Elvis Tribute Artist Eddie O'Rourke presents A Tribute to The King

Christmas has always been my favorite time of year. I can recall when I was a child how I hated when the decorations came down. I vowed I would make the holiday season last, once I was in control.

Welcome to my home "Gracenote"...all dressed up for Christmas.

Elvis was also into the Christmas Season. At “Graceland” the decorations were up for Thanksgiving and were kept in place until Elvis’ birthday, January 8th.

The entrance hall; dining room on the left, living and music rooms to the right.

For his first Christmas at Graceland, Elvis had a local Memphis, sign maker construct a huge Santa and eight reindeer with a message that read: “MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL, ELVIS.”            A copy of that display is still placed on the front lawn, as part of the mansion’s holiday decorations. The original Santa and reindeer are tucked away for safe keeping. Also, the driveway, from the music gates to the main house, continues to be outlined in blue lights every Christmas

View from the dining room, past the entrance hall to the living and music rooms. Elvis tree of white and red in the center.

These days at my home, “Gracenote”, the decorations start going up right after Halloween and remain in place until the end of January. I mostly decorate with trees of various sizes and each one has a theme. My favorite tree has a very traditional look, decorated with collectible glass ornaments…a number of which date back to my childhood.

The "Circle E Ranch " room and the tree decorated with old glass ornaments.

Flanking the archway to the living room are two white trees; one decorated in blue, highlighted with a tiny pair of blue suede shoes in honor of Carl Perkins. The other in red has an Elvis theme

There’s a tree in the living     room that’s royal blue and gold…the colors for all the formal rooms at Graceland. In the dining room are three trees; a tiny one with Lenox ornaments, a mid-size that has a Victorian look, and the largest tree containing ornaments collected from my travels on the road.

The house was built in 1870 and this is the original staircase. The Carl Perkins tree, complete with "Blue Suede Shoes", is at the right.

As a nod to Elvis and Graceland Mansion, the exterior of  “Gracenote” is bathed in blue spotlights from Thanksgiving until Elvis’ birthday.

A large tree in the dining room contains ornaments I've collected while on the road

Back inside, I have a few additional themes in mind….I JUST MIGHT BE ADDING A FEW MORE TREES!

Here, in the living room, with the blue & gold tree...I've traded my Elvis jumpsuit for Santa attire. MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL from EDDIE O'ROURKE's "GRACENOTE"...the real "GRACELAND" replica!

GRACENOTE...Very early morning, the snow storm of December '09

FOR MORE PHOTOS AND INFORMATION ABOUT EDDIE O’ROURKE’s GRACENOTE, GO TO THE DECEMBER ’08 ARCHIVE ON THIS BLOG