It's Elvis' Week, We're Just Working in It

An Elvis-themed convention, an Elvis-themed mass, an Elvis-themed scrapbooking class.

As Lisa Marie Presley blogged on MySpace: "It's THAT time of year."

Thursday marks the 30th anniversary of the death of Presley's rock-legend father. And while some music gods get a two-hour tribute concert, Elvis gets an entire week. Of tribute concerts, fan conventions and just about anything and everything else, scrapbooking class, included.

As many as 100,000 people are expected to take part in Elvis Week, as the nine days of officially sanctioned Elvis events are known in Memphis. But the estimate, from Elvis Presley Enterprises, is a guestimate—these things take a while to count, if not sort out.

"People are still pouring in," Jackie Reed, spokeswoman for the Memphis Convention and Visitors Bureau said Wednesday.

The bureau was initially counting on at least 75,000, "but we are expecting to exceed that," Reed said.

Wednesday night's candlelight vigil at Graceland, Elvis' Memphis mansion turned tourist destination, alone could draw anywhere from 50,000-70,000, said Regina Jackson of Elvis Presley Enterprises.

If the estimates and/or guestimates hold, this year's Elvis Week will top 2002's Elvis Week, when some 70,000 fans marked the 25th anniversary of the King of Rock 'n' Roll's death.

"This is one of our biggest draws of the year," Reed said.

So, what's bigger?

"Nothing," Reed said.

Traditionally, Elvis Week, held every August to commemorate Elvis' death on Aug. 16, 1977, even outdraws the Elvis Presley Birthday Celebration, held every January, to coincide with Elvis' grand entrance in Tupelo, Mississippi, on Jan. 8, 1935.

(And, by the way, at Elvis Week, there are no Elvis-sighting symposiums; the "Jailhouse Rock" singer is definitely, but regrettably counted among those who have passed.)

Reed points to logistics, not morbid curiosity, for Elvis' death day outdrawing his birthday. "Because of the time of year [summer as opposed to winter], people can get in last-minute vacations," she said. "It's a great outdoors event."

Not that there aren't indoors events at Elvis Week, too. A quick sampling of what was on this year's agenda:

• A workshop for those who like to make, say, pillow cases from Hawaiian Elvis Presley fabric.
• An Elvis impersonator contest, sorry, Elvis "tribute artist contest," billed as the first officially sanctioned swivel-off. The finals are set for Friday. The Vegas gig presumably begins soon after.
• A giant, one-stop Elvis shop- and info-a-rama known as Elvis Expo, featuring "Elvis music, movies, merchandise, celebrity autograph sessions, authors, artists and photographers." All that plus the aforementioned scrapbooking class, and scheduled appearances by every former Elvis costar, player or associate you could (or could not) imagine—from Elvis widow Priscilla Presley to Colonel Tom Parker widow Loanne Parker, from Elvis hairstylist/spiritual advisor Larry Geller to the actress who played Betsy in Girl Happy.
• A memorial mass at Memphis' St. Paul Catholic Church, with, in Elvis fashion, "spaghetti dinner to follow."

If the emotional highpoint of Elvis Week, sponsored in part by, in Elvis fashion, Reese's, makers of Reese's Peanut Butter & Banana Creme Cups, is the candlelight vigil, then the musical highpoint will be the 30th anniversary concert set for Thursday.

The show will mark the debut of Lisa Marie Presley music video, "In the Ghetto," and the return of video Elvis

Not only will video Elvis, last seen looking sort-of fuzzy next to crisp-and-clear Celine Dion on last year's American Idol, appear alongside his daughter in "In the Ghetto," but it'll appear onstage along with his old backing band, the TCB Band, and his old backing singers, the Jordainaires, the Sweet Inspirations and the Imperials.

Those who didn't make it to Memphis can check out the concert, and other events on Sirius Satellite Radio's Elvis Radio channel.

Those who have the time and means to hop on a plane are in luck. According to Reed, hotel rooms are still available.

Provided you don't want to stay anywhere near Graceland.