By DEREK CLONTZ
DerekClontz.Com
EVERYONE remembers Elvis Presley’s version of Hound Dog, but it wasn’t a No. 1 hit for The King – in fact, it barely cracked the Top 20. And did you know that Elvis had an “eternal flame” like President John F. Kennedy’s that burned out a few years after he died – and was never re-lit?
That’s a sample of the fascinating Elvis trivia I’ve got for you on the heels of reports that a highly-personal and secret diary he kept throughout his career has been found in a box of old books in a thrift shop and will be published in time for this year’s Christmas book season.
Here’s more:
1. An “eternal flame” stoked in memory of Elvis was extinguished in 1981 after businessmen who vowed to keep the fire burning “until the end of time” changed their minds.
The flame flickered for three years at Presley’s super-secret Circle G Ranch just south of Graceland, his better-known mansion in Memphis. Elvis had purchased the Circle G as a hideaway for himself and his “Memphis Mafia” entourage.
And in classic Presley fashion, he spent a fortune on the place, including a mind-boggling $1 million on, among other things, new mobile homes and pickup trucks for all his pals to use while visiting.
After Presley died, investors bought the ranch and installed the eternal flame. It burned brightly until bean counters concluded fans weren’t interested in visiting the Circle G with Graceland and its treasure-trove of Elvis memorabilia located just a few miles up the road.
2. By the most accurate counts available to trivia buffs and fans who keep track of such things, Presley’s face has appeared on 6,391 potatoes, 243 floor tiles, 111 tacos, 64 tree trunks, 52 … story continues, click to read it …
