Meeting Priscilla Presley is something many Elvis fans can only dream of, but it became a reality for two very lucky Parkes locals last weekend.
Founder of the Parkes Elvis Festival Anne Steel and her daughter Tiffany, who recently became director of the festival, went to the opening of the much-anticipated Elvis: Direct from Graceland exhibition at the Bendigo Art Gallery.
So many fans tried to meet Priscilla when she arrived at the gallery and tried to get a snapshot of her in the car.
“I was really hoping that we’d be able to meet Priscilla,” said Tiffany. “We were told that she wasn’t doing any meet and greets, and we went to look through the exhibition. To our surprise, Angie Marchese, head of archives at Graceland, unexpectedly came and found me and grabbed my hand and said ‘come with me right now’.
“We did not have time to find dad (Bob Steel) before we were whisked away into a back room where Priscilla was waiting.”
It was a very special moment for Anne. “I was really pleased to be able to meet her and to discover what a lovely person she was. She seemed genuinely interested in what we were doing at the Parkes Elvis Festival and thanked us for keeping Elvis’ memory alive.”
Tiffany said they also talked about the 30th anniversary of the festival in January next year and plans to build the replica gates of Graceland. “She was happy to hear that there are so many Elvis fans in Australia and said the Parkes Elvis Festival was wonderful.”