The Elvis Presley Birthday Celebration

The Elvis Presley Birthday Celebration

Graceland presents several days of events each year surrounding the anniversary of Elvis Presley's birthday, January 8th. It's a condensed version of Elvis Week in August. Whatever information we have to share about any forthcoming Elvis Birthday Celebration will always be posted here, updated immediately whenever possible. Want to be alerted whenever we make these updates? Sign up for our FREE e-newsletter service. Here's the currently available information about Birthday 2005:



ELVIS PRESLEY BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION 2005
Thursday, January 6 - Sunday, January 9




THURSDAY 6

Happy Birthday Elvis on the Silver Screen
7:30 PM. Malco Paradiso Theatre, 584 South Mendenhall. See Elvis on the big screen in the outstanding concert film Elvis: That's The Way It Is, Special Edition. Tickets are $6.50 in advance and $6.00 at the door. Tickets go on sale Friday, November 26 and are available for purchase exclusively from Graceland until December 31. Any tickets remaining will be available at the Malco Paradiso on the day of the event. Seating is limited. For advance tickets call the Graceland sales/reservations department at (901)332-3322 or 800-238-2000. E-mail: glsales@elvis.com.

The Davis Triplets Benefit Concert
8:00 PM - 10:00 PM. Horseshoe Casino, 1021 Casino Center Drive, Tunica, MS 38664. In memory of Elvis Presley's long-time friend and personal staff member Richard Davis. Silent auction 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM. Scheduled to appear at concert are: Scotty Moore, Charlie Hodge, Ronnie McDowell, T.G.
Sheppard, Billy Swan, Jimmy Velvet, Sonny Burgess and The Pacers, Steve Cropper, Sam Thompson, Jerry Schilling, Suzanna Leigh, Kevin Adams, Jerry Presley, Joe Kent and a surprise guest. Tickets are $25.00 plus $4.00 for handling. To order tickets, call Ticketmaster at (901) 525-1515 or order online at www.ticketmaster.com.



FRIDAY 7


Marlowe's Benefit Breakfast for The Davis Family
6:00 AM - 10:00 AM. Marlowe's Restaurant, 4381 Elvis Presley Blvd., Memphis. Proceeds benefit the family of Richard Davis. $3.99 all you can eat pancake breakfast. For more information, call Marlowe's at (901) 332-4159.

Special Evening Tour of Graceland
Tour start times available 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM. Admission $18.00 adults, $16.20 seniors (62+), $7.00 children 7-12, free for children 6 and under. A special evening tour of Graceland Mansion. (Graceland Plaza attractions closed for private Elvis Collectors Club event. See separate listing.) There's nothing like touring Graceland Mansion at night after the regular daytime tours are over, especially when it's decorated in all its Christmas splendor. (Decorations for the 2004/2005 holiday season will be in place from November 26 through January 9. Click here for more information about Christmas at Graceland.) As has become tradition, just for the dates of the Elvis Birthday Celebration, special Elvis exhibits from the Graceland Archives will be in place inside the residential area of mansion. The regular Graceland audiotour presentation, plus Elvis Christmas music playing in the background. For advance tickets call the Graceland sales/reservations department at (901)332-3322 or 800-238-2000. E-mail: glsales@elvis.com. Parking in the main Graceland parking lot is free beginning at 4:00 PM.

Official Elvis Collectors Club Reception & Graceland Tour
3:30 PM - 7:30 PM. Tour of Graceland may be taken anytime on this day. Exclusively for members of the Official Elvis Collectors Club, an evening tour of Graceland Mansion decorated for the holidays(including audiotour presentation and Elvis holiday music playing in the background), This year's reception will not be a seated "theater-style" event but will cover the entire plaza area and will include Elvis's airplanes, the Sincerely Elvis Exhibit and The Elvis Presley Automobile Musuem. Current plans include an autograph session with Ray Walker and Gordon Stoker of The Jordanaires, James Sikking, Elvis?s costar in Charro!, lifelong friend and Elvis Radio on Sirius DJ, George Klein, and an opportunity to meet, greet and hang out with the other Elvis Radio DJs; Memphis Mark Billingsly, Rob Grayson, Brian Jay, John Paul, Tonya J. Powers, Bill Rock, Rick Tarrant and Doc Walker. Autographing by special guests and meet and greet with the DJs will take place from 3:30 ?5:30. Guests will also be the first to hear the latest news and updates about the Broadway-bound play All Shook Up. More details and additional guests to be announced soon. Complimentary hors d'oeuvres and cash bars will be available. Everyone wins a door prize. Other special activities, guests and surprises will be announced soon. Admission for the full evening is $35.00 per person. Collectors Club members may purchase two guest tickets in addition to their own. For advance tickets club members call the Graceland sales/reservations department at (901)332-3322 or 800-238-2000. E-mail: glsales@elvis.com. Parking in the main Graceland parking lot is free beginning at 4:00 PM. As has become tradition, just for the dates of the Elvis Birthday Celebration, special Elvis exhibits from the Graceland Archives will be in place inside the residential area of mansion. The special evening tour of the mansion includes the audiotour presentation, plus Elvis Christmas music playing in the background. Decorations for the 2004/2005 holiday season will be in place at the mansion and throughout the Graceland complex. (Click here for more information about Christmas at Graceland.)

