Well… way back in my personal timeline. I was at the Adam’s Mark Hotel in Memphis having breakfast before my cousin’s wedding. The restaurant has a wall of glass that looks over a man made pond. As we sat there, a very tall well built man wearing what I call secret service earpiece came trotting through the restaurant and out the door toward the pond. Naturally this really caught my attention since my BA and MA are in Criminal Justice. The man did not walk out toward the three people in the midpoint of the edge of the pond feeding bread treats to the ducks that lived there. As a native of Tupelo, MS I was quite surprised when it took me so long to recognize Lisa Marie and her two children as those who were being protected - I wouldn’t even get up from my table. This was during the time she was married to Michael. They were not staying at the same hotel. Where he was staying in Memphis for the opening of the pyramid was a madhouse. And yet, I got to sit and watch a quite famous mom of two just spending time with them, her every gesture just like my own mom’s countless times at a restaurant in Tupelo that had a pond when I was a young child.
Over the weekend I never saw any of them again. But the picture image I have left is priceless.
But the burden of having multiple men with earpieces surrounding you and your very small toddlers 24/7? Those men were not in my line of sight, but I’m very certain exactly where they were standing-keeping watch. Y’all, there’s something so very wrong with this country- it’s not new, it’s been here so very long. Like I said, I’m a native of Tupelo MS. The phenomenon of E is mesmerizing- even to Michael.
And I’ll leave it to your imaginations to wonder just how not fun Busloads of tourists 10-12 buses at a time from every foreign country driving through town in ‘78 when E died. I have friends who are to this very day completely enchanted with a man who died while we were in high school. The number of tribute artists are infinite. And yet- not so much for Michael. At least not yet, maybe as time passes.
And yet, I own Lisa Marie’s albums, from the moment they were out for sale. I have never understood that one choice to marry Michael. It befuddles me, such a waste of time for her own music. My mother’s maid of honor can dial a number anywhere in the world at any time of day and her call will be answered by yet another E impersonator. It’s been like that for decades. I just don’t get it. When her husband died very early in the year? I couldn’t get through- a woman who has been in my life since before I was actually born, her firstborn just 3 weeks younger than me.
I realized some time ago that some people need to believe that someone is larger than life itself and that they are lucky to know them by their name.
Me? I’m just grateful that my wife stands by my side and has done so for more than 32 years. Up,down, sideways- no matter. Grateful and very very lucky.
That is so cool you saw Lisa Marie Presley with Reilly and Ben (RIP). I think she held off on her singing-songwriting career because she was such a good mother. Her children were her priority. My favorite song of hers is "Indifferent." I always liked her voice and songs.
She saw parallels between her father and MJ. There are loads of MJ impersonators, but I don't think they have reached the heights of Elvis impersonators yet. I do agree with you.
I still can't believe Lisa Marie Presley has passed away. That's so tragic. Both LMP and MJ are tragic figures. So sad. But they have left behind wonderful music. I hope LMP receives a new audience from Gen Z. and Gen Alpha.
That’s from the first album. I think of her as having had more courage than I’d known any one human to have when I bought that album and played it twice through. Despite who her father was- she followed that dream. Two albums, then a decade until the next. You nailed it- she put her children first- something she herself deserved.
However, had not Priscilla stepped in and wrestled control of Graceland and all the music rights away from the Colonel and E’s father- there would literally be nothing left of Graceland for the loyalists to visit. And. It’s not well known, but early in his career he gave $$ to Tupelo to preserve the birthplace , etc etc. the money disappeared. The building is not original to the family, but since they all looked the same and had the same blueprints- we are supposed to just play along. That’s why E rarely returned to his hometown.
And I wish I had a late ‘70s brochure for Tupelo with photographs taken by my boss. He used me, my Mom, his son, his son’s friends as subjects! I tell you it’s a hoot whenever I run across one of those old pictures. I was 17 at the time, and that photo brochure created the very first time I had gone out to see the “birthplace”.
