New Hotel Being Built At Graceland Set To Open In October 2016

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In this Aug. 8, 2016 photo, workers are seen in the circular lobby area of the new 450-room Guest... Read more

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Elvis Presley used to dream about building a guest house at his Graceland property, for friends who would visit the rock 'n' roll icon in Memphis.

Presley didn't get to see his dream come true, but his fans will. The Guest House at Graceland is a six-story, 450-room hotel, opening Oct. 27 just steps from Presley's former home. The exterior, with columns, arches and a portico, evokes the feel of a comfortable Southern Colonial home, but the interior design and amenities are modern.

Presley died on Aug. 16, 1977, and Graceland was eventually turned into a museum. Priscilla Presley, the singer's former wife and a caretaker of his legacy, said Elvis had made plans to build a guest house at Graceland as far back as 1960. But it was never built, so when people visited Graceland, they would stay at a Howard Johnson's down the street.

"This luxury hotel is the most significant enhancement to Graceland since we opened in 1982," Priscilla Presley said Monday. "This is huge ... I feel that it's just so right for fans, and our guests, and tourists."

The hotel is the first of its kind in the working- and middle-class Memphis neighborhood of Whitehaven. Droves of applicants flocked to a job fair Saturday, and the hotel will employ about 450 people. When the hotel opens, room prices will range from $149 for basic rooms to $1,300 for the highest-priced suite.

The location lets Elvis fans stay within walking distance of Graceland and the tourist attractions across the street, but it will likely attract other visitors as well. It will offer the most upscale accommodations in the immediate area, which has a Days Inn and a couple of other budget hotels. Also nearby, the aging Heartbreak Hotel is scheduled for demolition.

The Guest House at Graceland also promises to become one of the city's top lodging options, along with the Peabody and the Madison several miles away in the downtown area.

"If you ever thought that you wanted to hang out with Elvis and feel like one of his guests, this is your opportunity," said Joel Weinshanker, managing partner of Elvis Presley Enterprises, which manages the Graceland tours and also produces and licenses Elvis-themed live events worldwide.

Weinshanker said the total investment in the hotel is about $92 million. Memphis officials approved a tax break for the hotel project.

The hotel is still under construction, with bulldozers outside and workers installing electric outlets and carpets. But colors associated with The King already are present, such as touches of purple and gold in the carpeting and hallways, gold lighting in the 464-seat theater, and a picture of Elvis in a gold jacket hanging on the textured gray walls of guest rooms. At 386,000 square feet, it's about 22 times the size of the Graceland house.

"There's not a whole lot of Elvis bling," said Elvis Presley Enterprises CEO Jack Soden. "It's much more subtle. It's very cool."

The circular lobby is illuminated by natural light streaming through large windows. The lobby ceiling features mirrors shaped like elongated hexagons. The gray and purple carpet is decorated with a geometric pattern.

Turn right and you get The Lobby Lounge, an eating and drinking spot with indoor and outdoor seating. Nearby is E.P.'s Bar and Grill, a sports bar-themed restaurant with televisions and a pool table.

A left turn from the lobby leads to another restaurant, Delta's Kitchen, which will feature locally sourced products and a breakfast buffet. There's also a coffee bar, and room service will be available.

Beyond Delta's Kitchen is a large ballroom and four meeting rooms. The theater venue can be used for musical performances and company conferences.

The rooms feature textured vinyl wall coverings, a glass-encased shower with a wall-mounted body spray, and sleekly designed chairs next to a window with a blackout curtain. Rooms also have a Keurig coffee brewing system and a flat screen TV.

Priscilla Presley said suites will have unique themes. The King's Suite will be designed like Elvis Presley's master bedroom, with rich red and black tones and a custom-draped canopy bed.

The property will also include a swimming pool, adding to the resort feel.

"It really is quite beautiful, and it is subtle, and it is contemporary, and it's classy," Priscilla Presley said. "I think our guests will be very happy."

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This story corrects Weinshanker's title to managing partner.

By ADRIAN SAINZ

Bill Graham And The Rock And Roll Revolution Exhibition At The National Museum Of American Jewish History In Philadelphia - Exclusive East Coast Venue!

The National Museum of American Jewish History (NMAJH) in Philadelphia will be the exclusive East Coast venue for Bill Graham and the Rock and Roll Revolution. The exhibition, which opens on September 16 and will run through January 16, 2017, presents the first comprehensive retrospective about the life and career of legendary rock impresario Bill Graham (1931–1991). Recognized as one of the most influential concert promoters in history, Graham played a pivotal role in the careers of iconic artists including the Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane,Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Santana, Fleetwood Mac, the Who, Led Zeppelin,the Doors, and the Rolling Stones. He conceived of rock & roll as a powerful force for supporting humanitarian causes and was instrumental in the production of milestone benefit concerts such as Live Aid (1985)—which took place in Philadelphia and London—and Human Rights Now! (1988). The Museum will be open late on Wednesday nights (until 8 pm) throughout the run of the show.*

Bill Graham lived the America Dream, and helped to promote and popularize a truly American phenomenon: Rock & Roll. The exhibition illuminates how his childhood experiences as a Jewish emigrant from Nazi Germany fueled his drive and ingenuity as a cultural innovator and advocate for social justice. Born in Berlin, Graham immigrated to New York at the age of ten as part of a Red Cross effort to help Jewish children fleeing the Nazis. He went to live with a foster family in the Bronx and spent his teenage years in New York City before being drafted to fight in the Korean War. In the early 1960s, he relocated to San Francisco, just as the counterculture was gathering steam, and became the business manager for the San Francisco Mime Troupe, a radical theater company that performed for free in parks.

