Late March 2002
- Crossroads: Your views [on Brittney Spear's movie] [Last comment]
(BBC, March 31, 2002)
Reminds me a bit of Elvis Presley, when he moved in to movies. Britney is using her famous face to sell tickets, like Elvis did, but in saying that I quite enjoyed some of his flicks. Let's just hope she hires better screenwriters than she does songwriters.
Scott, Scotland
- Elvis' song: Quack, waddle and peck
By DOUG SMITH
(Charlotte Observer, March 31, 2002)
Easter is that special time of year when my thoughts turn to spirituality, flowers, sweets and -- this might surprise you -- Elvis. No, not the rock 'n' roll icon, but his Charlotte namesake: Elvis, the Easter attack duck. ... In the early years, he was docile enough to venture outside the fence.
Nettles took him to a pet show at Abbot Park and won the prize for the most unusual pet. But Elvis' personality changed as he aged. He'd lurk under the back porch near the steps and launch a surprise attack on anyone who walked out of the house or entered the yard.
- Dollywood example suggests Elvis Ranch could prove costly
By Robert Lee
(DeSoto Times, March 29, 2002)
If the DeSoto County Board of Supervisors plan to approve rezoning for the Elvis Presley Ranch entertainment and resort Wednesday they had better get ready to open their wallets. That's the advice from Earlene Teaster, city manager of Pigeon Forge, Tenn., the tiny hamlet which is home to the Dollywood entertainment complex, which is based around the image and name of country music entertainer Dolly Parton. We spent half a million dollars, said Teaster of funds that Pigeon Forge officials spent widening roads and providing infrastructure like water and sewer to Dollywood. ... However, the main difference between Dollywood and the planned Elvis Ranch is that Parton has not only granted permission for use of her name and likeness at the park, she helps oversee it. So far, the Georgia developers who want to turn the 808 acres of vacant farmland into a resort with condominiums, a golf course, wedding chapels and convention center among other things, have not been able to nail down permission to use Presley's name and likeness. A March 20 meeting between EPR Enterprises LLC and Elvis Presley Enterprises failed to reach any agreement.
- Money matters, not morals: Money made Memphis host Tyson fight
(Straits Times, March 28, 2002)
The Lennox Lewis-Mike Tyson fight in Memphis has nothing to do with morality - it is about business. 'It's not in my job description to regulate the morality of individuals who participate in sporting events,' mayor Willie Herenton said on Tuesday. 'As mayor, I made a business decision. I think the city will benefit enormously.' But some residents of the city reacted with disgust to the news. 'I have never been more disappointed in Memphis. I will not sell myself out for this thug if this is the only way Memphis can get on the map,' Michelle Sanders said on the Memphis Commercial Appeal's website. ... long-time boxing journalist Bert Sugar told the Commercial Appeal he would not cover the bout. 'The only thing that separates boxing from out-and-out assault are the rules, and Tyson adheres to none of them,' he said. 'This fight belongs in Memphis because Elvis Presley died on a toilet, and that's exactly where Tyson is going.'
(Feedback to stsports@sph.com.sg)
- Gareth b-b-blown away
(Anorak, March 27, 2002)
Apparently stuttering pop idol Gareth Gates' fans screamed so loudly that they officially became the loudest in the world. ... The audience at Sheffield Arena reached 130 decibels, which is as loud as a jumbo jet taking off. Experts also say they also beat crowd noise for the Beatles and Elvis Presley - although the technology wasn't around to take accurate readings.
- New judge sets hearing on complaints against prosecution in molestation case
By KIRK LOGGINS
(Tennessean.com, March 27, 2002)
The trial of massage therapist and Elvis impersonator Fred Toler on charges of sexually molesting a friend's two young daughters has been delayed until October, now that one judge has transferred the case to another without ruling on allegations that prosecutors have acted unfairly.
