FAMOUS GRAVE TOUR - Viewers Special #5 (Elvis, Aretha Franklin, etc.)

[Music] welcome to Hollywood graveyard today we continue our tour filmed by you the Hollywood graveyard community visiting famous and historical graves in your neck of the woods together we'll cross the country and the oceans to pay our respects to legends around the globe like Aretha Franklin Johnny Cash Elvis and many more my friends the time is yours [Music] after a whirlwind trip around the world we find ourselves back in the States for the last two parts of our viewers special as mentioned previously our tour will unfold in no particular order presented more or less in the order they were received and grouped by state if you haven't done so already be sure to check out parts one through four we begin today in Detroit Michigan this is Woodlawn Cemetery founded in 1895 and home to many of Detroit's greats were inside the Woodlawn mausoleum and if we head down to the lower level we find to the Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin the legendary singer who began performing gospel in her church as a child would grow to become the most charted female artist in history selling more than 75 million albums worldwide and winning 18 Grammys she's remembered for hits like you make me feel like a natural woman and her signature song respect the song would become an anthem for both civil rights and women's rights in the 60s in 1987 she became the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and years later would be ranked by Rolling Stone as the greatest singer of all time Aretha died in 2018 from a pancreatic tumor she was 76 on December 1st 1955 in Montgomery Alabama a black woman rejected a bus drivers orders to give up her seat for a white passenger and move to the colored section of the bus that simple act of defiance would help spark the civil rights movement in the years that followed that woman was Rosa Parks an icon of the resistance to racial segregation known as the mother of the modern-day civil rights movement she rests here in the Rosa Park memorial mausoleum before her death at the age of 92 she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal and after her death she was the first woman to lie in honor in the Capitol rotunda [Music] Detroit's is famous for many things but perhaps more than anything else it's famous for cars at Ford Cemetery we find the namesake of the cars many of you drive Henry Ford he was the founder of the Ford Motor Company in 1903 which revolutionized production with the advancements of the moving assembly line technique of mass production the Ford Model T introduced in 1908 would become the first affordable mass-produced automobile marketed to the middle-class if you loved both cars and Back to the Future movies this next stop will interest you at Whitechapel Memorial Park we find the grave of John DeLorean he worked for General Motors managing the development of vehicles there while still the youngest division head of GM he broke away to start his own company DeLorean Motor Company in 1973 his most famous product the DMC DeLorean a sports car featuring those distinctive gold wing doors the car would become iconic for its appearance as the time machine in Back to the Future [Music] yet another automotive pioneer rests here in Michigan at Mount Hope in Lansing inside this private mausoleum rests re olds the olds in Oldsmobile he is said to have built his first steam car in 1887 and his first gasoline-powered car in 1896 the basic concept of the assembly line that Ford would perfect was actually credited to olds when he created the first mass-produced automobile the Oldsmobile curved dash in 1901 several years before the Ford Model T there's another cemetery called Mount Hope in Peru Indiana one of America's great songwriters rests here Cole Porter in the 20s through the 40s he was one of the major talents writing songs for Broadway musicals and musical films and unlike many other songwriters we've profiled Porter wrote both the music and the lyrics for his songs like the hit anything goes from the musical of the same name his most successful musical would come in 1948 Kiss Me Kate which won a Tony for Best Musical he would also compose songs and scores for films earning him four Oscar nominations including for his hit song I've got you under my skin for the 1936 film born to dance he died from kidney failure at the age of 73 many of us heard the legend of Johnny Appleseed growing up but how many of us know he was a real person John Chapman was his name and he rests here in Fort Wayne Indiana he was an early American pioneer and nurserymen who introduced apple trees to large parts of the Midwest he was at the forefront of the Western expansion of settlements in the early 1800s planting nurseries and selling saplings to settlers he was also an early advocate for the conservation of our natural resources he died in 1845 at the age of seventy rocío cemeteries in bloomington indiana herein we find the grave of Hoagy Carmichael he was a songwriter regarded as another of the great composers of the 20th century he wrote hundreds of songs many of which became hits sung by top performers like Stardust lovers novice yesterday heart and soul and George's state song Georgia on my mind keeps Georgia he won an Oscar for his song in the cool cool cool of the evening for the 1951 film here comes the groom we now head