Lisa Marie Presley Dead at Age 54
Fans leave flowers and notes outside of Graceland in memory of Lisa Marie Presley, the daughter of Elvis Presley who Died Jan, 12, 2023 at the age of 54.
Lisa Marie lived at Graceland, in Memphis, Tennessee in her early childhood. After Elvis Presley died, she inherited the house. She frequently returned to Graceland to remember her father and to greet fans on his birthday or during Elvis Death Week.
As a photojournalist in Memphis, I have had many opportunities to cover Lisa Marie and her mother Priscilla Presley, and those who loved and were connected to Elvis in his lifetime. I have put together a small photo gallery and video of the spontaneous memorial outside Graceland and some other links to stories about the passing of Lisa Marie.
Each year, during death week in August, fans travel to Memphis from around the world to remember Elvis. A candle is lit at his grave and the flame is transferred to a few fans, who process past the graves along with thousands of other fans who come to participate in the candlelight vigil. The event usually goes into the early hours of the next morning. (One of the photos in this photo gallery is Lisa Marie participating in the vigil, passing that flame to fans.)
Newspapers around the world have been interested in the story of the death of Lisa Marie Presley.
Lisa Marie will be buried at Graceland near her son Benjamin Keough, who died in 2020, and her father Elvis along with other family members in the meditation garden next to the home.
A few highlights from Elvis Week, usually attended by Lisa Marie and Priscilla Presley, Below-
The video of the spontaneous memorial for Lisa Marie outside Graceland is below:
Lisa Marie was here this summer for a premiere of the new Elvis movie that came out.
https://www.karenpulferfocht.com/blog/tag/Lisa+Marie+Presely
It’s a busy time in Memphis! I will try and add to this blog post and photo gallery as I have time.
John Beifuss, my former colleague at the Commercial Appeal who is a longtime Memphis reporter wrote an excellent story about Lisa Marie. https://www.commercialappeal.com/story/entertainment/2023/01/13/lisa-marie-presley-dies-elvis-daughter-graceland/69804300007/
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/lisa-marie-presley-dies-wealth-net-worth-graceland/
https://youtu.be/1deDe9Ye_LM THIS IS A LINK TO THE LIVE STREAM OF THE CEREMONY
Jerry Lee Lewis Mississippi Home May Soon Be For Sale
Rock N Roll legend Jerry Lee Lewis’ 30 Acre Ranch May Be Up for Sale
The Mississippi home of entertainer Jerry Lee Lewis may soon be up for sale. The Jerry Lee Lewis Ranch is located at 1595 Malone Road in Nesbit, Mississippi, just south of Memphis, Tennessee. Lewis passed away Oct. 28 at the age of 87. “The Jerry Lee Lewis Ranch consists of more than 30 acres, with a stocked lake, two ponds, outbuildings, self-contained apartment, swimming pool, and the home of the late Jerry Lee Lewis. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to purchase a property with such provenance and possibilities.” according to this website: https://thejerryleelewisranch.com/?fbclid=IwAR0O73t0GvUvFO6MGgOYeRvpX71Vne7guefomRCQkw_zGdQRo2yaqiqiRS8
There has always been drama unfolding around the Rock-n-Roll legend, and even after he has passed away, the drama continues.
He lived in this home since the 70’s; his son Jerry Lee Lewis lll (Lee) grew up in this home. He lived here with sixth wife Kerrie McCarver, Lee’s mother. His daughter Phoebe Lewis lived with him at the ranch for a while before he married his 7th wife Judith Brown whom he was married to until his death. Phoebe is the daughter of Myra Lewis Williams , who was his third wife and his 13-year-old cousin at the time they got married. The controversey changed the trajectory of his career.
A link to my photo gallery of Jerry Lee Lewis through the years here below including him at the ranch with his family: https://www.karenpulferfocht.com/blog/tag/Jerry+Lee+Lewis+lll
Here are some of the stories written about how this is unfolding.
https://desotocountynews.com/desoto-county-news/the-lewis-ranch-up-for-sale/
https://www.savingcountrymusic.com/jerry-lee-lewiss-landmark-ranch-being-sold-amid-estate-dispute/
https://www.actionnews5.com/2023/01/05/music-legend-jerry-lee-lewis-nesbit-ranch-sale/
Giant Pandas Leaving Memphis Zoo
It is hard to believe it’s been 20 years since the pandas came to Memphis from China.
Today, the Memphis Zoo announced that the aging pandas, Ya Ya and Le Le were both going to live out their days back home in China.
“After two decades, Memphis Zoo's current giant panda loan agreement with the Chinese Association of Zoological Gardens will end and Ya Ya and Le Le will make the journey back to China within the next few months. Ya Ya and Le Le have been integral parts of the Memphis community for the past 20 years and we are grateful for the time we were able to spend with them. During their time at Memphis Zoo, Ya Ya and Le Le helped pioneer research and conservation projects to teach others about the importance of their species. It has been a privilege to host these incredible bears at Memphis Zoo for the past two decades and the impact their culture has had on the City of Memphis will forever be remembered” the zoo said in a statement on Facebook.
I was fortunate enough to go to China in 2003 on assignment for The Commercial Appeal, when the Memphis Zoo went to pick up the pandas. I feel very connected to them. I have photographed and filmed them very many times over the years.
“China requires foreign zoos that host pandas on loan to allow older animals to spend their final days on Chinese soil. At 24 and 22, respectively, Le Le and Ya Ya have exceeded the giant panda life expectancy in the wild by almost 10 years, according to the spokesperson.” (Reuters, link below)
I have put together some of the highlights from their stay, which included a Time Magazine cover celebrating their arrival.
