Elvis Evicted
The King is not buried at his original gravesite...
It's not a good thing to be known for consistency.
It’s a good thing to be known for quality.
I truly struggle with that, as I imagine most Americans do.
The constant push-pull of ensuring that content is being generated and making sure that content is worth sharing.
That may sound like an excuse for missing a week…and technically, it is.
I recognize that and hope you actually appreciate it. I don’t want to send you something just to say I’m consistent.
I want you to look forward to every one of these emails and know that I focus on quality first.
(but I’ll still try really hard to be consistent…🤫)
Enough Rambling…Gimme Some History
August 16th, 1977
Where were you on that day?
.
.
.
.
Many who were around at the time might not remember the actual date…but they will remember where they were when they heard that Elvis died.
36
24
42
No those aren’t measurements.
Marylin Monroe - 36
James Dean - 24
Elvis Presley - 42
Forty Two. The answer to life, the universe, and everything…AND…how old Elvis was when he passed away.
That is what shocked the world so much. No one ever expects superstars to pass away at that age. When they do, they are forever in that superstar spotlight.
Police estimated that 50,000 - 100,000 people showed up to see Elvis lying in state at Graceland. Another 18,000 people lined the streets to see his funeral procession from Graceland to his original burial site.
Elvis’ Original Burial Site
August 18th, 1977
Elvis Presley had lied in state for the public to come and visit for two days and was taken via a police-escorted motorcade to the same cemetery where his mother, Gladys, was buried.
Gladys had passed away in 1958 and was buried in somewhat of a Presley family plot in Forrest Hill Cemetery, about halfway between Graceland and downtown Memphis.
Due to the unexpected timing of Elvis’ death, the first (and logical) thought was to have The King buried at the same cemetery. However, they knew that someone as world-famous as Elvis Presley would need a bit more protection, so they decided to put his coffin in the mausoleum at Forrest Hill.
Attempted Grave Robbery
New York Times, August, 1977:
MEMPHIS. Aug. 29 (AP)—Four men who the police say were plotting to steal Elvis Presley's body and hold it for ransom were arrested early today outside the cemetery where the singer is entombed.
The police said that they received confidential information several days ago that a group of persons planned to break into Mr. Presley's mausoleum at Forest Hills Cemetery, take the body and hold it for ransom.
Officers from the department's tactical unit watched the suburban Memphis graveyard. On Saturday, the police said, suspects were seen in the area, apparently making a trial run.
Early this morning three men entered the cemetery over a back wall and made their way toward the white marble mausoleum. The men apparently became suspicious and turned to leave, the police said. They were then arrested.
Now this obviously wasn’t thought through since Evlis’ casket was copper lined, over 800 pounds, and required at least 10 men to carry it.
However, shortly after that, the Presley family asked the city if they could move Elvis and his mother to Graceland (she has been disinterred and put in the mausoleum with her son). Their justification was that since they already paid for Graceland to be guarded, it would cost them (and the city) less to have them buried there than Forrest Hill.
The city agreed and they were moved to Graceland in October of 1977 where they remain to this day.
Try visiting Memphis during Elvis week…normally the second week in August to remember him around the time of his passing.
And now you know the rest of the story
It’s always fun to learn some of the backstory to something as world famous as the Graceland gravesite of The King of Rock and Roll.
Now you’ll have that party knowledge fact in your hip pocket whenever people mention Elvis or talk about visiting Graceland.
You can say to them, “Did you know that Elvis wasn’t originally buried at Graceland?…”
Email me back if you have every visited Graceland!!!
We love to hear your Evlis stories.
Don’t forget…Death once had a near-Chuck-Norris experience.
Like I said before, I was there, but was very young. Didn't know about the attempted theft of his body. That is crazy. I love the way you tell stories like this. I can sit and listen to these all day. Keep up the great work.