to Oakland Memorial Gardens in Fishers Indiana this is our Lady of miraculous metal mausoleum within these walls rests Frances Farmer she was an actress seen in just over a dozen films including rhythm on the range and the toast of New York she could be seen in handful of TV appearances as well but in addition to her appearances on screen she gained notoriety for its sensationalized accounts of her life including being wrongfully declared mentally incompetent and committed by her parents to a series of asylums and mental hospitals where she underwent involuntary shock therapy after her release she was able to revive her career even hosting her own TV show a film was made about her life in 1982 starring Jessica Lange as Frances my oh my what a wonderful day it is here in Indianapolis at Crown Hill Cemetery we find actor James Baskett his career started on Broadway alongside the likes of Bojangles Robinson and Louis Armstrong but today he is fondly remembered for his warm portrayal of the storyteller Uncle Remus in Disney's song of the south singing one of Disney's most iconic and beloved songs zippity-doo-dah basket was given an honorary Academy Award for his performance making him the first black male performer to receive an Oscar he was just 44 when he died from heart complications in Shelbyville Indiana is Forest Hill Cemetery here is the final resting place of the world's tallest woman sandy Allen she stood seven feet seven inches tall and was featured in the Guinness Book of World Records she appeared in the Academy award-winning film Fellini's Casanova in 1976 and also a made-for-tv movie called side show as Goliath ax also here are Tarzan and Jane in a manner of speaking James Pierce was the fourth actor to play Tarzan and was personally chosen by Tarzan creator Edgar Rice Burroughs Pierce appeared as Tarzan on film from 1928 to 1951 and also voiced the character on a national radio program he would even marry Edgar Rice Burroughs daughter John Burroughs John performed alongside her husband on the Tarzan radio program as the voice of Jane their headstones read Tarzan and Jane let's head now to Dayton Cemetery in Dayton Indiana heading to the north end of the cemetery we find the final resting place of Shannon hoon beginning in 1990 he was the lead singer for the band Blind Melon known for their biggest hit no rain who died in 1995 from a cocaine overdose at the age of 28 do you love clowns wasn't let's head to rest haven in Lafayette's to find a legendary one here lies Emmett Kelly a world-famous circus clown in the 30s and 40s best remembered for his sad faced weary Willie hobo clown he was a major attraction at Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus and even appeared as himself incest will be to Mills the greatest show on earth Kelly's clown persona has since become one of the most iconic he was even used as the inspiration for the mask Heath Ledger's Joker wears at the beginning of the Dark Knight Hilldale cemetery is in Martinsville Indiana this is where we find the grave of Bobby Helms he was a country and early rock musician who sits include Fraulein my special angel and his signature tune mentioned right here on his gravestone Jingle Bell Rock [Music] jingle bells playing Bobby died from emphysema at the age of 63 leaving Indiana we're now in Washington DC this is Rock Creek Cemetery originally established in 1719 as the churchyard of st. Paul's Episcopal Church one of the best-known monuments here is an enigmatic androgynous bronze sculpture marking the final resting place of socialite clover Adams and her husband Henry V Adams a descendant of the Adams political family Henry Adams wrote a 9 volume work history of the United States during the administration of Thomas Jefferson and James Madison his posthumously released memoir the education of Henry Adams won the Pulitzer Prize after his wife's suicide by cyanide poisoning Adams commissioned to this statue as a monument if you saw part two of our viewers special you'll recall our visit to television pioneer Philo T Farnsworth here we find another man who helped put televisions in our living rooms Charles Jenkins while Farnsworth worked to develop the all-electric television system Jenkins worked on mechanical technologies of television in 1928 his company formed the first television broadcasting station in the US before television he innovated Motion Pictures inventing the Vitis scope motion picture projector used by Thomas Edison let's continue to make our way through the cemetery to the north here is the final resting place of character actor Robert prosky scene in a wide range of stage film and TV productions over the decades he played Sargent Jablonski in Hill Street Blues and can also be seen in Stephen King's Christine and in mrs. Doubtfire he died from complications of heart surgery at 77 our last stop here at Rock Creek is in section 17 this is the final resting place of upton sinclair a popular writer in the first half of the 20th century he wrote close to a hundred books and won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 1943 his work includes the 1905 novel the jungle and the 1927 novel oil which was adapted into a film as there will be blood Sinclair lived to be 90 we're back in Texas now this time Oakwood Cemetery in Fort Worth if we make our way to the McClure family plot we find two acting sisters Adrian Ames began her