Elvis fan’s dream comes true
More than 30 years after the untimely death of Elvis Presley,
devotees worldwide are still paying fervent tribute to the King of
Rock’n Roll.
They don’t come more ardent than South Korean Lee Jong-Jin, who sold
two apartments to build his own memorial hall — halfway around the world
from the world-famed Graceland museum in Memphis.
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South Korean Lee Jong-Jin, who sold two apartments to build his
own memorial hall, posing with his collection at the “Follow
That Dream” hall for Elvis Presley in Paju, north of Seoul. AFP |
The “Follow that Dream” hall at Paju north of Seoul, which opened a
decade ago and is named after a 1962 Elvis movie, houses a huge
collection of memorabilia.
A 200-inch (508 cm) screen plays constant edited footage of Elvis
performing in Las Vegas in August 1970. Visitors are strongly
recommended to finish their tour by watching the film on comfortable red
couches.
Positioned between the screen and the seats are three sets of
amplifiers, each reproducing different music styles from the 1950s,
1960s and 1970s.
Every inch of wall space is plastered with pictures and placards of
Elvis, album covers and lyrics of his hit songs. Life-size models of the
King, strumming a guitar or clutching a microphone, adorn the hall.
“The memorial hall is non-profit so I spend a lot of money trying to
maintain it,” said Lee, sporting a black shirt imprinted with Elvis’s
face and with his hair moussed back like his idol.
Lee, who runs a Seoul publishing company, said although he has no
money, he also has no debt because — believe it or not — “Elvis
transfers money to the accounts” whenever the memorial hall needs it.
The hall attracts many Japanese, American and British tourists but Lee
said his aim is to pay tribute to Elvis rather than run a theme
park-type operation.
He does not sell snacks or drinks except on the days around the
January 8 anniversary of the singer’s birth in 1935 and the anniversary
of his death on August 16, 1977. On those special occasions he offers
steaks and other favourite Elvis dishes to visitors and members of the
Korean fan club of which he is president. Lee spends around 30 to 40
million won (25,000-34,000 dollars) on each event.
He painstakingly put together his 10,000-item collection in a variety
of ways. Some of his 72 old (78 rpm) records came from US soldiers based
in Korea.
AFP |
