Somehow, the anniversary of Elvis Presley’s death gets more attention than that of his birth. That’s partly because he happened to be born in the middle of winter, while his death in August 1977 was in the heart of the tourist season.
Still, there are plenty of music aficionados who recognize his birthday every January 8th. Indeed, one can even view a timeline of how the King spent his birthday each year from 1955 to 1977. It’s impressive that on his 20th birthday, Elvis was in Shreveport, Louisiana, for his eighth appearance on the Louisiana Hayride. His third record on Sun Records, “Milkcow Blues Boogie” / “You’re a Heartbreaker,” had been released just 10 days earlier.
Of course, as keepers of the Elvis flame, the good folks at Elvis Presley’s Graceland have always honored the day handsomely. We have one such celebration, back in 1988, to thank for jump starting the definitive biography of Elvis by Peter Guralnick.
Yet this year’s celebrations at Graceland may be the biggest yet, and Priscilla Presley herself will appear here and there. Called ELVIS 45, in commemoration of the 45th anniversary of his passing in 1977, the programming will include special events, giveaways, new exhibit openings, and concerts at Graceland, not only from January 6th through 9th, but during the entire year.
In conjunction with the ongoing celebration, Graceland is offering the ELVIS 45: The Sapphire Collection, featuring a 2022 Graceland Annual Pass and a limited-edition collection of Elvis’ 45 RPM singles in a collectible case. Additionally, Elvis Presley’s Graceland in Memphis will be giving out 1,000 special Elvis 45s to visitors who tour on six select days in 2022. All records will feature an Elvis 45 custom jacket — and the record giveaways on three of the dates will be custom-pressings with a one-of-a-kind A/B side combination that is unavailable anywhere in the world. Visit Graceland.com/Elvis45 for details.
The birthday festivities begin on January 6th include the Elvis Birthday Bash at Elvis Presley’s Memphis and private evening tours of Graceland Mansion decorated for the holidays. The special evening tour of Graceland Mansion will include live tour guides inside Graceland and Elvis Christmas music playing throughout the rest of the mansion grounds. At Elvis Presley’s Memphis, attendees can attend self-guided tours of the exhibits and an Elvis dance party with SiriusXM’s Elvis Radio DJ Argo at Presley Motors, and photo ops, Elvis trivia, scavenger hunts, and more.
January 7th features an afternoon screening and sing-along with the film Viva Las Vegas, and a gospel dinner with Elvis gospel music by Terry Blackwood and The Imperials in the Guest House ballroom.
The celebration continues on January 8th — Elvis’ birthday. At 8:30 a.m., the annual Elvis Birthday Proclamation Ceremony will take place on Graceland’s north lawn. The special ceremony will feature Priscilla Presley, a birthday cake cutting, and proclamation of Elvis Presley Day by Memphis and Shelby County officials. Fans who are unable to attend can watch the ceremony online for free via Graceland’s Livestream page or at Elvis Presley’s Graceland Facebook page. The afternoon includes Conversations on Elvis in the Guest House theater with stories from those who knew the King of Rock-and-Roll best, including a special appearance by Priscilla Presley; Terry Blackwood, who performed with Elvis as part of The Imperials; and Elvis’ jeweler, Lowell Hays. The evening of January 8th features members of the Memphis Symphony Orchestra presenting their annual Elvis Pops Concert live at the Graceland Soundstage with musician and singer Terry Mike Jeffrey and his band joining them.
Graceland will also open four new exhibits in 2022, including Rock On, a pop-up replica guitar exhibit in partnership with Gibson Guitars in early January; Elvis: Dressed to Rock on May 7th, featuring jumpsuits and Elvis’ stage wear from 1969-1977; Graceland: Welcome to My World on June 7th, in celebration of the 40th anniversary of Graceland opening to the public; and Dear Elvis, an exhibit honoring Elvis fans, which will open in August, just in time for Elvis Week 2022.
Elvis 45 events planned for 2022 include Graceland traditional annual events like Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Weekend in March, Graceland Performing Arts Camp in June, Elvis Week 2022 in August, Holiday Lighting Weekend in November, and Christmas Tours in December: plus, one-time events including a Valentine’s Day Package in February, Jailhouse Rock Party in April, Memphis Music Weekend in September, and more. Visit the Graceland.com calendar of events for a full listing.