Watch fans sing ‘Happy Birthday’ to Elvis during Graceland celebration
Fans from around the world celebrated what would have been Elvis Presley’s 91st birthday on Jan. 8, 2026, during an event at Graceland.
An enthusiastic group of fans from across the globe gathered on Graceland’s front lawn early on the morning of Jan. 8 to mark what would have been Elvis Presley’s 91st birthday.
The event honoring the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll — born Jan. 8, 1935, in Tupelo, Mississippi — came as part of the annual Elvis Birthday Celebration in Memphis, which kicked off Jan. 7 and continues through Jan. 11.
Typically, fans bear frigid January conditions to attend the morning birthday proclamation and cake cutting, but this year a crowd of roughly 750 enjoyed unusually warm 60-degree temperatures as they were welcomed by the event’s host, Elvis Radio DJ Argo.
After a brief appearance by longtime Elvis Presley Enterprises CEO Jack Soden, EPE managing partner Joel Weinshanker took the stage. “I’m always very, very excited for [Elvis’] birthday,” said Weinshanker, “because it’s the beginning of a new year, it’s the beginning of a new dawn.”Weinshanker’s voice suddenly choked with emotion as he remembered the Lisa Marie Presley, who died Jan. 12, 2023, at the age of 54.
“Obviously Lisa was here one of the last days of her life a few years ago, and it’s still a very emotional day for me, and we actually lost another member of our family,” said Weinshanker, who noted the recent passing of Sirius/XM Elvis radio DJ “Big Jim” Sykes, who died on Jan. 7 at 62. A native of Paris, Tennessee, Sykes got his start in radio in Jackson and had been with Sirius’ Elvis station for nearly two decades.
“In the Elvis family, we often talk about loss, but we also often talk about remembrance,” Weinshanker said. “What this birthday’s about, what Graceland’s about is remembering — remembering great people, remembering people who did amazing things, who changed our lives, who changed generations’ lives. So we’re going to be working diligently over the next year to bring amazing new things to Graceland, to bring amazing things into the world for Elvis.”
Memphis native and Presley confidante Jerry Schilling — a familiar figure in the Elvis world — also spoke at the event. Schilling recalled how he “met Elvis when he was 19 years old and today he’s 91. We became friends 71 years ago. I’m truly, sincerely proud to be here.”
Schilling, who worked as an assistant editor on the 1971 documentary “Elvis on Tour,” also spoke glowingly of the forthcoming the Baz Luhrmann documentary “EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert,” which opens on Feb. 20, and was set to have its U.S. premiere in Memphis later in the evening on Jan. 8.
Schilling brought up the film’s editor and executive producer, Jonathan Redmond. The Ireland native, who earned an Academy Award nomination for his editing work on Luhrmann’s 2022 biopic “Elvis,” said it was “an absolute pleasure to be here, especially on this day. I can’t wait for you to see the movie tonight.”
The ceremony closed with a proclamation from the City of Memphis and Shelby County marking Presley’s birthday. Harold Collins, chief administrative officer for Shelby County, representing County Mayor Lee Harris, and Dr. Reginald Boyce, special assistant to Memphis Mayor Paul Young, read the proclamation which hailed “Elvis’ unparalleled style and artistry” that continues to “inspire new generations of musicians around the world.”
The festivities concluded with Weinshanker, Schilling and Redmond leading the audience in singing “Happy Birthday,” as they cut a towering “EPiC”-themed cake in honor of Presley. Following the ceremony, fans moved over to the Elvis Presley’s Memphis complex, where they enjoyed cake and coffee at Vernon’s Smokehouse.
The Elvis Birthday celebrations were set to continue Jan. 8, with a Conversations on Elvis panel event in the afternoon, followed by two sold-out screenings of “EPiC: Elvis Presley In Concert” at The Guest House at Graceland Theater.