Elvis Presley’s crypt up for sale

LOS ANGELES:

The crypt, in which Elvis Presley’s body was first laid to rest before being moved to the grounds of his Graceland mansion, is set to be auctioned off in June along with other memorabilia from rock music and sports stars.

Julien’s Auctions Sports Legends and Music Icons sale will feature items from Rolling Stone guitarist Keith Richards and the late singer Amy Winehouse to basketball superstar Michael Jordan, the auctioneer said in a statement.

But the original Presley crypt is likely to gain a lot of attention. Presley, among the best known rock ‘n’ rollers of all time, died in 1977 and following his funeral at Graceland, his body was temporarily kept in the crypt of a private mausoleum at Forest Hill Cemetery in Memphis, Tennessee.

After about two months, both his body and that of his mother were moved to a permanent site in the meditation garden on the grounds of Graceland. Julien’s said the lot for sale includes the crypt, opening and closing of the vault for burial, memorial inscription and use of a small chapel for a memorial service.

The two-day sale on June 23 and 24 also includes a ripped T-shirt with “Hell” scrawled across it that Keith Richards once wore while playing for the Stones.

A robe that Amy Winehouse used in her video for smash hit “Rehab” will be sold, as will memorabilia and clothing owned by David Bowie, John Lennon and Michael Jackson.

Sports items include a pair of shoes worn and signed by Michael Jordan, the hood of a race car signed by driving champion Tony Stewart and a Lance Armstrong skin suit worn in the 2003 Tour de France.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 30^th, 2012.