All Images Subject to Copyright ©Karen Pulfer Focht
The Giant Pandas in China before coming to Memphis. Matt Thompson, who is now President and CEO of the Memphis Zoo was among zoo officials in 2003 and is seen here with the Pandas, Ya Ya and Le Le in China.
Zoo officials worked closely with China while doing their panda breeding research.
VIDEO BELOW
My photo was featured in the China Daily story which speaks to how well the Memphis Zoo cared for these pandas-
http://global.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202301/05/WS63b5a51ea31057c47eba7b4e.html
One of the other places you can see Giant Pandas in the US is at the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington D.C. Their new baby is shown here playing below.
VIDEO BELOW
XIAO QI JI, born to the Smithsonian’s National Zoo on Aug. 21, 2020 plays in his habitat on June 23, 2021. The male panda cub was born to mother Mei Xiang and father Tian Tian. The Smithsonian’s National Zoo reopened to the public for the first time since late November at the end of May, 2021.
Reuters used my photos and did a story today- The local papers also did a story. The Links are below.
http://global.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202301/05/WS63b5a51ea31057c47eba7b4e.html
https://www.reuters.com/world/china/bye-bye-ya-ya-le-le-memphis-pandas-be-returned-china-2022-12-21/
This history of the Pandas-
Panda Conservation-
Lt. Robert Bedford Honored at 103 on Veterans Day
Lt. Robert Bedford, age 103, was honored with other area veterans at the 2022 West Tennessee State Veterans Cemetery Day Event Friday, Nov. 11, 2022, in Memphis, Tenn. Navy Lt. Bedford, is one of the few remaining World War II D-Day Veterans who is still alive. (Photo By Karen Pulfer Focht ©)
Robert Bedford as a younger man.
Thank you for your service Lt. Bedford and to all of our other brave veterans for fighting for our freedom and democracy.
An Evening with Elizabeth King: The Sacred Soul Queen of Memphis
ON THE SEASONED SIDE OF LIFE: Performance Highlights of Gospel Singer Elizabeth King at Crosstown, Memphis
Surrounded by amazing Memphis musicians, 78-year-old gospel singer Elizabeth King pours out her heart and soul while performing at Crosstown Arts in Memphis, Tennessee Aug. 27, 2022. She was accompanied by her daughters. King is experiencing a career resurgence after taking time out to raise 15 children. She has recently recorded on Bible & Tire Recording Company.
King tells the story of how she was “Touched by God” and how he changed her life forever.
The Harmonica Experience
Twice a year people come from all over the world to bask in The Harmonica Experience in the Mississippi Delta where the blues began.
Master harmonica players gather in the Juke Joint Chapel at the Shack Up Inn in Clarksdale, Mississippi teaching inspired students how to breathe in and out to create beautiful bluesy tones on their harmonicas, also known in the area as a “Mississippi Saxophone.”
On this Southern plantation where blues legend Pinetop Perkins once worked the land, aspiring musicians sat on the porches of their cabins learning how to bend notes and call music from their hearts and souls.
In the evening, the more skilled musicians often encourage anyone interested to join along in a spontaneous jam. Some sing better than others, some play in a group for the first time, but they all have fun making music together with their new friends in this special place.
The students draw inspiration from the atmosphere; the spring flowers or fall cotton in bloom; The shacks, once home to sharecroppers; the fields, once filled with people making music to help pass the time and ease the pain of their burden. The workshop takes place minutes from where many of the great blues artists lived, worked, played music, and are buried.
Black history lessons are everywhere.
Participants are getting a very authentic learning experience from passionate professional musicians willing to share their knowledge and see their students shine.
“Ultimately you want to be able to express yourself, you want to be able to find your own blues in you and play that.” says harmonica great Charlie Musselwhite while visiting the students. “You want to find the tones that resonate with you and play those from your heart.”
Coaches and professional musicians Cheryl Arena and Brian “Hash Brown” Calway run the camp with other coaches, while teaching and musically supporting the students who learn, play, practice all week as they work towards a final Saturday performance.
Cheryl also offers students on a canoe trip on the mighty Mississippi with river historian John Ruskey and the Quapaw Canoe Company.
Kate Wakeling looks forward to The Harmonica Experience in the fall. She has traveled from Australia many times to learn and play harmonica with the coaches and students who have become her musical family. Many of the students return again and again as they gain confidence and build relationships, tweaking their talent while enjoying a week in the Delta.
In Clarksdale, there are clubs to hear music every day of the week and festivals throughout the year that bring blues fans to the area. There is a blues museum too.
Visit the graves of the great Sonny Boy Williamson or Pinetop Perkins, or the famous Crossroads, where Robert Johnson “sold his soul to the devil.”
But get ready for a genuine experience—- the Mississippi Delta is an acquired taste. Downtown Clarksdale still struggles, blues tourism and agriculture are what keeps the area afloat. But the area is still full of beautiful, colorful and interesting people who call it home.
For the real blues fans, Mississippi has done a fantastic job with the Mississippi Blues Trail. It would be worth allowing extra time to go see the B.B. King museum and the many other blues attractions in the Delta. Download the app and see significant locations on their Map as you drive along.
To also help prepare for the experience, read the quintessential Dispatches From Pluto, by Richard Grant, a New York Times Best Seller about the area.
Memphis is the closest big city located about an hour north of Clarksdale. It is home to the Blues Foundation, the Blues Museum, iconic Beale Street, Graceland and the Civil Right Museum. Memphis is rich in musical heritage and history and is also worth making the extra time to visit.
By Karen Pulfer Focht ©2022
VIDEO BELOW