Today, we're looking back at Elvis Presley's Graceland mansion as we pay tribute to "The King" (who died on this day in 1977). Presley spent twenty years at the nearly 14-acre estate, modifying the home to fit his...particular...taste. Think: The famous gate with musical notes, a meditation garden and the famous "Jungle Room," which was subsequently turned into a recording studio.
While Presley wasn't exactly known for a sedate, minimal sense of style, this hasn't prevented a detractor or two from completely ripping into the decor of Graceland. “It appears to have been lifted from some turn-of-the-century bordello down in the French Quarter of New Orleans," said Albert Goldman, author of 1981's "Elvis." In the book "Dead Elvis: A Chronicle of a Cultural Obsession," author Greil Marcus sums it up as "Tacky, garish, tasteless -- words others translate as white trash."
Harsh.
While we wouldn't have made the same choices at Graceland, we celebrate Presley's dedication to his singular personal style -- and making a space that made him happy. For a peek inside the mansion, click through the slideshow below.