The expert’s view
Matthew Swayne, 50, from Pennsylvania, USA, says: ‘I spent two years researching my book Haunted Rock & Roll. Being born on Halloween, you could say it was a pet project. The spookiest place I visited was Elvis’s home, Graceland. Elvis and his mother Gladys are said to haunt the grounds, although I never saw them – but I certainly sensed something supernatural. The whole complex is saturated with Elvis’s spirit. You’re surrounded by his personal items and I swear you can feel him. But why are there so many rock and roll ghosts? Accidents, drug overdoses and other tragic deaths consume so many artists. If you talk to any paranormal researcher, they will tell you, take a big personality and cut the life off prematurely and you’re likely to have a ghost on your hands. I also believe there’s something special about music that connects us to the spiritual world. And I’m beginning to suspect that this link is one of the reasons why rock and roll ghosts can connect with us beyond the grave.’