career as a glamour model so enticed for studio heads by her photographs that she was offered a contract without having to screen tests she began her career as a stand-in for Pola Negri and by the thirties began landing starring roles in films like the death kiss George White's scandals and you're telling me later in her career she hosted radio talk shows she died of cancer at just 43 next to Adrian is her sister gladys McClure also an actress she appeared onstage in a number of productions and also performed in a small number of silent films as a child she was killed in a car accident at just 19 come on down to Greenwood Memorial Park for our next stop in Fort Worth in peace section we find the grave of one of TV's legendary announcers rod Roddy he's primarily known as the off-screen announcer of game shows including press your luck and his most iconic role announcing The Price is Right with his signature call come on down he held the role from 1986 until his death in 2003 announcing over 3000 episodes from Greenwood to Green Lawn in Port Arthur Texas this is the crypt of rapper pimps see real name Chad Butler he's known for his work with bun B as a founding member of UGK receiving national attention when they were featured on jay-z's hit single Big Pimpin in 2000 they had a hit of their own in 2007 international players anthem I choose you MC was found dead at 33 cause of death was attributed to a combination of codeine consumption and sleep apnea California isn't the only state with forest lawns here's one in Beaumont Texas February 3rd 1959 was a tragic day in music history the day the music died here lies JP Richardson known as the Big Bopper he was a songwriter and rock musician whose biggest hit was the 1958 novelty rock and roll song Chantilly lace Chantilly lace he also wrote songs for others like George Jones first hit white lightning Richardson was a fellow passenger with Buddy Holly and Richie Valens on the plane that crashed in Iowa in 1959 all three were killed and the tragic event became known as the day the music died as coined by Don McLain in the song American Pie Richardson was just 28 they say everything is bigger in Texas that holds true sometimes even four graves here at Alamo Masonic cemetery we find the grave of a wealthy socialite who was not so much famous for what she did in life but rather the manner of her burial after death inspired by ancient Egyptian burial practices Sandra West requested in her will that in the event of her death she be dressed in her favorite white lace nightgown placed comfortably in the front seat of her powder blue Ferrari and buried in it and so she was her car was placed in a large crate and buried here in a grave that measures approximately 20 feet long and 9 feet deep we're in Dallas Texas now and Laurel and Memorial Park here we find the grave of Stevie Ray Vaughan considered one of the great guitar players of all time he was a rock and blues musician popular in the 70s and 80s his debut studio album Texas Flood was released in 1983 he wants six Grammy Awards his career but like so many left us far too soon when he died in a helicopter crash at the age of 35 Missouri is the next state we'll be exploring at mount moriah in Kansas City we find a beautiful Egyptian inspired mausoleum if you like me and have an affinity for all things sugary and chocolate coated you probably recognize the name Russell Stover his first foray into sweet confections was the co-creation of the Eskimo Pie in 1922 he sold his Eskimo Pie shares to form with his wife Clara Russell Stover candies which packaged and sold assorted boxed chocolates at austra Paris Opera to the stars through tribulation seems like a fitting mantra for Hollywood graveyard also here in Kansas City is Calvary Cemetery jeanne eagels was an actress who began her career as a Ziegfeld girl and rose to fame on Broadway on film she appeared opposite John Gilbert in the 1927 silent film man woman and sin she went on to make two talkies the letter and jealousy both in 1929 but at the height of her career she died at the age of 39 of a drug overdose her Academy Award nomination for the letter would make her the first to ever receive a posthumous nomination over now to block seven we find the final resting place of Kate Spade she was a fashion designer known for her brands Kate Spade New York and Frances Valentine she specialized in designing handbags which would become immensely popular a symbol of New York City in the 90s in June 2018 Kate took her own life at the age of 55 she was the aunt of actress Rachel Brosnahan our next stop in Kansas City is mount moriah here we find one of TV's most legendary journalists Walter Cronkite he was America's first great news anchor man who set the standard for delivering the news accurately fairly and without spin because of this he was known affectionately as uncle Walter the most trusted man in America as anchorman for the CBS Evening News for 19 years he covered some of the biggest historic events of the last century from the Vietnam War to the assassinations of JFK and Martin Luther King and the moon landing there will never be another like Walter Cronkite and that's the way it is to st. Louis now and Bellerive heritage gardens in his family mausoleum we find a pioneer of rock and roll Chuck Berry in the 1950s Barry would refine and develop rhythm and blues into the major elements that made