Many are aware that Elvis Presley, the monarch of Rock and Roll, was born in a modest shotgun shack in Tupelo, Mississippi, and met his demise in the opulent mansion of Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee. Yet, did you realize that Elvis spent a serene, dreamy summer along the Mississippi Gulf Coast—where he met and passionately loved a local lass, who ultimately let him go?
In 1956, years prior to his glittering rhinestone jumpsuits, the legendary Jungle Room, and the excesses of Las Vegas, Elvis was merely a handsome, immensely talented young man performing at high schools and military bases across the Gulf coast. That summer of ’56 found him residing at the Gulf Hills Resort and Dude Ranch, tooling around in his pristine vehicles along the coastline, waterskiing with companions, and encountering a local lass to whom he eventually proposed.
One of the locations you can still explore today is The Julep Room in Ocean Springs, Mississippi. Nestled in the brick-walled basement of Aunt Jenny’s Catfish Restaurant, the Julep Room embodies the essence of a clandestine speakeasy. Its dim, secluded ambiance gives the impression of a sanctuary for secrets, with locals whispering tales of its haunting presence.
“Through the years, an array of unexplainable occurrences have unfolded,” shares Chelsea Prince, Outreach Coordinator for the Mississippi Gulf Coast National Heritage Area. “From faucets inexplicably turning on to an unplugged jukebox spontaneously springing to life and playing tunes from records not present in the jukebox.”
Whether haunted or not, the Julep Room served as a sanctuary for Elvis and June. Elvis would park his iconic pink Cadillac beneath the towering oak trees, which have grown even grander since 1957, having withstood Hurricane Katrina. “Elvis was teetotal back then,” Prince recounts. “His favorite libation was a virgin Mint Julep.”
By the following year, as Elvis’s fame engulfed him, June concluded that she merited more than the life of the “hound dog” Elvis had become, and thus engaged herself to another. It was said that their separation occurred aboard Elvis’s private train car in New Orleans, and they were never seen together again.
While the tale of Elvis and June has faded, the melodies at the Julep Room continue to resonate. Park under those same majestic oaks, savor some catfish at Aunt Jenny’s, and then wander down to the lounge for a cocktail. Who knows? You might catch a glimpse of Elvis’s ghost…