Well… way back in my personal timeline. I was at the Adam’s Mark Hotel in Memphis having breakfast before my cousin’s wedding. The restaurant has a wall of glass that looks over a man made pond. As we sat there, a very tall well built man wearing what I call secret service earpiece came trotting through the restaurant and out the door toward the pond. Naturally this really caught my attention since my BA and MA are in Criminal Justice. The man did not walk out toward the three people in the midpoint of the edge of the pond feeding bread treats to the ducks that lived there. As a native of Tupelo, MS I was quite surprised when it took me so long to recognize Lisa Marie and her two children as those who were being protected - I wouldn’t even get up from my table. This was during the time she was married to Michael. They were not staying at the same hotel. Where he was staying in Memphis for the opening of the pyramid was a madhouse. And yet, I got to sit and watch a quite famous mom of two just spending time with them, her every gesture just like my own mom’s countless times at a restaurant in Tupelo that had a pond when I was a young child.
Over the weekend I never saw any of them again. But the picture image I have left is priceless.
But the burden of having multiple men with earpieces surrounding you and your very small toddlers 24/7? Those men were not in my line of sight, but I’m very certain exactly where they were standing-keeping watch. Y’all, there’s something so very wrong with this country- it’s not new, it’s been here so very long. Like I said, I’m a native of Tupelo MS. The phenomenon of E is mesmerizing- even to Michael.
And I’ll leave it to your imaginations to wonder just how not fun Busloads of tourists 10-12 buses at a time from every foreign country driving through town in ‘78 when E died. I have friends who are to this very day completely enchanted with a man who died while we were in high school. The number of tribute artists are infinite. And yet- not so much for Michael. At least not yet, maybe as time passes.
And yet, I own Lisa Marie’s albums, from the moment they were out for sale. I have never understood that one choice to marry Michael. It befuddles me, such a waste of time for her own music. My mother’s maid of honor can dial a number anywhere in the world at any time of day and her call will be answered by yet another E impersonator. It’s been like that for decades. I just don’t get it. When her husband died very early in the year? I couldn’t get through- a woman who has been in my life since before I was actually born, her firstborn just 3 weeks younger than me.
I realized some time ago that some people need to believe that someone is larger than life itself and that they are lucky to know them by their name.
Me? I’m just grateful that my wife stands by my side and has done so for more than 32 years. Up,down, sideways- no matter. Grateful and very very lucky.
That is so cool you saw Lisa Marie Presley with Reilly and Ben (RIP). I think she held off on her singing-songwriting career because she was such a good mother. Her children were her priority. My favorite song of hers is "Indifferent." I always liked her voice and songs.
She saw parallels between her father and MJ. There are loads of MJ impersonators, but I don't think they have reached the heights of Elvis impersonators yet. I do agree with you.
I still can't believe Lisa Marie Presley has passed away. That's so tragic. Both LMP and MJ are tragic figures. So sad. But they have left behind wonderful music. I hope LMP receives a new audience from Gen Z. and Gen Alpha.
That’s from the first album. I think of her as having had more courage than I’d known any one human to have when I bought that album and played it twice through. Despite who her father was- she followed that dream. Two albums, then a decade until the next. You nailed it- she put her children first- something she herself deserved.
However, had not Priscilla stepped in and wrestled control of Graceland and all the music rights away from the Colonel and E’s father- there would literally be nothing left of Graceland for the loyalists to visit. And. It’s not well known, but early in his career he gave $$ to Tupelo to preserve the birthplace , etc etc. the money disappeared. The building is not original to the family, but since they all looked the same and had the same blueprints- we are supposed to just play along. That’s why E rarely returned to his hometown.
And I wish I had a late ‘70s brochure for Tupelo with photographs taken by my boss. He used me, my Mom, his son, his son’s friends as subjects! I tell you it’s a hoot whenever I run across one of those old pictures. I was 17 at the time, and that photo brochure created the very first time I had gone out to see the “birthplace”.