The mystery behind the loss and reemergence of the 911 tape the day of Elvis' death

David Plazas, Nashville Tennessean
·3 min read
3

Good morning, readers:

On Labor Day, I finally watched the music biopic "Elvis," which had just dropped on the HBO Max streaming service. It was a holiday, and I did my laundry, pausing the movie every so often to change loads and fold clothes. It is a nearly three-hour movie, and a consequence of the COVID-19 era is being less patient about staying seated for too long.

But it was an entertaining movie that brought up all sorts of issues about Elvis's origin story, the Black musical influences that made him successful, and his co-dependent relationship with his manager Col. Tom Parker.

According to Billboard, "Elvis" is the third-high grossing music bio domestically ($150.4 million) after "Bohemian Rhapsody" (No. 1 at $216.6 million) and "Straight Outta Compton" (No. 2 at $161.1 million).

I mention The King this week because his death is part of a public records-related mystery nagging at Tennessee. A guest opinion column in the USA TODAY Network Tennessee discusses how the 9-1-1 dispatch call of when Elvis died on Aug. 16, 1977, went missing, but the recording recently reappeared at the Tigerman Karate Dojo and Museum in Memphis. Random.

Fans watch a live band play as Elvis Presley performs on screen during the Elvis Presley In Concert event Tuesday, Aug. 16, 2022, at Graceland in Memphis.
Fans watch a live band play as Elvis Presley performs on screen during the Elvis Presley In Concert event Tuesday, Aug. 16, 2022, at Graceland in Memphis.

Essay author Deborah Fisher, the executive director of the Tennessee Coalition on Open Government, pointed out that 9-1-1 recording is a public record, and the government has the right — and responsibility — to go after missing records. After all, they belong to the people, not to any private entity. She drew a parallel to when a public official decided to take possession of an unexecuted marriage license for famed Tennessean Davy Crocket and wrongfully pass it on to his heirs. The family eventually had to return it to Jefferson County after a court battle.

It is a reminder that public officials and public servants are custodians of the people's records, but they are not their owners. How the 9-1-1 recording ended up at the museum is still a mystery, but Fisher is right to tell government officials in Memphis, Shelby County and the state that they have a compelling interest — and responsibility — to seek to get that record back on behalf of the public.

Scroll to read the guest column.

What else is in the newsletter?

  • Readers wrote letters to the editor responding to a retired prosecutor and judge who wrote in a guest column that while he thinks former President Donald Trump will be indicted, he shouldn't be. Kevin Carroll of Franklin, Tennessee, wrote that Trump should not get another "mulligan."

  • Columnist Robert Booker for The Knoxville News Sentinel wrote a history about how prohibitionist forces in the early 20th century successfully shut down saloons, first in Knoxville, and then in multiple large cities across Tennessee, including Nashville, Memphis and Chattanooga.

  • Buzz Thomas, the former attorney for the Southern Baptist Convention and a frequent contributor, compares conservative politicians' portrayal of "wokeness" to the segregationist language of politicians of a bygone era.

  • The Biden Administration's student debt relief program has generated backlash, including from 22 Republican governors, along with Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, who argue that borrowers should be responsible for their debt. In my most recent column, I argue that while student debt relief is not unreasonable, it doesn't fix the issue of college affordability.

Thank you to readers and community members who attended the first Black Tennessee Voices Live Storytellers event at the National Museum of African American Music on Tuesday night. If you missed it, read more in this story and view the photos. A video of the event will be out soon.

Our Latino Tennessee Voices Live event is at 7 p.m. CT on Thursday, Oct. 13, at Plaza Mariachi in South Nashville. Purchase tickets here.

Thank you for reading. Share your feedback and send me your letters and guest column pitches and submissions.

David Plazas is the director of opinion and engagement for the USA TODAY Network Tennessee. He is an editorial board member of The Tennessean. He hosts the Tennessee Voices videocast and curates the Tennessee Voices and Latino Tennessee Voices newsletters.. Call him at (615) 259-8063, email him at dplazas@tennessean.com or tweet to him at @davidplazas.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: The mystery behind the loss of the 911 tape the day of Elvis' death