"The Spirit Of Elvis" Reprinted From The Former Newsletter "The Southcentral Kentuckian," Collector's Story Edition # 1, 2005.

 (Note:The following story posted below is a reprint of a story that I wrote for my former short-lived newsletter called "The Southcentral Kentuckian," Collector's Story Edition #1, Oct.-Dec. 2005.  After seeing the 2022 Elvis movie at our local theater in Bowling Green, Ky., several weeks ago, I immediately thought of this story that I wrote about Elvis almost 17 years ago.  I even mailed a copy of it to Graceland Enterprises in Memphis, Tenn., which oversees the Elvis Presley estate and mansion where Pricilla Presley is the CEO. Graceland is now one of the top tourist attractions in the country.  And also the second most visited house in the USA besides The White House in Washington, D.C.  Btw, I thought the new movie was great and I highly recommend it everyone to see it if you get a chance especially if you're an Elvis fan like me. Also, I apologize for any mistakes you might find while reading this story. It is long and it was a lenghty process while typing it into the blog format.)

The Spirit of Elvis

By Galen A. Smith Sr.

Memphis, Tenn. _ Elvis Lives! Yes, that's right, he's alive and well at his home at Graceland on Elvis Presley Blvd., in Memphis.

Poster from the new Elvis movie

As a matter of fact, I just saw him on Aug. 31 at his house. Man, this guy's face, image, voice and music is over this beautiful mansion which was built in 1939. Elvis bought this southern style, stone house in 1957 and managed to live there until 1977 before his death due to heart failure and prescription drug addiction. Too bad he was only able to enjoy Graceland for 20 years before he left this world and all of his millions of fans. To this day, I am still amazed that "The King of Rock & Roll" is still popular as ever. Many people have said that Elvis didn't really, really get famous until after his death. To a certain degree I think this is true. However, I think he happened to be "at the right time at the right place," to claim his place on the popular throne in American history and culture. His name, music, songs and images are finely woven into the fabric of the America and the American South not to mention his claim to fame on the world-wide stage of admiring fans. From Mississippi to Germany and from Los Angeles to Moscow, his fan base still ranges in the millions and millions still to this day.

My Knowledge Of Elvis

I was born in Memphis in 1962 and lived in that city until I was 14 years-old before I moved further on down South in 1976. I had just moved to DeSoto County, Miss., the fall before the Summer of 1977 when Elvis died at his home. I remember the day of his death on Aug. 17, 1977. Donald Dillingham, a friend of mine from Eudora, Miss., where I lived on a private fishing lake in the rolling hills of North Mississippi on the bluff of the Delta near Eudora, and I had been to the drive-in theatre in South Memphis on U.S. 61 Highway the night before. My brother, Gary, had driven us up to the drive-in but I don't remember the movie we watched. Wait a minute...I think it was "Warriors" about street gangs fighting in New York City. That's right! And I remember too, that Classic Rock Star Joe Walsh's "In The City," was the theme song for the movie. Anyway, Donald and I, after drinking a couple of bottles of "Boone's Farm Apple Wine," (Lol) decided that we were going to walk home after the movie because Gary did not want to take us to Southhaven, Miss., to see these particular fine pretty ladies. Of course, we were only about 30 miles or so from our homes in Eudora. But little did we know that walking the streets of South Memphis at midnight would be a frightening event. Finally, we arrived in Southhaven but the girls were asleep and we decided not to disturb them. It was getting really late so we decided to go to a nearby gravel pit to sleep. (Lol) When morning finally arrived, we hitchhiked to Hernando to spend the afternoon with some friends. We talked one of our friends from Eudora on the phone to come to Hernando to come pick us up. I guess it was about 3 p.m. in the afternoon and I heard on the radio of this friend's station wagon that Elvis had just died at Baptist Hospital in Memphis. I said, "Hey, did you all hear that? Elvis died!" Then everyone in the vehicle said, "No way, that can't be true!" And I said, "Yes, it is, I just heard it, for real!" Needless to say, The King of Rock & Roll" was really dead.

