Elvis Gifts: the Generosity of the ‘King’
Elvis is renowned the world over for his music, embellished jumpsuits and provocative performance style, but something he is perhaps less well-known for is his generosity to others. From Cadillac’s, to diamond encrusted Rolexes, Elvis’ gifts were given as a sign of his love to those around him and often on the spur of the moment.
Elvis’ generosity seems to be a characteristic that was always present in his personality. From an early age he was known to give away his new toys to children he felt were less fortunate than himself; an unusually generous action for a young boy.
From humble beginnings rose a star of epic proportions. Throughout his meteoric career, much of Elvis’ generosity was unknown to the general public. Behind closed doors he paid off people’s hospital bills, bought wheelchairs, paid off others debts and supported everyone from friends and family to total strangers. He bought friend Joe Esposito a house and contributed $30,000 towards a home for friend Jerry Schilling, and footed the bill for both their weddings.
Well known for his love of cars, Elvis also lavished his friends with automotive gifts. In total, Elvis bought around 150 cars for his friends, who became known as the ‘Memphis Mafia’. Nancy Rooks, Elvis’s maid at Gracelend recalls: “One of the bodyguards told me to come to the front door and Elvis said, ‘Do you like that car?’ I said, ‘Yeah.’ And he said, ‘It’s yours’”*.
Publicly, Elvis used his fame and popularity to host shows and benefits that would raise money for causes he was passionate about. After serving in the US Army for two years, Elvis came back and hosted a charity benefit in Hawaii, raising $65,000 for the Memorial at Pearl Harbor for the U.S.S Arizona. The fund was struggling at the time, but after Elvis’ contribution, the memorial opened later that year.
Today, Elvis Presley’s philanthropic endeavours are survived by the Elvis Presley Charitable Foundation and the Elvis Presley Endowed Scholarship Fund at the University of Memphis. The memory of the King lives on through his music, persona and kindness.
*Quote taken from The Guardian, available at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2009/dec/29/elvis-presley
