JANUARY 08, 2015This morning's Elvis Birthday Proclamation Ceremony included a visit from the Presley family, birthday cake and the proclamation of Elvis Presley Day in Memphis and Shelby County.
Fans from all over the world enjoyed the ceremony, despite the frigid temperatures, and afterward fans chatted with Lisa Marie Presley and snapped selfies with her. Priscilla Presley thanked fans for their support, and she and Lisa cut the cake. The cake featured eight layers, one layer for each decade of Elvis' legacy, and was topped off with a gold crown.
Watch the Birthday Proclamation Ceremony below, and stay tuned to Graceland's Livestream page for the second Auction at Graceland, which will go live at 6:50 p.m. CST tonight.
Two of Elvis' studio musicians, David Briggs and Norbert Putnam, will help kick off the birthday celebration with the Official Graceland Insiders Reception on Wednesday, January 7. Priscilla Presley will join fans on the north lawn of Graceland on January 8 with the Elvis Birthday Proclamation Ceremony. Putnam and Briggs will speak at Conversations on Elvis, along with karate champ and Elvis' friend Bill "Superfoot" Wallace and Elvis biographer Peter Guralnick. Dixie Locke Emmons, who dated Elvis as his career was taking off, will speak at the Fan Club Presidents' Event on Friday, January 9, along with two of Elvis' childhood friends from Tupelo, Sam Bell and Guy Harris.
info provided by http://www.graceland.com/news/details/more-special-guests-announced-for-birthday-celebration/7604/
Graceland.com
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7 Official Graceland Insiders Reception and Graceland Tour 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. Graceland. A special birthday event reserved exclusively for members of the Official Graceland Insiders. The event includes a private evening tour of Graceland Mansion decorated for the holidays plus a reception across the street in Graceland Plaza. The reception will be a progressive event moving about the plaza area and will include Elvis' airplanes, the Elvis Presley Automobile Museum, Sincerely Elvis and the Elvis in Tupelo Exhibit. Complimentary hors d'oeuvres and cash bars will be available. The special evening tour of Graceland Mansion will include the iPad tour, Elvis Christmas music playing throughout the mansion grounds and a special presentation in our new Graceland Archives Studio. Special guests include Elvis' studio musicians, Norbert Putnam and David Briggs. Insiders may purchase only three additional guest tickets in addition to their own. Membership card will be required when picking up tickets. Parking in the main Graceland parking lot is free beginning at 4:30 p.m. Tickets are $49.00 for adults; $26.00 for children 7-12; children 6 and under are free. Click here to buy tickets online or call Graceland Reservations at 800-238-2000 or 901-332-3322.
Please note that tickets for this event are limited and may not be available at the door of the event.
D&N's and Elvis Meetup's Gospel Tribute to Elvis 11:59 p.m. Front of Graceland Gates. D&N's Elvis Presley Fan Club and the Elvis Meetup Fan Club invite fans to join their annual tradition. Meet at the gates of Graceland on Elvis' birthday as they join fans from across the globe singing familiar gospel songs and, of course, "Happy Birthday to Elvis."
THURSDAY, JANUARY 8 Elvis Birthday Proclamation Ceremony 9:30 a.m. Graceland's North Lawn. Free admission. Enjoy a ceremony with Priscilla Presley, Graceland/EPE officials, a birthday cake cutting and a proclamation of Elvis Presley Day by Memphis and Shelby County officials. Fans who are unable to attend can watch the ceremony live via Elvis Presley's Graceland LiveStream.
Birthday Cake & Coffee 10:30 a.m. Chrome Grille, Graceland Plaza. Complimentary birthday cake and coffee served at the Chrome Grille restaurant across the street from the mansion following the ceremony. Free to all who attend.
