The promised land

Elvis: the single name resonates like no other. But is it still possible to feel the presence of the man who drew the blueprint for the music we love? Patrick Humphries took a trip to Tupelo and Memphis to find out what remains… and if it moves you. Plus we hear from a man who counted Elvis as a close friend, and look at current Elvis collecting trends

The promised land

A long time ago I shared a flat with my friend Peter Hogan, who was editing an Elvis book and had to make contact with a Presley acquaintance to clarify a point. In those long-ago pre-email days, he dialled 192, International Directory Enquiries, and uttered the immortal line: “Long distance information, get me Memphis, Tennessee…”

To us in the UK, where he never performed and only briefly visited, Elvis and Graceland and Memphis were more than just an ocean away, they were the promised land, unreachable and unattainable – until recently.

I first visited Memphis in 2004, to write about the 50th anniversary of Elvis’ first recording at Sun Studios, and have been lucky enough to return. Back in the day, to enter America as a visitor, they try and trick you with a green form asking reasons for your visit: Have You Ever Been Convicted Of Crimes Against Humanity? Do You Plan To Overthrow The US Government? A better way of catching out the unwelcome visitor would be… Do You Like Elvis?

There are no direct flights to Memphis, you fly to either Newark or Houston, switch planes and fly to Tennessee. But for the real Elvis fan, the best way to travel is to get to Schipol airport in Amsterdam, and from there fly direct to Memphis – apt because Colonel Tom Parker was an illegal immigrant from Holland. …

by Patrick Humphries
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