Walkin' in MEMPHIS

Elvis Presley looms large everywhere in his hometown, but for the King’s devotees, some stops are mandatory.

- Julian Manning

Elvis Presley was born in a shotgun shack in Tupelo, Mississippi, in 1935. ‘The King’ moved to Memphis when he was in high school and became enamoured by the blues and country that emanated from Beale Street, the downtown drag. The curious thing about Elvis is he didn’t ditch his hometown in the dust for a penthouse view as soon as his fame skyrocketed and his wallet started to bulge. He owned many houses, but none of them were home like Memphis. When Elvis was at his Graceland mansion he didn’t keep himself locked up behind gilded gates. Elvis was a man of the people, who went to church with his folks, went out for burgers with his wife, and goofed around with his friends, a group he called ‘The Memphis Mafia.’