- New Books Spotlight Elvis, Loretta and the Bluebird Cafe
By Edward Morris
(CMT.com, March 27, 2002)
New books on Elvis Presley, Loretta Lynn and Nashville's famous Bluebird Cafe are set for release this [northern] spring and summer, according to a list compiled by Publishers Weekly, the weekly book trade journal. Tied to the 25th anniversary of the singer's death (Aug. 16), the new Presley titles are The Elvis Treasures, by Robert Gordon, and The Girls' Guide to Elvis: The Clothes, the Hair, the Women, and More!, by Kim Adelman. Gordon's book contains documents from the Graceland archives and an hour-long CD of Presley speaking. It will be out in August, while Adelman's lighter fare is set for a July release.
- The Jewish side of Elvis
By Reid Epstein
(Jerusalem Post, March 27, 2002)
Nearly 25 years after Elvis Presley's death, two Canadian filmmakers are tackling what they believe to be two vital questions: Was Elvis Jewish and, if so, does anyone care? The result of their quest is a 76-minute documentary, Schmelvis: Searching for the King's Jewish Roots, scheduled to premiere at the Toronto Jewish Film Festival in April and open to American audiences at New York's Knitting Factory in May. ... While the film's producers expected such desecration of the classic Elvis narrative to elicit a backlash in the South, they were surprised when most people they asked were ambivalent about the King's newfound heritage. ... some Elvis purists proved to be not so agreeable. In the film, Schmelvis tried to enter the Images of Elvis impersonator contest in Memphis. Doc Franklin, the contest's organizer whose claim to Elvis legitimacy is his stint as veterinarian to Presley's pet chimpanzee, Scatter, would not allow Schmelvis to present his hassidic version of the King. "No religion and no politics," Franklin told Schmelvis. ... in a later scene in Israel, some hassidim reveled in Presley's Jewish roots, which can be traced to his maternal great-great-grandmother, Nancy Burdine Tackett, a Jew. Religious identity is matrilineal, according to Jewish law. The film's spiritual adviser said the hassidim were fascinated that someone with Jewish roots could affect the world like Presley did. "The very religious found it a vindication of their mystical notion of the sparks of holiness being scattered with Elvis's music," Poupko said in an interview.
- In Brief: Elvis P., Elvis C.: Elvis gets boxed, Elvis hits the road and more
(Rolling Stone, March 27, 2002)
RCA will mark the twenty-fifth anniversary of Elvis Presley's death with the release of Elvis 30 #1 Hits, and a new four-CD box set that features more than 100 previously unreleased versions of classic songs by the King; both are due in July.
- ZZ Top bassist ties the knot
(CNN, March 26, 2002)
ZZ Top bassist Dusty Hill and his girlfriend for the past decade, actress Charleen "Chuck" McCrory, finally tied the knot. The couple exchanged wedding vows Saturday at Tony's Ballroom in Houston in a ceremony before 200 guests with state District Judge Joan Huffman presiding, Hill spokesman Bob Merlis said Monday from Los Angeles. After the ceremony, the couple was expected to kick things off with a first dance, but the groom instead grabbed the microphone and serenaded his bride with a version of Elvis Presley's "Can't Help Falling In Love."
- Daily Music News: Promotional Blitz To Support Elvis Anniversary
Edited by Jonathan Cohen
(Billboard, March 22, 2002)
As early as next week, BMG Entertainment and RCA Records are expected to unveil plans for a massive global marketing and promotional campaign to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Elvis Presley's death, Billboard exclusively reveals in the March 30 issue. Presley died of heart failure on Aug. 16, 1977, at the age of 42. The initiative will center on a one-disc retrospective of the artist's top hits -- akin to Capitol's Beatles retrospective, "1." The album, "ELV1S 30 Number One Hits," is set for a late-October release on RCA. It will be the first time Presley's 30 No. 1 singles have been assembled on one CD. In addition, BMG Heritage will release a four-CD boxed set in July with more than 100 previously unreleased versions of Presley classics.
