Actress Ashley Judd was at Graceland for "Elvis Week," she revealed on her social media accounts.
Judd — the daughter of the late country music singer, Naomi Judd, and half-sister of singer Wynonna Judd — was
in Memphis in support of gospel vocalist Larry Strickland, her mother's second husband and a former backup singer for Elvis Presley.
"Elvis Presley was a feature of my childhood, given my Pop (Mom’s partner since I was 11) sang bass with him for 6 years, a member of the iconic J.D. Sumner and the Stamps gospel quartet," Ashley Judd posted Aug. 20 on Instagram and Facebook, along with several photos and videos of herself with "Pop" (Strickland) at the Elvis Presley mansion, touring Elvis museum exhibits and onstage at the Graceland Soundstage. "I am glad to be a part of the Elvis extended family."
Along with other gospel singers, pop stars, actors and Elvis-connected celebrities, the 78-year-old Strickland — who was married to Naomi Judd from 1989 until Naomi's death in 2022 — was in town to be inducted as a "Graceland Legend" and to participate in numerous events during "Elvis Week," the nine-day celebration of Presley's life and legacy that culminates on Aug. 16, the anniversary of his death at age 42 in 1977.
A highlight was a "Sunday Morning Gospel Celebration" at the Soundstage, the morning after the Candlelight Vigil, the annual fan pilgrimage to Elvis' grave. Ashley Judd became an unexpected addition to that concert's lineup when the Blackwood Brothers invited her onstage to add harmony vocals to the grand finale performance of "How Great Thou Art."
"At Graceland, Pop and I stood in the Jungle Room, and I played from the 2 albums Pop recorded with Elvis," Judd, 58, wrote on social media. "Pop said, 'I stood there, Elvis walked around and sang. Gosh, he was so prepared — he did 'Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain' in two takes.'
"Pop also sang along (to himself!). How cool to watch someone I love have their memories."
Strickland's vocals can be heard on the final two, mostly studio-made albums released during Elvis' lifetime, "From Elvis Presley Boulevard, Memphis, Tennessee" (1976), recorded in the Jungle Room at Graceland, and "Moody Blue" (1977). Judd meanwhile, is an actress and activist, with a filmography that features "Heat" and "Kiss the Girls" and a portfolio that includes United Nations missions as a Goodwill Ambassador for the promotion of sexual and reproductive health.
John Beifuss is an entertainment writer at The Commercial Appeal. Contact him at john.beifuss@commercialappeal.com.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Ashley Judd talks Elvis Week visit with 'Pop' Larry Strickland
