Remember the King on our Elvis anniversary microsite

A record number of British fans and pompadoured impersonators are on a pilgrimage to Graceland to commemorate the 30th anniversary today of the death of Elvis Presley.

About 1,200 Elvis aficionados have flown across the Atlantic to join tens of thousands of fans from around the world in paying tribute to “the King” despite concerns about the “Disney-fication” of the music legend’s legacy.

For one Merseyside couple, the anniversary is a dream come true. Tommy Aindon and Susan Dane of Southport, who met at an Elvis convention in Burnley 12 years ago, plan to commemorate the occasion by getting married during the Elvis Week festivities in Memphis, Tennessee. “I want to go back to England and say I was married with Elvis,” Ms Dane, 49, said. “In a strange way, it was Elvis who brought us together.”

The pair have booked the chapel in the grounds of Presley’s Graceland estate for their wedding on Saturday and expect hundreds of British Elvis fans to attend. Mr Aindon, 40, an engineer, said: “Everyone’s asking, ‘Can I come?’ It only holds 350 people. It’s ‘first come, first served’.”

Thousands of fans from as far afield as New Zealand, France and Japan gathered at Graceland last night for a candlelit vigil to mark three decades since Elvis “left the building” for good on August 16, 1977, at the age of 42.

But this year’s Elvis Week has been overshadowed by fears that the new owner of his estate plans to “Disney-fy” Elvis. Robert Sillerman, an entertainment mogul, paid $100 million (£50 million) for 85 per cent of Elvis Presley Enterprises in 2005, leaving Presley’s daughter, Lisa Marie, with only 15 per cent. Mr Sillerman, chief executive of CKX, also owns the rights to the name of Muhammad Ali, the former boxing champion, and the American Idol TV show.

He intends to spend $250 million to renovate Graceland and replace the nearby Heartbreak Hotel, creating a new visitor centre and interactive museum in place of the chaotic plaza that lies across the street from Elvis’s modest home, which has had attendances dip to about 600,000 a year.

His plans also call for an Elvis-themed version of the Cirque du Soleil show in Las Vegas and Elvis hotels and casinos around the world.

After years of scorn, Elvis’s estate is also moving into the Elvis subculture. Graceland has organised its first official Elvis Tribute Artist contest to rival the unofficial Images of the King competition. The ten finalists for the official Ultimate Elvis, to be decided tomorrow, include Paul Larcombe from Blackpool, Lancashire.

The late Elvis is already raking in more money than he did at the height of his career, making him No 2 on Forbes magazine’s list of top-earning dead celebrities, with an annual income of $42 million, behind Kurt Cobain. But Mr Sillerman hopes to raise that to $150 million in ten years.

Fans are accustomed to the commercialism of Elvis commemorations and the estate’s aggressive attempts to guard the King’s legacy. “Going to Graceland used to be a wonderful experience. There were hundreds of merchants who could sell anything,” said Sid Shaw, the owner of the Elvisly Yours memorabilia shop in Baker Street, London, who won a long legal battle with the estate for the right to market Elvis souvenirs in Britain and now stays at home during Elvis Week. “Now it’s just pure commercialism. The love is all gone. It’s all about money money, money. Elvis was all about giving, and it’s all about taking.”

The change of ownership has heightened the fears of even the most loyal of Elvis fans. Darrel Jones, a retired machinist from Langley, West Midlands, is making his fourth trip to Graceland. “Anyone who has eyes to see can tell that the man who owns Elvis Presley Enterprises is not an Elvis fan. He is only interested in how much money he can make. But the fans know that. You have just got to say, ‘I am here for Elvis and I am here for a good time’,” he said.

At a meeting with fans, Priscilla Presley, the singer’s former wife, defended the changes. “There has been a lot of concern about our partnership with CKX. I just want to reassure everyone it’s going to be fine. We always wanted to grow. We wanted to reach more people. That is something Elvis wanted to do,” she said. “It’s not going to be Disneyland. There are not going to be rides. It’s about growing.”

The King's Palace

— Elvis moved into Graceland with his parents in 1957. They painted it a glowing blue and gold. All three spent the rest of their lives there.

— Ongoing renovations and improvements to the property have seen it grow from 10,266 to 17,552 square feet (954 to 1,630 square metres). Elvis had it redecorated frequently and his parents added a chicken coop and vegetable patch.

— The number of rooms varied from 18 to 23, the King frequently remodelling his personal castle.

— The house contains a mixture of pre and post Presley decorations. The front room features a white marble fireplace and Louis XIV furniture, the Jungle Room includes an indoor waterfall.

— Elvis built a pink Alabama fieldstone wall around his 13.8acre (5.6hectare) estate crowned with wrought iron gates emblazoned with guitars.

Source: www.elvis.com.au

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