This month we celebrated the life and remembered the death of one of the biggest names in the world of entertainment. Even though he has been dead for 49 years now, his music still lives on and to a much lesser degree, so do his movies. Elvis Presley is said to be one of the most culturally significant figures of the 20th century. His life was a true rags-to-riches story.
Tragically, Elvis died on Aug. 16, 1977. The anniversary of his passing has become known around Memphis as “Dead Elvis Week.” Almost a half century after his death, fans still flock to Memphis from all over to world during the middle week in August. Candlelight vigils are held each night in front of his Graceland Mansion, which has become almost as well know as he was. They come to mourn and remember. Some come dressed in black and weep as if he has just died. They sing his songs. When I lived in the Memphis area, I never attended any of the Graceland gatherings during those weeks. I did, however, drive by some years just to witness the unusual crowds who gathered there.
I never met Elvis. I never even attended one of his concerts or heard him sing in person. I did own several of his records when I was growing up. I didn’t know Elvis, but I did know several people who knew him well and shared their stories with me.
Graceland Baptist Church was located on E. Raines Road in the Whitehaven community of Memphis. That area is now often called the Graceland community. The church was founded there in 1955 and Elvis moved into Graceland in 1957. Dr. Lowell Adams was the founding pastor of Graceland Baptist Church. When Elvis’ mother died in 1958, Dr. Adams was called to come to the Graceland Mansion to console the deeply distraught Elvis.
In the mid-1990s, the church relocated to Southaven (MS), and merged with Summerwood Baptist Church to form Gracewood. Dr. Adams became pastor emeritus at Gracewood and in 1998 I became the senior pastor there. Of course, Elvis was long gone by then, but many of our members had known him. Ms. Dean Phillips was a faithful member of our church and quite a piano player herself. She not only knew Elvis, but she was also the sister-in-law of Sam Phillips, who first recorded Elvis at Sun Studio. Ms. Dean also worked at Sun Studio.
Sam Phillips attended our church on a few occasions while I was there. Yes, I shamelessly have his autograph. I also had the privilege of getting to know Red West quite well; well, at least one of them. There were two and both of them were part of Elvis’ entourage. They were brothers and both were nicknamed Red.
The one I knew, along with his wife, joined Gracewood church while I served there. After Hurricane Katrina destroyed the Mississippi Gulf Coast, Red drove his travel home and a team of cleanup volunteers to help with the work there several times. I had plenty of time on those trips to pick his brain about Elvis.
I never knew Elvis Presley personally, but because of my close connection with so many who did, it seems almost as if I did. Elvis was a character who seems larger than life itself; however, in the end he was just like all of us. Even as talented, famous and wealthy as he was, he was human. He lived large, but unfortunately, he died and much too young. Honestly, it makes me a little sad. Oh, the people we’ve met and the ones we didn’t…but came close.
Bill King can be reached at bkpreach@yahoo.com.
