Simon Vega
Encyclopedia
Simon H. Vega is a retired high school
teacher
who became a personal friend of singer Elvis Presley
while the two served together in the United States Army
in Germany
from 1958—1960. In 1993, Vega turned his house into a museum
called "Little Graceland" located in his native Los Fresnos
in Cameron County
north of Brownsville
, Texas
. "Little Graceland" is loosely patterned on Presley's mansion, Graceland
, in Memphis
, Tennessee
.
Vega was one of three children born in Los Fresnos to Pablo Vega (1895–1969) and the former Estefana Hinojosa (1900–2003), she a native of San Luis Potosí
, Mexico
. His sister is Matea V. Garcia of Chicago; his brother now deceased, Jose Isabel Vega of Los Fresnos. He and his wife, Teresa Vega, named a son, Rene Elvis Vega, after Presley.
In 1978, a year after Presley's early death, Vega composed a song
, "The Ballad of Elvis Presley". He produced three thousand copies and has five remaining ones for his personal collection. Little Graceland is a home converted into a shrine to the man dubbed "The King" of rock and roll
music
. The museum contains many pictures of Presley, some with Vega, which the museum owner considers among his most prized possessions.
Vega, with assistance from the Los Fresnos Area Chamber of Commerce
and the City of Los Fresnos (meaning "ash trees"), holds two Elvis festivals annually in January and August, the months of Presley's birth and death. The festivities include live music, food and beverages, a look-a-like contest, a sing-a-like competition, automobile
shows, trivia questions, and museum tours. The highlight of the festivities is the impersonators that come from far and wide to perform the Elvis hits on stage.
On February 6, 1958, Vega was inducted into the Army at Fort Carson
, Colorado
, and was sent to Fort Hood
near Killeen
, Texas, for his four-week basic training. During that same period of time, Presley arrived at Fort Hood from Fort Chaffee
near Fort Smith
, Arkansas
. At Fort Hood, Vega introduced his wife Teresa to Presley for a photograph. Teresa recalls that Elvis was nervous while he placed his arm around her for the picture. After the picture was taken, Elvis responded, Gracias. The photo of Elvis and Teresa is among those in Little Graceland. Although Vega had met Elvis at Fort Hood, the two did not become friends until they reached the barracks
in August 1958 at Freiburg in Baden-Württemberg
, Germany. They were assigned to Company D Spearhead 3rd Army Division. While awaiting a meal, Vega reintroduced himself to Presley, and the two became "army buddies" who often shared guard duty. Vega recalls fondly that Presley wanted equal treatment from the other soldier
s, not favoritism because of his celebrity
status.
When Presley died, Vega says that he was so personally devastated that he began collecting anything with a connection to his friend. Vega's countless pieces of memorabilia are displayed in glass cases or line the walls of the museum. He has a bottle of "Love Me Tender" shampoo
, the same name as a Presley song and film
. There are key chains, playing cards, dolls, pocketknives, necktie
s, watches, and a complete set of Presley collector plates. Word of Little Graceland spread nationally, as vacationers and winter residents heading to South Padre Island
on the Gulf of Mexico
stopped to view the replica of the gates of Graceland in front of Vega's house. Vega has also constructed a doghouse-size replica of Presley's boyhood home in Tupelo
, Mississippi
.
Vega considers Presley the unequaled entertainer of the 20th century who exuded charisma
through his records and personal appearances. "Once you got to know him, Elvis was a really good guy, but he was never an ordinary guy. Elvis liked to see people happy. That's part of why he sang and entertained the people," says Vega. Despite heart
and hip problems, Vega hosts some fifty visitors to his museum each week.
