Memphis & Elvis

[0349054]

Over the years Memphis hasn’t been entirely sure what to do about Elvis Presley, and a curious sort of love/hate relationship has developed. On the one hand the city takes noticeable pride in being Elvis’s hometown and in his role in making the city an important site in the early history of rock ‘n’ roll. Memphis also loves Elvis as he is the city’s biggest tourist draw, and he represents an almost bottomless source of tourist revenue. However Memphis does at the same time resent this over emphasis being placed on Elvis. Memphis is a city rich in musical heritage and most of the non-Elvis sites have been sadly neglected – and even destroyed, as have some Elvis related sites. Beale Street, the birthplace of the blues was almost completely demolished decades ago as part of an urban renewal effort that involved far more bulldozing than rebuilding. For instance Stax Studio’s, which represents both Elvis related and non-Elvis related Memphis musical heritage was torn down in 1989 to make way for a soup kitchen. American Studio’s went down shortly after that as well, and Sun Studio’s was basically an abandoned shell until the 1980’s.

Moving from the glitter of Graceland to the nitty-gritty working class flavour of much of the rest of Memphis you can get the impression that the average Memphian is not that interested in Elvis, or the spectacle that Graceland is. Memphis being a smaller city than L.A or New York and also housing fewer celebrities than either of those cities, begs the question of whether Elvis was ever able to be an ordinary celebrity in public, which he may have had a better opportunity at had he lived in L.A or New York. He had two choices in Memphis, to either suffer the throngs of an uncontrolled public appearance or remain behind the walls at Graceland.

One of the facets of Elvis’s career most celebrated by fans is his refusal to abandon his southern roots. However the public visibility and accessible location of Graceland did rob him of some privacy. Had Gladys not died, would Elvis have eventually decided to leave Graceland and move?

[ForeverTheKing]

A very good subject!

I live in Italy so I don't know a lot about Memphis except for what I know through Elvis.

I was quite upset to read in newspaper last August that many people in Memphis every year organize something against Elvis and the big presence of his fans, telling that Memphis has to be known also for others reasons.

You don't have to like Elvis and his music but I don't think it's fair to do these kind of demonstrations...there's no doubt that Elvis gave popularity to Memphis and the city still earns every year thanks to him.
There had been a lot of good musicians and artists (for example B.B King) but nobody has nowadays the same popularity as Elvis.
People should be proud of it, even if they don't like Elvis Presley...the most important thing is not to transform the city in operation of Elvis and to have respect of every historical place.

About Graceland...well, I don't think Elvis had ever thought to leave it and move somewhere else. He always said he loved to live in the south and that he liked to live there. We don't have to forget that Elvis lived a lot in California during the movies era and then he started to tour a lot aroud the States so I think he liked to come back in the place he considered HOME.

He liked Memphis and I've always been surprised to read that he loved to take his friends or guests (June Juanico, Natalie Wood, Nick Adams and so on) in the places he liked most or where he spent particular moments of his life...Lansky's, Humes High School, Sun Studio, Beale Street....everytime the same tour!
I don't do the same with my guests....
This is the proof of how he liked Memphis and how he wanted to share his feelings towards the city with others people...

[Unchained Melody]

Interesting article. I don't think Elvis would have ever left Graceland, he loved it so much.

[Dovey]

Interesting article. I don't think Elvis would have ever left Graceland, he loved it so much.

I agree, he loved Graceland so much and he always said that he could shut the rest of the world out when he was there.... We will never really know the answer.... but my guess would be he would still be living there today. Dovey

[Unchained Melody]

I agree, I think he would still be living there today had he not died.

[Menwithbrokenhearts]

I lived it Memphis for seventeen years, most of them when Elvis was alive and then college later, and I never got any kind of negative feeling towards Elvis, always very positive, from what i read, heard, saw and experienced, in the way Memphis, as a whole, felt about Elvis.
I begged every Christmas to go by Graceland and see the lights. I knew he was there and the lights and displays were so great! I always had binoculars and one year we saw a black car pull out that said Elvis 1 on the plates. ( if I remember right) It was dark so we couldn't see anything ( inside the car) , but boy did my heart race!
I later went to MSU and even the college, and students, seem very Elvis Friendly.
I do, however think that Memphis complains alot about it's other famous people not getting noticed, but it seems they don't invest too much time or effort to do anything about it. I think " Everything Elvis " is too much a sure thing for them.Not that I mind that at all!
That being said, I think Memphis has a lot to offer as a southern landmark city, as well as an important part of music history. On another thread I listed some of my favorites. There is a ton of interesting history in that city, and can be a very unique experience for someone who's willing to take the time and effort to seek it out.
As far as Elvis and Graceland. He would have never moved out, I don't think . Too much of a link to his mother and his past. I think, also, that he liked being in a place where people related to where he had been, and what he had overcome to achieve where he was.

[0349054]

I agree that after Gladys died, Elvis was never going to sell or leave Graceland as it assumed the only physical persona of Gladys that Elvis could clutch to.

Although.....had Gladys not died. Would Elvis have left Graceland for something bigger, be that in Memphis, or a move to a different city?

[Unchained Melody]

I don't think he would have left Graceland or Memphis. Graceland was like his child to him, he loved it more than anything. After he got back from the army he gave that interview in the Office behinde Graceland. They asked him if he had any plans to sale Graceland or move away from Memphis, and Elvis said, "I'm going to keep Graceland as long as I possibly can".

[graceland123]

elvis would never leave graceland

[amzietamzie]

After Gladys' death I think Elvis held onto Graceland and wouldn't have let it go at all. Had Gladys not died I still think that they would have remained in the South... most probably in Graceland. Elvis' fame was a bit scary to Gladys so I think they would have stayed where she was familiar. And he loved the South so much. I don't think he was a regular celebrity... for example, he didn't hang out with only celebrities and seemed to love his own life away from it all in Graceland. It was kind of the perfect home for him- fairly modest yet something to be proud of and somewhere he could escape to and be himself.

[Unchained Melody]

elvis would never leave graceland