The "Southcentral Kentuckian, 2005"

My first recollection of Elvis was the time I was invited to see "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang," the Walt Disney movie starring Dick Vandyke that was showing at the Southland Mall not far from Elvis' house. I guess it was about 1968 and I was about six years-old.  When we drove by Elvis' house, the mother driving the car, "There's Elvis Presley's house and he's in Hollywood filming movies right now." I wasn't quite sure who Elvis Presley was at the time but I did have an idea that he was kind of famous in my young mind at the time. The main thing I remember about this particular moment was the gate to his house. I remember seeing musical notes and an image of man singing into a microphone. Then as the years rolled on by into the 70's, I would see Elvis on television, in movies, concert footage and the memorable "Live From Hawaii Via Satellite Concert." I think I was memorized watching all the women going crazy over him while they were receiving a kiss and scarf to remember him by. 

Then in the Summer of 1974, I met a new friend at an old church in Memphis where AA and Al-Alon meetings were being held. My mother would attend these meetings on Saturday and Wednesday nights and us kids of the parents who were there would have to hang around in the basement or outside to pass the time. But this one particular boy who was about my age, 12 years-old, named "Tommy" had become friends with Elvis and had met him at the Karate studio on Union Avenue. Tommy was taking Karate lesson and Elvis and his entourage would come there and do karate demonstrations and etc. Elvis befriended Tommy and even took to his house for dinner and gave him an autograph record on the album that was recorded in "The Jungle Room." that same year.  Yes, I was impressed but it was hard for me to believe it too. But I guess it was true.

In the Spring of 1977, I developed a bad sore throat and it would not get any better even though my dad had taken me to the local doctor in Hernando. Finally, he decided to take me to his doctor, and Elvis' doctor also, "Dr. Geroge Nichopoulous who lived and had a practice in Memphis. My dad said that "Dr. Nick" (affectionately known by Elvis and everyone else in Memphis) was famous for prescribing drugs without having to do surgery. Boy, how true it was! Yes, Dr. Nick was famous or infamous, I should say for prescribing drugs alright.  But little did we know at the time that Elvis was in a predicament with his drug addiction. However, I enjoyed meeting Dr. Nick and I remember he was wearing lots of gold and diamonds that Elvis had probably given him including the gold chain with the "TCB" pendant.

Before and after Elvis' death, I had hung out around Horn Lake, Miss., quite a bit because I had a friend on the private fishing lake who went to school in Horn Lake. There was this place called the "Gun Club" and apparently Elvis had built for him and Pricilla and his entourage to go ride horses and act crazy while having tons of fun. Supposedly, head several mobie homes moved down there so everyone had their own mobile homes at the gun club property near Walls, Miss., on Goodman Road. After Elvis' death, a group of investors quickly rented the property and started busing people from Graceland to the Gun Club to see the little house on the farm where Pricilla and Elvis spent their honeymoon. I remember they had an old school bus taking tourists back and fourth from Graceland and the bus did not have any air conditioning. You know those tourists had to be really hot!

My Feelings About Elvis

Me and my former neighbor, Lee Swetmon 

After seeing and being inside Elvis' house for the first time after living in Memphis and American South for 43 years, I realized that I have had a spiritual connection to Elvis just like he connects with all of his other fans and admirers. I had felt this same feeling once before when I was allowed to walk up to Elvis's grave in March of 1981 not long before it was turned into a museum and tourist attraction. Although, across the street which used to be a little strip shopping center, is now a part of the whole Graceland experience with Elvis gift shops, Elvis Hotel, Elvis Restaurant and etc. Also, his personal jet, the "Lisa Maria" is there along with some of his cars. I had my picture made in front of make believe gates and house in the distance. Then we were shuttled into a small bus and taken across the street while wearing head phone listening to Elvis' voice and some of his songs. I really felt enchanted and amazed. I couldn't believe it! Then we arrived on the front steps of his house and we were directed inside. The first thing I noticed was the blast of air that blew into my face and it had a sweet smell to it. I could feel "The Spirit of Elvis." Yes, he was here and alive. His spirit was in this house. Elvis had a very strong energy force that can still be felt today. As I walked through the living room and dining room and into into the kitchen. I was pretty much taking everything in like a sponge while trying to comprehend and absorb it all. Then we went downstairs into the "Television Room" that practically all yellow and then into the multi-color "Pool Table Room," then back upstairs to the "Jungle Room" and then out back to the "The Office," then "Gold Record Hall of Fame" and then out back to "Racquetball Building" that shows his crowing glory of world-wide and international fame at the pinnacle of his incredible singing career. However, my favorite spot was the "Meditation Garden" by the swimming pool. I was silent and inspired. The Spirit of Elvis had touched my life again. I felt as if I knew him and he knew me.

