Elvis and Me - Birthday Celebration 2013 - Part 2

Didn't I say that 2013 would be a great year? Well it's sure starting off great for me! Hope for you too! Ok, now let me get to the good stuff...

Me in the back of the limo - driving up through the gates of Graceland WOW!

As you know, I got invited back to Graceland again this year as the Elvis on Tour exhibit that Elvis' folks put together for my brothers movie closed in January after a 1 year showing. 

The sign outside the exhibit

And what a beautiful exhibit it was! I brought the Golden Globe that the film and my brother won so it was on exhibit there the whole year. Now I've got it back home with me for now.

Thank you EPE for all the hard work that you did to honor the movie. I hope all you Elvis fans out there got to see it. If not, I'm sure you can go on to Elvis.com and check out past photos.

That's me (R) with Kelly, who works at Graceland. She's so fun and a By Way of Salem customer!

This year was Elvis 2013 Birthday Celebration and he would've been 78. Though I didn't get to cut his cake this year, I was still invited onto the lawn of Graceland and it was glorious! A beautiful sunny, but chilly morning, and there were a ton of fans there to mark this always-amazing occasion. Elvis' cake this year looked like the American Eagle jumpsuit he wore on his Aloha Hawaii event that was televised all over the world.

That's me (R) with Isabella Taylor Scott, the youngest fan club president. Isabella got to cut the cake this year. I cut it last year. We laughed that we are now members of the Elvis Cake Cutters Club!

Me (Middle) with Laurie (L) & Caroline (R) - fans of Elvis on Tour!

Aside from the birthday celebration on January 8th, I got to visit with a lot of friends and fans I met last year when the exhibit opened. I had a great time and I love Memphis. It's always hard to leave....

Candy, one of Graceland's horses and my personal favorite. I love this horse!

And for all of you who've never visited Memphis - well don't pay any mind to what negative things you may have heard. Memphis is a beautiful place with lots to do and see, it's home of the blues, the best BBQ, lots of history, beautiful scenery, and was also named one of Forbes best places to vacation! Don't miss it!!!

Beautiful Mississippi River

Beale Street - Home of the Blues

Sun Records - where Elvis made his first records

Leonard's - BEST BBQ & Southern food!

Memphis..

Butter Roll - the best dessert ever!

... land of boiled peanuts LOL 

Elvis & Me - Birthday Celebration 2012 - Act 1

It's still hard to believe that Elvis Presley would be 77 this year. January 8th to be exact. It seems like yesterday that he passed, and I guess it's something I'll never get over. To non-Elvis fans, I suppose that sounds dramatic, but for us folks that have loved Elvis their whole lives, it's like losing a family member, at least that's how it was for me.

If you've read any of my postings in the past, you may remember me talking about my brother, Pierre Adidge, along with his studio Cinema Associates, produced and directed Elvis' last movie/documentary, "Elvis on Tour". The movie won a Golden Globe award in 1973. Out of Elvis' 33 movies, this was THE only one that ever won any kind of award, let alone recognition, and it was also the only one that Elvis was happy about doing, and was proud of. After Pierre passed away in 1974, my father had the Globe and then once my Dad passed in 1990, through the estate of our family trust, it was passed down to me.

Something happened to me this past January that I swear, if I died tomorrow, I can honestly say that I'd die THE happiest and luckiest person in the world! I was invited by Elvis Presley Enterprises/Graceland to be a part of Elvis Presley's world; Graceland, representing my brother at Graceland's celebration not only for Elvis' birthday, but for the 40th Anniversary of Elvis on Tour!

