The Elvis Information Network today posted a spotlight on Elvis statues and memorials across the globe. I loved seeing the different interpretations and tributes.

My favorite, by far, is the statue currently on display at the Tennessee Welcome Center on Interstate 40 (labeled as “Mud Island, Memphis, Tennessee” on the EIN page; you can also see some detailed close-up shots of it near the top of their page).

This bronze statue by sculptor Eric Parks actually stood on Beale Street from 1980 to 1994. Though it was only ten years old by the time I saw it in 1990, it had already significantly deteriorated due to weather erosion and fan graffiti.

In 1994, the statue was removed for restoration. It was replaced by the rather bland but weather-resistant Elvis statue that still resides on Beale Street today (labeled as “The iconic Elvis statue on Beale Street, Memphis Tennessee” on the EIN page).

The original Parks statue, refurbished to its former glory, made its return in 1997, this time inside the visitor center – safe from weather and overzealous fans.

I hope to return to Memphis within the next few years, and the former “Elvis On Beale” statue at the Tennessee Welcome Center is definitely on my list of must-sees.

Be sure to check out EIN’s Elvis Statues & Memorials page.