UPSTAIRS AT GRACELAND MANSION
by eddie on Mar.06, 2009, under E
As an Elvis Tribute Artist, folks are inclined to ask me all sorts of
odd things related to the “King”. A persistent question is; “why can’t
we go upstairs at Graceland”? Some fans feel it’s their divine right and
how dare the estate prevent them from entering those private quarters!
Elvis took great pride in his ownership of the mansion and was always
inviting folks to “come up and see the house”. Today, what you see on
the official tour is pretty much the part of his home he would show to
visitors. The rest was OFF-LIMITS! It’s unfortunate, but we live in a
society where EVERYONE thinks they should know EVERYTHING about EVERYONE!!
Beyond the opening of Graceland as a museum in 1982, various family
members continued to reside within its’ walls. It was not uncommon,
during the tour, to smell a roast in the kitchen or hear a dog bark. It
was that home-like aspect that left you with the feeling that Elvis
might walk into the room at any moment. Priscilla and Lisa Marie
continue to share traditional “southern” dinners, with family and
friends, in the formal dining room, whenever they’re in Memphis. Going
through Graceland has always been more like being invited to a friends
home, rather than a history lesson.
I can only imagine what a difficult choice it must have been for the
Presley family to open Elvis’ home to the public. But, the rising cost
of maintaining the property left them with no other recourse. For those
who are interested; there are sites on the internet that offer a glimpse
of the upstairs rooms. While most of the photos are authentic, some pics
are misleading showing rooms from a home used for the 1988 docudrama
“Elvis and Me”. In the opening credits of the motion picture “This Is
Elvis”, you can view Graceland as it appeared in 1977. These sources
should be more than enough for the curious!
I respect the privacy of the Presley family and I’m sure the majority of
Elvis fans feel the same. Keep upstairs at Graceland off the tour and
leave it to the memories of those who called it home.
March 21st, 2009 on 12:06 am
I couldn’t agree more. We live in a world where every last word, outfit and chunk of cellulite belonging to a celebrity is photographed, YouTubed and Tweeted. I’d like to know what loser officially decided that instead of having lives we should all want to spend our days studying others’ on blogs and in glossy magazines.
That said… if I were, you know… invited to see the upstairs at Graceland, I’d gladly give my left ovary for the privilege.
March 28th, 2009 on 2:24 am
I too agree,I think peoples lives are private regardless of whether you are a celebrity or just a plain everyday working person. We strive to keep our lives as much ours as we can. Elvis was an awesome man with an amazing gift, but in that ,he was still just a man, with feelings and a personal life.His family and himself deserve respect from the fans. Some things are just off limits.It is an honor and a privilege to be able to view the wonderful aspects of his life,while still not knowing the REST OF THE STORY. That’s why it’s called a PERSONAL life.