Sally Pelham knows Elvis Presley died August 16, 1977…but a flicker of hope still burns inside here that the King might still live on. Perhaps only in the hearts of his millions of fans.
Those fans will this week commemorate Presley’s death a quarter century ago but for Pelham, every day is one to honor the beloved musician.
Her home is a shrine to the famous entertainer. Every room features some type of Elvis memorabilia. Perhaps it would be easier to list things she doesn’t have rather than those she does.
There are paintings–on velvet of course–drawings, picture puzzles, blankets, rugs and towels, dolls, Christmas ornaments, entire plate collections, cards, marbles, belt buckles and even perfume.
Her collection began when Pelham was a high school student in North Carolina in the late 1950s.
“My mom wasn’t one of those people who thought he was bad,” Pelham said. “I liked everything about him. He was a poor country boy who got rich quick. The sad part is that he never really knew what to do with all that money. He was like a prisoner in his own world. He couldn’t live a normal life.”
Pelham said she only saw Elvis once in person, during a concert in California.
“We were sitting so far away, all I could see was red velvet,” Pelham said.
Although she enjoyed all of the King’s music, Pelham especially appreciates his gospel songs such as How Great Thou Art.
“I think the older he got the better his voice became,” Pelham said.
Although she has never sat down and placed a dollar value on her collection, Pelham said it probably easily tops $10,000.
“This isn’t something that a dollar figure can be placed on,” Pelham said. “You have to talk to another collector to really understand it.”
Pelham said she doesn’t splurge on things such as clothing but will spend $60 for an Elvis phone that include a figure that sings “You Ain’t Nothing But a Hound Dog” when a call comes in.
In another corner hangs a poster with drawings of Marilyn Monroe, Elvis, James Dean and Humphrey Bogart gambling in Las Vegas. The piece comes complete with blinking lights.
Pelham’s family, including her husband Don, contribute to her addiction. When he was a long-haul truck driver, Don would buy her Elvis items found in truck stops. Her children all have contributed and even her co workers and customers at Umpqua Bank love to buy her things.
“My husband doesn’t mind,” Pelham said. “All my kids love Elvis. My grandson, Ditter, knows who Elvis is.”
Pelham said she remembers Elvis’ death.
“It was like somebody had died in our family,” Pelham said.
Some 41 years after her addiction began, Pelham said there’s no end in sight.
“There’s new stuff popping up all the time,” she said with a smile.