- She's off to Elvis' home: Graceland trip is prize in lottery
By ROCHELLE BRENNER
(York Dispatch / Sunday News, March 22, 2002)
Rita McLane is all shook up. She won a trip to Graceland Mansion in the Pennsylvania Lottery's Elvis instant game second-chance drawing this week. McLane plans to make the trip to Graceland with her husband some time within the next year. She said she's wanted to go back to the rock 'n' roll idol's mansion in Memphis, Tenn., after her first and only trip in the 1970s after "The King" died. There are eight Graceland trips and 536 Elvis collectible packages remaining in the lottery promotion.
- Elvis park shakes up Memphis
By JENNY JARVIE
(Chicago Sun-Times, March 20, 2002)
A battle is rumbling in the Kingdom of Rock 'n' Roll: Elvis Presley's official estate is fighting a rival project to construct an Elvis theme park eight miles from Graceland. As the doors of the late star's Memphis home open to welcome a deluge of fans during the 25th anniversary year of his death, Elvis Presley Enterprises Inc. is battling to preserve the Elvis trademark. J.D. Stacy, a property magnate from Atlanta, plans to construct a $500 million Elvis-themed resort near Graceland on a 156-acre Mississippi ranch once owned by the singer. Elvis and Priscilla Presley honeymooned there in 1967. EPE, which is owned by the Elvis Presley Trust and presided over by his former wife, insists that it will not allow the site to use his name.
- Two new books offer recommendations for essential films
By Todd Leopold
(CNN, March 19, 2002)
When it comes to picking the great movies of all time, you have your choice of lists - Oscar winners, Academy Awards, American Film Institute list of 100 best, or Sight and Sound magazine compilations. These lists have their own biases or are skewed toward cinema historians, not people looking to rent a movie on a Saturday night. It's exactly that predicament that Boston Globe film critic Jay Carr thinks of when he suggests a reason for "The A List" (Da Capo), a look at 100 essential films put together by the National Society of Film Critics. The other book, Roger Ebert's "The Great Movies" (Broadway), offers another "100 classics" compilation, based on Ebert's biweekly column on the subject that appears on the Chicago Sun-Times' Web site. "Some films are in ['The A List'] because they're pop cultural landmarks," Carr said, pointing to "Jailhouse Rock" (Elvis Presley at his peak) and "Enter the Dragon" (the breakthrough Bruce Lee martial arts film).
- WOMAN WHO 'DRESSED ELVIS' CELEBRATES
By Lori Little
(Isle of Wight County Press, March 19, 2002)
A FORMER wardrobe girl for the London Palladium who worked with stars including Elvis Presley, Tommy Cooper and Engelbert Humperdink celebrates her 100th birthday on Friday. Winifred Langston, of Wroxall, will be joined by her large family and friends at the Royal Hotel in Ventnor. An accomplished dressmaker, after raising her sons she spent many years working backstage at the famous Palladium theatre during the 1950s and 1960s, where sh met and mingled with all the big names in show business, making dresses and costumes. She complained at home that the sequins kept coming off Liberace's elaborate costumes and causing a nuisance. She also worked with Dirk Bogarde, Arthur Askey, Harry Secombe, Glynis Johns and Vera Lynn. [Elvis at the London Palladium???]
- Notable Quotes
(yahoo.com / Reuters, March 18, 2002)
They really said it -- notable quotes from the news: "A lot of people really struggle to find out what they want to do in life, but I knew as soon as I saw Elvis Presley, when I was 11. From that point, music became my religion, my nourishment." - Veteran rocker TOM PETTY, in a Los Angeles Times interview, on the origins of his career.
- Gareth Gates: Your views [approx. 30th comment]
(BBC, March 18, 2002)
Gareth's version of Unchained Melody is brilliant, he is every bit a Pop Idol. It's not just the kids that think he has talent, I'm nearly 50. As an Elvis fan to me he will be the next Elvis - he is only 17-years-old and can only get better (if that's possible). I also voted many times for him in the final, so disappointed he didn't win, but that doesn't matter now he's a great star already. Looking forward to his first album being released.
