Mid June 2002
- Elvis fan keeps king's memory rockin' on
By CINDY LANGE-KUBICK
(Lincoln Journal Star, June 20, 2002)
Few things get retired Lincoln firefighter Vic Wright all shook up these days except, perhaps, a chance to see the Jordanaires -- the backup quartet for his beloved Elvis Presley. "Maybe I can act like a little teeny-bopper and get their autograph," the 62-year-old record collector said Tuesday, two days before The Three Faces of Elvis tour hit town. Wright, his wife, Barb, and her cousin secured prime seats at Pershing for tonight's stage show, where Elvis impersonators will cover the King of Rock 'n' Roll from his rockabilly days to his glitzy Las Vegas years. And whatever they sing, Wright will know it.
- Radio, radio: Where did all the music go?
(CNN, June 20, 2002)
"FM stations overplay popular songs, to the point that no one likes them anymore," eighth-grader [Dana Marino] complained after enduring a recent audio overdose of J. Lo and Ja Rule. Ed Cronin, 42, rarely flips his radio on. He longs for the free-form format of his teen years, when you could hear anything from Elvis Presley to Elvis Costello, the Supremes to the Sex Pistols. "You were exposed to all sorts of other stuff -- not only the hip and new, but older stuff," said the resident of West Roxbury, Mass. "You can't hear that now." "We play what people want to hear," said John Hogan, president and chief operating officer of Clear Channel Radio and its 1,200 stations. "And if we play too little of what people want to hear, they're going to go somewhere else." They already are -- although it's not necessarily to other radio stations. Radio listeners are listening less.
Why the turn-off? Some, like musicians Prince and Little Steven Van Zandt, blame playlists so strict they make the old Top 40 format seem extravagant. Others blame a 1996 law that opened the door for corporate ownership of hundreds of radio stations, replacing often-eccentric local owners with a legion of sound-alike voices and formats. ...
Right into the '80s, the airwaves -- from WNEW-FM in New York to KFOG-FM in San Francisco -- enjoyed a golden era. "It was a time of artistic freedom. And we thought that would last forever," said Neer, a former 'NEW' jock and author of the book "FM: The Rise and Fall of Rock Radio". By the '90s, the power had shifted. Research started taking over. People wouldn't go to the bathroom without going to a focus group. The result, according to critics: appealing to the lowest common denominator with a slimmed down playlist, and ignoring the fringes. "The philosophy was superserve your core audience, rather than hit a broad demographic," said Neer. "Anybody over (age) 50 was discounted, thrown aside." Artists were marginalized along with audiences.
- Elvis fans strike back
(PRWeb, June 20, 2002)
Elvis fans are beginning to flex their muscles as a potentially powerful lobby group. Fed up with the gratuitiously belittling put-downs of a great man who isn't here to defend himself, they are becoming increasingly belligerent and ready to rise in defence of their hero. Some keep a blacklist of magazines they won't subscribe to. Others boycott online merchandising sites which include a demeaning biography of Presley. Yet other web sites actively encourage people to send comments in reaction to what they consider to be unfair media articles. One such site is the news digest "Presleys in the Press" maintained by the Elvis Legends Social Club of Canberra, Australia. "There have been many rumours and inuendos about Elvis' life, behaviour, attitudes, and the reasons for his untimely death", say Club officials. "Noone claims he was a saint, but he wasn't the monster some people make him out to be. He was a human being who was also a good singer and entertainer, which is all he ever wanted to be. The pressures he was under were enormous, and he didn't cope well with fame and fortune. He wasn't helped by a greedy manager who ripped off other artists and Elvis himself. During the last two years of his life, Presley was a genuinely sick man, suffering the effects of a hereditary disorder inherited from his mother's side of the family. Presley, who had both Cherokee Indian and Jewish ancestry, was actually a religious, compassionate and very generous person who had great talent and a distinctive singing style. For his time and given his background, he was remarkably unfree of prejudices. He loved people - all people - and they loved him back. The intensity, love and longing in his voice still come through even now, a quarter of a century after his death. His appeal is
ageless, timeless and international. Look at a balanced biography. In the end, deeds speak louder than words."