rock and roll distinctive including guitar solos his songs represent some of the earliest examples of rock and roll like maybelline roll over Beethoven and Johnny be good [Music] Danny go the song and an allusion to Chuck Berry himself were featured in Back to the Future his music would influence everyone from Elvis to the Beatles he was one of the very first to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and lived to be 90 another Calvary Cemetery this one here in st. Louis if we head into the mausoleum and make our way to Our Lady of Mercy corridor we find the crypt of one of the munchkins Mickey Carroll he was an actor who played a munchkin on The Wizard of Oz and at the time of his death was one of the last surviving members of the cast he left show business shortly thereafter and returned to Missouri to run the family business which believe it or not made cemetery monuments fittingly his company would design the monument for l frank Baum's nice Dorothy gage who was the namesake of the Dorothy character in The Wizard of Oz back out to the grounds of Calvary to section 15 a we find the grave of Tennessee Williams he was one of America's great playwrights he shot to fame with the success of his play The Glass Menagerie in 1944 this was the first in a string of successes which would include a streetcar named desire Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and sweet bird of youth all of these would be made into films including the critically acclaimed 1951 production of streetcar starring Marlon Brando and Vivien Leigh his work earned him two Pulitzer Prizes and he was inducted into the American theater Hall of Fame before his death Williams had expressed a desire to be buried at sea in the Caribbean but his brother to fight his wish and had him buried here at Calvary Cemetery belfontaine cemeteries are next st. Louis stop here we find writer William Esper OHS he was the primary figure of The Beat Generation and a major post modernist author whose writings were largely semi autobiographical drawing from his life experience as a heroin addict living around the world his most famous works include two junkie and Naked Lunch which despite being controversial in its day was included in Time Magazine's 100 best english-language novels from 1923 to 2005 Burroughs died of a heart attack at the age of 83 goodbye Missouri hello Pennsylvania we're in Pittsburgh now and Christ our Redeemer Catholic cemetery heading into the mausoleum and the Good Shepherd corridor we find the crypt of Bruno Sammartino he was a professional wrestler with the World Wrestling Federation where he held the record for the longest reign as a heavyweight champion over seven years he would regain the title for an additional three years in the years that followed in his day he was known as the living legend and in 2013 was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame he died from heart problems at the age of 82 next to Jefferson Memorial Park in the garden of the cross section is the grave of Honus Wagner he was a baseball shortstop who played 21 seasons in Major League Baseball from 1897 to 1917 almost entirely for the Pittsburgh Pirates many baseball historians consider him to be the best shortstop ever and if you collect baseball cards you'll know that a Honus Wagner baseball card is the most valuable of all time selling in 2016 for a record 3.1 million dollars Allegheny cemetery is also here in Pittsburgh this is the mausoleum where Lillian Russell is laid to rest she was an actress and singer known as the foremost singer of operettas in the late 1800s she became famous not only for her voice but stage presence style and beauty coming to represent the feminine ideal of her era [Music] over to section 27 in the same cemetery we find a man considered America's first great songwriter Stephen Foster many of the songs that have become embedded into our American culture came from the mind of Foster who wrote primarily for his parlor and minstrel music his songs include Oh Susanna camptown races ladyfingers swanee River beautiful dreamer he died at just 37 after an illness and injury sustained from a fall [Music] McKees Rocks is just outside Pittsburgh at Mount Calvary we find one of TV's most famous pitchman Billy Mays he's remembered for his energetic pitches of products like OxiClean mighty putty and other as-seen-on-tv types of products hi Billy Mays here for the best deal on the original zombies he was featured on the Discovery Channel documentary he died from heart disease he was just 50 not far from here is st. John the Baptist Byzantine Catholic cemetery this is where famed pop artist Andy Warhol is laid to rest he was the leading figure of the pop art movement in the 60s his work exploring relationships between advertising and celebrity culture some of his best-known works include silk screen paintings like the Campbell's soup cans and his Marilyn Monroe series his New York studio at the factory became a well known gathering place for Bohemians intellectuals and other artists he worked in a wide range of media beyond painting including sculpture photography and experimental filmmaking he died at his 58 from complications after gallbladder surgery Latrobe Pennsylvania may just have inspired televisions most famous neighborhood here at Unity Cemetery in the given family mausoleum rests mr. Rogers many of us grew up watching mr. Rogers