On Sunday, hundreds of friends and fans flooded the Graceland burial garden to honor the memory of Lisa Marie Presley. However, fans of the singer may not know that the burial grounds at Graceland have been the subject of various controversies and conspiracies ever since Presley was laid to rest there in 1977.
Why Elvis Presley Is Buried At Graceland
Few people know that Presley wasn’t originally buried at Graceland. Immediately after his death, the rock and roll legend was laid to rest near his mother in Forest Hill Cemetery in Memphis.
However, just a few months later, graverobbers threatened to steal his coffin, prompting Presley’s father, Vernon, to exhume his body and rebury him in the meditation garden at Graceland.
Vernon also had Elvis’ mother, Gladys, moved to Graceland, creating a private family graveyard on the property. Today, the graves of the Presley family attract legions of tourists every year, serving as a place where fans can pay their respects to the famous family.
Why People Believe The King’s Grace Is Empty
Given the circumstances surrounding Presley’s burial, fans and conspiracy theorists have speculated that the King of Rock and Roll doesn’t actually rest at Graceland.
Of course, there are those who believe Presley faked his death in 1977, which would mean he couldn’t have been buried at the original gravesite at all. These theorists cling to alleged sightings of the legend, insisting that he never really died.
However, other theories actually suggest Presley and his family are resting in another private cemetery and the Graceland meditation garden is just for show. The primary piece of “evidence” for this conspiracy theory is in the headstones.
Gladys’ original headstone apparently had the Star of David engraved into the stone as a tribute to her Jewish heritage. However, her Graceland headstone does not.
Similarly, Elvis’ middle name is spelled “Aaron” on his headstone while it’s spelled “Aron” on his birth certificate. It’s these little inconsistencies that suggest the possibility that the mediation garden serves as just a memorial site rather than a cemetery.
Who Else Is Buried With Elvis?
Of course, this would suggest that the other Presley family members supposedly resting in the meditation garden are actually buried elsewhere as well.
In addition to Elvis and Gladys, Vernon and his mother, Minnie Mae Presley, were also laid to rest at Graceland. When Lisa Marie’s son Benjamin Keough died by suicide in 2020, he was the first person buried at Graceland in over 40 years.
Sadly, Lisa Marie followed her son less than three years later as the sixth and most recent Presley family member buried at Graceland.
As the public is still mourning Lisa Marie’s passing, we see why so many people feel the need to keep the Presley family alive through conspiracy theories.
The truth is that, whether it’s a symbolic memorial or a legitimate gravesite, Graceland is an important part of the Presley family history and is as good a place as any to pay tribute to their memories.