- NUMBER ONE ELVIS CD TO BE RELEASED
(Code Junkies, June 19, 2002)
Music bosses are to cash in on the latest wave of ELVIS PRESLEY mania - by released an album containing all of the legend's number one hits. The ELV1S disc is said to be a certainty to top the album charts on its release in September, and may even eclipse the success of THE BEATLES' 1, which has sold over 33 million copies since its release in November 2001. His previously forgotten song, A LITTLE LESS CONVERSATION, currently sits atop the British singles chart, thanks to sportswear company NIKE using it as their soccer WORLD CUP theme song. The King of Rock 'N' Roll infamously died in 1977. DAVID ROBERTS, editor of the GUINNESS BOOK OF BRITISH HIT SINGLES points out, "The fact that Elvis has just had another No1 and this year's 25th anniversary of his death means this is going to be a hugely successful album."
- Get a hunka hunka Elvis spice
(Philadelphia Daily News, June 19, 2002)
A new line of "Elvis Style Seasonings" is being introduced to spice up anything from fish to barbecue, with part of the proceeds to go to the Elvis Presley Charitable Foundation. Food specialist Cindy Hazen and artist Betty Harper came up with the idea while sitting in Hazen's kitchen in the house where Elvis once lived on Audubon Drive in Memphis, Tenn. Hazen and husband Mike Freeman bought the old Elvis home, keeping most of the vintage appliances that were there or that would have been used in homes during the 1950s. Harper, an artist, created an Elvis drawing for the line of seasonings. The seasonings come in three flavors - Jailhouse Rock (barbecue), King Creole (Cajun) and GI Blues (all-purpose), said Hazen. She once worked for Flavorite Laboratories in Horn Lake and for Hilton House Foods, creating dairy blends for ice creams and the baking industry.
- Music and Entertainment Icons: Elvis, Marilyn Monroe, Jimi Hendrix, and The Supremes Come Alive on Cellular Phone Covers Under License to One Company: A.O.S., Inc.
A.O.S., Inc.
(Yahoo News, June 19, 2002)
A.O.S., Inc. has procured license rights to some of America's greatest entertainment icons for use in the multi-billion dollar cellular accessory industry. For the first time ever, photo quality images will allow patrons to "Walk and Talk with The King of Rock 'n Roll" with licensed Elvis Presley cellphone covers, just in time for the 25th Anniversary of The King's untimely death.
- Officially Approved by Elvis Presley Enterprises
Universal Studios Home Video
(Yahoo News / PRNewswire, June 18, 2002)
Commemorate the King of Rock N' Roll on the 25th Anniversary of His Passing With the Ultimate 'Behind The Scenes' Collectible!
ELVIS: HIS BEST FRIEND REMEMBERS: This Tribute From 'Diamond Joe' Esposito, one of Elvis' Closest Confidants, Featuring Hundreds of Extremely Rare Photos, Home Movies, Newsreels & Interviews. Debuts July 30, 2002 on VHS and DVD
The Spirit of Rock n' Roll Continues With the Release of CHANGE OF HABIT - Elvis' Last Screen Role - Appearing on DVD ($14.95 M.A.P./ $19.98 S.R.P.) For the Very First Time!
For further information, please contact: Vivian Mayer, +1-818-777-3594, or Evan Fong, +1-818-777-5540, or Yuko Sakamoto,
+1-818-777-0115, all of Universal Studios Home Video; or Dana Kornbluth, +1-818-889-9741, dkpr1@aol.com, or Mike Krause,
+1-212-586-7967, selluloid@aol.com, both of DKPR, for Universal Studios Home Video.
