Traveling museum shows off the King
Elvis Presley can’t tour, but his stuff can.
Graceland officials planned to announce today the Mobile Graceland tour, which will bring artifacts such as Presley’s Army jacket, some of his stage clothing and a letter from President Nixon to 31 cities.
The 53-foot truck will be in Memphis this week as part of events marking Friday’s 25th anniversary of Presley’s death. Then it will go to cities including New Orleans; Atlantic City, N.J.; Philadelphia; Cleveland, Ohio; Chicago; St. Louis; Reno, Nev.; and Las Vegas.
The tour is co-sponsored by the Harrah’s Entertainment Inc. casino company and FYE record stores and will mostly be displayed in mall parking lots where there are FYE stores and in casinos owned by Harrah’s.
It will be at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland on Sept. 28, at a San Diego Chargers game on Nov. 17 and at Times Square in New York on Sept. 24.
“We have more artifacts than we have the space or time to display at Graceland,” said Jennifer Burgess, director of marketing for Elvis Presley Enterprises. “It grew out of the desire to share the Elvis experience with all those people who can’t make it to Memphis for one reason or another.”
Presley, who died in 1977 at 42, ushered in the rock and roll cultural revolution in the 1950s with hits such as Heartbreak Hotel and Hound Dog. He pursued a film career before returning to live performances, maintaining a large rabid following until his death.
And it has never ended.
Graceland, Presley’s home in Memphis, attracts more than 650,000 people a year.
The Mobile Elvis tour will promote sales of the upcoming “Elvis: 30 #1 Hits” CD, which will be released next month and is designed to have the same impact as the collection of No. 1 songs by The Beatles released in 2000, “The Beatles 1.”
“We think it’s a big opportunity to launch `Elvis: 30 #1 Hits,’ ” said Mark Hogan of FYE. “You look at the popularity of Elvis and Graceland, and you know that this traveling exhibit can attract a lot of Elvis fans. I think we’ll get a lot of kids coming in to buy the CD for their parents for Christmas and vice versa.”
Included in the traveling exhibit are:
– orange coveralls that Presley wore in the film Viva Las Vegas.
– a comb he used to shape his famed ducktail style in the 1950s.
– a 1956 Gibson guitar used in the films Loving You and King Creole.
– crayons used by Presley as a child and report cards.
– the jacket he wore in the Army.
– boxing gloves signed and given to Presley by Muhammad Ali.
– a studded white jumpsuit Presley wore while performing in the 1970s.
– Presley’s favorite gun, a monogrammed Colt .45.
– a congratulatory telegram Presley sent to The Beatles in 1964.
– a letter to Presley from President Nixon after Presley visited the White House.
When is the Elvis truck coming to Baltimore? We have a great waterfront venue with tons of tourist traffic. Maybe park at the Legends Museum http://www.baberuthmuseum.com/ (home of Cal Ripken and Johnny Unitas memorabilia) during a Raven Playoff game? Sounds like a no-brainer to me.