Whatever Happened to America’s Elvis Presley Museums?

When 15-year-old Jimmy Tennant went to see country icon Hank Snow at the Gator Bowl in Jacksonville, Florida, on May 13, 1955, the young musical hopeful had no way of knowing his life was about to change. While wandering backstage, Tennant bumped into another upstart preparing for his opening act performance. “Hi, I’m Elvis Presley,” the handsome singer introduced himself.

What followed was a 22-year friendship, during which Presley would skyrocket to singular worldwide fame, and Tennant would enjoy his own rock ‘n’ roll success, a career he eventually abandoned to pay eternal tribute to his legendary pal.

Tennant and Presley became fast friends, which led to Elvis’ family also embracing the Florida native as one of their own. Less than three years after that fateful meeting, Presley had become the biggest singer on the planet, and Tennant released his first single “The Witness” in early 1958. Eventually changing his stage name to Jimmy Velvet, he continued releasing singles without much fanfare until his “You’re Mine, and We Belong Together” made the charts in 1963.

Through all the ups and downs Elvis experienced in his blinding career, Tennant/Velvet was present. He joined Presley on the set of some of his films, was in the recording studio for a number of sessions, and was a regular at Graceland.

Velvet was on tour with his own band on Aug. 16, 1977, when, in between sets, he learned Elvis had passed away. At the end of that show, he announced it was to be his last, and that he was going to devote the rest of his life to paying tribute to his fallen friend. Velvet met with Presley’s father, Vernon, proposing the idea for an Elvis museum across the street from Graceland, and with Vernon’s blessing, opened the Mini Elvis Museum on June 1, 1978, exhibiting 20 personal items and keepsakes that once belonged to The King.

It was the only museum officially endorsed by Elvis Presley Enterprises Inc., and the never-ending stream of fans visiting the gates of Graceland instantly led to huge museum success despite the venue’s meager $1 admission fee. The name was simplified to The Elvis Presley Museum, and it became an essential stop for all Presley diehards.

Graceland eventually opened its doors to the public in 1982 and absorbed Velvet’s museum, but Velvet didn’t slow in amassing as many Elvis items as he could get his hands on from Presley family, friends, and collectors. The same year Graceland became public, Velvet opened another Elvis museum in Honolulu, Hawaii, then a second in Orlando, Florida, in 1984, and a third in Nashville, Tennessee, in 1985, displaying cars, screen- and stage-worn outfits, jewelry, instruments, guns, and one-of-a-kind personal items. The success of his various establishments led to Velvet taking a rotating lineup of items on the road around the United States, delighting fans everywhere he went.

Gerrit Alan Fokkema/Fairfax Media via Getty Images

Eventually, Velvet closed his museums and auctioned off a good portion of his collection with the assistance of Butterfield & Butterfield in 1994 to the tune of over $2 million in proceeds. He teamed up with collector Daniel Johnson for ElvisPresleyMuseum.com, where Velvet continues to introduce music fans to unique items and stories from his years in the Presleyverse. As Velvet noted in a video on the site, “Elvis was a legend, and legends never die.” His unyielding dedication to his famous friend since 1977 is a testament to that.

Elvis Presley's Real Blue Suede Shoes Were Sold in an Auction

Someone paid a pretty penny for these!

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