neighborhood an educational children's program created and hosted by Fred Rogers the show premiered in 1968 and became immensely popular airing until 2000 [Music] it would become the second longest-running children's television show after Sesame Street Rogers work on the show would earn him the Presidential Medal of Freedom 40 honorary degrees a Peabody Award and induction into the television Hall of Fame mr. Rogers died from cancer at the age of 74 and was entombed here with his family given was the family name of Fred's great-grandmother our next star has a city named after him we're in Jim Thorpe Pennsylvania where legendary athlete Jim Thorpe is entombed born in Oklahoma to the Sac and Fox Nation Thorpe became the first Native American to win Olympic gold for the United States considered one of the most versatile athletes in modern sports he won gold for the pentathlon and decathlon in 1912 and also played professional football baseball and basketball a film was made about his life in 1951 starring Burt Lancaster as Thorpe there's a cemetery in Erie Pennsylvania dedicated specifically to animals and pets here we find the grave of animal actor Bonzo he was actually a she a trained chimpanzee that performed alongside Ronald Regan in bedtime for Bonzo and alongside Edmund Gwenn in Bonzo goes to college in later years Bonzo performed in a traveling circus mount Lawn Cemetery is in Sharon Hill Pennsylvania here is the grave of singer Tammi Terrell she was a Motown singer known for her duets with Marvin Gaye the duo scored a number of top 40 hits including ain't nothing like the real thing [Music] in 1967 Tammi collapsed into Marvin's arms as they performed she was diagnosed with a brain tumor which would claim her life at just 24 in this same Cemetery in Section C is another legendary singer some would say the greatest blues singer the world has ever known Bessie Smith in the 20s and 30s Bessie was indeed the most popular female blues singer nicknamed the Empress of Blues her first record downhearted blues was a hit and she soon became the highest-paid black Entertainer of her era she would be a major influence on singers to come including Billie Holiday Bessie died from injuries sustained in a car accident at the age of 43 let's sojourn south to Kentucky Kay Phil cemeteries in Louisville making our way over to section you we find the grave of the greatest Muhammad Ali born Cassius Clay Ali is generally considered the greatest heavyweight boxer in the history of the sport in 1960 he won gold at the Summer Olympics and turned professional a year later he won the Heavyweight Championship from Sonny Liston in a major upset at the age of 22 Sports Illustrated would eventually named him the sportsman of the century outside the ring Ali was vocal in activism unafraid to speak out against racial injustice and oppose war later in life all he was diagnosed with Parkinson's and too died at the age of 74 in 2001 Ali was portrayed in film by Will Smith in an oscar-nominated performance another of Louisville is proud sons rests at st. Michael's Cemetery Victor Mature Orel is one of Hollywood's tall dark and handsome leading men of the 40s he could often be seen in historic and biblical epics like 1 million BC alongside Carroll Landis and as the title character in Samson and Delilah alongside Hedy Lamarr he made musicals as well opposite stars like Rita Hayworth and Betty Grable he died from cancer at the age of 86 [Music] Southeast's now to cells very North Carolina and Chestnut Hill Cemetery [Music] Sydney Blackmer won a Tony for his role and come back little Sheba on film he's remembered for playing Theodore Roosevelt in seven films and also for his role as roman castevet in Rosemary's Baby he was married to Susanne Caron a former Ziegfeld Follies girl and one of the original Rockettes she too would go on to appear in film including several Three Stooges shorts Glenwood Memorial Park is in Mooresville North Carolina here we find a legendary football player Reggie White he played two defensive end in the NFL playing for the ego's Packers and Panthers he would become one of the most awarded players in NFL history he died from a cardiac arrhythmia at just 43 we're in Charlotte now and Elmwood Cemetery [Music] this is the final resting place of Randolph Scott a leading man remembered for his roles as Western heroes the tall handsome actor with a southern drawl was a consistent box-office draw in the 30s through the 50s a cowboy hero in films like Abilene town he retired after making ride the high country in 1962 [Music] from North Carolina to Nevada and everyone's favorite desert playground Las Vegas call Memorial Park is southeast of the Vegas Strip let's make our way over to legacy section here is the grave of Tony Curtis an actor who achieved the height of his fame in that 50s and 60s he was nominated for an Oscar for his performance in the Defiant ones and one of his best-known performances was in one of my favorite films Billy Wilder's some like it hot in 1959 one false move and horses on the train he was married to actress Janet Leigh and they were the parents of actress Jamie Lee Curtis of Halloween Fame devotion section is at the West End of the cemetery here we find Redd Foxx he was an actor and comedian perhaps best remembered for his role as Fred Sanford on the popular 70 sitcom Sanford and Son the role earned him a Golden Globe