Graceland, Home Of Elvis Presley, Needs Your Help

Graceland, home of Elvis Presley, needs your help.  Randy McNally and USA Today are looking for the best places to visit in America.  The famous home of the king of Rock n Roll has been nominated for 'Best Landmark'.

Graceland is the second most visited home in America (600,000 visitors per year), second only to the White House.  A vote for Graceland would announce to the world, you are a proud American.  Elvis Presley epitomized the 'American Dream'.  A poor country boy from Mississippi who rose to the top of stardom never forgetting his humble roots.  No one was more proud to be an American than Elvis Presley.  A testament to this was his unannounced visit to the White House to see President Nixon.  By the way, the now infamous picture of Presley and Nixon is one of the top requested photos from the archives in Washington still to this day.

Graceland was listed in the National Register of Historic Places on November 7, 1991 and declared a National Historic Landmark on March 27, 2006.  Graceland was originally land used for farming by S.C. Toof, founder of S.C. Toof & Co., a commercial printing firm in Memphis.  The grounds were named after Toof's daughter, Grace, who inherited the farm. Soon after, the portion of the land called Graceland was given to her niece and nephew.  It was Grace Toof's niece, Ruth Moore, who, in 1939 together with her husband Dr. Thomas Moore, built the home and called it 'Graceland'.

In early 1957, Presley gave his parents a $100,000 budget, and asked them to find a 'farmhouse' type property to purchase.  He wanted a place that would make his Mother happy but yet provide enough space to accommodate his own lifestyle.  Elvis lived there until his death in his upstairs bathroom in 1977.

Vernon Presley and Priscilla Presley ran into financial problems after Elvis's death in '77 and almost lost the mansion to the city.  It was Priscilla's decision to open it to the public in 1982.

Elvis' last album 'Moody Blue' was record in the now infamous Jungle Room.  However, when Elvis was alive it was never known as the Jungle Room.  They simply called it the den.

My office at 99.9 KTDY FM is nicknamed 'Graceland'

[Via:  Randy McNally, USA Today, Wikipedia]