Elvis Presley died on August 16, 1977, and to honor his legacy, Graceland throws a week-long event, the largest Elvis celebration in the world. While Graceland, Presley’s Memphis home, is a Tennessee landmark, the King of Rock and Roll also frequented Music City. My dad met him once at a friend’s Christmas party! Presley was his friend’s cousin, and he gifted his friend a pair of red cowboy boots.
Obviously, Presley’s Nashville history extends far beyond a pair of red cowboy boots. Here’s more about Presley in Nashville, and how you can celebrate Elvis Week.
🎵 Elvis Presley Records in Nashville
While Presley recorded his earliest albums at Sun Records in Memphis, RCA bought his contract in 1955, and he began recording in Nashville, including “Heartbreak Hotel” during his first session. Because of Presley’s success, RCA was able to build RCA Studio B, which opened in 1957. Presley would record more than 200 songs there. According to local guitarist Jerry Kennedy, who recorded with Presley, “He loved staying up all night. That’s when he did his best work. We would show up at 6 p.m. and not get finished until 5 or 6 o’clock the next morning.”
In the summer of 1970, Presley recorded dozens of songs with the Nashville Cats, a group of Nashville’s top musicians, in marathon sessions that sometimes lasted five days straight. He recorded his last RCA albums in 1971.
🎤 Presley’s Nashville Performances
Presley performed for the Grand Ole Opry at the Ryman Auditorium in 1954. He wasn’t a big hit with the country music audience, and was never invited back. He performed twice in 1973 at the Nashville Municipal Auditorium, and was much better received. Then in 1975, he performed four times at Middle Tennessee State University’s Murphy Center. The tickets — only $5-10 — sold out in a day.
🏙️ How To Celebrate Elvis in Nashville
- Tour RCA Studio B on Music Row and see the piano he played on while recording
- Visit the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum to see his customized Cadillac
- Visit his star on the Music City Walk of Fame Park, right across the street
- Eat the “Love Me” Tenders at Sun Diner, where you’ll find some Elvis memorabilia
- On Monday, August 18, watch Presley in his 1957 movie “Jailhouse Rock” at The Franklin Theatre
- Take a day trip to Bon Aqua’s The Hideaway Farm, once owned by Johnny Cash, where Presley frequently visited