- U.S. Premiere July 1-9, Makor Cinema, Montreal - Schmelvis: Searching for Elvis's Jewish Roots
(Yahoo News / PRNewswire, June 17, 2002)
What happens when you throw together a born- again orthodox Jewish
Elvis impersonator, an eccentric Rabbi and a film crew in a Winnebago? SCHMELVIS: SEARCHING FOR THE KING'S JEWISH ROOTS follows a bizarre odyssey to trace Elvis' roots, following up on a newspaper article exposing the King's improbable Jewish lineage. The resulting offbeat feature documentary is an often hilarious comment on pop culture, tolerance and identity. The 75-minute documentary, released by Montreal-based Diversus Productions, appropriately debuts in 2002, the 25th anniversary of Elvis Presley's death.
- Free Wheelin': Loving Elvis is worth it
By Ed Williams
(Union-Recorder, June 17, 2002)
I have an Elvis story to tell y'all that I've never told anyone other than my immediate family. I'm dedicating this one to anyone out there that loves "The King." A few years ago, back in '99, I was cutting the grass one Saturday afternoon. ... Alison ran up to me and tapped me on the arm. I leaned over to see what she wanted, and she told me I had a phone call. "He told me to tell you his name is Marty Lacker, and that you'd want to talk to him." I stood there a tad shocked, as Marty Lacker was one of Elvis Presley's best friends (he served as one of Elvis' co-best men at his wedding), a fact I knew from the many books and articles I've read about Elvis. ... I immediately stopped the mower and ran into my house. ... "Is this Ed Williams?" a somewhat gravelly voice intoned back. "It is." "Ed, this is Marty Lacker. On behalf of the Memphis Mafia, we'd like to wish you a happy birthday." I was so amazed, then I blurted out something to the effect that he needed to tell me something about Elvis that only he knew so I could be sure the call wasn't a prank. He laughed and told me about a comment Elvis had made during a movie shooting that was funny as the devil. We both laughed, I was convinced and Mr. Lacker went on, "Ed, I know you're a big Elvis fan, and I'd be glad to answer any questions you might have about him."
We launched into a good half hour conversation about Elvis. I asked Mr. Lacker about how he picked his songs, who made his stage clothes and how it was to tour with him. Through it all, though, one thing kept tugging at the back of my mind. I tried to fight it off, tried to overlook it, but I just couldn't shake it. What kept gnawing at me was the fact that Mr. Lacker was telling me on the one hand what a good, compassionate man Elvis was, and on the other hand I was thinking about all the sordid revelations made after Elvis' death about his use of drugs. This contrast really bothered me inside. Finally, I worked up the courage and asked, "Mr. Lacker, what kind of man was Elvis? Is he the man I've read about since he died, or is he the man that you've been telling me about here?" He responded with something I'll never forget. "Ed, Elvis was a kind man. A very decent man. He was a shy country boy with an incredible talent. And, because of that talent, he lived a life that few could ever imagine. He had temptations thrown at him that no person could have resisted, but, he handled himself with dignity and humility throughout his entire life. Those of us who knew him loved him, still love him and will always love him." I swallowed hard. Then Mr. Lacker finished by saying: "Ed, you haven't wasted your time caring about Elvis. He was worth every minute you've invested in him." We both said good-bye and hung up our phones. I stood there quietly for a moment, blinking back a few tears. Finally, I walked back outside and finished cutting my grass. But while I was doing that, my mind kept telling me one thing ... He has been worth every minute.
