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Elvis Presley Enterprises are marking what would have been Elvis’ 80th birthday today (Jan 8th) with their annual Elvis Birthday Proclamation Ceremony, as well as an auction of rare artefacts. Both will be broadcast live from Graceland.

The Elvis Birthday Proclamation Ceremony pre-show commences at 9:16 am CST and will feature a cake cutting and appearances by Priscilla Presley and Shelby County officials.

The auction begins at 7 pm CST. All of the items in the auction are from third-party collectors. Highlights include:

• the “My Happiness” acetate produced by the Memphis Recording Service in June 1953. This was Elvis’ very first recording and would not be heard by the public for nearly 40 years
• Elvis’ first driver’s license, issued on March 24, 1952 when Elvis was 17-years-old
• the second Louisiana Hayride contract signed on September 8, 1955 by Elvis and his parents, Gladys and Vernon
• an autographed copy of Elvis’ first single, “That’s All Right”. Elvis autographed it for his friend, Ed Leek
• TLC and TCB 14 Karat gold and diamond necklaces gifted by Elvis to Tish and Tommy Henley.
  

  You can view both events via Graceland’s LiveStream site, where they will also be archived if you are unable to watch live.

  Separate from the Graceland auction, Julien’s are auctioning off Elvis’ two airplanes, the Lisa Marie and Hound Dog II, on February 2nd. Elvis purchased and customised the planes in the mid-1970s and they were sold after his death. The current owner is now selling the planes, having leased them to Graceland for over 30 years. The sale has prompted ill feeling from some fans, who believe that the planes should remain part of the Graceland experience. However, with the sale including the option to buy land adjacent to Graceland, the planes will possibly remain near their current location.

  Fans who were hoping for a significant music release to coincide with the anniversary will be a little disappointed as the record company has kept things low key at this stage. There is a fairly unremarkable 3-CD “Elvis 80” title from Europe, which is available on import in North America, and a download-only release featuring 15 albums recorded between 1960 and 1965. However, there is the promise of further releases throughout the anniversary year, so perhaps some unexpected goodies are on the way.

  Title
  Elvis 80	Buy Now	Buy Now	N/A	N/A
  Elvis Presley – The 60’s Album Collection, Vol. 1	Buy Now	Buy Now	Buy Now	Buy Now

  UK Elvis fans can celebrate the anniversary with a trip to the highly rated “Elvis at The O2: The Exhibition of His Life” in London, which opened on December 12th and is set to run until August of this year. The exhibition showcases over 300 artefacts direct from the Graceland archives, some of which have never been exhibited outside of Graceland.

  It IS a tribute to Elvis Presley’s talent and charisma that he still attracts such interest 37 years after his death. Long may it continue. Here are several reasons why Elvis is still so admired.

  “That’s All Right” – Elvis Presley

  “Mean Woman Blues” – Elvis Presley

  “Reconsider Baby” – Elvis Presley

  “Are You Lonesome Tonight?” – Elvis Presley

  “Baby What You Want Me To Do” – Elvis Presley

  “Suspicious Minds” – Elvis Presley

  Related items:
  Rock and Pop Quiz #2 – Elvis Presley
  Elvis Presley’s “That’s All Right” – 60th anniversary
  Sinatra’s “Welcome Home Elvis” – 50 years on
  Elvis Presley’s Concept Album
  Blue Hawaii – Elvis’ Fatal Success
  Song of the Week #100 – “In The Ghetto”