Country Star and Hit Elvis Songwriter Mac Davis Dies at 78

Country star Mac Davis, who launched his career crafting the Elvis hits “A Little Less Conversation” and “In the Ghetto,” and whose own hits include “Baby Don’t Get Hooked On Me,” has died. He was 78.

His longtime manager Jim Morey said in a press release that Davis died in Nashville on Tuesday after heart surgery and was surrounded by family and friends.

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State Rep. London Lamar Says She Knows Who Really Vandalized Graceland, but She Refuses to Say More

State Rep. London Lamar (D-Memphis) said this week that Black Lives Matter and groups wanting to defund the police did not vandalize property in Memphis — presumably referring to Graceland — and she knows who really did it.

The Tennessee Star contacted Lamar’s office by phone and email Thursday and asked who she thinks really vandalized Graceland and what evidence she had to back that up.

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Memphis Appears Inclined to Pursue Corporate Welfare for Graceland

  Memphis City Council members appear inclined to go forward with a corporate welfare deal for Elvis Presley’s Graceland. According to The Associated Press this week, they have approved part of a plan for a $75 million expansion project at the Memphis tourist hotspot. “The deal doesn’t include soundstages that could act as concert venues. City officials were concerned that the stages would put Graceland in competition with Memphis’ main concert venue, the FedExForum,” according to The AP. As The Tennessee Star reported, Graceland seeks government incentives to help build retail space and a recreational vehicle park, and to expand Graceland’s hotel. Graceland also had been seeking to add soundstages that could act as concert venues. As The Star reported in April, the people who oversee Graceland threatened to disassemble the mansion and relocate it to Nashville or even Asia if they didn’t get their way on corporate welfare. “So why, you might ask, is a city that regularly ranks among the nation’s poorest giving several hundred million dollars in tax breaks to a long-dead rock star’s house museum where the cheapest ticket costs $41?” asked Henry Grabar, writing for Slate.com. “The company and the city came to a preliminary agreement in February that approves…

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Elvis Presley’s Graceland Must Wait to Find Out if it’s Getting Corporate Welfare

  Officials at Elvis Presley’s Graceland attraction must wait a little while longer before they know whether they will receive corporate welfare to expand. This, according to several media outlets, who said Memphis City Council members have postponed a vote on the expansion project. Graceland’s Public Relations Office did not return The Tennessee Star’s request for comment Friday. According to The Associated Press, council members this week agreed for the fifth time to delay a vote related to a plan to provide tax incentives for a $100 million expansion of the Presley-themed tourist attraction. Graceland seeks government incentives to help build retail space and a recreational vehicle park, and to expand Graceland’s hotel. Graceland also had been seeking to add soundstages that could act as concert venues. “Council members have been concerned that the sound stages would put Graceland in competition with Memphis’ main concert venue, the FedExForum,” The AP reported. “Graceland this week offered a new plan without the soundstages but adding a new ‘auxiliary building.’ Most council members wanted more time to review the new plan.” As The Star reported in April, the people who oversee Graceland threatened to disassemble the mansion and relocate it to Nashville or…

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Graceland Reportedly Recipient of ‘Ridiculous Corporate Welfare’

Graceland in Memphis is a part of “one of the most ridiculous corporate welfare deals in quite some time,” according to Slate.com. As many news outlets reported this past week, the people who oversee Graceland threatened to disassemble the mansion and relocate it to Nashville or even Asia if they didn’t get their way on corporate welfare. Graceland, of course, was the home of entertainer Elvis Presley for nearly 20 years. According to Slate.com, city officials and Graceland personnel have a preliminary agreement whereupon Graceland gets a bigger cut out of city and county property and sales tax revenues for a new expansion project. “So why, you might ask, is a city that regularly ranks among the nation’s poorest giving several hundred million dollars in tax breaks to a long-dead rock star’s house museum where the cheapest ticket costs $41?” asked Henry Grabar, writing for the website. “The company and the city came to a preliminary agreement in February that approves those plans and dedicates even more tax revenue to the Graceland master plan, which the company claims will involve $100 million in investment, and includes an agreement to grant $150,000 a year in local community groups for five years.”…

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Elvis Presley Estate All Shook Up Over Not Getting Corporate Welfare

In a 1956 song “Money Honey,” Elvis Presley didn’t have enough cash to pay the rent, so he called his girlfriend for some “Money Honey.” Presley, during his singing career, was never known to call upon the government for money — although the people who run the late singer’s Graceland estate are calling upon the government, asking for some corporate welfare. Graceland officials want that corporate welfare so bad they’ve sued the city of Memphis, according to The Memphis Commercial Appeal. Graceland officials did not return The Tennessee Star’s requests for comment. According to The Appeal, Elvis Presley Enterprises filed a lawsuit against the city of Memphis over a delay in approval in expansion plans at Graceland. Specifically, Graceland officials want some sort of city assistance with a 6,200-seat arena. Memphis officials, however, believe that violates a non-compete agreement with FedEx Forum. Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland told the paper this is not the first time Graceland has sued the city. “Bottom line: The private owners of Graceland want public taxpayer dollars to put into their privately-owned facilities,” Strickland told the paper. “And we have a problem with that.” The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court, “alleges a delay in the Land Use…

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