                                               

Frank's BBQ in Bowling Green, Ky., Is "Not The Best, But Close."

Casey, Galen & Rae Rae

I dropped by Frank's BBQ at 412 Raven Street (behind Shady Ray's Pawn Shop at Gordon Avenue and Veteran's Blvd.) in Bowling Green and picked up the BBQ Family Pack for a rainy Tuesday night (Feb. 22, 2022) dinner at home with my wife, Patty. In the pic below are two hardworking ladies at the restaurant, Casey and Rae Rae, who are standing next to me. Their phone number is (270) 715-1197 and their hours are 11 a.m.-4 pm Monday thru Friday. Frank's BBQ was delicious and I highly recommend it! Plus, the staff is super friendly and nice too! Btw, Frank's slogan for the restaurant is "Not The Best, But Close" which I think is very clever!

Bowling Green, Ky., Continues To Heal From The December 11, 2021 Deadly Tornado

It only took minutes for the deadly tornado which cut a path through Bowling Green in the early morning hours of December 11, 2021 to do at least two years worth of repairs and reconstruction for homes and businesses in our beloved Southcentral town of 72,000 citizens. It sounded like a nuclear bomb colliding with a train as the tornado took havoc in my neck of the woods especially since I only lived about eight houses away from Russellville Road where a Mexican restaurant, a gym and two auto

parts stores were blown away amongst many other structures including people's homes and apartments. Two liquor stores in town were spared but one was not so lucky. Below are some pics of The Greenway when Jude, my Aussie doggie and I took a walk in the sunny 55 degrees this afternoon. The Greenway is just down the street from my house. Jude and I have walked up and down this formerly beautiful path many times through the years. At least now, it appears that The Greenway and Creason Avenue area has come a long ways especially since FEMA came through not too long ago and picked tons of debris that had blown over the railroad tracks from Russellville Road. There is hope for BG after all. BG will rebuild and continue to heal its neighborhoods and main business streets such as Russellville Road and the U.S. 31-W By-Pass.

College Town At Christmas: 2021 "Growth, Newcomers, The Deadly Tornadoes And Hope Again"

   In last year's annual "College Town At Christmas" blog I wrote about the "Five Stages Of Hope" for our college town of Bowling Green (the third largest city in Kentucky).

    It appeared that our community of 72,000 citizens was pretty much healing and doing a lot better from the recovery of the covid outbreak across the nation and the world.  Especially, in a political sense, it appeared that many of our citizens had a gained a certain level of acceptance that this is the way it was going to be from now on-virus outbreak preparedness. And it appeared that the mood in our town was that the covid outbreaks had calmed down quite a bit in 2021 and the high number of vaccinations in our community were up and coming along pretty good is the main reason that there has been a sense of calmness politically in the community where there had been some major divisions amongst friends, neighbors and coworkers.  It had also appeared that healing was taking place physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually in our community with a lot of Hope for 2021.