Now how this came about, well I can only say that I feel someone, or someones, had a hand in this. I say that because one night I had been praying as I usually do, but that night I said a special prayer and was talking to my brother Pierre in heaven, cause that's where I believe we're all going, and I also talked to Elvis. I said that I hoped both our families were together and that you and Pierre were hanging out, and that one day I hoped I'd be with you also and we'd sing together, even though I sing pitifully bad, but all the same I'd still want to sing with you, and I told Elvis how he had no idea the influence and impact he'd had on my life, and my family's life, and so it went. Well....the next day when I checked my email, there was an email from Graceland about this exhibit they were planning in honor of the 40th anniversary of Pierre's movie, Elvis on Tour and if I'd be interested in loaning them the Golden Globe which would be the featured item and that I'd be a guest of Graceland! Immediately upon reading this, I cried. I knew this was no coincidence. I truly feel in my heart and soul that both Pierre and Elvis had a hand in this, to really bring me into Elvis' life, as close as I could be anyway, while he was in heaven and I was here on earth. It was beyond anything I could ever imagine happening to me.

So Elvis Presley Enterprises (EPE) flew me to Memphis. I was met at the airport by Tennessee Limo and they drove me to the Marriott where I was greeted with an envelope with Graceland's logo. Inside was a welcome letter and my itinerary and passes to everything I wanted to attend. I swore I was dreaming! That night I laid in bed still in total shock and disbelief that I was really in Memphis and a guest of Elvis Presley!!!

Me in the back of the limo en route to Graceland!!! I'm dreaming...

The next morning, the limo came and picked me up and took me to Elvis' offices on Elvis Presley Blvd., next to Graceland. I went in and of course took a picture, and introduced myself.

The receptionist called over to the exhibit and DeeDee, the assistant archivist came and got me and brought me across the street over to where they were just finishing up the exhibit. EPE (specifically Angie) had put together a beautiful exhibit honoring the film which included artifacts from the movie. Several jumpsuits worn during filming, the purple suede suit he wore getting onto the plane, a beautiful red velvet cape, a very sexy white/green shirt, the key to the City from the Governor of Virginia, clippings from Colonel Parker's scrapbook, and the crown jewel of the exhibit: the Golden Globe. It was displayed on a 3' tall candy apple red, twist pedestal in the middle of the room. Angie Marchese, the head of archives for EPE let me place the Globe on its base, and when I did, it was as if it was meant to be there all these years. It was like someone turned on a switch; it just glowed. To me it felt like I had brought it home.

The Globe at home on the display - Beautiful!



Kevin Kern, Media for EPE, me, and Angie Marchese, Graceland's Archive-extraordinaire

After the Globe was placed, the rest of my trip was a whirlwind of events and dream-come-trues for this lifetime Elvis girl. Angie asked if I'd like to do some "media" and then Kevin Kern, the head of publicity for Graceland came in and then all sorts of news teams with cameras and lights. Robert, the Graceland photographer took a zillion pictures of me, and then Devin, Gracelands A/V guy recorded me as Angie asked questions about my life with Elvis, Pierre, etc. Then the news teams interviewed me several times asking about what it meant to bring the Globe for the exhibit and if my brother would be proud, which of course he would! and what the exhibit meant to me. I can only tell you that it was the proudest moment of my life, representing my brother and his accomplishment and knowing how much the fans loved his movie. I knew Elvis and Pierre were both watching from above.



Me doing some interviews with I think that was FOX news - talking about the Globe, Pierre, EOT, etc..

Next, I got to interview in the booth with Argo Memphis who hosts the XM Sirius Elvis Radio show which is broadcast live from Graceland. It is so fun to sit in the chair with a mike in front of you and chat! And Argo is so nice. He was talking to both Angie and me about the Elvis on Tour exhibit and upcoming exhibits.
 

In the Sirius radio booth with Angie and Argo - all Elvis all the time!

