Postcards
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Postcards
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| postcard #6 |
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It has taken a week of silent solitude to recover from the emotional vortex created when 30,000-plus fans came together to pay tribute to the greatest man to ever walk the face of the Earth. I apologize for the delay in getting this, my final postcard, off to you. No one told me traveling to Graceland for the Candlelight Vigil would result in voices--soundbites of Elvis hits playing on an endless reel in my head. As I write this, I hear Elvis belt out "Surrender" followed by the high pitched wale of a backup singer. Visually, I see a sweat-dripping, hip thrusting Elvis in a white jump suit, and just behind him, the whaling backup singer flicks her wrist high above her head, barely clearing her molded hair style. It’s been with me for fifteen minutes, playing over and over like a Superbowl Instant Replay. It’s incredibly distracting trying to have a serious conversation with a backup singer whaling in the background. The songs and visual images change with my moods, which have been heavy swings. The spirit of Elvis is heavy on one’s heart.
When we awoke on Saturday, the 20th anniversary of Elvis’ passing, we were still numb and exhausted from the Candlelight Vigil. We didn’t get back to the Elvis Suites until about 3:00 in the morning. But we had paid for our tickets to tour the mansion months before and they were waiting for us. We set out for the mansion in a trance. The Candlelight Vigil had lasted until a quarter-to-eight that morning. Graceland Staff could not recall such crowds and floral tributes that adoring fans and fellow pilgrims had left since the actual funeral. On Elvis’ grave was a pile of single rose buds that stood shoulder deep, and tributes from all corners of the world lined the driveway. A heavy air of solemness hung like yesterday’s gravy, left over from the Candlelight Vigil. A week of celebration, subdued by communal emotion. If you’ve been to Graceland, then you know how overpowering the grounds and Meditation Garden can be. There is an eternal flame at the head of his grave site, which is covered by a huge plaque. To Elvis’ right (assuming he’s resting on his back) is his grandmother, Minnie. To his left is his Father Vernon and Mother Gladys. They are arranged in a semi-circle around a fountain similar to those found in shopping centers built in the early seventies with the bottom painted swimming pool blue. Just beyond the fountain is the pool, not even fifty feet away. A pergola, keeping with the semi-circle theme, wraps the outside of the Meditation Gardens. The house, a mansion, had to have been a glorious tribute to the story of success in the seventies. Today, it stands as a tribute to the Legend. Elvis loved his fans who loved him, and he kept every trophy, every souvenir, every gift presented to him. He enclosed what was once a covered porch to create a Trophy Room, where a handful of these artifacts are on display today. His fans were important to him. Walking through the trophy room beside the pool next to his grave, you feel this connection. As if he’s saying right now, "Thank you. Thank you very much." The rest of the house looked like the pictures. How you always dreamed your house as a child might look, if only your parents didn’t have government jobs. It’s not like other mansion tours where they point out how ingenious the air conditioning system is for the time period in which the home was constructed. Rather, they point out the three televisions, so Elvis could watch three football games at once. And that the foyer is extra large, and Elvis presented a number of karate exhibitions for his friends who used the staircase as a grandstand. As you leave the Meditation Gardens and walk toward the shuttle that will take you to the gift shop, you sense relief knowing the grounds and buildings have been placed on the National Register of Historic Buildings, so that it may be preserved for years to come. We left Graceland mid-afternoon to have a quiet dinner before the reunion concert, hoping to distance ourselves from the somber aura that drifted around Graceland. For "Elvis In Concert ‘97" was to be the concert to end all concerts. The Mid-South Coliseum, where Elvis performed many times during his career, was all decked out to resemble a 1950s coliseum, or maybe it just hadn’t been touched since the ‘50s. But for some reason, tonight, a dated coliseum added to the excitement as 12,000 fans found their way to their seats. We were in the cheap seats--the $50 ones--only a few rows from the top. I always look at my ticket stub and think that row ‘M’ is pretty good, and then end up startled when I discover I’m not closer to ‘G’ than I originally thought. Even though we were up high, we were directly across from the stage looking straight on. It could have been much worse. With people still making their way to their seats, the lights dimmed, and Wink Martindale welcomed us all with his game show host enthusiasm. A native of Memphis, Wink was friends with Elvis for many years. Wink’s wife, Sandy, is one of the few who can proudly say she dated the King. Wink