Conversations on Elvis 1:00 p.m. Holiday Inn Memphis Airport Hotel and Conference Center, 2240 Democrat Road, Memphis. Hear from those who worked closest with the king – from friends, colleagues, co-stars, musicians and more. Karate champion Bill "Superfoot" Wallace, a friend of Elvis', and Peter Guralnick, who has written an award-winning, two-volume Elvis biography, will speak. They'll be joined by two of Elvis' studio musicians, David Briggs and Norbert Putnam. DJ Argo from Elvis Radio on Sirius XM will host the event. Tickets are $20. Click here to buy tickets online or call Graceland Reservations at 800-238-2000 or 901-332-3322.
The Auction at Graceland presented by Graceland Authenticated 7:00 p.m. Graceland Archive Studio. Following the highly successful Auction at Graceland during Elvis Week 2014, music fans and pop culture collectors from around the world will once again have the opportunity to own a piece of history. All 68 of the genuine Elvis artifacts from third-party collectors offered in the auction have been thoroughly researched and evaluated by Graceland Authenticated, which sets a new standard for pop culture authentication to ensure pop culture artifact accuracy. Visit Graceland.com/Auction for more information.
Elvis Birthday Dance Party 8:00 p.m. - 12:00 a.m. Holiday Inn Memphis Airport Hotel and Conference Center, 2240 Democrat Road, Memphis. Come hang out and enjoy a private party with your fellow Elvis fans as DJ Argo from Elvis Radio on Sirius XM spins Elvis records for your listening and dancing pleasure. Tickets are $25. Click here to buy tickets online or call Graceland Reservations at 800-238-2000 or 901-332-3322.
FRIDAY, JANUARY 9 Fan Club Presidents’ Event 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Holiday Inn Memphis Airport Hotel and Conference Center, 2240 Democrat Road, Memphis. Elvis fans are invited to celebrate the work of Elvis Presley fan clubs during this special event. Special guests include Elvis' childhood friends Sam Bell and Guy Harris from Tupelo, as well as Dixie Locke Emmons, Elvis' girlfriend from his early career. Fan club presidents will get an invite to the event directly from Graceland to register to attend. Other guests may purchase tickets for $15. Click here to buy tickets online or call Graceland Reservations at 800-238-2000 or 901-332-3322.
An Evening with Elvis
Double Feature Screening of Jailhouse Rock and Viva Las Vegas 7:00 p.m. Orpheum Theatre, downtown Memphis. Celebrate Elvis’ birthday with a special double feature at the historic Orpheum Theatre in downtown Memphis. See Elvis bigger than life on the big screen in two of his fan favorite feature films – “Jailhouse Rock” and “Viva Las Vegas.” Sing, dance and enjoy Elvis in some of his best roles. Ticket includes both films that will be shown back-to-back with a brief intermission. Tickets are $20. Click here to buy tickets online through Ticketmaster.com - or you can buy over the phone by calling Ticketmaster at 800-745-3000 or in-person at any Ticketmaster outlet or at the Orpheum box office.
SATURDAY, JANUARY 10 Hound Dog Tour: A Musical City Tour Celebrating Elvis by Backbeat Tours 1:00 p.m. Departs from Backbeat Tours ticket window at BB King's Blues Club, 143 Beale Street. Join Backbeat Tours for an Elvis tribute tour with a twist! As unique as the man himself, the Hound Dog tour takes a one-of-a-kind approach to sharing Elvis' legacy in a high-energy concert and sightseeing tour all rolled into one. Hear all your favorite Elvis hits performed live on Memphis' only music bus while seeing where he grew up, where he went to school, where he worked and where he dreamed, as well as sites important to his early career. This special 90-minute tour also includes an optional visit inside the Presley family apartment at Lauderdale Courts - second only to Graceland, the Memphis home where Elvis lived the longest. Meticulously restored to its 1950s appearance, a visit to Apartment 328 of the Courts is like taking a step back in time, offering an unparalleled glimpse into the lives of Vernon, Gladys and young Elvis (if you choose to visit Lauderdale Courts, the tour will last approximately 2.5 hours). See exciting Elvis sites such as Sun Studio, Lauderdale Courts apartment, Elvis' high school, Overton Park Shell, Lansky Bros. clothing store, Memphian Theater and the Chisca Hotel, home of the WHBQ radio station. Come celebrate the man behind the legend: whether you're a longtime fan or a new admirer, we guarantee fun for all! 90-minute tour is $28/adults, $26/seniors, $16/child (7-12). The 2.5 hour tour with Lauderdale Courts is $47/adults, $45/seniors, $32/child (7-12). 10% discount for Insiders. For tickets, call Backbeat Tours at (901) 527-9415.
