Elvis Presley’s Cook Claims Spirit of King of Rock and Roll Never Really Left Graceland After His Death
Elvis Presley‘s dedicated staff tended to his beloved Graceland home. These people kept the residence running smoothly, from cooking to cleaning, maintenance, and security. One of Presley’s cooks claims that after his death, the King of Rock and Roll’s spirit made his presence known in the home by flickering lights and using other methods of communication.
Elvis Presley’s cook says strange things would happen at night at Graceland
Nancy Rooks began working at Graceland in 1967. She was part of a staff that cooked, served, and cleaned for Elvis Presley and his family.
In an interview with Classic Bands, Rooks shared her experiences working for Presley. She called the King of Rock and Roll “polite.”
Rooks said she was there on Aug. 16, 1977, when Presley died. She continued to work at Graceland for some time after that, tending to the home and the family members who continued to live there.
However, she believed Presley’s spirit never really left his beloved Memphis estate after his death. She shared several strange experiences she knew were connected to the singer while working at the home.
“I would be down in the trophy room, and the lights and things would flash on and off when I would be cleaning ’cause I worked at night,” she revealed. “I would tell Mr. Elvis, ‘Now you leave these lights alone ’cause I got to see.'”
“One night, I was lying down on the platform where his uniforms and suits were in the middle of the trophy room on exhibit. I was lying down,” she continued.
“I tried to sleep and take a nap, and somebody shook my foot. I said, ‘What is this?’ I jumped up but didn’t see anybody,” Rooks shared.
“I said, ‘Mr. Elvis, I know what you did. You did that to wake me up. That means for me to go to work.’ So I get on up and hurry up and get out of there,” she said of her experience.
Nancy Rooks claims Elvis Presley didn’t want Graceland opened to the public
Elvis Presley’s Graceland opened to the public in 1982. Priscilla Presley and the executors hired Jack Soden, then a Kansas City, Missouri investment counselor, to plan and execute the opening of Graceland to the public.
Opening the home to the public was necessary as Graceland cost over half a million dollars yearly in maintenance and taxes. Presley’s death meant no regular cash flow came into the home.
Nancy Rooks claimed Presley had plans to open his trophy room to the public. She said that event would have occurred when the King of Rock and Roll retired.
Therefore, when plans were underway for his home to open as a museum, Rooks said Presley wasn’t happy. He made his frustrations known after his death.
“I was sitting in the house at the table one morning, and a door slammed so hard. But I didn’t see no door close, but I heard it,” she began.
“I ran out of the house and told the guard to go back in there, that somebody was in there, and had slammed the door. So, he goes in there and searches the house,” Rooks continued.
“That was Elvis,” she claimed. “He never wanted the home opened up to the public. He wanted the trophy room open to the public, but he was gonna intend to do that himself if he had retired.”
Rooks concluded, “He was gonna let ’em come through the hall there and go down through the trophy room on back by the swimming pool and on back around. He had decided on doing that.”
Nancy Rooks said working for Elvis Presley was a pleasure because he was so ‘polite’
Although Nancy Rooks’ job included a lot of day-to-day tasks to help Elvis Presley’s life run smoothly at home, she didn’t mind. She claimed her job was a pleasure because Presley was so “polite.”
Rooks said of Presley, “He was very nice and intelligent. He was very polite.”
“When he asked you for something, he always would say ‘Thank-you’ or ‘Please pass me this’ or ‘Give me this’ and say thank-you afterward,” she explained. “I didn’t say that all the time myself.”
Rooks concluded, “I said, ‘Well, you’re learning me how to be polite.’ Elvis responded that his mother taught him manners.”
Nancy Rooks worked for Graceland for over two decades. She tended to the home after it was opened to the public and then was moved to assist at Heartbreak Restaurant and Rockabilly’s across the street from the home until 1993.
