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| GRACELAND LIVING ROOM |
| GRACELAND DINNING ROOM & ELVIS's PARENTS BEDROOM |
| THE JUNGLE ROOM |
| PATCH IT UP |
| ANGEL (AFTER HOURS PARTY) |
| CARA MIA |
| TROUBLE |
| ANGEL |
| HIS LATEST FLAME |
| DEVIL IN DISGUISE |
| I WAS THE ONE |
| I left for Memphis on August 11th, my birthday, and arrived in Memphis on Sunday evening the 12th. Monday, the 13th, I went to the performance area to acclimate myself to the stage and how others were performing, with my friends and took in some of the scenery. We ate dinner at Marlowe's for Ribs, this is just up the road, about a 1/4 mile past Graceland, on the same side of the street. They had limousine service to pick you up at your hotel and drive you back, when eating at Marlowe's. The limo was of course, a pink Cadillac. The special occasion for making this my 1st trip to Memphis was the 35th Anniversary, celebrating the life of Elvis. Before making the trip, my manager secured a spot for me to perform while I was there, just across the street from the Graceland Mansion, at Graceland Crossing, where they had a tent set up for Elvis fans to congregate and listen to the many Elvis Tribute Artists. We also walked around the Graceland Welcome Center and the stores at Graceland Crossing and visited Heartbreak Hotel. Graceland Crossing is an Elvis memorobilia shopping center on Elvis Presley Blvd, located between the Graceland Welcome Center and Lonely Street. Tuesday, the 14th, we arrived at the performance area by mid morning to secure a parking spot before my show at 12:30 PM, as there were thousands of people who showed up for this memorial event and not everyone was staying at Heartbreak Hotel, down at the end of Lonely Street. About mid night we went to the Memphis Airport Hotel & Conference Center, where they were having the King Of The World ETA contest preliminary, for an after hour’s karaoke party, where I got to sing 2 songs in 2 hours. Video's for those 2 songs are on this page, although the lighting wasn't the best. Wednesday, the 15th, was a more relaxing day, spending the day visiting Sun Studio and taking the tour starting up stairs above the studio where they had portraits and guitars of the legends that had passed through there and the antiquated equipment that they used when they recorded Elvis. Then we went downstairs to the office of Marion Keisker, the lady most influential in launching Elvis’ career and secretary to Sam Phillips. Off of Marion’s office was the recording studio and recording control room. I got to touch the microphone that Elvis made his first recordings with. After that, we went to the FedEx Forum to check on parking for the Thursday night Elvis Concert. We also stopped at the Rock and Soul Museum on Beale Street and took a few pictures but didn’t have time to take the tour. The Candle Light vigil ceremony started at 8:30 PM with Lisa Marie and Priscilla kicking it off, but we decided to go to sleep until 2 AM to get in line by 3 AM, because of the large crowd. Accompanied by our good friends, Sue and Ricky Savia and Ann Guilliams, we headed up to pay our loving respects to Elvis. On the way up, we were astounded by and enjoyed all the beautiful flowers sent in that lined this long and winding driveway in memory of this special and talented icon that continues to bring so much pleasure to all of us. The line was much shorter at this time but still all the way down to Elvis Presley Blvd with a double line. Our vigil took one and a half hours and as with everyone, it was a labor of love. At 4:30 AM, as we were leaving, the vigil line was still half way up the walk from EP Blvd. Graceland supplied the candles and gave away water half way up the walk, in which, would have been really needed if the temperature was as hot as it usually is in August, but we had a comfortable evening with the temperature in the mid 80's with a nice breeze. Many chalk artist’s had drawn large beautiful pictures of Elvis, on the pavement, of Elvis Presley Blvd. The traffic was detoured during the Elvis Vigil, in order to accommodate the street artists, and the visitors making their journey up the walk to Elvis’ grave site. Thursday, the 16th, we started out at the Welcome Elvis Fans tent, where we met up with some friend’s from Virginia and drove to Mississippi to a Casino and had lunch with Elvis fans, Sue and Ricky Savia. That was the greatest experience, as I have never been to a Casino before and we ate better for less than any time since we left home. I played a slot machine until I lost $2.00, then we left. We left our hotel about 6:30 PM to head over to the FedEx Forum for the Elvis Concert. This was the first concert I've seen like this, even though they've had them on DVD's from past concerts, but there is nothing like being there. This concert was excellent; Jerry Schilling addressed the audience in the opening segment of the show, Priscilla and Lisa Marie made special appearances and spoke of their memories of Elvis, at different times. The orchestra and the backup singers were performing live and singing with Elvis. The magnificently large image of Elvis performing in concert, coupled with the other large images of his band members and backup singers from the stage performing their parts live with him, had you believing he was performing live. Listening to the cheers and the applause from the audience, if not personally there, Elvis was, in spirit. It truly was a very special Elvis concert. When the DVD comes out, I want it. Friday, the 17th, we spent the day taking the full Graceland Tour, in which, included the tours of Elvis’ airplanes, the Auto Museum as well as the Mansion and the new Museum they built that display's Elvis' many gold records and concert suits. As we were finishing the Mansion tour, somberly, we went to the grave site and Elvis' meditation garden area, to pay our respects. On our way to that tour, we ran into George Kline signing autographs, at which time, I had the pleasure of being able to speak with him. We also ran into Jerry Schilling but he had so many Elvis fans around him, we couldn’t even get close to him. Lisa Marie had been at the Elvis Serius Radio station, located in the Graceland Welcome Center, for an interview and was just pulling away when we got there. That evening was the best one yet; I went to bed early and got some well needed rest, as I would be starting our long drive back home the next day. Saturday, the 18th, on the way back, as on the way to Memphis, we stopped overnight in Pigeon Forge to break up the long travel time, where we took some great pictures. One was of King Kong on top of the Empire State Bldg at the Hollywood Wax Museum. I finally arrived back home late Sunday Night August 19th and will never forget all of my experiences of that week. |
| AFTER HOURS PARTY IN MEMPHIS |
| CHRONICLE OF MY FIRST TRIP TO MEMPHIS |
| my first trip to memphis August 2012 |
| Pigeon Forge, TN August 18, 2012 |
| Here I meet George Kline, shook his hand and thanked him for staying a true friend to Elvis, when others weren't. |
| 1966 Rolls Royce Silver Cloud |
| 1973 Stutz Blackhawk |
| 1955 Series 60 Cadillac Fleetwood |
| When Elvis Purchased This Car in 1955, The Color Was Blue and Black With the top being Black |
| Rolls Royce Phantom |
| ETA's Tony Grova & Joe Searles Meet At The Graceland Welcome Center Area Memphis, TN 2012 |
| Rest In Peace Elvis |
| Jerry Schilling Signs Autographs for Elvis Fans |
| My First Trip To Memphis |
| Elvis Auto Museum |
| SEE A PANORAMIC PHOTO OF THE JUNGLE ROOM BELOW |
| SONGS FROM MY STAGE PERFORMANCE AT GRACELAND CROSSING ON ELVIS PRESLEY BLVD BETWEEN THE GRACELAND WELCOME CENTER AND LONELY STREET ON, AUGUST 14, 2012 |
| AS LONG AS I HAVE YOU |
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