Graceland, Memphis

By James Stone

Having just got back from one expedition the week before, I was in no mood to head out on the road again, or so I thought. When Colin rang to say that he was off to Memphis to wallow in all things Elvis Presley and would I like to come, I jumped at the chance. I'm a fan of the man's music and although there are other artists I prefer, there is no denying the importance of Elvis and his impact upon modern culture. Indeed, in this day it is almost impossible to understand the impact that Elvis had on the musical and cultural world when he shot to fame in the 1950s. No more dressing up like your dad and going to dances, this was rock and roll and gave the kids a new impetus.

After a long flight down to Memphis and a day looking around the town and experiencing a couple of its blues bars, the following morning we were off to Graceland, Elvis' home for much of his adult life. Colin was in a state of high excitement, so much so that he paid the taxi driver in British sterling. "What's this furny murny you given me here boy?" was the driver's response. I too was excited, although somewhat jet lagged, but this soon dissipated upon stepping inside the home.

I had been hoping to catch a glimpse of the famous scene of Elvis death the upstairs bathroom. Sadly, the whole of the upstairs section of the mansion is out of bounds, which is even more annoying when they tantalisingly tell you that it has been untouched since the day Elvis died in 1977.

So we had to content ourselves with an audio tour of the downstairs area. Stepping through the front door was a quite incredible experience, and I was awestruck as we progressed through the lavish living areas and kitchen. It was then on to the basement, where we found the TV room, with its three massive sets and his bar and billiard room. Back upstairs we passed through the exotic jungle room, which Elvis used as a sort of den and where he played and recorded many songs. It was then outside to Elvis's grave. Poor Colin, it was at this point that it all became too much for him and he had to be comforted by an elderly lady from Ohio.

Having regathered our composure, there was also time to view the remarkable collection of gold and platinum discs that Elvis had been awarded as well his stunning collection of Cadillacs.

The next day, back in the centre of town, it was off to the Sun Studio, the home of the first recordings of many a legend, including Johnny Cash, BB King, Jerry Lee Lewis, the Big O Roy Orbison and of course Elvis himself. As something of a singer-songwriter myself, I found the tour of the studios as interesting as that of Graceland the previous day. On display was the microphone Elvis used in 1954 when he cut his first record, That's All Right. We were than marched through in to a 1950s style soda shop and record store, which could have been tacky but somehow wasn't. Interestingly, a number of top bands still come here to record and the studio has welcomed U2, Tom Petty and even Ringo Starr in the past.