Blog 9 - Rocking in Memphis

Left Doug behind in Atlanta (sob) and flew to Memphis with June and Keith yesterday, booking into our upgraded suites at the Heartbreak Hotel - oh yeah! yesterday also saw our first really serious rain here and I had arrived with hand luggage containing a few T-shirts, a pair of shorts, flip flops and a pair of jeans! Soon rugged up in a nice plastic poncho fromThe Hard Rock Cafe!!! Visited the Sun Studios where people like Sam Cooke, BB King,
Howlin Wolf and Johnny Cash recorded, and of course Elvis. Pretty run down, packed with people but very interesting all the same.

Today we went to Gracelands, I can see it from my hotel window. Straight to the front of the queue with our VIP passes (curtesy of June and Keith as a late birthday pressy, thanks guys) Oh, am I starting to sound a bit American?
I am not an Elvis fan in any way (far too young I tell myself) but it was an interesting experience all the same. I have never seen so many serious fans, in all shapes and sizes and from all parts of the world and there is no doubt that he sold millions and millions of records, can't believe he has been dead 35 years. Someone today is still making millions cos these people are buying everything with Elvis on, and I mean there is everything you can think of with an Elvis logo on. Jamie and Shaun have had an narrow escape from Elvis boxers, socks, gold lame trousers,wigs, sunnies, all so tacky it's unbelievable. I managed a tasteful bar of Elvis chocolate, an Elvis shot glass and a couple of Elvis golf balls - not bad eh - Doug will be relieved?






Gracelands, not a very big house all things considered, oh and June posing!


THE pink Cadillac




tomorrow we are off to the Stax Museum of American Soul Music and a bit of culture and history at the National Civil Rights Museum located at the Lorraine Motel where Martin Luther King was assinated