When Elvis Presley stepped out of his blue suede shoes and left the building for good in 1977, the world mourned. The undisputed King of Rock n Roll was dead at just 42 years old. An icon and a legend, his passing is still mourned. However, in the unlikeliest of places, a surprise awaits – a private museum of international proportions dedicated to the King himself.

Words Pip Goldsbury Photos Thomas Kelly

It was the year 1959 and 12-year-old Kevin Wasley (KD) was gifted his first record, a little 45 by Elvis Presley. Blending rhythm and blues, country and early rock n roll, KD was hooked, not just with the song, Don’t Be Cruel, but with Elvis’ style. The pompadour hairstyle, rebellion, jackets and two-tone shoes captured KD’s imagination. A fan was born, and with it came buckets of Brylcreem, winklepicker shoes and a collection of Elvis memorabilia that has lasted a lifetime.

Today, KD still wears his signature pompadour, albeit greyer these days than Elvis ever sported. His gold-framed glasses are pure Presley. Roaring with laughter, KD admits his Elvis sports coats have ‘shrunk on their coat hangers’, but his blue suede shoes still fit and he’s just bought a new gold suit from Elvis’ original tailor. KD’s a man who loved the King as well as the 1950s and ‘60s. His Hawera garage is an archive that pays tribute to the music, the technology and the aesthetic of early Elvis.

Divided into two sections, KD’s garage is a mind-boggling collection of colour and pure wonder. There’s the memorabilia room featuring photos and souvenirs, many of them collected on one of KD’s five trips to Memphis and 17 visits to Graceland! Accumulated over a period of 65 years, the walls, ceilings and even the floors heave with nostalgia, young Elvis’ heady energy and provocative presence plain to see. There’s even a framed ticket to an Elvis concert, KD’s one chance to see his hero in concert, but an opportunity he couldn’t take. Gifted the ticket by his American pen pal, Roy, KD is philosophical, explaining, ‘I was 21 and I didn’t have any money to fly over.’ Happily, he reckons he got the better end of the bargain. The lady KD was courting at the time, Jenny, remains his ever-patient wife, and while she’s not an Elvis fan, having banned KD’s collection to the garage, he chuckles, ‘That’s fine. But if I ever want to soften her up, I just play Can’t Help Falling in Love.’

However, it’s in the music room that the numbers get crazy. KD has a collection of approximately 5,000 Elvis records, 45 extended plays, cassettes and 78s. It is a collection that has taken KD figuratively all around the world, a remarkable feat given much of the collection was collated during the non-digital era. While Elvis was prolific, he didn’t release 5,000 records. Instead, KD has double-ups. However, he’ll have one record that was released in Brazil, another that was released in Russia. KD’s quest for Elvis’ music has led to connections in Denmark, Czechoslovakia, the USA and Australia. It has resulted in a wide network of associates, people KD met when he subscribed to Elvis fan clubs, garnering information about Elvis paraphernalia from across the globe. Without the ease of today’s digital platforms, KD’s dedication is admirable. As he explains, ‘I got out my block and chisel and I wrote to people all around the world. I did a lot of bartering, trading New Zealand Elvis records.’ However, he shakes his head at pen pal Roy, a Memphis local who actually met Elvis but was more interested in photos of Mt Taranaki (Egmont)!

Over the years, word of KD’s private museum has leaked out. He’s appeared on television, in print, and he gladly welcomes visitors by appointment. KD even had The Jordanaires through his museum, Elvis’ original backing band. KD’s got the photos to prove it, as well as a record that belonged to one of The Jordanaires, gifted to KD when he asked after them at a record store in Tennessee. ‘I was like a rat up a drainpipe,’ he chortles.

Importantly for KD, The Jordanaires offered a personal link to Elvis the man, not the legend, that ‘he was wonderful to work for’, and insisted the band were credited on all his records.

Today, KD’s museum is a family affair. Wife, Jenny, runs KD’s email; his son, David, designed the website; and even grandson, Jack, gets called on when modern technology throws a curveball at 77-year-old KD. It’s a happy place, a tribute to the King, and although Elvis is the drawcard, it’s KD who’s getting people all shook up.

Maybe KD’s passion for making people happy harks back to when he first heard Don’t be Cruel. Afterall, it’s not just a song, it’s a way to live.