Elvis Memorabilia-Elvis Presley's Memphis-Live from Beale Street

$ 125

$ 125 Sold For

Jul 9, 2014 Sold Date

Jul 2, 2014 Start Date

$ 50 Start price

2 Number Of Bids

USA Country Of Seller

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Description

One of the most rare items produced by Graceland since Elvis' death in 1977!

It is a special invitation to the Grand Opening of Elvis Presley's Memphis restaurant/lounge on Beale St., Memphis, TN. The business is no longer in operation.

The only way to have originally obtained one of these was to have been invited to the event by Graceland Elvis Presley Enterprises. The invitation came in the form of a 12-inch 33 1/3 rpm vinyl record. Fewer than 300 of these were made. One side of the record is the actual invitation written in gold on black background. The other side is gold with an early black & white photo of Elvis as the label. The invitation reads "We proudly invite you to the premiere of Elvis Presley's newest hit, Elvis Presley's Memphis. 126 Beale Street, Memphis, Tennessee. Thursday, July 24, 1997, 7:00 p.m. until 1:00 a.m. Experience an evening of unprecedented entertainment and genuine Southern hospitality. Special Guest Performer. Complimentary valet parking. R.S.V.P." The special guest performer was Jewel, a good friend of Lisa Marie Presley.

This package includes a yellow envelope marked "Important" that contains two tickets to the event, an unused decal marked "V.I.P" that was to be used as a parking pass, and a typed note with important instructions on the event. The record has a dust cover with the original logo for Elvis Presley's Memphis inside a sleeve with artwork representing the building and the script "Live from Beale Street." The album and yellow envelope all are contained inside an over-sized heavy black paper folder with the name of the invitee, "Mr. D. Beecher Smith," written in gold on the front, and a flap on the back that had been closed with a gold round foil seal marked "TCB." The seal has been broken.The gold side of the invitation seems to be an actual recording that probably has music, but I have not played it (and it doesn't look to have ever been played).
The invitee, Drayton Beecher Smith, was Elvis Presley's attorney for a short time, actually drew up Elvis' will, and served as the attorney for the Elvis Presley Estate for some time. In September 2007, Smith was convicted of receiving and possessing child pornography and was sentenced to 5 years in prison. He is now out of prison and registered with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation as a sex offender.
I have only seen one other of these for sale and it did not have the name of the invitee on the black envelope.
This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for any collector of Elvis memorabilia!

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