   And there had been some good news for 2021 just before the new year.  When 2021 arrived, it was announced the Livability magazine had selected Bowling Green as one of the Top 100 Places To Live in the United States. This award is given to to communities that offer a high quality of life at an attractive cost of living for both individuals and families. So after covid struck in 2020, in 2021 we started noticing a lot newcomers moving into town from all across the nation such as California, New York, Maryland, Texas and amongst many other places across the country.  Then of course, Bowling Green has always had a long history of manufacturing with new plants springing up more rapidly in the new industry Transpark located across town near Warren East High School as new subdivisions and apartment complexes where popping up everywhere too in town and in the county. However, some of our citizens have been worried and are still concern about the rapid growth and the effects on the community with too much traffic and the roadways not being designed correctly to handle the heavy flow of automobiles and trucks. Capitalistic hardworking business people have found Bowling Green to be a gold mine for real estate and development as we have become a basically bedroom community of Nashville since we are only 60 miles away from that major big city in the American South.  Nashville has experienced tremendous growth in the last 20 years also.  Then we also have new shopping centers and restaurants springing up too lately along with many other types of businesses and small businesses also. We also have a large and very diverse immigrant and refugee community in town.  The City of Bowling Green and the Warren County government and our schools systems have done a tremendous job to accommodate them also.  Let's just say, our college town where Western Kentucky University is located with an enrollment of 20,000 students, is booming these days in-spite of setbacks in the last two years.

   

But then two deadly tornadoes hit Bowling Green recently in the early morning hours of Saturday, December 11th, killing 17 people and 76 across the Commonwealth of Kentucky.  The one big tornado basically cut a path through town starting at I-165 (formerly known as the Natcher Parkway) cutting across Whisphering Hill subdivision, Russellville Road area, Creason Avenue, Sumpter, Nashville Road at WKU, U.S. 31-W By-Pass, Maganolia Streets and the Cemetery Road and Indian Hills.  This is probably one of the worst tornadoes to ever strike Bowling Green with this much death and destruction causing millions of dollars of damage to our homes and businesses. But again, there is much Hope for Bowing Green this Christmas season and for the New Year of 2022.  Hundreds of volunteers, organizations, the City of Bowling Green, the Warren County government, FEMA, BGMU, Warren Rural Electric Cooperative Corporation, Spectrum Cable, the National Guard, the Salvation Army, churches, volunteers from across the county, the Bowling Green Fire Department, the Bowling Green Police Department, the Warren County Sheriff's Department, the Kentucky State Police, Med Center EMT's, Warren County Coroner's Office and hundreds of others have given many hours of their professional time and dedication. And many thanks to businesses and restaurants in our college town that has donated their time and money to help the community such as Walmart, Hickory & Oak restaurant and Hughes and Coleman law firm just to name few who are helping out with some major donations and necessities.

     Needless to say, we as a college town, will help put our community back together along with the help of our local, state and federal governments in 2022. We will get it everything back to together one way or another,  I am sure.  And we hope and pray that the healing process will continue for the victim's families of the tornadoes and homeowners and business owners who have suffered losses can rebuild ASAP.  Material things can be replaced but human lives cannot.  So let's remember those Bowling Green citizens who lost their lives this Christmas season.  Light a candle and say a prayer for them and their families.  And let's continue to pray for our College Town and let's continue to be involved and let our let "Heartlight" shine through. I have lived in Bowling Green almost 34 years-now and I wouldn't want to live any other college town in the world except ours.  God Bless and Merry Christmas! Peace-Galen A. Smith Sr., Bowling Green, Ky.

The Dad Rocks Podcast: Episode 143: Foreigner’s “Head Games" & Lars Ulrich Vs. Napster

         Hello everybody!  I apologize, but it's been a couple of week since I have made a blog entry regarding "The Dad Rocks Podcast."  https://anchor.fm/galen-smith3  I have been busy like always especially at work.  I am trying to wrap a few things up before my upcoming retirement from this one particular career that I have been working in for the last 27 years.  I am getting ready to move into the next phase of my life.  I call it my "working retirement years."  I am moving to a new career which is something totally different compared to what I have been doing these last 27 years of my life.  But anyway, wish me luck!  It won't begin until at the end of October of this year which is next month btw!