Tribute to Elvis: Birthday Celebration 7:30 p.m. Cannon Center for the Performing Arts, downtown Memphis. Hold on to your Blue Suede shoes for a thrilling evening of music celebrating the birthday of one of the greatest musical icons - Elvis Presley. The Memphis Symphony Orchestra will perform chart-topping hits that remind you why Elvis is and always will be the King of Rock 'n' Roll. Concert event featuring fan-favorite Terry Mike Jeffrey with conductor Jeff Reed. Tickets on sale through the Memphis Symphony Orchestra by calling 901-537-2500 or by visiting Memphis Symphony.org.
ADDITIONAL & MULTIPLE DAY EVENTS Graceland Tours Tours of Graceland Mansion, the Elvis Presley Automobile Museum, Elvis' custom jets, the Elvis in Vegas Exhibit and the Elvis’ Hawaii Exhibit available daily. Visit the Graceland tickets page for prices and details. Graceland Mansion will be decorated for the holidays indoors and out through January 9.
Free Walk-Up Times for Meditation Garden Daily throughout the year there is a period of time for free-admission walk-up visits to the Meditation Garden at Graceland, where the gravesites of Elvis and members of his family are located. Then the area becomes part of the regular ticketed Graceland Mansion tours for the rest of the day. The winter hours for free walk-up visits are 7:30 a.m. - 8:30 a.m. daily. During the Elvis' Birthday Celebration, there will also be nightly walk-ups from 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. on January 8, 9 and 10.
Elvis Bingo January 7 and 10. 11:00 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 2:00 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. Elvis Presley's Heartbreak Hotel. Pick up tickets in hotel lobby 30 minutes before each game (no children under 12 will be admitted). Free.
Lowell Hays Trunk Show January 8: 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 pm. January 9: 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. Gallery Elvis, Graceland Plaza. Meet jeweler Lowell Hays, the creator of Elvis’ famous TCB ring. View both his fine and fashion jewelry lines featuring items made from the original molds of Elvis’ jewelry. Free.
Graceland Stable Tours January 9 and 10. Daily tour times: 11:00 a.m., 12:00 p.m., 1:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. Tour the stables at Graceland! Artifacts on display as part of the Elvis Presley Stable Tour include saddles used by Elvis and his entourage, personal western wear worn by Elvis, checks and documents related to the purchase of some of Elvis’ horses, and home movie footage of Elvis on horseback at Graceland. Cost is $20. Dates/times are subject to weather conditions, safety issues and availability. Tickets may be purchased at the Graceland Ticket Pavilion on day of the tour.
The Guest House at Graceland Showroom Open daily. 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Graceland Crossing. Visit The Guest House at Graceland Showroom to find out more about this unique hotel, inspired by the same warm hospitality that Elvis always showed his guests, that will be opening in late 2015. Also, while at the Showroom, find out more about how to become part of The Founders, a membership opportunity that provides a range of VIP privileges, including special access to the Graceland mansion and grounds, exclusive invitations to events and receptions and priority room and dining reservations.
Meet ‘n’ Greet with Betty Harper January 7-9, Noon-5 p.m. Elvis Presley’s Heartbreak Hotel. Meet artist Betty Harper and see her latest Elvis artwork. Her more than 10,000 drawings of Elvis illustrate the personal side of Elvis. Free.
http://www.graceland.com/events/birthday.aspx