Graham mounted his first concert, a benefit to support the legal defense of one of the Mime Troupe’s actors, featuring an eclectic mix of performers including the Fugs, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, and Jefferson Airplane. It was a transformative moment: Graham had discovered his calling. He soon took over the lease on San Francisco’s famed Fillmore Auditorium, where he produced groundbreaking shows throughout the ’60s—including sold-out concerts by the Grateful Dead, Cream, Big Brother & the Holding Company, and the Doors, before going on to present pivotal shows by Jimi Hendrix; Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young; Bob Dylan; and The Band at his venues in San Francisco and New York City. Graham’s mastery at promoting, marketing, and managing artists propelled him to become one of rock & roll’s most influential figures.

“Graham entered the music scene at a pivotal moment and harnessed the spirit of the 1960s, marked by the Vietnam War and the civil rights movement,” says Josh Perelman, PhD, chief curator and director of exhibitions and collections at the Museum. “His genius was to understand the opportunity that the energy and idealism of the times presented to make rock and roll the voice of a generation. The fact that we are hosting the exhibition in Philadelphia is particularly meaningful, as it was the American site for the 1985 Live Aid concert and is now the home to a new Fillmore.”

Bill Graham and the Rock & Roll Revolution was organized by the Skirball Cultural Center, Los Angeles. Featuring iconic psychedelic concert posters, rock memorabilia, photographs, films, and ephemera, the exhibition explores the momentous cultural transformations of the ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s through the lens of rock & roll. The exhibition includes more than 200 objects from lenders across the country—many being shown in public for the first time, including Janis Joplin’s tambourine, a handwritten note from Donovan to Graham, Pete Townshend’s 1968 Gibson SG Special used during a performance of Tommy, and Graham’s personal scrapbooks. Treasured photographs and artifacts from Graham’s early life and career are loan from the Graham family, many on view to the public for the first time. Also for the first time ever, preparatory drawings and the original artwork of several iconic Fillmore concert posters will be on museum display, revealing the signature visual styles and creative process of poster artists Bonnie MacLean, Wes Wilson, David Singer, and Greg Irons. A New Year’s Eve themed concourse takeover featuring Graham’s famous Father Time costume will be featured, as well as an installation of “The Joshua Light Show,” the trailblazing liquid light show conceived in 1967 by multimedia artist Joshua White, which served as a backdrop to many Graham-produced concerts. Unique to NMAJH’s run of the exhibition will be a number of items from Philadelphia’s Live Aid concert and the city’s music scene.

Bill Graham and the Rock & Roll Revolution will be complemented by several public and education programs to be announced at a later date.

*The Museum will be closed on the evening of October 27 for a private event.

Bill Graham and the Rock and Roll Revolution is organized and circulated by the Skirball Cultural Center, Los Angeles, in association with the Bill Graham Memorial Foundation, and made possible by the support of Alex Graham, David Graham, and Danny Scher.

About the National Museum of American Jewish History

The National Museum of American Jewish History, located on historic Independence Mall in Philadelphia, brings to life the 360-year history of Jews in America.  Tracing the stories of how Jewish immigrants became Jewish Americans, the Museum invites visitors of all backgrounds to share their own stories and reflect on how their histories and identities shape and are shaped by the American experience. An open door for all, NMAJH honors the past and contributes to a better future by sharing the power of imagination and ideas, culture and community, leadership and service, in ways that turn inspiration into action.

The National Museum of American Jewish History is located at 101 South Independence Mall East at the corner of Fifth and Market Streets in Philadelphia. Museum hours are Tuesday to Friday, 10:00 am - 5:00 pm, and Saturday and Sunday 10:00 am - 5:30 pm. NMAJH is closed most Mondays, including federal holidays and some Jewish holidays. Museum admission is $12.00 for adults, $11.00 for senior citizens and youth, free for children 12 and under, Museum Members, and active military with ID. From Memorial through Labor Day*, and for the run of Bill Graham and the Rock & Roll Revolution (September 16, 2016 – January 16, 2017), the Museum will stay open until 8 pm on Wednesday evenings. Admission after 5 is pay-what-you-wish. For more information, visit NMAJH.org or call 215.923.3811. *The Museum will be closed for a private event on the evening of July 27.