Cheryl, England
- Hero Elvis good with figures
By JOHN ELLICOTT
(The Australian, March 18, 2002)
EXCEPT for one intransigent bolt, the removal of the three metal Olympic athletes from atop Sydney's Centrepoint Tower went off like clockwork yesterday. It was a landmark occasion for many participants. For Elvis the helicopter it was the last task before returning to the US after helping to fight the Sydney bushfires. For Australians with an Olympic hangover it brought home the realisation that the "best ever" Olympics in 2000 were really over.
- A hunka, hunka tourist meccas for Elvis fans
By John Bordsen
(Chicago Tribune / Knight Ridder Newspapers, March 17, 2002)
Elvis Presley was born into obscurity Jan. 8, 1935, in a two-room shack in Tupelo, Miss. On Aug. 16, 1977, he died alone, age 42, in his gated estate in Memphis, Tenn. He hasn't been lonely since. San Francisco-based writer Bill Yenne, for example, has an Elvis mini-industry. He has authored "The Field Guide to Elvis Shrines," "I Am Elvis: A Guide to Elvis Impersonators," and co-written "All the King's Things: The Ultimate Elvis Memorabilia Book" (Bluewood Books, $12.95). ... Yenne is interviewed about Elvis tourism, and mentions Graceland, other Memphis sites, Tupelo, Las Vegas and roadside museums.
- 'Elvis' to help move Centrepoint sculptures to Canberra
(ABC Online, March 17, 2002)
Two Olympic sculptures on the roof of Centrepoint Tower in Sydney will be moved to Canberra for display. The National Capital Authority has agreed to take the 12-metre sculptures of a gymnast and wheelchair basketballer. The helitanker, Elvis, which flew to fame during the New South Wales Christmas bushfires, will help remove the sculptures from the tower later today. A third sculpture of a sprinter is going to Olympic Park at Homebush.
Elvis the Helicopter in the headlines again
- Elvis lifts Olympic icons to Canberra
(Canberra Times, March 17, 2002, p. 5)
Two of the three giant Olympic symbols, the gymnast and wheelchair basketballer sculptures, will be lifted from [Sydney] Centrepoint Tower this morning by the crane helicopter Elvis, and brought to Canberra later as national icons.
- Battle over Elvis rights: Pretender's claim to Elvis title triggers Battle of Graceland
By AUDRA D.S. BURCH
(Electronic Telegraph, March 17, 2002)
A BATTLE is rumbling in the Kingdom of Rock 'n' Roll: Elvis Presley's official estate is fighting a rival project to construct an Elvis theme park eight miles away from Graceland. As the doors of the late star's Memphis home open to welcome a deluge of fans in the year marking the 25th anniversary of his death, Elvis Presley Enterprise Inc is battling to preserve the Elvis trademark. Todd Morgan, the director of communications for EPE, said: "Using Elvis's name to market the property is something that cannot be done without our permission. At this point we have no interest in being involved, not because we are worried about competition, but because we fear that it would create confusion." ... "They can go forward with the project with any name that doesn't involve our trademark. Words such as 'Elvis', 'Presley' and 'Graceland' are banned." Last year EPE sacked 15 per cent of its workforce. Mr Morgan, however, insisted that Presley is more popular than ever: "Visitor levels have been down over the past years, but other major tourist attractions have been more down than us. "Elvis's popularity is at an all-time high. Half of our visitors are aged 35 and under, which means they were 10 years old or not even born when Elvis died."
- Elvis fans' lovin' feelin isn't lost, just waning
By AUDRA D.S. BURCH
(Miami Herald, written January 8, posted online March 16, 2002)
It has been a quarter-century since Elvis Presley died, and there are hints that the American pop-culture machine might finally be ready to let him rest in peace. ... It's all part of the natural cycle of pop culture: from phenomenon to nostalgia and, eventually, to history or even oblivion. The remarkably long-lived Elvis legacy is now the stuff of museum exhibits, such as the still-popular Graceland, his last residence, open to public tours. ... ''Even though Elvis is an enduring icon, his iconicity is on the wane. For one thing, the generation that heard him the first time around is getting smaller,'' says Robert Thompson, professor of media and popular culture at Syracuse University. "The true Elvis diehards are becoming a subculture rather than the mass culture.''
Go to Early March 2002
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