Elvis Presley turns 90 years old these days. Almost 50 years after the King's death, business is booming like never before. The place he never left is Graceland, the house in Memphis he lived for 20 years. Now a huge factory for memories of The Greatest. Elvis left his heart in Graceland. And the King is still here.
It is a huge complex that stands on the outskirts of Memphis in the US state of Tennessee. Between Southland Hills and Old Hickory Hills lies Graceland, Elvis Aaron Presley's place of longing and refuge for 20 years.
Welcome to Graceland, where the heart of the King is buried
This is where the King lived with his family, hosted friends, celebrated, and mourned. Here, he took a break from his pursuit of even greater success and fame. This is where the King died on that fateful August 16th, 48 years ago.
The King and his wardrobe
He was the heart of Graceland
During his lifetime, when the heart of Graceland was still beating, the property in the Whitehaven district in the south of the metropolis, with its 600,000 inhabitants, was a comparatively modest southern building. Two stories high, with a large pillared portal, surrounded by a park and protected by a fence, it was quite modest for the biggest star on the planet, who would have celebrated his 90th birthday in a few days.
Bureaus of Sun Records
Everything in the house, as his daughter Lisa Marie Presley asserted in her recently published autobiography "From Here to the Unknown," remains the same today as it was on the evening when the 42-year-old superstar was found dead in his bathroom on the second floor. Officially, Elvis died of cardiac arrest caused by cardiac arrhythmia. Unofficially, the cause is attributed to an overdose of medications.
Come in and see the world's King
A Tragic Death
Four years after the death of the king of all stars, Presley's doctor, George Nichopoulos, was acquitted of responsibility for the death of his patient, who suffered from various illnesses. However, during the trial, it was revealed that Nichopoulos had prescribed Presley more than 10,000 doses of amphetamines and narcotics in the first eight months of 1977 alone.
The moment he was back
In his last year, Elvis Presley hoped to continue his second major career. Despite health problems and a body bloated by his lifestyle and constant medication, the singer had a strenuous autumn ahead of him.
On his last day, a new tour should start
Just six weeks after his last concert in Indianapolis, a new tour was about to start. On the anniversary of his death, Elvis was to be back on stage for the first time. A concert tour to Europe was even planned for 1978. Until then, Presley's management had always avoided the jump across the pond.
A few of his golden vinyls
The costs of transport and accommodation for Elvis's entourage of up to 100 people made it seem more lucrative to schedule a few more performances in Las Vegas or Lake Tahoe - places Elvis knew well and loved, where he performed in Vegas alone more than 600 times. In between, he always escaped to Graceland, to the house on the edge of town, inconspicuous from the main road, hidden behind trees and bushes.
Just a part of his collection
Idyll as Elvis Factory
Almost half a century later, the secluded idyll has become an Elvis factory that runs at full speed seven days a week. On one side of the street lies the property, listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1991 and designated as a "National Historic Landmark" since 2006.
More walls with records
Opposite the property, built in 1939 and named "Grace" after the daughter of the first owner, stretches the enormous Elvis memorial complex with exhibition halls, bars, cinemas, restaurants, and shops.
Two of his belts
Graceland is Elvisland, a Disneyland for the adult fans of the King of Rock 'n' Roll, who flock there in their hundreds of thousands from all over the world every year. The entrance ticket costs from $50 upwards, but if you want to see more than just Elvis's wardrobe, his suits, guitars, cars, airplanes, his records, and the museum of his years as a GI in Germany, you have to pay a lot more. The Mansion tour starts at $140. With a knowledgeable guide, it can quickly rise to over $200.
Yes, it was not his only
He never left the building
But the business is doing well. The box office hit "Elvis," in which Austin Butler plays the King and Tom Hanks appears as his manager "Colonel" Tom Parker, brought the man with the inimitable hip swing back into the collective memory two years ago.
A receipt
Since then, Elvis has made it into the charts with an incredible six albums. In total, experts estimate that the name Elvis Presley has sold up to a billion records. And that's despite the fact that Elvis only recorded 25 albums and 814 songs. After his death, his heirs have conjured up almost 200 more albums from this collection. They can all be found hanging on an endless wall in Graceland.
His first contract
And the King Sings Forever
And the archive still yields treasures—most recently the concert recording "Las Vegas Hilton Presents Elvis On Stage" from February 1973. A document from a time when Presley was at the height of his success after his triumph with the first concert broadcast worldwide via satellite, "Aloha from Hawaii." This marks the peak of his second life as a superstar.
The famous leather suit from the comeback
The marketing, carried out by manager "Colonel" Tom Parker, as soon as he had poached the 20-year-old truck driver from music producer Sam Phillips, was part of Elvis's formula for success from the very beginning.
The production is great
Parker, who was born in the Netherlands, recognized in Presley, who had just had a hit with "That's All Right, Mama", the potential for a world career the likes of which had never been seen before. Elvis, a good-natured boy from a humble background, did what he was told. And when he later expressed his wishes, they were granted.
Jail house rock
Taking care of business
Today, Graceland is like a metaphor for the fact that money alone does not make you happy. As long as Elvis lived here, he was surrounded by the "Memphis Mafia," a group of confidants who lived off Elvis's generosity by keeping him happy. Elvis was generous; his motto was "Taking Care of Business." No one should have to worry: The King had success under control.
Shoes, but not blues suede ones
But above all, success controlled him. All the fancy suits, the plane with the gold belts, the fleet of vehicles, and the division of guitars, but also the shelves of knick-knacks that the estate administrators have collected, tell the sad story of a man who chased something he could never grasp.
Costumed guitar
His never-ending fame
When Elvis died, he was nowhere near as rich as today's pop stars in his league. The modest inheritance of millions went to the family, and daughter Lisa Marie sold the majority of her shares to the company "Elvis Presley Enterprises," which is now part of the Authentic Brands Group. According to estimates, Elvis's fame still brings in around 30 million dollar every year, more than Elvis earned during his lifetime.
For more information: www.graceland.com
One of a lot of cars you can see in endless garages
Sun Records
Suits to buy
At noon, Graceland seems empty
Waooo!!! 👏🤩😍 madre mía que museo de Elvis Presley mas bonito, colorido y con gran historia nos presentas bro, me encanto !!!
Que bueno que en hive siempre compartes estos tipos de contenidos y en la comunidad favorita mía @worldmappin!! Todo está genial @koenau 👌. Manera de tener fama, dinero y ser bien parecido el artista !! Saludos y excelente fin de semana !!! 😊🙏🏻
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I can't believe we get to see so much of this music and film legend.
Thank you very much, @koenau
Thank you for your friendly comment. Have a nice weekend!
Thanks a lot, @koenau
Congratulations @koenau! Your post brought a smile to the TravelFeed team so we have sent you a smiley. Keep up the good job. 🙂
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