Late June 2002
Media coverage of:
[ Elvis vs JXL: A Little less Conversation ] [ Lilo and Stitch (Disney) ]
- 'Elvis' Sold out
(Mount Airy News, June 30, 2002)
Elvis Presley sold out plenty of concerts during his illustrious career, and now the first cutting of furniture bearing his name has sold out, as well -- at least from the manufacturer's point of view. The "Elvis Presley Collection" rolled off the assembly line last Wednesday at Vaughan-Bassett Furniture in Elkin and Galax, Va., and the company's entire initial production run of 3,000 bedroom suites already has been
bought by dealers around the world. Vaughan-Bassett is hoping the line -- which hits stores the week of July 8 -- proves to be as popular with customers as it has been with retailers.
- Elvis: Long live the king
By John Lee
(BBC News, June 29, 2002)
Western Canada has become the sideburn capital of the world this weekend with the arrival of around 18,000 die-hard Elvis fans for the first annual Penticton Pacific Northwest Elvis Festival. The event, 200 miles east of Vancouver comes hot on the heels of Presley's posthumous chart-topping success in the UK with the remix of A Little Less Conversation. Visitors from across North America are taking part in events in honour of the King of Rock and Roll, who died 25 years ago this year. Higlights include tribute shows, an Elvis-era car rally, an impersonators' talentx contest and a wandering band of Elvis look-alikes, known collectively as "the Elvii."
- ELVIS PRESLEY ANNIVERSARY 2002
By Maurice Colgan
(PR Web, June 28, 2002)
A few paragraphs on the growing importance of Elvis Presley in international culture and the amazing resurgence of interest in the world's most versatile popular singer close to the upcoming and landmark, 25th Anniversary of his death: -
42 years ago Sergeant Elvis Presley on his return to the U.S.A from Germany had no idea of how he was to re-conquer the music charts. Devastatingly handsome in his army dress uniform, Elvis cut a striking figure indeed. Would the public welcome him back after two years absence? His wonderful recording of, "It's Now or Never", took the world by storm entering the British music charts at number 1 and remaining there as number 1 for eight weeks! totally confounding his critics, once again. Elvis had got his answer. The year 1960. His next single release, "Are You Lonesome Tonight?", also went straight to the top of the charts as did, "Surrender", and,"Wooden Heart", from the movie, "G I. Blues"1961, in which Elvis starred as a soldier. The early 60s belonged to Elvis!
The surprising fact was this time it was not just young people buying Elvis's recordings the older generation - including our grandparents - all of a sudden recognised the young Rock 'N' Roller had the voice of an Angel. Elvis won the hearts of discerning listeners with the wide range of his singing, from the beautiful ballads, to the Blues, country, gospel, hymns, Christmas carols, etc., His phenomenal voice is the soundtrack of five generations!
Today Musicologists usually more inclined to Beethoven, write essays on the versatility of Elvis's magnificent voice. Elvis is now the Icon of the age towering over the likes of, Albert Einstein, Marilyn Monroe, and James Dean, etc. Elvis is instantly recognised internationally by just his first name alone! Not bad for a poor boy from Tupelo Mississippi where there now stands close to the modest little house where he was born, a wonderfully poignant, life-sized bronze statue of, "Elvis at 13", realised from an original idea of a certain Irish fan, who
shall remain nameless:-) Now close to the 25th Anniversary of his untimely death at the age of 42, Elvis Presley tops the music charts around the world with his "latest", and record breaking, single release, "A Little Less Conversion".
AND if that was not enough, a new Disney movie, "Lilo and Stitch", featuring no less than six Elvis songs is on general release in the U.S.A. where it is presently only second in Box Office receipts to Tom Cruise's latest effort!!!
Tens of thousands are expected to gather at Graceland Memphis Tennessee next August to commemorate Elvis 's passing. Few, if any, will now ask, why.
Elvis Presley XXV Anniversary.
This my friends I'll have you know,
He lived life to the hilt,
So most of us commemorate,
Whilst others feel their guilt.
Let's lift a glass and toast a man,
The world cannot forget,
Although he's dead and gone some time,
His voice is with us yet.
MC. MM11. RECORDED BY MEMPHIS TV
- Voice of America looks at Tupelo
By M. Scott Morris
(Daily Journal, June 28, 2002)
Thanks to its most famous former citizen, