Although he has been deceased since 1977, Elvis Presley remains among the top selling artists of all time. A recent ranking has him at number three in all time sales, just behind the Beatles and Garth Brooks. He leads the category for posthumous sales.
As the prototypical rock star, movie star, and sex symbol, one can only imagine what his life was like. Little wonder that we are told that he literally craved privacy. Indeed, some of the most intriguing videos of Elvis are the home movies posted online of him at joyous play on the fourteen acres of his Graceland estate. One can see him laughing hilariously as he is playing ball, riding horses, and driving his family around on his celebrated golf cart.
It is somewhat surprising, therefore, that in a highly publicized auction earlier this week, this famed golf cart did not draw any serious bidders. According to the headline of an article by Gary Gastelu, published January 09, 2020 on www.FoxNews.com, “Elvis Presley's Harley-Davidson golf cart duffs at auction”.
The beige and white vehicle is near pristine; and even though it doesn’t currently run, it remains all-original, save for the golf bag holder, which was removed complete with documentation. Apparently, the king of rock ‘n roll paid $1,055.38 for the cart before having it fitted out to his exact liking.
Before the auction, it was estimated that it would sell for $60,000 to $70,000. However, while lots of other items pulled in big bucks, no one even met the minimum bid of $20,000 for the cart.
I myself like to hear to Elvis sing. He was definitely gifted by God with a tremendous singing voice. I have a playlist on my device of some of his more famous songs. And I also have a gospel collection he released.
Nonetheless, what I find interesting is that a generation ago, any item even remotely associated with an entertainer of such stature would have been gobbled up. Now, however, as many of his fans are aging (like me) and passing on themselves, even the personal items of someone like Elvis are not as sought after as they once were. One assumes that, given enough time, even those that are still highly valued will lose some of their appeal.
All of this reminds us that all this world has to offer is fleeting. Life itself is short enough. Elvis got 42 years. And he certainly made the most of this time. He amassed a lot of fortune and fame. Yet with each passing year, even these things, sought so desperately by most people, still diminish.
The Psalmist (Psalm 144, verse 4) once stated “Man is like a breath; his days are like a passing shadow.” Peter understood this, and affirmed the following in his First New Testament Letter (Chapter 1, verse 24): “All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord endures forever.”
I believe Elvis understood this. While he had his share of personal struggles, as we all do, an examination of his discography record shows that, in and among his other recordings, he released Gospel albums and/or singles all throughout his career.
More to the point, it is reported by those who knew him that best that Elvis sometimes used to stay up all night singing gospel songs. He once said, "We do two shows a night for five weeks. A lotta times we'll go upstairs and sing until daylight - gospel songs. We grew up with it... it more or less puts your mind at ease. It does mine."
Perhaps this was his way of reminding us that even one who was considered a king in this world knew that he would one day stand before the One True King! When that time comes, nothing this world has to offer will compare to having been fitted for that moment!
STORY SOURCE:
https://www.foxnews.com/auto/elvis-presleys-harley-davidson-golf-cart-duffs-at-auction
Gary Gastelu is FoxNews.com's Automotive Editor. He can be followed at @garygastelu.
SCRIPTURE SOURCES:
https://biblehub.com/niv/psalms/144.htm;
https://biblehub.com/niv/1_peter/1.htm.
ELVIS QUOTE SOURCE:
https://www.beliefnet.com/entertainment/music/2009/02/elvis-presley-quotes.aspx.
Note that this page also records that Elvis once plainly stated: "There's only one king...and that's Jesus Christ."
As the prototypical rock star, movie star, and sex symbol, one can only imagine what his life was like. Little wonder that we are told that he literally craved privacy. Indeed, some of the most intriguing videos of Elvis are the home movies posted online of him at joyous play on the fourteen acres of his Graceland estate. One can see him laughing hilariously as he is playing ball, riding horses, and driving his family around on his celebrated golf cart.
It is somewhat surprising, therefore, that in a highly publicized auction earlier this week, this famed golf cart did not draw any serious bidders. According to the headline of an article by Gary Gastelu, published January 09, 2020 on www.FoxNews.com, “Elvis Presley's Harley-Davidson golf cart duffs at auction”.
The beige and white vehicle is near pristine; and even though it doesn’t currently run, it remains all-original, save for the golf bag holder, which was removed complete with documentation. Apparently, the king of rock ‘n roll paid $1,055.38 for the cart before having it fitted out to his exact liking.
Before the auction, it was estimated that it would sell for $60,000 to $70,000. However, while lots of other items pulled in big bucks, no one even met the minimum bid of $20,000 for the cart.
I myself like to hear to Elvis sing. He was definitely gifted by God with a tremendous singing voice. I have a playlist on my device of some of his more famous songs. And I also have a gospel collection he released.
Nonetheless, what I find interesting is that a generation ago, any item even remotely associated with an entertainer of such stature would have been gobbled up. Now, however, as many of his fans are aging (like me) and passing on themselves, even the personal items of someone like Elvis are not as sought after as they once were. One assumes that, given enough time, even those that are still highly valued will lose some of their appeal.
All of this reminds us that all this world has to offer is fleeting. Life itself is short enough. Elvis got 42 years. And he certainly made the most of this time. He amassed a lot of fortune and fame. Yet with each passing year, even these things, sought so desperately by most people, still diminish.
The Psalmist (Psalm 144, verse 4) once stated “Man is like a breath; his days are like a passing shadow.” Peter understood this, and affirmed the following in his First New Testament Letter (Chapter 1, verse 24): “All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord endures forever.”
I believe Elvis understood this. While he had his share of personal struggles, as we all do, an examination of his discography record shows that, in and among his other recordings, he released Gospel albums and/or singles all throughout his career.
More to the point, it is reported by those who knew him that best that Elvis sometimes used to stay up all night singing gospel songs. He once said, "We do two shows a night for five weeks. A lotta times we'll go upstairs and sing until daylight - gospel songs. We grew up with it... it more or less puts your mind at ease. It does mine."
Perhaps this was his way of reminding us that even one who was considered a king in this world knew that he would one day stand before the One True King! When that time comes, nothing this world has to offer will compare to having been fitted for that moment!
STORY SOURCE:
https://www.foxnews.com/auto/elvis-presleys-harley-davidson-golf-cart-duffs-at-auction
Gary Gastelu is FoxNews.com's Automotive Editor. He can be followed at @garygastelu.
SCRIPTURE SOURCES:
https://biblehub.com/niv/psalms/144.htm;
https://biblehub.com/niv/1_peter/1.htm.
ELVIS QUOTE SOURCE:
https://www.beliefnet.com/entertainment/music/2009/02/elvis-presley-quotes.aspx.
Note that this page also records that Elvis once plainly stated: "There's only one king...and that's Jesus Christ."