European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - February 23, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse Is photos by l Emmett Lewis or. A visitor inspects an extensive collection of record album jackets. _ of Fig go egg Kwh so Sass my one room features italian posters for Elvis movies. A saudi arabian businessman offered More than $400,000 for Elvis 1975 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham. Items of jewelry clothes and stage costumes As Well As photos guitars and album covers. Movie posters wrap around the Walls of one room. But the Star exhibit is the King s Lemon yellow 1975 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham. The car was part of his Fleet for two years starting in september 1974 and the museum has the original registration to prove it. The Tennessee License plate with the logo 1 Elvis is the Only thing about it that is not authentic. It was attached for display purposes. Is the exhibit popular with europeans yes Tillander replies Elvis is very big in Europe. The Public is just As hungry As american fans for glimpses into any part of the King s life and death. The exhibit put together in its present form in 1986 _ enjoyed great popularity in Sweden before going on the Road. In Aberdeen Scotland 43,000 people flocked to see it on one weekend in 1987. In London it Drew crowds for three months during the Spring of 1988. In Stuttgart and Essen West Germany attendance was i assure you Tillander says it will be touring another 10 from Venice the exhibit continues a tour of other italian cities until the end of april. And Tillander is very excited about plans to take it to Moscow in february 1990. Until glasnost the official soviet line was that Elvis is a Symbol of american decadence. Sometimes Tillander says the enthusiasm of fans takes a strange twist. In London a saudi arabian businessman who visited the exhibit became so enamoured of the Cadillac he offered to buy it for 230,000 pounds about $404,800. The King s Caddy rolling across the desert against a backdrop of Sand dunes and camels the offer was politely declined. Across the room from a Glass Case protecting one of the King s White leather jump suits a souvenir sales table offers Elvis saucers Elvis mugs Elvis posters even Elvis Bowling jackets. For True fans there is a exhibition schedule the Elvis Presley museum will continue its italian tour in the following cities feb. 23-27 Cesene feb. 28-March 2 Lucca March 4-7 Trento March 13-17 Rome March 26-28 Bozen Bolzano March 30-april 5 Perugia april 7-16 Milan april 18-21 Trieste after that the exhibit moves to Austria with the first engagement in Vienna. Organizer Franz Heel said show dates for cities in Austria have not been set. From june 17 to oct. 4, the travelling exhibition will be in Goteborg Sweden and it will return to Italy after that until dec. 31. In 1990, the exhibit will tour the major cities in West Germany with a break Likely for an engagement in Moscow. The Date for the Moscow trip has not yet been confirmed and depends on several factors including the final approval of the soviet government. For More information write or Call Heel concerts Ville Herweg 6, 1-39011 Lana Italy. Telephone from Germany 0039-473-53174. English speaking personnel Are available to take the Calls velvet painting of the King for 50,000 lire about $40. Not quite Graceland a visitor thinks but getting close. There is even a badge presented to Elvis in 1972 by Shelby county sheriff Roy c. Nixon. Plain Silver was too mundane for the King. He had it inset with diamonds and rubies. Four years later with the capriciousness of a simple country boy who really did t care much for the trappings of wealth he gave it away. Giving things away was a habit he never lost. As visitors stroll among the Rock icons and Memorabilia stereo speakers reverberate with that hillbilly blues voice full of heartache and pleading with the world to love me tender love me in one Corner he grates on a video screen All Shook up for eternity on magnetic tape. But amid the Kitsch and sales pitch atmosphere there is Little levity. Largely forgotten is the self parody of the Las vegas years the stories of drugs and dissolution. What remains is the music legend the gentle country boy from Tupelo miss., the Man Muhammad Ali called the sweetest most Humble and nicest Man you d Ever even the teens in the crowd who could hardly have noted his passing on that aug. 16, 12 years ago seem to sense the loss and know that now there can be Only Blue christmases. Outside in the Park Wagner and Verdi eternally Serene continue to stare past the King in Stony silence. Along the canal Side promenade the smells of Low tide fill the air exposed Rock Weed mussels mud. Small Waves Lap against the stones. In 18 Days in Venice More than 20,000 pay homage to the Shadow of a Rock n Roll memory that they won t let die. February 23, 1989 stripes Magazine