Once the radio interview was done, Angie's assistant, Dee Dee took me over to Graceland for a behind the scenes visit with Aleene, the barn manager at Graceland and who takes amazing care of Elvis' horses and who was actually excited to meet ME because I too had horses and loved them. She introduced me to all the lucky horses who now reside there; Max, Tucker, Bandit, and my personal favorite; Candy. They are all rescued horses with the exception of Candy. Each horse was immaculate, brushed and groomed so their coats were gleaming, and each one wears a leather bridle with a brass name tag inscribed with "Graceland" and the horses name. Their blankets too are embroidered with Graceland on them. These once neglected horses are in magnificent health now thankgs to Graceland. Priscilla keeps horses their because she wants to keep it as Elvis left it with the barn and the horses that he so loved. I saw where Elvis wrote names on the wall in red marker whose bridles hung where, and I got to hang out in the barn's "kitchen" area, where Priscilla hangs out and eats peanut butter stuffed pretzels as she chats with Aleene. I spent several hours at the barn, took pictures, groomed the horses, let them out into their paddocks, and just got to enjoy the beauty of the pastoral setting at Graceland. And I swear, any second it felt like Elvis was going to just walk right into that barn!



E on his favorite Tennessee Walking horse, "Bear" at Graceland



Me and Candy, a rescued TWH at Graceland

 

The beautiful pastures at Graceland, throught the back gates

Me and Aleene with one of the rescued horses, I think this is Max

After that, Dee Dee took me over to the mansion and I got a private guided tour. She actually used to be a tour guide for many years before she moved over to the Archive department, so she knew every single fact you could ever know! We took all sorts of pictures, and I had a blast with her!


DeeDee and Me on the porch at Graceland

Once all the "touring" was over, we met Angie back over at Graceland Crossing which is across the street from the mansion and it's where Elvis' car collection, airplane, and other exhibits are, and we headed over to Marlowe's for some Southern food.

To be continued.....

Elvis - You ARE Always on My Mind

I love Elvis! I've been a die-hard fan since I was a kid and proud of it! So every year about this time, I remember his very untimely passing....sigh.... it was one of the saddest days of my life. I know, that probably sounds dramatic given all the other important things going on in the world, but it was a personal tragedy for me.

My brother Pierre was very good friends with Elvis. They became close as my brother produced and directed "Elvis on Tour", Elvis' last full length feature film. This movie became an icon portraying the real life of Elvis on the road and personally. So many people of all ages have written to me about how this movie influenced their love of this unbelievably talented man.

When my brother passed away in 1974 (that's him above in the middle) from many long standing health issues, Elvis sent a huge bouquet to the funeral and most all his "Memphis Mafia" - Joe Esposito, Jerry Schilling, Red West, Sonny West attended his funeral to pay tribute to my brother on behalf of Elvis. They were all great guys. The pics above were the movie poster from Elvis on Tour and the black and white photo is from the November 1972 issue of RollingStone magazine with an article about the movie.

I remember Elvis calling our house at all hours to talk to Pierre. Joe Esposito would place the call and then Elvis would get on the line after Pierre answered. Wow! You have no idea how tempted I was to pick up the phone but I never did. At other times, Pierre would casually tell my dad, "I'm going to Elvis house'", and drive off. How cool is that!?

There's been so much garbage written about Elvis and his supposed drug use and his lifestyle, etc. The public too has passed judgement as if they knew him. I don't listen cause I do know the truth, and he was just a great man. Period.

What matters most is the gift that this man gave to the world. He was cool before it was hip to be cool! He was a trendsetter. He broke racial barriers. I know for me I would never have given gospel music a listen if it wasn't for Elvis. I wouldn't have known talents like J.D. Sumner or Donnie Sumner or The Sweet Inspirations or The Blackwoods, etc... He was also a philanthropist and his charities still continue to this day helping the poor, children, and so many more worthwhile organizations.

It's "Elvis Week" now in Memphis and at Graceland right now. If you're an Elvis fan, I urge you to pay a visit during this time of year. The outpouring of love from visitors to Graceland is amazing! They come from all over the world 33 years later to pay homage. I've been and seen it. Yes Elvis, you are Always on My Mind!