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Published: November 9th 2009
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November 8, 2009
“Before Elvis, there was nothing” … John Lennon. Today we went to Graceland and speaking as one who didn’t really know what to expect, it was just wonderful. Bill dropped Donna and I off…he and John had no desire, and we went on the tour. Of course the entire area is built up with souvenir shops, restaurants, souvenir shops, museums, souvenir shops….One wonders what the area was like when Elvis bought the place in the 60s. Graceland itself is somewhat modest as far as estates go although the house sits on some lovely acreage with stables and corals for the horses that are still kept there. Touring the inside of the house was like stepping back into the 60’s and 70’s as everything has been left exactly how it was in 1977. Elvis’ presence and influence is everywhere naturally, but there is also a sadness; a real sense of loss when learning about all he accomplished in his short life…the Grammies, the Gold records etc. The tour takes you through a small building that he used at one time for racket ball. There’s a room in there with a piano where he sat with friends, played and sang
on the morning of the day he died. For some reason, Donna and I didn’t realize that Elvis is actually buried at Graceland…that area, which originally was intended as a serenity garden is quite beautiful. He’s buried alongside his mother and father. Honestly, I was never a big Elvis fan…I was too young…really! As I got older, I enjoyed his music, but never had a real sense of who he was. A lot of that comes through during the tour…the young gutsy kid with a tremendous voice who became a worldwide idol…the heartbreakingly handsome singer who filled concert halls everywhere with screaming young girls, the movie actor, the service man, the husband, the father and then, the still relatively young man, who died prematurely and perhaps needlessly, of heart failure. Donna says that maybe it was better that he died young…that he would never have known how to grow old or how to be old. She says that now he’s immortalized as a tremendous talent who will remain for her the beautiful vibrant young man who captured her heart so many years ago.
After the tour, the four of us headed out to find the Neely’s Restaurant…you know from the
Food Channel’s show “Down Home with The Neely’s”. They actually have 2 restaurants in Memphis but when we got to the first one, it seemed deserted and not very welcoming. The second one was in downtown Memphis and that is where we ate. Donna says it is this restaurant that is sometimes featured on their show. Anyway, Donna and I got ribs, which were good; but that was not the thrill of the day…Donna, who could pick out ANY one who has ever been on the Food Network, spied one of the Neely brothers entering the restaurant!!! It was Gaelin!! The waitress saw that we were excited so she asked him to come over and he did!!! What a nice nice man! He chatted with us about Boston; he had lived there for about 6 months, years ago, while waiting for a job placement. He actually lived at the Parker House Hotel! Sadly, when we went to take a picture…my camera was dead…can you believe that? He talked a bit about Pat and Gina. It was just wonderful. Hey…we’re batting a thousand with celebs…let’s hope our luck holds out in Dollywood!!!!
Today’s Road Lesson: Sadly…The King is dead.
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