         Anyway, on today's podcast I talk about the Bowling Green and Southcentral weather of course, the private Facebook group, "Dad Rocks" where we now have over 2,050 members.  The group just keeps on growing and growing!  We have a great thing going on in the group with lots of positivity! We're a FB group all about the music and no fighting, arguing or bs.  This a FB group where everybody gets along and that's what we like.  Also, I'd like to thank my co-administrator, Britt Moore of North Mississippi.  He is responsible for helping to bring a lot new members from the Mid-South area and we appreciate all his  hard work and efforts! Thanks again, Britt!

        In today's "A Rock Album Inquiry" segment, I talk about Foreigner's "Head Games" album which came out in 1979.  It's a great album and it's on of my favorite all-time favorite Foreigner albums list and I bought a copy of it in 1979 when it first came out when I was seventeen years-old. I played it all the time on my Hi-Fi Pioneer component stereo system in my dad's lake house basement.  And boy, did it sound awesome especially when played loud!  But the good news is, I still have a copy of the album today and of course, you can listen it on Spotify, Apple and all of the other major music apps on your phone or you can probably order it online or find it at your local record store too.

  

      And finally, but not least.  I talk about "This Day In Rock History," when Metallica's Lara Ulrich fights for an untarnished image by granting an interview with Rolling Magazine in 2008 regarding he and his band sued Napster, the music sharing app.  I was never a big Metallica fan but nevertheless, I have always liked their music.  The are big with a big sound, a big stage production and presence with a massive audience.  And everybody in the world of rock&roll knows who is Metallica is.   

Well folks, that's it for this week, we'll see you next week on "The Dad Rocks Podcast."  And thanks for reading this blog and listening to the podcast.  Remember, keep your chin up, keep working hard, stay positive and stay safe out there! Goodbye, Galen

The Dad Rocks Podcast: Episode 140, Intro, A Rock Album Inquiry-Capt. Fantastic And This Day In Rock History- Ozzy Osbourne's Parkinson's Disease

    Happy Sunday everybody! It's been a great week. But I had a busy week at work and I have also delved into the world of TikTok in my spare time by doing some promotional videos for The Dad Rocks Podcast.  It's been a lot of fun doing these videos while learning to navigate my way around the TikTok app.  Thanks to TikTok superstar celebrity, Daniel Lawson of "The Awesome Lawsons" who inspired me to get started on TikTok after I did an interview with him a couple of weeks ago on The Dad Rocks Podcast. I have known Daniel for a while who is also from Bowling Green, Ky., where I live.

     On today's episode, https://anchor.fm/galen-smith3/episodes/140-Intro--A-Rock-Album-Inquiry-Capt--Fantastic-and-This-Day-In-Rock-History-Ozzys-Parkinsons-e16k0ql/a-a6ebl5o  I talk about the Bowling Green and Southcentral weather of course, and the passing of one of our own Facebook Dad Rocks group members, Marla Keithley Rustenhaven, 51, of Hernando, Miss., and we send our thoughts and prayers to her family and friends.  Also, I mentioned about me getting stung by a hornet while trimming some bushes last week in my front yard.  It's no fun folks, let me tell you! It stung me in the left temple and hurt like hell! Also, the swelling lasted for a couple of days and even puffed up the skin under my left eye!  Be careful out there when you are doing yard work for the rest of the summer and especially while trimming your bushes and hedges.  Be on the look out for the bee, wasp and hornet nests that are hidden away inside those bushes and hedges or even small shrubs next to your house. 

   
     Also, on today's A Rock Album Inquiry, I discuss Elton John's 1975 "Captain Fantastic & The Brown Dirt Cowboy" album from Wikipedia as my source as usual.  The info states that this album is a classic and was a mega hit album for EJ among other cool and interesting facts about it.  Needless to say, it lives on forever in the hearts and minds of millions of EJ fans all over the world out there including me

     And finally but not least, in This Day In Rock History, I discuss what Ozzy Osbourne said on this day in 2020 about him having been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, "Ozzy Osbourne: Only Death Will Stop Me From Performing" is the name of the article in which I read from.  Remember, take care, keep working hard, keep your chin up, stay positive and stay safe out there! And have a great day!

