It’s hard to believe that 48 years after his death, there are still enough Elvis fans in the world to converge upon Memphis and participate in activities celebrating the life and legacy of Elvis Presley. Elvis Presley Enterprises is, no doubt, a marketing machine that has kept the legend alive for multiple generations.
I’ve never been to Elvis Week, although my youngest son and I did go to Memphis one year to go to the expo where we met June Juanico, Elvis’s Mississippi girlfriend in 1955 or so (not sure of the year), Bill Black’s children (Bill Black was the bass player who played with Elvis on Sun Records), and others connected to the Elvis world.
Elvis fans can do the week in -person or virtually. I’ve never done those either.
To be honest, I’m not the Elvis fan (attic) people think I am. It’s just that because I once was a super Elvis fan, I know a lot about him, so it’s natural for me to talk about him and his life. I have no illusions about the man, and I never wanted to have him as a boyfriend. My family doubts that, but when I was a little girl, I just wanted to be in his circle, maybe have him for a brother.
Not so with celebrity crushes Kurt Russell and Lee Majors. I wanted to grow up and marry them. Well, not Lee Majors. Heath Barkley. If you’re a baby boomer, you know what I mean.
Back to Elvis Week. The reason it’s held annually at this time is because Elvis died on August 16. When the week began, they had multiple events including “talks on Elvis” in which people in Elvis’s circle shared their memories and experiences, an Elvis Tribute Artist contest, and special tours of Graceland. Those things still take place today. In addition, they have constant music by performers singing Elvis songs, special tours (for a mere $500 this year, you could pay to go on a private tour of Graceland headed by former girlfriend Linda Thompson or Elvis’s longtime friend Jerry Schilling), or you could pay to go by bus to Tupelo, Mississippi, to visit Elvis’s childhood home until the age of 13. Since its inception, the week has concluded with a candlelight vigil on August 15 during which hundreds if not thousands of fan hold a candle and walked to the gravesites beside the mansion. In the early days, that vigil took all night. I’m not sure of the attendance these days.
If you’ve never been to Memphis in August, let me warn you: it’s HOT and HUMID. All caps to stress. Keep hydrated if you go there!
You get the idea. Go on YouTube after the week is over and see what fan-made videos you can find. They’re pretty interesting.
Speaking of Lee Majors…he and Elvis were friends (they met while Elvis was making a movie he hated Clambake and Lee was on The Big Valley) and last year he was a guest speaker for the conversations on Elvis. It was pretty interesting, and you can find it on YouTube. Lee, bless his heart, is now 86 years old and not the “Big Valley” hunk he once was, but it’s still interesting, even if you’re not an Elvis fan.
But whether you loved, hated, or felt neutral about Elvis the entertainer/person, you might like this recipe. I found it when going through Mom’s stash of recipes. I’d never made it before yesterday, so it was a true experiment. My husband loves it. If I loved sweets, I’d love it, but I’m not a fan of sweets. A couple of bites is all I can manage. I get nauseated if I eat more than that. I know, I’m weird. I admit it.
Here’s the recipe:
Elvis Gooey Butter Cake
Preheat oven to 350. Spray 9 x 13 glass dish with cooking spray.
Ingredients and instructions for crust:
1 box yellow cake mix
1 stick of butter, softened
1 egg
Mix well with mixer and press into bottom of 9 x 13 glass casserole dish.
Filling (topping) ingredients and instructions.
1 8 oz. block of cream cheese, softened
1 stick of butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla flavoring
3 eggs
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 banana
1 box powdered sugar (16 oz.–I used 3 1/2 cups)
Mix cream cheese, butter, vanilla flavoring, and eggs until mixed well to a creamy texture. Add banana (I broke it into pieces before adding) and peanut butter. Mix well. Add powdered sugar, one cup at a time, and mix well between additions.
Using a rubber spatula, spoon over crust and spread evenly. You may need to run water over the spatula or dip it in water to keep mixture from sticking.
Bake at 350 for 45 to 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Life As I know it 