introduced comedian Sammy Shore, who I would imagine had a fresh act ready to go on the road with Elvis in August 1977. Unfortunately, I don’t think he updated it. We also saw host George Klein and comedian Jackie Kahane, both Elvis cohorts. While Jackie’s comedy wasn’t much better, he did convey a story about Elvis that pulled at your heartstrings. Evidently, George and Elvis were good friends. One year for Christmas, Elvis pulled George aside and took him to the local Cadillac dealer. Special arrangements had been made for them to stay open for Elvis (he loved big productions, apparently) to present George with a new Cadillac. "No," George said. "I can’t accept this." "George," Elvis said, "What is fame and fortune if you can’t share it with your friends?" Communal coliseum sigh, thunderous ovation, and the lights go dark. From behind the stage curtain, the Memphis Symphony Orchestra strikes up the Elvis Overture. It booms forward, as a single police motorcycle with blue strobes flashing enters the coliseum and stops. It’s followed by two more, and a stretch limousine, and three more motorcycles. They all stop for just a moment, and search lights pan the audience. The motorcade disappears back stage as the curtain begins to rise. You hear the drums. The drums are pounding, driving the energy higher. Then there is a distinctive shadow. It flashes briefly, but it’s distinctive. It’s Elvis. Elvis has just walked on stage. There he is, bigger than life, projected on a fifty-foot screen. He breaks out into C.C. Rider. The 55-piece orchestra, and every backup singer he ever worked with--there are some twelve or sixteen--makes him bigger than life. Bigger than he ever was alive. I almost wet myself. For the next hour-and-half, we watch Elvis perform--on a video screen that is. His soundtrack singled out, and the orchestra and the backup singers were all performing live right along side his video image. Taking footage from concerts between 1968 and 1974, Elvis is at his best. He is no longer a person; he is a concept. An immortal concept. After the intermission, we are treated to selections from Elvis’ early years. There is no footage of Elvis performing many of these songs, so Terry Mike Jeffrey and Ronnie McDowell step in to sing those. While it’s no comparison to Elvis, the two walked through the path that led to Elvis’ stardom. Little did we know, though, the best was yet to come. The coliseum went dark, except for giant red letters that spelled out "Elvis". Wink: "Ladies and Gentlemen, Priscilla Presley." She walked on to the stage to an immediate standing ovation. The response from the crowd was clearly making her emotional, occasionally choking up, which made the audience even more emotional. It was a self-feeding spiral of emotion, as she thanks a coliseum of fans for the years and years of support and devotion. "Elvis would love to see this show tonight," she said. It was her way, and the staff of Graceland’s way, of saying ‘Thank you’ to the millions of fans world-wide. "We are all proud of Elvis and what he was able to accomplish," she said, "but there was one thing that made Elvis proud more than anything at all. And that is his own daughter, Lisa Marie." Even the Elvis Fan Spouses who had been drug from all around the world are beginning to well up. "But Lisa isn’t one for speeches. She’s got a creative side like her father," she said. A video screen began to descend from above. "Lisa Marie wanted to make a tribute to her father in this very special way." Elvis appears on the screen.
The day I stumble from my bed
"Don’t cry Daddy The camera pulls back to reveal Lisa Marie, earphone monitor covering her ear as she sings into a microphone.
"Daddy you still got me and little Tommy Oh, the humanity! Elvis takes over, and home movie footage of Elvis, Priscilla and Lisa Marie jotting around the grounds of Graceland on a golf cart are clipped in.
Why are children always first Lisa Marie:
"Don’t cry Daddy Lisa takes a step back, so Elvis can fit on the screen. They turn to each other and in harmony continue:
"Daddy you still got me and little Tommy The building is electric. A father and daughter, sharing an intimate moment with 12,000 adoring fans. Elvis would have loved this. One time captivating stadiums with his good looks and body gyrations, he continues to captivate crowds, only this time by being a virtual reality father. The concert closed with the traditional Elvis Concert arrangement: "Love Me Tender," "Make The World Go Away," "Suspicious Minds," "I’ll Remember You," "Big Hunk o’ Love," "My Way," "An American Trilogy," and "Can’t Help Falling in Love." Beginning with "My Way" fans began to reach across the aisles, grabbing the hands of complete strangers. The coliseum swayed and the stadium rocked. To love Elvis is to love the fellow fan. Lighters swayed in the air, and indoor fireworks exploded at the height of "American Trilogy". To love Elvis is to love American. The stadium choked back emotion while singing "Can’t Help Falling in Love." To love Elvis is to know the meaning of Love. The curtain dropped. As quickly as it had begun, it was over. Wink: "Ladies and Gentlemen, Elvis has left for Graceland."
Elvis forever,
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