[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 35 (Monday, March 27, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2425-S2426]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        CONGRATULATING GRACELAND

  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate now 
proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 406, which was submitted 
earlier today.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 406) Congratulating Graceland on the 
     occasion of its designation as a National Historic Landmark.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Mr. FRIST. I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, 
the preamble be agreed to, and the motion to reconsider be laid upon 
the table.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolution (S. Res. 406) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:

                              S. Res. 406

       Whereas Graceland--
       (1) served as the home and private retreat of Elvis Aaron 
     Presley from 1957 through 1977; and
       (2) is intimately connected to the musical and cultural 
     heritage of Elvis Aaron Presley;
       Whereas Elvis Presley is--
       (1) universally recognized as the ``King of Rock and 
     Roll'';
       (2) known to generations by only his first name; and
       (3) widely agreed to be one of the most famous and 
     influential American cultural icons of the 20th century;
       Whereas Elvis Presley, having drawn on musical traditions 
     including gospel, country, and rhythm and blues, contributed 
     to the development, popularization, and evolution of the rock 
     and roll genre;
       Whereas Elvis Presley, having been an exceptionally 
     talented vocalist and stage performer, experienced a career 
     marked by unprecedented professional success and achievement;
       Whereas Elvis Presley received numerous honors and 
     accolades, including--
       (1) 3 Grammies;
       (2) 14 Grammy nominations; and
       (3) a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award from the National 
     Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences;
       Whereas the Recording Industry Association of America has 
     officially recognized Elvis Presley as the number 1 Solo 
     Artist in United States History because he has--
       (1) achieved over 150 gold, platinum, or multi-platinum 
     awards; and
       (2) documented album sales exceeding 120,000,000 albums;
       Whereas Elvis Presley is the only artist to be inducted 
     into 3 major music halls of fame, including--
       (1) the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986;
       (2) the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1998; and
       (3) the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 2001;
       Whereas Elvis Presley continues to maintain a preeminent 
     position on numerous Top Artist Achievements lists, 
     including--
       (1) ``Most Chart Hits'';
       (2) ``Most Top 10 Hits'';
       (3) ``Most Top 40 Hits'';
       (4) ``Most Weeks at the number 1 Position'';
       (5) ``Most Consecutive number 1 Hits'';
       (6) ``Most Consecutive Top 10 Hits''; and

[[Page S2426]]

       (7) ``Most Gold and Platinum Hits'';
       Whereas Elvis Presley was personally involved in the 
     renovation and reconstruction of Graceland, and the unique 
     design and decoration of Graceland enshrines his style, 
     character, influence, and cultural legacy;
       Whereas Graceland serves as a museum for promoting, 
     celebrating, and maintaining the role of Elvis Presley in the 
     history of the United States;
       Whereas Graceland--
       (1) is a historic residence built in the Classical Revival 
     style; and
       (2) was placed on the National Register of Historic Places 
     in 1991;
       Whereas Graceland continues to serve as a pilgrimage site 
     for millions of Elvis Presley fans from around the world;
       Whereas Graceland is recognized as one of the most visited 
     historic house museums in the United States, attracting over 
     600,000 visitors each year; and
       Whereas Graceland will continue to impact the popular 
     culture of the United States by educating millions of 
     visitors for years to come: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) recognizes Graceland as exceptionally valuable for 
     promoting and illustrating the contributions of Elvis Presley 
     to the music and popular culture of the United States;
       (2) acknowledges the importance of designating Graceland as 
     a National Historic Landmark for the purposes of recognizing 
     and preserving that unique cultural attraction; and
       (3) congratulates Graceland on the occasion of its 
     designation as a National Historic Landmark.

  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I want to take a few moments to comment on 
the resolution that was just agreed to with regard to Graceland.
  As famous as the White House, as beloved as Wrigley Field, each year 
over 600,000 people from around the world travel to Memphis, TN, to see 
Graceland, the legendary home of the King of Rock.
  Today, I am pleased to introduce and pass the Senate resolution 
honoring Graceland as a National Historic Landmark.
  On behalf of my fellow Tennesseans, I extend my thanks to Secretary 
Norton for recognizing this unique contribution to American culture, 
and the extraordinary influence of the man who made it his own, Elvis 
Aaron Presley.
  Born on January 8, 1935, in a 2-room house in East Tulepo, MS, Elvis 
and his family moved to Memphis when he was 13. Six years later--with 
the help of Sam Phillips, Sun Records, and his recording of ``That's 
All Right''--Elvis became a star.
  From that moment on his fame only grew, propelling him into the small 
pantheon of American icons who single-handedly remade popular culture.
  In the 1960s, Leonard Bernstein was moved to remark, ``Elvis is the 
greatest cultural force in the 20th century. He introduced the beat to 
everything music, language, clothes. It's a whole new social 
revolution.''
  John Lennon famously said, ``Before Elvis, there was nothing.''
  Elvis fused the styles of gospel country, and rhythm and blues. His 
instinctual style revolutionized rock'n roll and drove it to the center 
of popular culture.
  Through his enormous talent, drive, and charisma, Elvis achieved 
remarkable success over 2 decades earning 97 gold albums, 55 platinum 
albums, 25 multi-platinum albums, 51 gold singles, 27 platinum singles, 
7 multi-platinum singles, and album sales exceeding 120 million copies.
  When the 21-year-old star appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1956, 
82.6 percent of the viewing public tuned in.
  Thirteen years later Elvis opened in Las Vegas, selling out a 2,000 
seat showroom, 2 shows a night, for 4 weeks straight.
  He became the most successful performer in Las Vegas history, 
surpassing Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, or Barbra Streisand.
  In 1973 Elvis performed the now legendary ``Aloha from Hawaii, via 
Satellite.'' The concert was beamed worldwide, attracting the largest 
television audience to date, estimated at 1.5 billion viewers.
  Elvis was only 36 when he received the prestigious Recording 
Academy's Lifetime Achievement Award.
  In 2004, the Recording Industry Association officially certified 
Elvis Presley as the No. 1 solo artist in U.S. history.
  Elvis was, and remains, a genuine cultural force. Millions of fans 
from around the world have traveled to Graceland to feel a little 
closer to this American icon. And his music continues to course through 
American life.
  Bruce Springsteen once said, ``There have been a lotta tough guys. 
There have been pretenders. And there have contenders. But there is 
only one King.''
  And there's only one Graceland that preserves the King's memory.
  I commend my colleagues for recognizing this singular cultural 
landmark.

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