Page 32 - ARUBA TODAY

A32 FEATURE
Wednesday 16 august 2017
$28.75 charge to visit Elvis’ grave during vigil upsets fans

By ADRIAN SAINZ and KRIS- Trust and his daughter, Lisa
TIN M. HALL Marie Presley, until 2005.
Associated Press Elvis Presley Enterprises is
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — For now majority-owned by
nearly four decades, fans Graceland Holdings, led
of the late singer Elvis Pre- by managing partner Joel
sley have made a solemn Weinshanker. Lisa Marie
procession past his grave Presley retains 15 percent
at his Graceland mansion ownership in the company.
during the annual candle- The new entertainment
light vigil commemorating complex is part of a $140
his death, without paying a million expansion, which
penny. also includes a $90 mil-
This year, on the 40th an- lion, 450-room hotel that
niversary of the rock n’ roll opened last year. The
icon’s death, it’s going to complex, featuring exhibits
cost them $28.75. of Presley’s cars, clothing
Many fans are not happy. and other personal items,
Visitors who plan to attend replaces the aging build-
the vigil beginning Tues- ings that housed the exhib-
day night and running into its for years.
Wednesday must have an Access to restaurants, gift
Elvis Week Property Pass shops and an entertain-
wristband to walk up the ment tent where people
long driveway and past Priscilla Presley, center, former wife of Elvis Presley, is escorted by security after greeting fans at gathered before the vigil
the graves where Presley Elvis Presley’s Memphis home, near Graceland on Tuesday, Aug. 15, 2017, in Memphis, Tenn. used to be free, though vis-
and relatives are buried, Associated Press itors still actually had to buy
Graceland told the As- the food or memorabilia at
sociated Press in a written sages on social media, say- says fans should be insulted They are in business. Corpo- the eateries and shops.
statement. The $28.75 wrist- ing they won’t attend an- at the new charge. rations, they want the bot- Now, access to them is in-
band also provides access other vigil. “I looked forward to going tom line.” cluded in the fee to enter
to a new $45 million enter- Longtime fan Fred Schwarz down there this year, and Elvis Presley Enterprises was the complex.
tainment complex at the of Springfield, Illinois, said they come up with all this,” created by the Elvis Presley Cheryl Skogen, of Los An-
Memphis tourist attraction. Tuesday that he and his Schwarz said. “I don’t want Trust to manage its assets, geles, was third in line wait-
Graceland, operated by wife have been to several to even go to Memphis according to Graceland’s ing on Tuesday morning for
Elvis Presley Enterprises, vigils and have enjoyed anymore. The people run- website. It was wholly the vigil later that evening.
says it anticipates large them. But not this year. He ning that are not Elvis fans. owned by the Elvis Presley “I don’t think Elvis would
crowds and it has updated like it if he knew the fans
its security measures for El- were charged to go up
vis Week, the annual cele- and see,” she said.
bration of Presley’s life and Some fans don’t have a
career in music and mov- problem with the charge.
ies. Presley died on Aug. Joe Makowski, who saw
16, 1977, in Memphis.”In or- Presley more than 80 times
der to keep everyone safe in concert and came to
and ensure an enjoyable Graceland after Presley
and meaningful event for died in 1977, said it’s a
all, we have worked close- good idea because of the
ly with local, state and cost of security. He also
federal security authori- said these types of charges
ties to establish new pro- are seen at other tourist at-
cedures that have been tractions.
widely used across the “It goes along with the
U.S.,” Graceland’s state- territory of the popular-
ment said. A few Presley ity of Elvis,” said Makowski,
fans made a pilgrimage of St. Petersburg, Florida.
to Graceland the year he “There’s a price for that as
died, and they’ve contin- well, to accommodate all
ued coming ever since. the people.”
Graceland says it averag- News of the vigil charge
es 500,000 visitors per year also upset Anthony Stuch-
from around the world, bury, of Bolton, England,
and attendance for this who has been to Grace-
year’s vigil has been pro- land more than two dozen
jected at 30,000 to 50,000. times but did not come this
The announcement sur- year.
prised fans who didn’t “I understand they are a
know about the charge Glasgow, Scotland, resident Bryan Glencross strikes a pose in his Elvis-inspired outfit while waiting business, and there’s ab-
when they made plans to to begin a tour of Graceland, Elvis Presley’s Memphis home, on Tuesday, Aug. 15, 2017, in Mem- solutely nothing wrong
come to Elvis Week. Some phis, Tenn. with them making money,”
reacted with angry mes- Associated Press Stuchbury said. q