let me explain.  I have been looking for a sign to tell me when I need to stop going to Elvis Week. I still get to meet new, interesting people each year.  I enjoy seeing the changes to Graceland and the celebration. I enjoy documenting my feelings about the Elvis phenomenon and where it is heading.  I am also a creature of habit. It’s easier to continue going that breaking with tradition.  So, what might happen to make me consider staying at home?  Maybe an international pandemic is a sign from God that I should stay home this year.  If this is his way of sending this message, I apologize for my stubborn ways.  I will happily remain in my house to avoid getting the virus. I hope I didn’t miss any lesser signs from God where this could be avoided.