My life in a picture
Stranded in Mississippi on an Elvis tour, a dashing cop came to Suzan Holder’s rescue
This is me, aged 24, in the arms of an American motorcycle cop who had just swooped to my rescue after I’d been left stranded at Elvis Presley’s birthplace in Tupelo, Mississippi. I had never felt so cool and it was the most rock ‘n’ roll moment of my life.
Let me explain… It was spring 1990 and I was on a sightseeing trip around the Southern United States, taking in Elvis’ Graceland home, Sun Studio in downtown Memphis, and the tiny two-room shack on the outskirts of Tupelo where the king of rock and roll was born in 1935.
It was an organised tour, full of Elvis fans just like me, but I was the only one on the trip travelling alone. Fed up of waiting for anyone to accompany me, I’d booked the ticket and set off to have an adventure. I wasn’t disappointed.
I loved soaking up all the sights and sounds, the food was incredible and the music everywhere was right up my rockabilly street.
Tupelo is a few hours’ drive from Memphis and we travelled there on a greyhound bus. After viewing the birthplace shack, we were taken into town to see the hardware store where Elvis bought his first guitar.
There’s not much else to see, but as we had a bit of time to kill before getting back on the bus, I went window shopping. I spotted an amazing pair of cowboy boots and onto the sunny sidewalk, I felt quite the southern belle.
I bought th em on the spot. Stepping out Until I realised that Tupelo main street was now deserted. The cloud of dust I could see in the distance was the bus I was meant to be on.
I was stranded with no mobile phone and no clue how I could get back to Memphis. I shouted and waved and jumped up and down, but the bus was now a speck on the horizon.
Suddenly there was another engine roar and a huge motorcycle pulled up alongside me with a hunky cop in mirr
