Elvis Presley’s Graceland: Only 1 Sitting U.S. President Visited the King of Rock and Roll’s Historic Home
Elvis Presley‘s Graceland is on the National Register of Historic Places and was named a National Historic Landmark. It is a must-see for music fans who travel to Memphis, Tennessee, to view items which are part of the King of Rock and Roll’s legacy. However, it was also where a sitting United States president and Japan’s prime minister unleashed their inner rock stars, to the delight of Elvis’ daughter Lisa Marie and his ex-wife Priscilla Presley.
Graceland has only hosted 1 sitting U.S. president
In 2006, United States President George W. Bush visited Elvis Presley’s Graceland home. He was the first sitting president to do so.
However, the visit wasn’t directly for President Bush and his wife, Laura. The visit was for the benefit of Japan’s prime minister.
The visit was a going-away present for Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi. Bush knew of Koizumi’s love of Presley’s music, and the visit was a gesture of goodwill by the president of the United States.
Lisa Marie and her mother, Priscilla Presley, took the men and Mrs. Bush on a personalized tour of Graceland. Photographs taken during their visit document the event.
According to People Magazine, Bush gifted Koizumi the Graceland tour and a jukebox loaded with Elvis hits in honor of the Japanese leader’s time in office coming to an end. The gesture was to emphasize the close relationship between the two nations.
“This visit here shows that not only am I personally fond of the prime minister, but that the ties between our peoples are very strong as well,” Bush told reporters following the tour. Koizumi wore a pair of gold-rimmed sunglasses in the King of Rock and Roll style for photographers.
President Bush said, ‘It’s never too late to come to Graceland’
President George W. Bush spoke of his visit to Elvis Presley’s Graceland home in a transcript of the day published by the White House archives. He said, “It’s never too late to come to Graceland.”
Bush said, “First of all, the Prime Minister and I would like to thank Priscilla and Lisa for their gracious hospitality. And we thank the Graceland staff, as well, for arranging this unusual experience.”
He continued, “First of all, my presence here shows it’s never too late to come to Graceland. Laura and I enjoyed Elvis Presley since we were growing up.”
“He’s obviously a major part of our music history and has an international reputation. His reputation was so strong that he attracted the attention of the now Prime Minister of Japan.”
Bush concluded, “I knew he loved Elvis — I didn’t realize how much he loved Elvis. He not only knows Elvis’ history, he can sing a pretty good Elvis song. This visit here shows that not only am I personally fond of the Prime Minister, but the ties between our peoples are also very strong.”
Elvis Presley’s connection to 2 American presidents
Elvis Presley served his country in the United States armed forces from 1958 through 1960. He performed and recorded numerous songs about his love for his country, including “America the Beautiful” and “An American Trilogy.”
However, Presley met only one American president in his lifetime. In 1970, he visited President Richard Nixon in the Oval Office. The entertainer was presented with an honorary Bureau of Narcotics badge.
He hand-delivered a five-page letter he’d written to President Nixon, along with the gift of a framed World War II-era Colt pistol. In the letter, Presley expressed his support for Nixon and offered to help the administration in any way possible.
Presley then asked Nixon if he could get a badge from the Bureau of Narcotics. The president quickly ordered his assistants to find a ceremonial badge for Presley.
In 2018, President Donald Trump awarded Presley the Presidential Medal of Freedom posthumously. The medal recognizes those people who have made a contribution to the security or national interests of the United States, world peace, cultural or other significant public or private endeavors.
Elvis Presley’s Graceland has hosted thousands of entertainers and public figures, but thus far, only one president of the United States. Millions of fans visit the stately home yearly.
