Memphis

We arrived in Memphis Monday, May 13.

Freddy is in his other favorite place

On Tuesday we took a tour of Memphis.
Sun Studio where Elvis, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins and Jerry Lee Lewis got started.
The four recorded an album and were billed as "The Million Dollar Quartet"











 One stopover was St Jude Children's Hospital and Research Center founded by Danny and Rose Thomas.

 St Jude  statue

St Jude















The pavilion where Danny and Rose Thomas are interred.









 Memorial Gardens

The gate into the crypt.

Welcome center















"Birth of the Blues" egg

Elvis

BB

 A wreath where MLK was standing when he was shot.

Beale St. has about eight blocks closed to traffic much like Bourbon St. in New Orleans. At night it is the party site.

The oldest remaining bar is Sully O'Sullivan's. We went in for a beer and oysters.

Street scene

The Peabody hotel. They have five ducks living in a penthouse that, in the morning, ride down the elevator, march across a red carpet and spend the day in the fountain. At 5:00 PM they return to the penthouse via the elevator.

One male, four females

The entrance carpet. The ducks have been on late night TV

Day two, on to Graceland.

Gates to Graceland














 Two views of the front of Graceland

 As you enter, the dining room is on the left












The living room on the right











His parents bedroom just down the hall

Pictures of Elvis are all over the place














One of Priscilla and Lisa Marie











 The kitchen.
Due to the different hours everyone kept, there was a cook on call at all times.

The jungle room. There are many other rooms downstairs but Elvis' living area was upstairs and no visitors are allowed there.

Rear of house

some of his jump suits

Trophy room

Meditation Cross

Four graves here, from top, Elvis' grandmother, Elvis, his father Vernon and mother Gladys.












Elvis' grave. He and his mother were originally buried in a cemetery but the city finally allowed Vernon to move them to Graceland. The cemetery wanted them moved because of all the attention his grave got. The final straw was when two Memphis policemen tried to dig him up and hold the body for ransom. They are still in prison.






As you can see in the sign, after Elvis traded the RR below, it was owned by TV star Michael Landon and country singer Charlie Rich

Lisa Marie's Mercedes

Elvis bought this Caddy and immediately had the upholstery changed and he car repainted purple

Glady's pink caddy.

Elvis gave all his friends a  pendant like this and used it as his logo. The flash comes from Captain Marvel, the comic book he liked most, and the TCB means "Taking Care of Business. This one is on the tail of his large aircraft, The Lisa Marie.

Then to the Rock and Roll Cafe for Elvis'  favorite, Grilled Peanut Butter and Banana sandwich.



Tomorrow we leave for Sikeston, MO and Lambert's, Restaurant, original home of the "Throwed Roll".