Jody Brooks on collecting, Graceland and the friendships behind the fandom
Elvis Presley collector Jody Brooks shares the music, memorabilia and memories behind her lifelong fandom in this POP nakaro video interview. The New Orleans native’s collection includes Elvis records, movies, signed books and Christmas ornaments gathered over decades. Her story reaches beyond collecting, connecting trips to Graceland, a recording session at Sun Studio and friendships built around the music of the King of Rock ’n’ Roll.
Brooks discovered Elvis as a child through the vinyl records and 45s her older sister left behind when she married. Songs including “Jailhouse Rock,” “Suspicious Minds” and “Always on My Mind” became lasting favorites, while King Creole offered a connection to her hometown through its New Orleans setting.
Despite losses during Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Ida, much of her Elvis memorabilia survived. Gifts from friends, family and fellow fans helped shape a collection filled with personal connections.
Among her treasured pieces are books signed by Priscilla Presley, Jerry Schilling and Joe Esposito, along with autographs from musicians Scotty Moore and D.J. Fontana. Her Christmas ornaments carry their own stories, recalling visits to Graceland, workplace gift exchanges and friends who knew exactly what she would appreciate.
Brooks also remembers her first trip to Memphis in 1995, when she and her friends recorded “All Shook Up” at Sun Studio under the name Elvis’s Angels. That visit began a tradition that has brought her back to Graceland at least a dozen times, exploring the house across different seasons and finding new details to photograph.
Her travels now include Petite King, a small Elvis figure whose appearances at Graceland and other landmarks turn vacation photographs into playful scenes. Through collecting, travel and conversations with fellow fans, Brooks continues to find new connections to the music she first discovered as a little girl.