The Elvis Presley Birthday Pops
8:30 PM. Cannon Center for the Performing Arts, 255 North Main Street in downtown Memphis. The Memphis Symphony Orchestra presents a concert of Elvis music performed from the original music charts from Elvis Presley's concert tours. The Terry Mike Jeffrey Band performs as the rhythm section. Lead vocals performed by Terry Mike Jeffrey. Ticket prices are $50.00, $35.00 and $18.00. Advance sales of regular tickets are handled by Ticketmaster. Group purchases of 20 or more tickets are sold at a 20% discount and are handled by the Memphis Symphony office, not Ticketmaster. Call the MSO at (901)324-3627 or fax them at (901) 324-3698 for further information about group ticket purchases. Primary sponsorship support provided by Paul Guez.


SATURDAY 8


Elvis Presley Day Ceremony
9:00 AM. Front lawn of Graceland Mansion. The traditonal ceremony with special program hosted by Graceland/EPE officials, featuring a birthday cake cutting and a proclamation of Elvis Presley Day by Memphis and Shelby County officials,and a special Elvis record sales award presentation from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and SonyBMG/RCA Records. Free admission.

Elvis Fan Club Presidents Luncheon
12:00 Noon - 3:00 PM. Memphis Marriott East, 2625 Thousand Oaks Boulevard. The annual Elvis Birthday gathering of Elvis fan club presidents and officers with Graceland/EPE management. This is an invitation-only event. Fan club leaders receive detailed information directly from Fan Relations at Graceland/EPE when available.

Evening Scavenger Hunt Tour of Graceland
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM. Graceland. Guests are invited to tour Graceland Mansion (no audiotour, just Christmas music in the background) and the Elvis Presley Automobile Museum while simultaneously participating in a trivia scavenger hunt. Adult and Junior version of scavenger hunt will be available. Prizes are: 1st Place - both a men's and ladies' Fossil "Elvis" watch (total value of $200.00); 2nd Place - a $100.00 gift certificate; and 3rd Place - a $50.00 gift certificate. All participants will receive a collectible Teddy bear utilizing the new "Elvis Lives" marketing campaign artwork. Admission: adults $20.00; children 7-12 $10.00; children 6 and under free. For advance tickets call the Graceland sales/reservations department at (901)332-3322 or 800-238-2000. E-mail: glsales@elvis.com. Parking in the main Graceland parking lot is free beginning at 4:00 PM.

Memphis RiverKings Celebrate Elvis's Birthday
7:05 PM (doors open at 6:00 PM). DeSoto Civic Center, Southaven, MS....just a few minutes south of Memphis on I-55. Join the Memphis RiverKings professional hockey team as they celebrate Elvis's Birthday on January 8, 2005 and take on the New Mexico Scorpions. The first 2,000 fans through the doors will receive a limited edition commemorative Elvis Presley hockey puck. For more information call (662) 342-1755 or visit www.riverkings.com. "RiverKings Rock!"

EP Express at Elvis Presley Whitehaven Memorial VFW
8:00 PM. 1942 Lynn Brook Place, Memphis. The EP Express will be performing at the Elvis Presley Whitehaven Memorial VFW Post 4935. Open to general public. Tickets are $15.00 per person, $25.00 for couples and $7.50 for all VFW and
Ladies Auxiliary members with current membership cards and can be purchased at the door. For more information call (901) 289-1497 or (901) 398-0157.