- Elvis returns, becoming cool even when he wasn't
By Debra Goldman
(AdWeek, June 17, 2002)
It is the archetypal brand problem. The loyal customers of an established brand are getting on in years, and a once-thriving identity is threatened with extinction along with its market. This dilemma, pointed for any brand, is particularly thorny when said brand came to prominence as a symbol of youthful rebellion. Such is the problem facing the Elvis Presley industry, whose fan base now qualifies for Medicare and whose pilgrimage point, Graceland, comes more and more to resemble Lourdes with every passing year. How to re-create that youth-culture magic for a new generation? As a recording executive at Elvis' label, RCA Records/BMG, wondered out loud to The New York Times, "How do we make him hip, young and irreverent? - into a brand that's relevant to this younger demographic?" In truth, the real Elvis was hip, young and irreverent for a very short time in the course of his long pre- and post-deceased career. That brief moment was captured some years after his death in a wonderful documentary called Elvis '56, focusing on the year when the original avatar of sex and rock 'n' roll (the drugs came later) was at his transgressive height. But let's face it, that was 46 years ago. Then came the Army, Hollywood, gospel records, Vegas, jumpsuits, photo ops with Richard Nixon and 25 years of graveside vigils. All stuff beloved by the die-hard fans who have made Elvis' cult highly profitable over the decades. But cool? Never. From the early '60s until his drug overdose in 1977, Elvis was a tool on which hip young people could hone their irony.
The good news for the folks at Elvis Presley Enterprises, as they gin up the marketing machine for the 25th anniversary of his death this August, is that the real Elvis doesn't matter. The guy has been gone too long. Untethered to history, Elvis becomes a jumble of free-floating signifiers that can be appropriated and adapted as needed to fit whatever model of cool the young demo focus groups are yearning for. And it ain't the "hip, young and irreverent" Elvis '56. It's Elvis '68, the pre-comeback Elvis of Live a Little, Love a Little. That's the flick from which Dutch DJ Tom Holken berg lifted "A Little Less Conversation" and reworked it for Nike's multimillion-dollar World Cup soccer spot. The remix is now headed for the top of the charts abroad. At first glance, Elvis '68 is an odd choice for the recoolification of the King. Consider what was going on then: Vietnam, street demonstrations, hippies, free love, psychedelics and a music scene transformed by Bob Dylan, the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. And then there was Elvis, in the third movie he churned out that year, playing a photographer who works for a conservative ad agency by day and for a girlie magazine by night. Rudy Vallee was one of his co-stars.
The movie did make a few concessions to the tenor of the times: Elvis wears turtlenecks, meets a zany, free-spirited gal who is walking barefoot on the beach, says "dammit" and, for the first time in his cinematic career, goes all the way. Still, it is surely Elvis at his schlockiest and most culturally irrelevant, the King at the nadir of his hipness. But no longer. In the ever-evolving kingdom of cool, the last shall be first? If you wait around long enough. Indeed, so powerful is the reverse chic of Elvis '68 that "A Little Less Conversation" was also used bySteven Soderbergh in his remake of Ocean's Eleven. The song fit perfectly with the movie, which also took something that was culturally reactionary in its own time? - Rat Pack masculinity? - and tried to resurrect it as 21st-century cool. Elvis '68 is but one face of the once and future King. Many others will be gathered in a one-time "bookazine" from Gruner & Jahr (a publication themed "Elvis, then and now"), due in August to coincide with a commemorative week at Grace land. We will also get Happy Meal Elvis, coming soon to a Mc Donald's near you. This is the Elvis who is the guiding spirit of the Walt Disney animated film Lilo and Stitch, premiering this week.
Clearly when Elvis Presley Enterprises talks about making Elvis relevant to the young, they're not kidding. In a much-publicized product placement, the little Hawaiian heroine Lilo is a devoted fan of the King, and the soundtrack includes "Hound Dog," "Heartbreak Hotel" and "Suspicious Minds," Elvis classics that will pour into the ears of Disney's kiddie audience. Thus, Elvis lives? - if only as an offscreen cartoon character. Of course, some might say that's where he's been heading all along.
Comments to Debra Goldman at dgoldman@adweek.com
- Disney Auctions Offers Elvis Memorabilia and Experiences In
Honor of Elvis Lovers Lilo & Stitch
(Yahoo News / PRNewswire, June 17, 2002)
Authentic memorabilia from the Estate of Elvis Presley and exclusive VIP vacation experiences to Elvis Week in Memphis, commemorating the 25th anniversary of Elvis' death, will be auctioned at Disney Auctions (www.disneyauctions.com), presented by eBay from June 17 through July 4. The auction surrounds the June 21 nationwide theatrical release of Walt Disney Pictures' "Lilo & Stitch," an animated comedy with an exuberant and quirky lead character, a little girl named Lilo, who has strong feelings for Elvis and his music.
