SaabFA71 From United States of America, joined Apr 2005, 81 posts, RR: 0 Posted (8 months 1 week 6 days 12 hours ago) and read 1708 times:
Would there ever be the possibility of having MEM re-named after Elvis Presley? The practice of re-naming airports after hometown celebrities is not uncommon. And Elvis was from Memphis and his famous Graceland mansion is there which draws in millions of visitors a year, which means revenue for MEM. Has this ever been considered?
Other airports named after local celebrities (including politicians)
IAH - George Bush Intercontinental Airport
MSY - Louis Armstrong Int'l Airport
GRR - Gerald Ford Int'l Airport
SNA - John Wayne Airport
I used all of my sick days, so now I'm calling in dead.
Viscount724 From Switzerland, joined Oct 2006, 21475 posts, RR: 24 Reply 1, posted (8 months 1 week 6 days 11 hours ago) and read 1667 times:
Another suggestion would be to name it for Fred Smith, the founder and still chairman/president/CEO of FedEx. I expect FedEx has had a bigger impact on the MEM economy (and airport) than Elvis.
Birdwatching From United States of America, joined Sep 2003, 3573 posts, RR: 52 Reply 2, posted (8 months 1 week 6 days 11 hours ago) and read 1604 times:
Quoting Viscount724 (Reply 1): Another suggestion would be to name it for Fred Smith
Fred who? Never heard of him, while Elvis Presley is probably the second most famous person in the world only after Jesus. So I'll go with Elvis! I bet it's going to happen sooner or later as MEM doesn't have a name yet.
Soren
All the things you probably hate about travelling are warm reminders that I'm home
PanHAM From Germany, joined May 2005, 7771 posts, RR: 26 Reply 5, posted (8 months 1 week 6 days 10 hours ago) and read 1528 times:
Tupelo is a bad idea, they have a scrapyard there which also received some LH 747s recently.
Not fit for the King at all.
Fred Smith is a good idea, he changed air freight as much as the Albrecht Borthers and Aldi changed retail, or Ingvar Kamprad of Ikea, same category.
If the city fathers connot decide on Elvis, an alternate would be "Sam Philips International Airport", that would include a number of the greates names in Rock and Rock-a-Billy.
n729pa From UK - England, joined Jan 2011, 262 posts, RR: 0 Reply 7, posted (8 months 1 week 6 days 8 hours ago) and read 1386 times:
Are you cancelled tonight?
Did you miss the last flight?
Are you sorry we misrouted your bags?
Does your memory stray to a brighter sunny day?
When the seats were wide and further apart?
Do the chairs in the terminal seem empty and bare?
Do you gaze at the airbridge and picture me there?
Is your heart filled with pain? Shall I come back again?
Tell me dear, are you on Delta tonight?
Why not, Liverpool Airport was named after John Lennon.
Probably not a bad idea. Memphis could certainly use a boost in tourism. Just imagine if Delta has a Blue Suede Shoes lounge.
Would the terminal offer lots of deep fried food choices?
Tom Bradley terminal at LAX named after their former mayor was originally from Calvert, Texas.
I just realized that Memphis has a TON of famous people from there including Otis Redding, Issac Hayes, Jerry Lee Lewis, Jay Reatard, Ike Turner, Maurice White and many others.
brilondon From Canada, joined Aug 2005, 3171 posts, RR: 1 Reply 9, posted (8 months 1 week 6 days 4 hours ago) and read 1192 times:
Quoting Viscount724 (Reply 1):
Another suggestion would be to name it for Fred Smith, the founder and still chairman/president/CEO of FedEx. I expect FedEx has had a bigger impact on the MEM economy (and airport) than Elvis.
Elvis is a public icon to many. Fred Smith who I had never heard of until this thread is not. Even my grandfather, who is 91 knows who Elvis is but Fred Smith is way too obscure.
Quoting Birdwatching (Reply 2): Fred who? Never heard of him, while Elvis Presley is probably the second most famous person in the world only after Jesus. So I'll go with Elvis! I bet it's going to happen sooner or later as MEM doesn't have a name yet.
Don't you mean the Beatles, than Jesus, then Elvis?
TSS From United States of America, joined Dec 2006, 2870 posts, RR: 5 Reply 10, posted (8 months 1 week 6 days 2 hours ago) and read 1095 times:
Quoting Birdwatching (Reply 2): Elvis Presley is probably the second most famous person in the world only after Jesus.
Yep, down here in the South when you mention "The King", you have to specify whether you're referring to Richard Petty, Elvis Presley, or Jesus.
Quoting mayor (Reply 3): Quoting SaabFA71 (Thread starter):
And Elvis was from Memphis
Actually, I believe Elvis was from Tupelo, MS
He was indeed.
Quoting PHX787 (Reply 4): So Tupelo "Elvis Presley" Regional Airport then
Why not? Tupelo is where Elvis was born, and here in the South that's what counts. For example if someone was born in Montgomery, moved to Mobile when they were a year old, and lived to be a hundred without ever leaving Mobile again their obituary would still read "A resident of Mobile for the past 99 years, so-in-so was a native of Montgomery".
Quoting PanHAM (Reply 5): If the city fathers connot decide on Elvis, an alternate would be "Sam Philips International Airport", that would include a number of the greates names in Rock and Rock-a-Billy.
"Sam Philips International Airport" would seem more appropriate to me, too.
Able to kill active threads stone dead with a single post!
YYZYYT From Canada, joined Apr 2005, 852 posts, RR: 0 Reply 12, posted (8 months 1 week 5 days 23 hours ago) and read 860 times:
Quoting n729pa (Reply 7): Are you cancelled tonight?
Did you miss the last flight?
Are you sorry we misrouted your bags?
Does your memory stray to a brighter sunny day?
When the seats were wide and further apart?
Do the chairs in the terminal seem empty and bare?
Do you gaze at the airbridge and picture me there?
Is your heart filled with pain? Shall I come back again?
Tell me dear, are you on Delta tonight?
brilliant!
There are literally dozens or hundreds of examples, usally politicians.
rfields5421 From United States of America, joined Jul 2007, 6150 posts, RR: 25 Reply 13, posted (8 months 1 week 5 days 21 hours ago) and read 772 times:
I remember something about renaming something in Memphis in the first few months after Elvis died. I could be wrong, but my memory is that his family did not want to do so, and that the company which owns licensing of his name also had issues over how they would use his name.
type-rated From United States of America, joined Sep 1999, 4348 posts, RR: 20 Reply 14, posted (8 months 1 week 5 days 4 hours ago) and read 546 times:
Well they did rename U.S. 51 Elvis Presley Blvd years ago....
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