he was also renowned as a stand-up comedian Fox was famous for his recurring shtick of faking a heart attack on Sanford & Son so when he suffered a fatal heart attack in 1991 at first people didn't realize it was serious this time it was for real and he died at 68 fate it seems is not without its own comedic sense of irony there's a small lake in the newer section of the cemetery close by is the grave of Robin Beach the man who gave us champagne wishes and caviar dreams with his celebrity lifestyle series lifestyles of the rich and the famous which ran from 1984 to 1995 leech died from complications from a stroke at the age of 76 Palm Desert has another location north of here near downtown in the mausoleum is the niche of Wild Bill Elliott he specialized in playing rugged heroes of B western movies in the 30s 40s and 50s he said to be one of the most prolific B Western actors performing in close to 300 films including as Red Rider in 16 movies about the popular comic strip cowboy right next to the airport is Davis Memorial Park here in the garden of peace we find another legendary heavyweight boxer Sonny Liston he was heavyweight champ from 1962 to 1964 though believed to be unbeatable in 1964 he lost the title to a young boxer named Cassius Clay that are known as Muhammad Ali still he's listed among the all-time great heavyweights Liston died of a drug overdose at the age of 38 Alabama is our next stop to find a country music legend Oakwood Cemetery is in Montgomery this is the grave of Hank Williams he's considered one of the most influential singer songwriters of the 20th century often called the king of country music he had 11 number-one country hits in his career including I'm so lonely I could cry hey good-lookin and your cheatin heart make you Williams was inducted into the country music songwriters and rock and roll halls of fame an incredible legacy for a man who lived just 29 years Williams died in the backseat of the car he was riding in to his next concert his heart failed on that fateful Drive [Music] Nashville Tennessee is one of the music capitals of the world the heart of country music in America as such we find a number of country music legends laid to rest here our first stop is Woodlawn Cemetery and the garden of the Grand Tour here we find the grave of George Jones he was a country singer and songwriter perhaps best known as you may have surmised by his monument for his song he stopped loving her today he stopped [Music] at the peak of his career Jones was often referred to as the greatest living country singer with over a dozen number-one hits he was also known for his duets with other country stars including his wife Tammy Wynette he died at age 81 from respiratory failure let's make our way into the mausoleum here at Woodlawn in these quiet halls the voices of dozens of country music legends all mingled together through the eternities let's visit a few of them Tammy Wynette was often referred to as the first lady of country music her signature song is one of the best-selling hit singles in country music stand by your man released in 1968 as mentioned earlier she also had a string of successful duets with her husband George Jones in the 70s and 80s she charted 20 number-one songs and would eventually be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame her death at age 55 was from heart failure brought on by a chronic blood clotting condition just behind Tammy in the adjacent corridor is Lynn Anderson who was also a popular country music singer beginning in the late 60s she's best known for her crossover hit Rose Garden released in 1970 her regular appearances on television major one of country music's biggest superstars of the 70s Lynne would continue to record and perform until her death at age 67 from a heart attack Layne is entombed next to her mother Liz Anderson who was not only a country music performer herself but also a songwriter writing not just her own songs but many of the early hits for her daughter Lynne she would pen hundreds of songs performed by other greats from Merle Haggard to Conway Twitty [Music] nearby is the unmistakable crypt of little Jimmy Dickens he was a country music performer known for his humorous novelty songs his small size and rhinestone covered outfits he started as a member of the Grand Old Opry in 1948 and was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1983 country lost a beloved institution when Jimmy Dickens died in 2015 at the age of 94 the church bells are peeling for those who rest here at harpist Hills Memorial Gardens southwest of Nashville here we find the grave of Chet Atkins known as mr. guitar he was one of the musicians responsible for crafting the country music style that became known as the Nashville sound a style that helped give country music crossover appeal he became an in-demand session guitarist and even played with greats like the Carter Family later in his career he would become the head of RCA records Nashville producing records for stars from Waylon Jennings to Dolly Parton country isn't the only music celebrated here in Nashville Donna Summer was a singer who gained prominence in the disco era becoming known as the queen of disco she's a five-time Grammy winner who sold around 100 million albums worldwide making her one of the best-selling artists of all time among her 42 hit singles were MacArthur Park and hot stuff [Music] summer