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
teacher
Teacher
A teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils and students . The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional...
who became a personal friend of singer Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
while the two served together in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
from 1958—1960. In 1993, Vega turned his house into a museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
called "Little Graceland" located in his native Los Fresnos
Los Fresnos, Texas
Los Fresnos is a city in Cameron County, Texas, United States. The population was 4,512 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Brownsville–Harlingen–Raymondville and the Matamoros–Brownsville metropolitan areas....
in Cameron County
Cameron County, Texas
Cameron County is the southernmost county located in the U.S. state of Texas. In 2010, its population was 406,220. Its county seat is Brownsville. Cameron was founded in 1848...
north of Brownsville
Brownsville, Texas
Brownsville is a city in the southernmost tip of the state of Texas, in the United States. It is located on the northern bank of the Rio Grande, directly north and across the border from Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico. Brownsville is the 16th largest city in the state of Texas with a population of...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. "Little Graceland" is loosely patterned on Presley's mansion, Graceland
Graceland
Graceland is a large white-columned mansion and estate that was home to Elvis Presley in Memphis, Tennessee. It is located at 3764 Elvis Presley Boulevard in the vast Whitehaven community about 9 miles from Downtown and less than four miles north of the Mississippi border. It currently serves as...
, in Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
.
Vega was one of three children born in Los Fresnos to Pablo Vega (1895–1969) and the former Estefana Hinojosa (1900–2003), she a native of San Luis Potosí
San Luis Potosí, San Luis Potosí
San Luis Potosí, commonly called SLP or simply San Luis, is the capital of, and most populous city in the Mexican state of the same name. The city lies at an elevation of 1,850 meters...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. His sister is Matea V. Garcia of Chicago; his brother now deceased, Jose Isabel Vega of Los Fresnos. He and his wife, Teresa Vega, named a son, Rene Elvis Vega, after Presley.
In 1978, a year after Presley's early death, Vega composed a song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
, "The Ballad of Elvis Presley". He produced three thousand copies and has five remaining ones for his personal collection. Little Graceland is a home converted into a shrine to the man dubbed "The King" of rock and roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
. The museum contains many pictures of Presley, some with Vega, which the museum owner considers among his most prized possessions.
Vega, with assistance from the Los Fresnos Area Chamber of Commerce
Chamber of commerce
A chamber of commerce is a form of business network, e.g., a local organization of businesses whose goal is to further the interests of businesses. Business owners in towns and cities form these local societies to advocate on behalf of the business community...
and the City of Los Fresnos (meaning "ash trees"), holds two Elvis festivals annually in January and August, the months of Presley's birth and death. The festivities include live music, food and beverages, a look-a-like contest, a sing-a-like competition, automobile
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
shows, trivia questions, and museum tours. The highlight of the festivities is the impersonators that come from far and wide to perform the Elvis hits on stage.
On February 6, 1958, Vega was inducted into the Army at Fort Carson
Fort Carson, Colorado
Fort Carson is a United States Army installation located near Colorado Springs, primarily in El Paso County, Colorado. It is north of Pueblo, Colorado in Pueblo County. The 137,000 acre installation extends south into Pueblo and Fremont counties...
, Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, and was sent to Fort Hood
Fort Hood, Texas
Fort Hood is a United States military post located outside of Killeen, Texas. The post is named after Confederate General John Bell Hood. It islocated halfway between Austin and Waco, about from each, within the U.S. state of Texas....
near Killeen
Killeen, Texas
Killeen is a city in Bell County, Texas, The United States. The population was 86,911 at the 2000 census. As of 2009, Killeen had 119,510 people. In 2010 Killeen's population shot to 127,921...
, Texas, for his four-week basic training. During that same period of time, Presley arrived at Fort Hood from Fort Chaffee
Fort Chaffee
Fort Chaffee Maneuver Training Center is in the northwest Arkansas region adjacent to the city of Fort Smith, located one mile southeast of Fort Smith Regional Airport. The Arkansas River flows eastward along the northern border of the post. Interstate 40 is five miles to the north on the...
near Fort Smith
Fort Smith, Arkansas
Fort Smith is the second-largest city in Arkansas and one of the two county seats of Sebastian County. With a population of 86,209 in 2010, it is the principal city of the Fort Smith, Arkansas-Oklahoma Metropolitan Statistical Area, a region of 298,592 residents which encompasses the Arkansas...
, Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
. At Fort Hood, Vega introduced his wife Teresa to Presley for a photograph. Teresa recalls that Elvis was nervous while he placed his arm around her for the picture. After the picture was taken, Elvis responded, Gracias. The photo of Elvis and Teresa is among those in Little Graceland. Although Vega had met Elvis at Fort Hood, the two did not become friends until they reached the barracks
Barracks
Barracks are specialised buildings for permanent military accommodation; the word may apply to separate housing blocks or to complete complexes. Their main object is to separate soldiers from the civilian population and reinforce discipline, training and esprit de corps. They were sometimes called...
in August 1958 at Freiburg in Baden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg is one of the 16 states of Germany. Baden-Württemberg is in the southwestern part of the country to the east of the Upper Rhine, and is the third largest in both area and population of Germany's sixteen states, with an area of and 10.7 million inhabitants...
, Germany. They were assigned to Company D Spearhead 3rd Army Division. While awaiting a meal, Vega reintroduced himself to Presley, and the two became "army buddies" who often shared guard duty. Vega recalls fondly that Presley wanted equal treatment from the other soldier
Soldier
A soldier is a member of the land component of national armed forces; whereas a soldier hired for service in a foreign army would be termed a mercenary...
s, not favoritism because of his celebrity
Celebrity
A celebrity, also referred to as a celeb in popular culture, is a person who has a prominent profile and commands a great degree of public fascination and influence in day-to-day media...
status.
When Presley died, Vega says that he was so personally devastated that he began collecting anything with a connection to his friend. Vega's countless pieces of memorabilia are displayed in glass cases or line the walls of the museum. He has a bottle of "Love Me Tender" shampoo
Shampoo
Shampoo is a hair care product used for the removal of oils, dirt, skin particles, dandruff, environmental pollutants and other contaminant particles that gradually build up in hair...
, the same name as a Presley song and film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
. There are key chains, playing cards, dolls, pocketknives, necktie
Necktie
A necktie is a long piece of cloth worn for decorative purposes around the neck or shoulders, resting under the shirt collar and knotted at the throat. Variants include the ascot tie, bow tie, bolo tie, and the clip-on tie. The modern necktie, ascot, and bow tie are descended from the cravat. Neck...
s, watches, and a complete set of Presley collector plates. Word of Little Graceland spread nationally, as vacationers and winter residents heading to South Padre Island
South Padre Island
South Padre Island is a barrier island in the U.S. state of Texas. It is located in Cameron County and is a popular vacation destination because the resort city South Padre Island is located on the island. The island itself is considered to have been settled by Padre Jose Nicolas Balli, who had a...
on the Gulf of Mexico
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
stopped to view the replica of the gates of Graceland in front of Vega's house. Vega has also constructed a doghouse-size replica of Presley's boyhood home in Tupelo
Tupelo, Mississippi
Tupelo is the largest city in and the county seat of Lee County, Mississippi, United States. It is the seventh largest city in the state of Mississippi, smaller than Meridian, and larger than Greenville. As of the 2000 United States Census, the city's population was 34,211...
, Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
.
Vega considers Presley the unequaled entertainer of the 20th century who exuded charisma
Charisma
The term charisma has two senses: 1) compelling attractiveness or charm that can inspire devotion in others, 2) a divinely conferred power or talent. For some theological usages the term is rendered charism, with a meaning the same as sense 2...
through his records and personal appearances. "Once you got to know him, Elvis was a really good guy, but he was never an ordinary guy. Elvis liked to see people happy. That's part of why he sang and entertained the people," says Vega. Despite heart
Heart
The heart is a myogenic muscular organ found in all animals with a circulatory system , that is responsible for pumping blood throughout the blood vessels by repeated, rhythmic contractions...
and hip problems, Vega hosts some fifty visitors to his museum each week.