You have located The Boardwalk Elvis Gnome (An ode to a true legend)In honor of the legend and legacy of Boardwalk Elvis, the gnome of which you have located comes with a very specific quest.You must email your very own written, visual, or other artwork to berlinfolklore@gmail.com along with a picture of the gnome as validation that you have claimed and secured its little lore gnome body.Your work will be featured in the subsequent phases of this living art project, further carrying on the local lore! In the whimsical lore of Ocean City, where sea breezes whisper secrets and saltwater taffy stretches with time, there walked a legend clad not in armor, but in a lime-green leisure suit and the rhinestone spirit of the King himself. Norman J. Webb was known to mortals and mermaids alike as Boardwalk Elvis. The Beach King spent over half a century serenading the boardwalk with his boombox and boundless charm. Born in a humble Showell cottage and raised by rhythm, he pedaled daily into town like a troubadour on a quest, his voice echoing Elvis ballads over the Atlantic's hush.
He was no myth, though tales of his red jumpsuit and “All Shook Up” renditions became the stuff of local folklore, whispered from fudge shop to surf shop.
Crowned with the key to the city, sent on pilgrimage to Graceland, and gifted a new electric steed after a fall, Norman was not merely an entertainer. He was the heart of Ocean City’s seaside soul.
When he passed at 78, the town didn’t just lose a man, it lost a muse. And though his song has quieted, the myth of Boardwalk Elvis will forever sway beneath the neon lights and crashing waves (Holland & Hughes, 2018).
Reference: Holland, L., & Hughes, G. (2018, June 16). Norman Webb, also known as Boardwalk Elvis, dies at 78. Salisbury Daily Times. https://www.delmarvanow.com/story/news/local/maryland/2018/06/16/boardwalk-elvis-norman-webb-dies/705989002/