June 7: On This Day in World History … briefly
Those who make the pilgrimage to Graceland honour the memory of a legend - a man who became one of the icons of the 20th century.
1982: The ‘King’s palace’ opens up to the public
The palatial mansion known as Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee, – home of rock superstar Elvis Presley, who died on August 16, 1977, opened its doors to the public for the first time.
Thousands of adoring fans had the chance to finally see where their idol lived. After his first hit of 1956 ‘Heartbreak Hotel’, Elvis dominated the pop music charts, having at least one, if not two, releases in the Top Ten for the next 16 months.
His gyrations during performances drove teenage audiences wild and earned him the nickname ‘Elvis the Pelvis’, but critics saw them, and his music, as signs of moral decline.
With his blend of white country and western and black rhythm and blues, Elvis was one of the key figures in the development of rock n roll.
Most notable historic snippets or facts extracted from the book ‘On This Day’ first published in 1992 by Octopus Publishing Group Ltd, London, as well as additional supplementary information extracted from Wikipedia.
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