died from lung cancer at the age of 63 Hendersonville is just northeast of Nashville this is the eternal home of several more of the great legends of country music and no exploration of the Nashville music scene would be complete without a visit to Johnny Cash and June Carter Johnny Cash the man in black he was a singer and songwriter another ranked among the best selling of all time although primarily remembered as a country artist his sound embraced rock-and-roll blues folk and gospel giving him tremendous crossover appeal among his signature Tunes are Folsom Prison Blues I walk the line entering the fire and he was introduced to a new generation of audiences when he covered the Nine Inch Nails song hurt I hurt myself today cash should be inducted into the country rock and roll and gospel halls of fame he also dabbled in acting making occasional film and television appearances throughout his life he died just months after his wife from complications of diabetes and perhaps to a broken heart in 1968 Johnny married June Carter a member of the renowned Carter family of country musicians they became a country music power couple June was a five-time Grammy winning singer and songwriter who got her start performing as a youth with her mother and sisters in addition to singing with her family she had a successful solo career and of course performed with Johnny too [Music] coño hey Jun acted as well appearing in a handful of film and TV shows she died at 73 from complications of heart surgery the lives of Johnny and June were explored in the 2005 film walk the line which won reese witherspoon an Oscar for her portrayal of June nearby is June's mother known affectionately as Mother Maybelle Carter she was the matriarch of a dynasty of country musicians including her daughter's Helen Jun and Anita along with aap Carter and Sarah Carter Maybelle formed the group the Carter family in the 1920s they're considered the first family of country music the first country music stars they had a major impact on modern country and bluegrass recording many songs that would become standards like keep on the sunny side as mentioned in later years Maybelle would perform with her daughters and continue to make music until their death in 1978 Franklin Tennessee is south of Nashville we're at Mount Hope Cemetery here is the grave of Minnie Pearl she was a country comedian who appeared at the Grand Ole Opry for more than 50 years her comedy was gentle satire of rural southern culture and it was a fellow jumped out from behind the bush and started just sparking and courting me you mean he attacked you yes you just imagine being attacked twice in the same night you you were attacked twice when I had to walk back same way she also appeared on the TV show he ha in over a hundred episodes Greenwood Cemetery is in Knoxville Tennessee one of country and bluegrass music's great mandolinist stresses here red rector he was known for his fast playing style performing with groups including Charlie Monroe and the Kentucky partners he was also a session musician appearing in recordings in the 50s and 60s [Music] our last stop of the day continuing our journey through the storied musical grounds of Tennessee brings us to Memphis and Graceland both the home and final resting place of the King Elvis Presley when compiling a list of the greatest cultural icons of the 20th century few would rank higher on that list than Elvis the man who would eventually become known as the king of rock and roll was born in Mississippi and raised in Memphis Tennessee from his teens his early hits like that's alright Heartbreak Hotel [Music] we're touchstones of the nascent rockabilly and rock and roll musical genres his iconic voice and provocative performances would catapult him into superstardom and transform the music and culture of a generation particularly through his television appearances Stan's moves were considered so suggestive he was sometimes filmed from the waist up on TV as his music career took off he began making films mostly as a platform to showcase his music films like blue Hawaii and jail [Music] along with the likes of the Beatles Garth Brooks and Michael Jackson Elvis would become one of the best-selling music artists of all time years of drug abuse took their toll on Elvis's health in 1977 at the age of 42 Elvis was found dead in his home after suffering cardiac arrest he was originally entombed in a mausoleum at Forest Hill Cemetery here in Memphis close to his mother but after grave robbers attempted to steal his body Elvis's father got special permission to have Elvis reburied here at Graceland in a meditation garden which had been a favorite spot for Elvis to relax he now rests here alongside his beloved parents and grandmother and that concludes our tour what are some of your favorite memories of the stars we visited today and share them in the comments below and be sure to like share and subscribe for more famous grapefruit thanks for watching we'll see you on the next one

Channel: Hollywood Graveyard

Views: 2,590,689

Rating: 4.8182673 out of 5

Keywords: cemetery tour, graveyard tour, hollywood tour, funeral, grave, crypt, tomb, mausoleum, arthur dark, hollywood cemetery, elvis, aretha franklin, carter family, nashville, country music, muhammad ali, mr rogers, hank williams

Id: kEnRaEi-Uhw

Length: 46min 29sec (2789 seconds)

Published: Thu May 23 2019