As we were interviewing Natalie Lichtman for last month’s story on her new consignment store, Grey Parrot, we learned how the store got its name, but we got enough backstory to merit a separate tale.
Lichtman’s father, oral surgeon Mark Grenadier, James Place, is the son of Bernard Grenadier, the contractor who designed the meditation garden at Graceland, Elvis’ mansion, and the nephew of Marty Lacker, a member of Elvis’ inner circle.
Lacker met Elvis in his senior year at Humes High School in Memphis, Tennessee and was co-best man at Elvis’ wedding to Priscilla Beaulieu in 1967. He was part of the so-called “Memphis Mafia,” a group of family members and friends Elvis surrounded himself with. It was their job to accompany, protect and serve Elvis from the beginning of his career in 1954 until his death in 1977. A newspaper reporter coined the nickname because Elvis required the guys to wear dark mohair suits and dark sunglasses to look presentable. Elvis liked the nickname so much, it stuck.
Elvis made several modifications to Graceland over the years. “My dad did a lot of work at Graceland, so I used to go to work with my dad on Saturdays. I’d go there and I would hang out with the maid, and I’d go out and feed the animals they had there at Graceland,” Grenadier reminisced.
Knowing that Elvis liked to meditate around running water, Bernard Grenadier designed the meditation garden, where Elvis would go to reflect on problems. It’s also where he and his family are buried today.
Mark Grenadier finally got the chance to meet Elvis when he was 13. “I wasn’t really a big Elvis fan until, you know, he comes down the stairs and he’s standing in front of you. I was in awe, you know, just to see him. He was really gracious,” he said.
Grenadier remembers Elvis was wearing black leather pants with a shirt and jacket and “he was absolutely stunning. It was a tremendous experience.”
Then, there was the time Grenadier almost snagged one of Elvis’ motorcycles. “I was sitting on one acting real tough and apparently my dad and Elvis were going over plans and they saw me,” he said. On the ride home, when his dad pointed out Elvis saw him sitting on the motorcycle, Grenadier feared he was in big trouble. But it was just the opposite. Elvis offered to give him that motorcycle, but Grenadier’s mom refused. “I don’t think I talked to my mom for a whole week after that,” he said.
So, how did someone who grew up in Memphis and spent time at Graceland wind up in Mt. Lebanon? Mark Grenadier did his residency at Allegheny General Hospital in 1984 and lived here ever since. “You know, the people here in Pittsburgh are just absolutely marvelous, so this is my home,” he said.
When Mark bought his wife a parrot for their 50th wedding anniversary, the family decided to name him Elvis, appropriately.
From time to time, Elvis — the parrot — can be found greeting customers inside Grey Parrot Consignment Gallery, 320 Castle Shannon Boulevard, owned by Grenadier’s daughter, Natalie Lichtman. Don’t be surprised if you hear him say “Hi, my name is Elvis. Thank you. Thank you very much!”