SALISBURY, Md. - To call him an Elvis Presley fan is an understatement. 67-year-old Jean-Pierre Bouvier fell in love with the King of Rock and Roll when he was just a boy. Since then, he's been collecting some of the rarest items out there.
Two years ago, he built an Elvis sanctuary out of barn next to his Salisbury home. He calls it the Taking Care of Business or TCB room. "I put a lot of work into it and everything here was made by me," he said.
He treats it like a mini-museum - the upkeep takes up a good chunk of his time. "Everyday I come here 2-3 times - make sure the temperature is good, make sure it doesn't freeze, make sure there's no moisture, make sure that thing works," he said.
He's one of the most well-known Elvis collectors around the world. Everything in his TCB room is worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. But his most valuable item? An exact replica of Elvis' TCB ring - a gift from his wife.
Bouvier says it's so much more than just a hobby. It's about keeping the name and legacy of the King of Rock and Roll going for generations to come.
"I know some people that didn't think too much of Elvis, and now they're Elvis fans because of me. I'm not into that to make money. I'm into that to keep something going and I think I'm doing a good job," he said.
Jean-Pierre tells us he doesn't like to sell any of his items - he says he'd rather give them away to someone he knows will take good care of them.
In two weeks, the national hit "Elvis Lives" is coming to the Civic Center on Wednesday, March 13 at 7:30 PM. For more information and tickets, call 410-548-4911.
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