'Memories of Maureen and Our Links to Tupelo'
by Maurice Peter Colgan
- Book Review by Nigel Patterson -
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'Memories of Maureen and Our Links to Tupelo'
by Maurice Peter Colgan
is described as...
" A life shaped by love, loss, and an unexpected connection to Elvis Presley's legacy.
Maurice Colgan, Elvis, and Tupelo is a vivid and heartfelt memoir that weaves one man's extraordinary life with the enduring legacy of Elvis Presley.
From Ireland to Memphis, Colgan recounts uncanny encounters, personal loss, artistic passion, and the remarkable journey that led to a bronze statue of Elvis as a boy standing near his birthplace in Tupelo.
Rich in humour, warmth, and hard-won insight, this memoir explores fandom, family, resilience, and how ordinary lives can touch cultural history in unexpected ways.
A must-read for Elvis fans and lovers of true-life stories alike."
EIN's Nigel Patterson checks out this new memoir of an Elvis fanatic ...
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Book Review
Memories of Maureen & our links to Tupelo
by Maurice Peter Colgan
Noble Legacy Publishing, 2026, Hardback, 129 pages,
Not illustrated, ISBN-13: 978-1911761211
Reviewed by Nigel Patterson, September 2026
Portrait of the Artist at 83
Maurice Colgan is a name that will be familiar to many Elvis fans. In 2001, Maurice wrote to the mayor of Elvis's hometown, Tupelo, suggesting a statue of a young Elvis. The resulting "Elvis at 13" statue was unveiled in 2002, and Maurice and his late wife Maureen were invited to the ceremony.
The Colgan’s living room, renowned as an Elvis museum, has featured in numerous TV, magazine and newspaper stories, and his “Elvis” letter writing to the press is legendary.
In his recently published memoir, “Memories of Maureen”, Maurice recounts many of the adventures he and Maureen experienced. And to say they led an interesting life, would be a gross understatement!
Maurice has an easy-going writing style which brings to life his narrative.
“You are going to see another side of Memphis.”
And we sure did. We drove into shanty-town land. Homemade little houses, ticky-tack structures on the poorest side of town. Wrecks of cars, old fridges, and general untidiness, mile after mile. Eventually, we pulled up beside a rickety bar/café. There was a lovely brand-new, long and sleek crimson Cadillac parked outside.
His prose is also evocative:
Maureen, my wife, loved to feed the robins tiny pieces of cheese to encourage them to return to our very well-sheltered back garden, full of mature shrubs and trees, plus beautiful crimson red rambling roses and a variety of bright flowers.
Maurice also invites the reader into his backstory, including candid revelations:
Although my mother and father had been legally separated in 1953, and Dad had continued to ill-treat her and stalk and attack her new partner, they still met each other on better terms for family weddings, the birth of grandchildren, etc.
Around the end of 1961, I started working for Tryka Ltd, a chemical and table manufacturer. I started in the table department, putting plastic edging into the sides of the tables with a rubber mallet. For some reason, I could not do it kink-free, so I was moved to learn how to use the spindle moulding machine. It was child’s play for me – the machine was made for left-handers!
I returned to work at Tryka, and was sacked for turning my machine off at five to twelve for lunch A little later, I was to appear at an industrial injuries tribunal. The Tryka manager made a bad mistake telling the three examiners that I had cut my fingers on the bandsaw while cutting firewood! But the medical evidence contradicted him. The tribunal held in my favour.
And there are amusing anecdotes:
We took our young children to see the play Joan of Arc in Manchester’s opera house, and they sat quietly through most of it. Then, my little daughter whispered in my ear, “Daddy, when are they going to burn her?” I nearly burst out laughing, but instead, whispered back to her, “This is only a play, Tracey.” Disappointment was written all over her face.
Maurice’s Elvis related stories are numerous, and include interactions with super-fan, Jim Browder and Elvis’ cousin, Donna Presley.
Maurice and 'That Someone You Never Forget'
I won’t spoil the party by revealing any of the stories, but they range from:
- The Colgan’s strong attachment to Tupelo
- The “Elvis at 13” statue
- Books about Elvis
- God is the Bigger Elvis documentary
- Drug dealers
- Unfair criticism against the Colgans by posters on the For Elvis CD Collectors Only forum, and
- Various of Maurice’s many “Elvis” letters to the press.
Non-Elvis stories include:
- The night a quiet drink at a Manchester city pub ended in a ‘blood soaked’ Maurice
- How stereotyping helped a Jewish jeweller
- Being stopped by machine-gun armed Irish soldiers
- The issue of Electroconvulsive Therapy for Maurice’s deeply depressed mother, and
- A sad account of the mental breakdown of Maureen’s sister, Audrey.
There is also content around one of Maurice’s other passions, classical music, with a cast of luminaries such as Chopin, Beethoven, Brahms, Wagner, and Ravel.
Apart from Elvis, the memoir is dotted with an assortment of other famous characters. Among them, President Bill Clinton, singer Kate Bush, evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins, and Mother Dolores Hart.
About Maurice and Maureen’s friendship with Mother Dolores:
'When Maureen died I let Dolores know, she sent me a lovely letter about Maureen that I cherish.'
The narrative is not always chronological as Maurice’s thoughts zig-zag life’s experiences. This adds to the book’s appeal as interesting anecdotes pop up when you least expect them.
Overall Verdict: “Memories of Maureen” is a cosy and warm memoir which offers a pleasant and rewarding read with a strong undertone around Elvis Presley. Perfect company for a lazy Sunday afternoon.
Summary Ratings
Score: A to F (“A”: Excellent; “B”: Above Average; “C”: Average; “D”: Poor; “F”: Very Poor)
| Element: |
Rating |
Additional comments |
| Book format |
A |
Hardback (6.25 x 9.25 inches) |
| Book cover |
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Attention grabbing design (“Elvis at 13” statue) |
Narrative (text) |
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Well written and interesting |
Illustrations (visual) |
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| Book/page design |
A |
Clean with good use of white space; double line spacing is reader friendly |
| Paper Stock |
A |
Quality photo grade stock |
| Language |
n.a. |
English |
| Target audience |
n.a. |
General fans |
Comment on this review
Book Review by Nigel Patterson
-Copyright EIN September 2026
EIN Website content © Copyright the Elvis Information Network.
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