Part 4

Elvis’ Cars

The pink Cadillac Fleetwood that Elvis bought for his mother is the car he is most remembered for. Customized for Elvis, the 1955 sedan has become synonymous with the spirit of rock’n‘ roll. When Elvis wanted his new 1956 Cadillac Eldorado painted purple, he squashed a hanful of grapes on the fender and asked the customizing firm to match the color. Upon delivery, the firm sprinkled grape drink into the carpet so it would even smell purple.

Car customizer George Barris converted a 1960 Cadillac Sedan Limousine into a tricked-out roading roadhog for Elvis.  Coated with ten layers of diamond-dust gold pearl paint, the car featured gold-plated bumpers and hubcaps. The interior included a record player, telephones, television, and shoe buffer.  

Meditation Garden

Meditation Garden is the final resting place for Elvis and his immediate family. His mother, Gladys Love Smith Presley, his father, Vernon Elvis Presley, and his grandmother, Minnie Mae Presley, are buried next to Elvis in this small garden that was originally intended as a tranquil retreat for the residenys of Graceland. Elvis was fascinated by Eastern pkilosophies and religions during the 1960’s, and he had Medication Garden built as a place for contemplation, despite its close proximity to the swimming pool.

 Elvis was originally interred in a mausoleum at Forest Hill Cemetery in Memphis, but a few weeks after his burial, a group of men were arrested for trying to steal his body for randsom. Vernon received special permission to remove the bodies of his son and first wife to the grounds at Graceland. Gladys’ original monument was also moved and placed at the edge of Meditation Garden. Vernon was buried there in 1979, and Minnie Mae followed in 1980. A ground plaque in memory of Elvis’ twin brother, Jessie Garon, is located nearby.

If Meditation Garden became more than the serene site that Elvis had intended, then it is also more than his final resting place. Fans solemny walk around the graves, silently pondering the impact of Elvis on their lives. They leave handmade or special-ordered floral arrangements in every possible design, with Graceland dutifully exhibts for a select period of time. 

Not long after Graceland was opened to the public, a fan visited Meditation Garden and left behind a little wooden cross with a note pinned to it. The note read:

"From the womb of your loving mother

To the hearts of your loving fans

To the arms of our Savior Jesus

With whom you do now stand.”