Elvis Presley, 42 Years Later....

Elvis Presley

"Elvis Presley". Those two words are guaranteed to elicit a response from anyone who hears them. Responses ranging from, "OMG, YES! The King of Rock n Roll!" to "Who?" to "Who cares?" Since I've built my career around my love of Elvis, I've heard 'em all. (By the way, Elvis did NOT like to be called "the King" of anything, but it's a title that, for better or worse, stuck.)

I've been a fan as far back as I can remember. Sitting here pondering it now, I don't think my dad was a true fan since his favorite joke was, "Hey, know what Elvis would say if he were alive right now? GET ME OUT OF THIS COFFIN!"(I'd get SOOOO mad, but my dad thought it was hysterical). He'd always, and I mean ALWAYS, make fun of Elvis any time he heard me listening to any of his music. My mom and step dad, however, were fans and I remember us watching VHS tapes on Friday nights of all sorts of Elvis Documentaries and concerts after he died, all throughout the '80's. We were ALL about the "he's still alive" conspiracies! LOL...oh what a simpler time we lived in. Now that I think about it, I THINK my mom and step dad rode his motorcycle from Arkansas to Graceland for their honeymoon. Hmmm, I'll have to ask my mom about that. They never had to worry about leaving me alone at home. I'd pop in the VHS tape of the "Aloha From Hawaii" Concert and stand in the living room singing along with every song, and mimicking his every move. I can STILL remember most of that concert by heart. (like, when he thumps the mic against his chest..man oh man, the look on his face when he did that.)  Here, let's admire his beautiful self from that concert, shall we?

Elvis, "Aloha From Hawaii" concert. Yummm

Back here in 2019, we just had the 42nd Annual Elvis Week here in Memphis, and fans came from all around the world to celebrate the life, legacy and music of Elvis. This year was interesting because he was 42 years old when he left this world, and now, here we are, 42 years since he passed, celebrating him. (I know, most NON-Elvis fans look at us like we've lost our ever lovin' minds.) Now, normally I'd be all up in the mix during Elvis Week, talkin' to folks for my radio show, but this year I decided to do something different. I still did an entire radio show devoted to Elvis, but I wanted to experience EW as a true fan again. The sparkle and allure of the annual festivities had been dulled by being on the "inside" these last several years and I wanted to get back to my roots, my actual fan girl side of participating in the celebrations. 

So, I went out and I sat and "people watched" during some fun events. It was fun. It was different. I won't lie, though....my "public persona side" was dying! "Kimber" wanted to dress up, throw on the spotlight and dive headfirst into everything. When it was all said and done though, I'm so glad I took this year to "be a fan" and not work during the events.

There was only ONE event I had actually announced I would be attending, and as luck would have it, a really nasty storm popped up RIGHT AS I WAS GETTING in my car to head down to the Annual Elvis Week Pool Party at the Days' Inn at Graceland, hosted by my dear friend Colin Paul. The hotel is across the street from Graceland, and it is one of the HIGHLIGHTS of EW for so many folks, myself included. Colin is a MASSIVE Elvis fan (and of late singer Billy Fury, who was from the UK. Look him up, you'll love his music. While you're at it, look Colin up, too. He is an amazing entertainer and has a worldwide fan base, AND he performs the opener for my radio show! He has a great FB page, and a website you can check out, which is www.colinpaulandthepersuaders.co.uk). Colin has been hosting this pool party now for 13 years I believe, and this was the first time it's ever been rained out! He later told me one of his speakers was picked up and blown around by the wind. Told y'all it was a bad one! We did finally get to meet up and take our "Annual Elvis Week Photo"...here it is...

Kimber & Colin, EW2019, Memphis, TN

Anyway, letting my "fan girl" side resurface brought back a longing for the nostalgia of Elvis, and I found myself yearning for....Velvet Elvis Paintings. Yep, you read that right. No, I'm not crazy...much. I don't know what it was that sparked my deep down "gotta have it" craving for those tacky Velvet Elvis', but whatever it was, it hit me hard. So hard in fact, I put it out on Facebook-land that I wanted to start a collection and asked if anyone knew where I could find some. Y'all, OMG. I went on Amazon, Google, eBay, etc. But, let me say this before I continue to say that. When I was a kid, you couldn't go to ANY flea market or thrift store, etc, without being accosted by Velvet Elvis'. They were EVERYWHERE. Even the gas stations had them. They were a dime a dozen. NOT TODAY.  Shoot. The ones I did manage to find online were CRAZY EXPENSIVE. Yes, they were all originals, but still. WOW.  

As I was searching, I got a response on my FB post from the owner of The Elvis Pawn Shop (Jon Daly) here in Memphis. (go look at his site... www.elvispawnshop.com, I know he would LOVE to have you check it all out and get some goodies for yourself. (He also buys Elvis memorabilia!))  Anyhooo, he said he thought he had some Velvet Elvis' in his warehouse and would happily meet me there to show me what he had. I did, he did, and I found EXACTLY what I was looking for (and OOOHHHHH so much more!). We made a deal. I came home with not one, but TWO Velvet Elvis' (because you can't break up a pair, amiright or AMIRIGHT?) and they are now taking their time sitting in different locations in my house until the most perfect place to get all cozy-like shows itself! He has more, and no, you can't have them because I'm gonna get them. LOL, ok, if you beat me to them, fine, but just know, I will find out and put a spell on ya. Nothing crazy, just like, intense hiccups for a day or something. :) Not really, I don't know how to put a spell on anyone, other than making folks laugh...and I can do that without even trying, dammit.

But look, LOOK at these glorious bastards!

Are they not THE most tacky, 70's-vibes, beautiful VELVET ELVIS', EVER?!!!  They are originals and their SMELL alone takes me back to my childhood in the 1970's and 1980's. Yeah, I want more. No, this didn't fix my craving one little bit. Hell, no. Now it's worse! Now, I want to find as many as I can and hang them up all over my office and home. Maybe it's the little girl in me rearing her cute lil button-nosed self, I don't know. All I know is, if any of YOU happen to have any you'd like to part with, send 'em my way! I'll happily adopt ALL the homeless Velvet Elvis'!

'Nuff said!

I SO got off topic. Elvis Week. 2019. 42 years later. So much has changed here in Memphis over that timeline, but one thing remains the same. Elvis STILL has a fan base of some of THE most devoted fans you will EVER meet in your entire life, and they will stop at NOTHING to come here to Memphis to take a walk through Graceland and all around the hallowed grounds, stopping to pay their respects at the Mediation Garden where he is now laid to rest. EPE has built a pretty impressive complex across the street from Graceland that now houses museums, cars, artifacts and so much more. The two airplanes are still across the street as well. There were rumors circulating they would be sold and moved, but nope, not going anywhere.

Graceland

Graceland Complex

The Meditation Garden

So, anyways, EW 2019 is now over and done here in Memphis, but not to worry, our love of Elvis only grows deeper every year. He may have left the building, but his music, and the legacy of he life, lives on in all of our hearts!  Thank ya, thankyaverymuch.

This post is dedicated in loving memory to Ms. Louise Smith, who passed away on August 18, 2019.  She was married to Gene Smith, Elvis' cousin, and lived at Graceland for many years. She will be dearly missed by so many.

Kimber and Ms. Louise, 2018

...yes, I know I spelled her name wrong on the photo! :)

She would have laughed.