re: Just some pictures I took of Graceland. Redneck bucket list

Skinny Elvis had it going on

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I'll be honest and some people will laugh, but Elvis has the best Christmas album ever.

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The First Noel is my favorite Elvis song of all time

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I've heard a few stories about him buying people he knew and even some strangers brand new cars...pretty awesome.

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Not just any car either....they were usually Cadillacs.

I grew up 30 minutes from the place and have never set sight on it given the neighborhood it is now in which may as well be a bottomless pit as far as I'm concerned.

I will say that I have been to Graceland 2 on several occasions which is almost certainly a better experience, at least while the owner was still alive.

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And although he was straight, Presley handled passes from gay men gracefully, usually turning them down by saying, “Hey, that just ain’t my style

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Rumor has it thats not how he always handled it.

Elvis lived upstairs

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I happened to be in Memphis for the 25th anniversary of his death

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So was I, we stayed at the Peabody... Did you hit the parade on Beale St...?

I caught a Rock A Billy band called the Dempseys... Those dudes were awesome...

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I happened to be in Memphis for the 25th anniversary of his death, ate at a restaurant where I think we might have been the only non-Elvis impersonators in the joint. We were watching the local news that night and they were broadcasting live from the candlelight vigil at Graceland and they interviewed a grown man who was sobbing and saying "He was too young to die!".

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I believe you. There were Elvis Impersonators everywhere - young, old, in between, and of every ethnicity and nationality you can imagine. It was awesome! The 20th Anniversary, in addition to being a milestone date, fell on a Saturday. Total mob scene.

I was at lunch with some co-workers that Friday and the noon news was on the TV showing the crowds gathering already at Graceland. I jokingly said, "I've always wanted to see Graceland. I'm leaving straight from work." We laughed and joked about it some, but as the afternoon went on and I thought about some more, it sounded like fun to me. As hard as I tried to convince someone to come with me, I couldn't get anyone to willing to do it.

I went home after work, packed a few things and put some beer in a Playmate and I went by myself. It's about 375 miles from Metairie to Graceland, so I rolled in about about midnight. The Candlelight Vigil was in full swing. People all the way down the long driveway and way down the street. I wandered around the crowd for a while, took pictures and eavesdropped on conversations. Those people LOVE them some Elvis.

About 3:00am I was getting pretty tired, so I went back to my truck (in the museum parking lot) for a combat nap. I woke up just before dawn and got out to stretch my legs. I could see people still waiting to walk up to the Meditation Garden, but the line was much shorter. I figured, "frick it. I'm never coming back here." and went and got in line. Almost as soon as I did, they cut off the line, so I was the 3rd from the end. Apparently the Vigil line usually ended by 2 or 3 in the morning, but the crowds were so large that year they let people come all night. It gets full daylight and the next thing I know, there's CNN crew interviewing the assholes in line, which includes me, and they're starting from the back, which makes me third up.

Everybody is in full Elvis regalia and memorabilia, except for me. I'm sporting a pair of shorts and a JazzFest t-shirt. I look like I'm lost. I suddenly start to worry that someone I do business with might be watching CNN at 6:00am and see my dumb arse standing in line on Elvis' driveway half drunk. That might not be good. Hmmmm...

When the TV crew gets to me, I turned my head and waved my hand in a manner that I thought would be interpreted as, "No thank you. I'm not doing interviews today." As they walk past, I hear the woman reporter say, "This fan is too emotional to speak with us." I started shaking I was trying so hard to stifle my laughter. I'm sure she thought I was crying.

I went there on a lark, but I ended up having a good time and saw some cool shite. Seriously, I recommend it highly. The whole scene is fascinating, even if you aren't an Elvis fan.

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White Roach

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You just convinced me to go when the 50th Anniversary rolls around