David McGonigal chose a pilgrimage to Memphis
David McGonigal chose a pilgrimage to Memphis. THIS month will be the 20th anniversary of this departure of Elvis Presley. Looking back it's difficult to bear in mind that, in the moment, he was widely considered no more than the obese, over-indulged has-been. In 1977 just music historians recalled his impressive contribution to the growth of rock 'n' roll. But this was 20 decades back. Today Memphis is the center of a sizable Elvis business. Indeed, of those places of pilgrimage across the world none is better referred to as Memphis or, even more especially, Graceland.
Though this was my first trip to Memphis the entire town looked familiar from the starring role in movies from the John Grisham books The Firm and The Client. A couple of hours after I was walking up the driveway into front doors of Graceland. Everybody who visits Memphis ends up in Graceland, marvelling in the carpeting on the ceiling at the Jungle Room and Elvis' bank of tv sets before continuing on to Trophy Construction and the famous picture of Elvis and Richard Nixon apparently contrasting paranoid fantasies. Graceland, 16km from downtown Memphis, was formerly a nation estate but Memphis has increased a lot since that time. It's currently located on the equal of Parramatta Road: an ugly gash of automobile yards and fast food outlets. Do not think of driving to the gates as Jerry Lee Lewis and Bruce Springsteen did if they arrived to see "The King".
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These days, you park across the street close to the souvenir stores of Graceland Plaza and are bused across. The closely synchronised excursions are run just like a sausage mill - 24 excursions one hour 14 people per tour, about $25 for the entire "platinum" excursion. I discovered the entire crass operation, like a mail order home had devised stone 'n' roll. The home is surprisingly little (although not as little as the two-roomed home in Tupelo, Mississippi in which Elvis was created). But wait, there is more. On the tour you will see Elvis' custom jet airplane, the automobile museum together with his pink Cadillac, clips from his films and his rows of golden documents. Regrettably, many today visit Memphis just as a mausoleum where people come to observe that the rococo and incredibly tacky Graceland graveyard with elaborate headstones for Elvis, his mother and father (Gladys and Vernon) along with his grandmother, Minnie Mae Presley.
Although Graceland along with the entire modern Enterprise Elvis has more to do with a created icon compared to a guy and his songs, Memphis deserves its name as the city that gave birth to contemporary music. This has the feeling and atmosphere of history folks come searching for in Memphis - but just around five percent of these create the tour of the historical and temples that are evocative. In 1950 that was producer Sam Phillips began recording black artists such as Ike Turner and B King. Subsequently Elvis arrived, That's All ideal Mama was listed, and stone 'n' roster became the mainspring of a creation. Sun Studios was revived a couple of years back and a lot of the first recording gear was set back in position.
After a convention from its initial days everyone may earn a recording. Unsurprisingly, the very popular backing tracks comprise Memphis, Love Me Tender and That's All ideal Mama. Next door, there is a cafe that sells Elvis' favorite snack food: grilled peanut butter and banana sandwiches. Beale Street stays the musical center of Memphis. From the 1890s Memphis turned into a boom city from the wood trade. Then in 1920 a young group leader called W C comprehensible came to the glowing lights of Beale Street and caught on paper that the soulful music of African-Americans functioning the cottonfields. It gives lively blues nightly, followed with the restaurant's famous hickory smoked prime ribs. Following dinner, you can drift in and out of pubs across the strip, fine tuning your appreciation of this collection of delta blues, gospel, country, swing and rock emitting from each door. Next year that the Gibson Guitar Plant is scheduled to start near Beale Street. In addition to seeing guitars being made people will have the ability to see the Smithsonian Institute's permanent display here: Rock 'n' Soul: Social Crossroads. There are a great deal of non-music associated items to do in Memphis. Paddlewheelers ply the Mississippi and revived trolley cars halfway through the streets. On Mud Island you will find a museum which celebrates the significance of the Mississippi River itself. Then at 11 and five daily, the Peabody Hotel's ducks march throughout the resort to the song of King Cotton March in their way between their rooftop residence and their downstairs pond. Nonetheless, it's music that's the town's lifeblood and Elvis Presley remains the focal point for people.
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Maybe not everybody in Memphis takes the contemporary diversion of Elvis seriously. While in Memphis, I chose out to a tiny suburban coffee store that houses the Chapel of Elvis impersonators (phone 901 272 7210). The proprietor, Tommy Foster, is an eccentric who enjoys the entire tacky impersonator scene - that makes great coffee, too. You are able to get married (by an Elvis impersonator in case you prefer). Or you may just place a quarter in and observe the wonderful outdoor window screen (which can be a mini shrine into Presley impersonators) light up and proceed through its animated paces into an Elvis song. While seeing Memphis you might want to see Elvis' birthplace in Tupelo, about three hours off. The appeal there's the very small house in which the Presley family lived - that they moved to Memphis when Elvis was 13. To fulfill true fans of this King, visit Holly Springs, Mississippi, in which the McLeod family reside in Graceland Too (sic). Here in this very ordinary antebellum non-mansion you'll locate each ceiling and wall covered with photographs of Elvis - an intriguing study.
ANNIVERSARY EVENTS ELVIS expired on the afternoon of August 16, 1977, aged 42. To mark the 20th anniversary of the passing there's to be a distinctive nine-day Elvis intersection between August 9 and 17. One of the 30 occasions is a global Elvis dance celebration on August 14, the yearly candlelight vigil at Graceland on August 15 plus also a week-long Elvis art competition and exhibit at Graceland Plaza. The major event of the week will probably be Elvis In Concert 97 where movie technologies enables Elvis to "play" with the Memphis Symphony Orchestra and also a lot of his previous backing players, such as Scotty Moore. For tickets or info call Graceland on 901 332 3322 or facsimile 901 332 1636 or Ticketmaster from the US on 901 525 1515. More durable tributes made this season will incorporate the movie The Road To Graceland, that has an Elvis-may-be-alive motif and stars Harvey Keitel and Bridget Fonda.
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Additionally a new themed pub and restaurant, also known as Elvis Presley's Memphis, is launching in Memphis in time for the anniversary. The aim is for this to be the first of many such restaurants across the world. Flying Air New Zealand straight to Los Angeles then earning a link directly to Memphis is your quickest path. Call Air New Zealand on 132 476 to learn more.