- Sports Photos
By The Associated Press
(Yahoo! News, June 15, 2002)
Three U.S. soccer team supporters dressed as Elvis cheer in the stands prior to the 2002 World Cup, Group D soccer match between the U.S. and Poland, at the Daejeon World Cup Stadium in Daejeon, South Korea, Friday June 14, 2002. (AP Photo/Lawrence Jackson)
- Elvis: it's a run for the money: Elvis's estate is all shook up over theme-park proposal
By Andrew Buncombe
(Canberra Times, Panorama section, June 15, 2002, p. 1, 8-9)
Discusses redevelopment proposals for the Circle G Ranch, once owned by Elvis Presley. Under a $US500 ($A950) million plan put forward by J.D. Stacy, a 72-year old tycoon and property developer from Atlanta, Georgia, the Circle G Ranch is to be transformed into an Elvis theme park and convention centre that will feature an 18-hole gold course, holdiay homes, luxury apartments and a museum featuring the world's largest collection of Elvis memorabilia. Elsewhere there will be restaurants, three chapels, a cinema and scaled re-creations of the White House and Graceland. Fans will also be able to croon in a special studio and make their own recordings - in much the same way as Elvis did when he paid just $4 to record My Happiness at the Sun Records studios in 1953. ... But there are some who are not so delighted. ... Just 16km down the road are the great, gaudy gates of Graceland, the world's best-known - probably, most lucrative - pop-pilgrimage destination. And those who rule Graceland are far from happy at the prospect of a rival setting up shop next door. ... It has now got to the point where Elvis's estate has threatened Stacy and the theme park developers with legal action should they use the name Elvis Presley in any form.
... Last month,the Circle G project overcame objections about potential traffic congestion to obtain the necessary planning permission from the DeSoto County Planning Commission. Now the dispute is focusing on the new project's name. The developers plan to call their attraction the Circle G Resort: Home of the Elvis Presley Ranch. Stacy's team is convinced it has the law on its side. "We had a meeting with the EPE people and we understand our rights." ... [Local residents] have some concerns about the noise and disruption to their quiet community ... Having obtained planning permission, [the] company now intends to hold its ground-breaking ceremony at the site this summer on August 16.
- Michael Jackson mobbed by fans
(CNN, June 14, 2002)
Michael Jackson was sent flying by excited fans fighting to touch the pop legend at a London railway station on Friday. The American superstar, jostled and pushed in the melee, was lucky to escape injury as mass hysteria gripped his die-hard admirers. It was just horrifying ... he was knocked to the ground," said spoon-bending psychic Uri Geller who had invited the King of Pop on a fund-raising charity trip to the southwest English city of Exeter. "For a moment I thought he would faint. But then he suddenly looked at me and said 'I love these people' and I said 'Are you okay?' He said 'I am okay' and kept waving to his fans," Geller added. Geller, who is hoping to raise money for a children's charity and his third division English soccer club Exeter, said he had never before experienced anything like the screaming mob. "I have been around for 35 years. I have met Elvis Presley, Elton John, John Lennon, all the Beatles. I have never ever seen anything like that and I hope I never will see it again. Michael was crushed," Geller said. ...
The chaotic scenes was in stark contrast to a tour the Jackson team took through the echoing halls of the Houses of Parliament in central London. The King of Pop, accompanied by Geller and U.S. illusionist David Blaine, declared the gothic palace "a miracle" and gazed in awe at Queen Elizabeth's golden throne. "I want that," the pop legend told his entourage as he admired the throne where Britain's monarch sits once a year formally to open parliament in the ornate House of Lords.