College Town At Christmas 2020: The Five Stages of Hope In Bowling Green, Ky.

BOWLING GREEN, KY _ I remember the last Catholic mass I attended at my church this year was on March 7th. And I remember talking to one of my fellow parishioners about this strange "virus" getting ready to hit our college town and he was talking about the stocking up of toilet paper?  Honestly, I thought he was joking about the toilet paper. I couldn't imagine why everybody was going to need so much toilet paper.  I had some weird thoughts in my head at the time but I won't describe them in this blog entry. Lol. But I did not pay much attention to what he said about it really. All I remember that it was hard for me to believe something of this magnitude was going to take place in good ole Bowling Green as well as the State of Kentucky and the United States of America.  In my mind, killer viruses only happened in places like China and other far away foreign countries like that.

   Originally, I was in denial.  With my wife being a housewife, she would give me reports about what was happening across the country and in Washington DC with President Trump and his administration and how they were handling things with their medical task force regarding the virus.  I would get these reports when I came home from work for lunch because she had been watching TV. And sure enough, eventually, the toilet paper frenzy and shortage started happening in our community and everybody began to stock up on the toilet paper, paper towels, hand sanitizer, wipes, cleaning products, ammo, guns, survival items and can goods among many other items. It was ridiculous and crazy but a necessity at the same time that hundreds of people were rushing to do in our community. And it was happening all across the country also!

   Then the anger hit.  Everybody went to war on Facebook and social media all over the political spectrum on the different aspects of the virus whether or not that the virus was a hoax or not which many thought it was brought into American on purpose by the global socialists and communists.  Then it became a liberal vs. conservative thing.  A Republican vs. Democrat thing.  One by one, people started being alienating and blocking friends, neighbors and family members.  The divide in America over politics got even deeper and wider over issues of having to wear masks mandated by the Kentucky governor, the quarantines, the school closings, travel restrictions, shut downs of businesses and the limitations of gathering of people among tons of other restrictions. And over the things you could do and could not do. Many citizens felt that we were becoming a socialists country over the virus was occuring in America. Not to mention the riots that were happening in the streets again in America this summer and fall over racial tensions and the rise Black Lives Matters and how many people were turned off over the fact that the NFL and NBA took a stand with BLM.

Then people began bargaining with the fact that wearing masks into public buildings was being mandated by the governor and that the Covid-19 virus was real.  We realized that there was not much we could do about it and yes, hundreds of people were dying as they said.  Also, we began to bargain with the fact that this was going to be our way of life for a while until the vaccinations began to arrive and people we're given their shots. And then maybe, things would get better eventually. We hoped.

Then the depression hit.  People who were not essential workers in society began to get depress because they were staying home all the time, not enough money to live on because of unemployment or not wanting to go back to work because they were making more money drawing unemployment rather than going back to work.  Also a lot of small businesses in the community folded and collapsed because of the virus restrictions eventually causing them to go out of business for good.  Also, lots people lost their jobs because of the virus and a lot of people ended up filing bankruptcy.  And then it was being reported that a lot people have avoided going to the doctor altogether because the lack of money or no health insurance.

And finally, acceptance.  Fortunately, I was able to avoid the depression part and jumped from the bargaining part straight into acceptance.  This is where hope comes into the picture for me. So it is my hope this Christmas Eve, that all citizens in our college town of Bowling Green, Ky., finds peace and happiness in their lives in the final stage of acceptance of the virus.  In order to survive, we have to have faith and hope this Christmas season no matter what. We have to look deep inside of ourselves. I feel very blessed that I have my faith, a job, a home, a family, a dog and my health. Mainly, we have to have hope and faith in our medical professionals and the new vaccinations and we must have hope and faith in each other and work together towards a common goal in our college town-getting back to normal in 2021!  God Bless and Merry Christmas!