Elvis Presley Birthday Dance Party
8:00 PM - 12:00 Midnight. Holiday Inn Select on Democrat Road at Airways Boulevard. Terry Mike Jeffrey and his band perform Elvis music. Elvis records play between live music sets. Admission $30.00. For advance tickets call the Graceland sales/reservations department at (901)332-3322 or 800-238-2000. E-mail: glsales@elvis.com.


SUNDAY 9


Charity Bash With The Brits
7:00 PM. The Radisson Hotel, 185 Union Avenue in downtown Memphis. Charity Bash presented by The Official Elvis Presley Fan Club of Great Britain and Elvis-Today magazine. Great Elvis disco party with a dee-jay. Dozens of guests and live cabaret from GMTVs Heath Ashton. Superb entertainment and loads of prizes. Nobody parties like the The Brits! All Elvis fans welcome. Advance Tickets USA: $30.00 each. Elvis-Today, P.O. Box 3330, Paducah, KY 42002. Advance Tickets Europe: 20.00 each. EPFC, P.O. Box 4, Leicester LE1 3ZL, England.



MULTIPLE-DATE EVENTS


Happy Hour at Heartbreak Hotel
6:00 PM - 9:00 PM, January 5, 6 & 7. Its Happy Hour at Elvis Presley?s Heartbreak Hotel in the Graceland visitor center complex. Enjoy drink specials, camaraderie with your fellow Elvis fans and Elvis music performed live by entertainer Chris MacDonald. No cover charge.

Elvis Bingo at Heartbreak Hotel
Daily, January 6-9. Elvis-themed bingo games at at Elvis Presleys Heartbreak Hotel in the Graceland visitor center complex. Free admission, great prizes. Each session is one hour. Dates/times:

January 6 ? 4:00 PM.
January 7 ? 11:00 AM, 1:00 PM, and 3:00 PM
January 8 ? 1:00 PM
January 9 ? 11:00 AM and 2:00 PM

Elvis **** Legacy in Light Laser Show
January 6, 7 & 9; 3:00 pm daily. January 8; 12:00 noon, 3:00 pm, and 4:30 pm. Sharpe Planetarium/Pink Palace Museum, 3050 Central Avenue, Memphis, TN. Admission $6.25 per person. Pink Palace members receive a $1.00 discount. This year?s laser concert features some of The King of Rock 'n' Roll?s most memorable tunes. The music surrounds choreographed laser images, lighting effects, and spinning stars. See photos of Elvis from the early years to his appearances as a superstar. Not recommended for children under seven. Call (901)320-6362 for reservations and information.

Tours of Elvis Presley?s Former Lauderdale Courts Home
Daily, January 6 ? 11, 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Tour the apartment Elvis and his parents lived in from 1949 to 1953. It?s now restored to its Elvis-era look and is part of the redevelopment of the former Lauderdale Courts apartments into the Uptown Square apartment complex. Tour admission $10.00. The apartment is open for tours during the Elvis Presley Birthday Celebration each January and Elvis Week each August. For the remainder of the year it is available to rent for 2-to-6-night stays. For directions, rental reservations and more visit www.lauderdalecourts.com. Phone: (901) 521 8219. No reservations required for the tour.

Walk-Up Times for the Meditation Garden
Daily throughout the year there is a period of time for free-admission walk-up visits to the Meditation Garden at Graceland, where the gravesites of Elvis and members of his family are located. Then the area becomes part of the regular ticketed Graceland Mansion tours for the rest of the day. The winter hours for free walk-up visits are 7:30 AM - 8:30 AM daily. During the Elvis Birthday events period we always have an additional free walk-up time in the evenings. Evening dates/hours for Birthday 2005 are: Janaury 6 (6:00 PM - 7:30 PM), January 8 (8:00 PM - 10:00 PM) and January 9 (5:30 PM - 7:30 PM). This schedule is subject to change due to weather or other factors.

And if you're arriving early for the Birthday festivities:

Muvico Theaters Presents Chris MacDonald
January 4. 8:00 PM. Peabody Place, Center Court Stage, downtown Memphis. Chris MacDonald's Memories of Elvis in Concert tribute show live . Come see him perform his tribute to the 50's, the movies, '68 Comeback and the Vegas concerts. Admission is free.