Elvis - A Lighted Candle

[maia]

On the Graceland website:

“Graceland is my childhood home and it holds so many great memories of the time I shared there with my father, our family and our friends,” said Lisa Marie Presley, daughter of Elvis and Priscilla Presley and sole owner of Graceland Mansion. “Graceland has come to mean so much to Elvis fans around the world, millions of whom have visited and millions more who look forward to doing so. It is my honor to have shared it with my father’s adoring public all these years and I am committed to ensuring that it will be preserved forever for all future generations of fans and of my family to enjoy. This landmark designation comes purely due to the fact that the legendary Elvis Presley called Graceland home. It’s a significant statement about how much my father has meant to the world and it only makes me prouder of him.”

WATCH THE DEDICATION CEREMONY VIDEO:

http://elvis.com/graceland/special/video_nat_hist_landmark.asp

ALSO:

Priscilla gives a brief tour of some of the rooms of thre mansion on the TODAY show:

http://video.msn.com/v/us/msnbc.htm?f=00&g=ca4b2bfe-ea21-4d7b-b358-2945568ee929&t=m5&p=Source_Today%20Show

I notice that she states that when Elvis saw the furniture that is now in the Jungle Room he liked it so he bought it. I read a much different story -- don't know if it is true, but sounds so much like him. It was that he and his Dad were in a furniture shop and they saw a furniture display. Vernon said, "Son, that's the ugliest furniture I've ever seen in my life." Elvis said not a word, but when he got home, he bought it all and had it put in the now "Jungle Room." When Vernon came over and saw it in there, he fumed and sputtered...to Elvis' delight. Elvis had planned to get rid of the furniture after the joke was played on his Dad, but then Lisa loved it, so of course it stayed.

[Rainbow Light]

Thanks for the links with relation to this, Maia. Will watch when I've logged out of the Forum. I had also heard what you had mentioned about the Jungle Room, the story of how he'd acquired the furniture despite any opposition from Vernon, had understood that to be the standard story Graceland had given out so surprised Pris disputed it? Oh well!

The Jungle Room is kinda unusual for sure but cool with it too - and just SO Elvis!!!

[maia]

Yes, I am also surprized that when she pointed out the shag carpet on the ceiling, that she didn't say WHY it was there....because Elvis used that room to record in and needed it for acustics.

[Rainbow Light]

It is kind of strange I agree, oh well!

[Wanda June Hill]

Hi, Elvis had very acute hearing, he hated hearing the traffic noises and he had sound proofing walls in his bedroom area upstairs so he could sleep-and wouldn't hear the noise. He also had it put in other parts of the house and was told that carpet was one of the best-so when he had it put on the ceiling, it wasn't so much to record in because he wasn't doing that then-it was to keep the outside out and the overhead noises walking etc: down and he liked the way it looked. He himself said that when they got the furniture-it was because his father was looking at furniture, or out shopping with his new wife and saw the stuff and told Elvis about how ugly it was... Elvis went down and looked and he of course liked it-but he got it because his father said that-as a joke of course. It fit in that room perfectly and they had other objects-monkeys etc: and the rock wall water fall that often ran over-so wasn't used all that much-and then Elvis liked the soundproofing for recording too-no echoing and no outside interfernece. So it stayed....I don't think that Pris writes her own stuff-so she says pretty much what ever is written more or less...and too, there is so much to say-why repeat when many people (they think) don't know the real story anyway...so whatever goes. That's my take on things they do-and even Elvis when I interviewed him commented being funny, "need a playbook to remind me what the story is" and that was about his first real girlfriend Dixie! He was thinking about what the Official story might have been-and about the fact what he said might be contrary to that...but it wasn't...he did tell some things I had not heard but mostly he kept pretty even with other things-just from his point of view. I'm anxious about that interview-because I know what he said is different in some areas and too, I want people to just love him and understand where he's coming from and came from and that he was being truthful...right down to bare truth in some instances. he even admiting that there were things "off the record" that he wouldn't "want out there" and how often would someone like him say that? He, Elvis Presley had been naughty? Oh lord! What else is new! He said once that if the truth were to be told straight out-people would die laughing....'n wouldn't want to kill nobody..." Of course he snickered and giggled.wjh

[Rainbow Light]

It's crazy isn't it - I mean, why couldn't Elvis be 'naughty' or have an off-day or be crazy and fun sometimes when he felt like it - sometimes it just feels like some people wanted to give this watered down, whitewashed image of Elvis - some of the characters in his movies - or anything that might have had an overall 'bad' effect or look 'bad' with certain situations in his life and so on?

He had the right to be as anyone else is, y'know but it's like certain people deny him even the right to be human and all that means - wish they'd have just given him a break, huh?!