Elvis Presley’s Birthday Bash in Nash

3rd & Lindsley hosted a birthday party for the King of Rock and Roll

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I generally do not like birthday parties.  I try not to engage in my own if possible.  You have to be really special in my life for me to attend a birthday engagement.  However, there is one that I haven’t missed since I was about 14 years old and that is the celebration of Mr. Elvis Aaron Presley.  I have been doing something every year since I visited Graceland as a teenager.  After diving into the man, the myth and the legend of the King of Rock and Roll, all those years ago, it is safe to say that I have been a huge fan.  My mom even texts me every January 8^th, “Happy Birthday”.  Although it is not mine, she knows that it is one of the few that I recognize. 

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My party usually consists of me listening to a heavy rotation of Elvis records (yes vinyl-always wax) or watching one of my favorite 31 Presley films.  I have been to his former home in Memphis to see the cake presentation, but generally it is me at home by myself quietly giving a nod to my hero.  I was just three years old when the man passed away, but I have vehemently gripped onto the legend. Two years ago I left Seattle to move to Nashville.  It wasn’t directly related to its proximity to Memphis, but it is a nice perk.  This year I also learned about a celebration for Elvis in Nashville at 3^rd & Lindsley in the states capital. 

Elvis’ 91^st trip around the sun would have been this year and his “Birthday Bash” was happening Friday, January 9th.  It was featuring Elvis tribute man Dennis Jale from Austria on Lead Vocals with The TCB (Taking Care of Business) Band Members & guests Glen D. Hardin, Terry Blackwood, Larry Strickland, Boh Carter, Paul Leim, Donna & Craig Morris, Larry Hall, Mike Brignardello, Kerry Marx, The Holladay Sisters , Bobby Ogdin with Special Guests Deborah Allen, Thomas Gabriel (Johnny Cash’s grandson) and was hosted by Donna Presley, who is Elvis’ first cousin.  I wasn’t going to miss it.  This would be the closest to The King that I would ever get.  

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The night was beautifully spectacular.  It all started with a montage slideshow of wonderfully curated photographs of Presley whirring across a large screen that sat behind a stacked stage full of instruments ready to be played and about a dozen microphones for those aforementioned crooners to voice homage to their fallen leader.  Those names are all tied to stories, and I have set links for you to explore the attachments and create your own mindful illustrations. The classic tunes of Memphis’ prodigal son whispered in the speakers that floated around the phenomenal venue that is 3^rd & Lindsley.  The walls are donned with paintings of music legends and tonight we would be gathering to commemorate and honor one of the biggest. 

The crowd was set off by Paul Leim, with a collective singing of “Happy Birthday” to dear Elvis and then the lighting shifted to a pair of spotlights, and we met with Donna Presley as our guest and Leim, as the interviewer.  She entertained us with a wonderful sit down Q&A where she humanized the larger-than-life star.  

Donna Presley was born into the Presley family and raised within the same close-knit circle that shaped Elvis’s early life and values. The daughter of Nashval Presley Pritchett (Elvis’ aunt), Donna grew up with a deep, personal connection to the man behind all those amazing storie. She got to see the real person and not the mega-star doused in limelight. Begining early on at the age of ten, she began spending her summers at Graceland. By seventeen, her father, Earl, became a trusted staff member at Elvis’s cherished Circle G Ranch. When the ranch was eventually sold, the family moved onto property at Graceland, continuing their close involvement in Elvis’s daily life. Following Elvis’s passing, Donna worked alongside her uncle Vernon Presley (Elvis’ father) in the office from 1979, managing fan correspondence and administration with her cousin Patsy, until the mansion opened to the public in beginning in 1982. 

Donna regaled tales of his normalcy which was so nice.  We hear about the grandiose adventures, the turmoil and the showmanship aspect of his life so often, but it was pleasant for us to be included in a genuine sit-down with a family member who was gracious enough to share. She told of about the famously large gatherings of friends and family and how Elvis constantly surrounded himself with the ones that he loved. “He had nicknames for everyone too”, she recalled.  “My mother was Nash and I was Donny”.  She also included that later she would introduce her son to Elvis.  “He asked me my son’s name, and I said, ‘It’s Stacy Aaron’.  He gave me a look of being taken back and said, Aaron is my name. I know Elvis, that’s why I named him that.”  The audience chuckled in delight. It was so refreshing to hear these yarns that were so wholesome and earnest.   

We were then treated to the music portion of the show that featured a handful of players that backed Elvis throughout some of his most historic moments.  Dennis Jale was our frontman for the night and as he took the stage we were treated to a version of ‘See See Rider’ that was bonafide electric. After the song, Jale expressed how excited he was to be participating in this tribute.  One could not help but notice his strong Schwarzenegger-esque accent which he acknowledged by saying, “I bet you didn’t expect a man with an Austrian accent to be singing Elvis songs tonight.”  It didn’t matter where he was from or where any of us were from that night, but rather the fact that we had all gathered for a singular event featuring likeminded folks that wanted to get away for a minute a clap our hands and tap our toes to some soulful tunes. 

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Dennis delivered all of that and more with his dedication to the craftmanship of a Presley song.  With the TCB Band at his hip he poured his heart into the melodic verses that we first heard so many decades ago.  Jale also presented them with grace.  He is about the tribute.  He is not an Elvis impersonator giving us some caricature of Presley.  Dennis sings the songs as they were intended, and he doesn’t wildly swing his hips or gesture in “Elvis fashion”, because he is not Presley.  What he does is give us a beautiful interpretation of the music.  The music is why all of us have come together. 

A really fun part of the night was Thomas Gabriel crashing the party.  Thomas is the grandson of Johnny Cash and it was only fitting that a “Cash Crash” happened.  His voice is hauntingly similar to Johnny’s.  He performed a selective of classic “Man in Black” tracks including ‘Ring of Fire’ that he encouraged us to join in with.  Deborah Allen was also there to mindfully sing for us.  Allen is a Memphis native and country music artist.  She has a deep connection to Elvis Presley as her hometown hero, and performed a song called ‘Amazing Graceland’.   

The whole night was so well put together, and I thank all the performers with all my heart for the spectacular show that they put on.  If it’s a thing next year, I will certainly be in attendance.  Hopefully I don’t have to go to any more birthday parties in the meantime.