- North Country - Still swooning over Elvis: Fan recalls meeting the 'King of Rock 'n' Roll' when she was a teen
By Kelly O'Connor
(San Diego Union-tribune, June 12, 2002)
Growing up with her father in the movie business, Rosalie Capener met her share of stars. She met Sen, Ted Kennedy and Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Don Drysdale. She saw Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald perform and met both of them backstage. But Capener never got star-struck. That is, until she met the "King of Rock 'n' Roll," Elvis Presley. "I turned to Jell-O," Capener said. The year was 1957. Presley was touring to promote his film "Jailhouse Rock." Fans crowded outside of Sicks Stadium in Seattle in hopes of catching a glimpse of him. Young men with pompadours rushed to their seats while teen-age girls in pedal pushers screamed. But not Capener. She just flashed her press badge and waltzed in the stadium's side door. "I thought I was so cool. I was barely 18," said Capener, now 63. Capener got her first look into Presley's "big brown eyes." After that, most of his words were a blur for Capener. However, she did learn that Presley had a collection of teddy bears from fans around the world. His favorite car was his purple Cadillac El Dorado, with purple mouton upholstery. And he had just purchased a home, now known as Graceland, in Memphis, Tenn. Presley put his arm around Capener and they posed for a picture. She still keeps the framed photo in her bedroom. He also signed a copy of the tour's Souvenir Photo Album for her. "He had that spark you just gravitate toward. He was naturally cool," Capener said.
- L!CENSING 2002 International Lends Its Ear to the Recording Industry
(Yahoo News / L!CENSING 2002 International, June 11, 2002)
From Grammy Award winner Alicia Keys to teen pop sensation Britney Spears, to Elvis and the rock bands Everclear, Phish and more, some of the biggest names in the recording industry will be represented at L!CENSING 2002 International, June 11 - 13 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York.
- Elvis impersonator set for UK tour
(This is Devon, June 11, 2002)
Elvis impersonator Heath Ashton is all set to embark on a nationwide tour to celebrate the music of his idol. Heath, 32, from Tiverton, was named the nation's number one Elvis act after winning a GMTV competition last year. Now, after months of intensive voice-training and lip-curling practice, he is ready to step into the King's sequinned strides. His 30-date tour begins in Blackpool on Friday and Heath says he is confident of performing well. "I would say that since winning the competition my singing and all-round act has improved by at least 25 per cent," he said. "I have received the best training and now it's time to put it all into action."
- Getting hitched Las Vegas style
By Amanda Holohan
(Sydney Morning Herald, June 11, 2002)
No place on the planet can match Las Vegas for flamboyant wedding ceremonies. Five of the more famous ones are profiled, including Graceland Wedding Chapel. ... Get married in Las Vegas and follow in the footsteps of Elvis and Priscilla Presley, who tied the knot at the Aladdin Hotel in 1967. Graceland Wedding Chapel on the Las Vegas Boulevard has been specialising in weddings with an Elvis theme for 25 years. Whether renewing your vows or taking the first-time plunge, the chapel has a variety of wedding packages including a "King's Package" which for $US495 ($879) includes hire of an Elvis impersonator to entertain your guests. If you're trying to escape the impersonal aspect of a large wedding, just bring your fiancee. The chapel can supply a witness as part of your wedding package.
- Park Place and Jimmy Buffett To Bring Margaritaville to the Flamingo Las Vegas
(Yahoo News / Park Place Entertainment Corporation, June 10, 2002)
Park Place Entertainment Corporation today announced that it is teaming with Margaritaville's favorite son, singer/songwriter/author Jimmy Buffett, to bring the newest Margaritaville Cafe and entertainment complex to the Flamingo Las Vegas. "Margaritaville and the Flamingo were made for each other," said Flamingo President Lorenzo Creighton. "People come to the Flamingo to party and have fun. We're delighted that Jimmy Buffet has chosen the Flamingo as the home of the first Margaritaville to be built west of the Mississippi." Says Buffett, "If Las Vegas was good enough for Elvis, it's good enough for me."
Go to Early June 2002
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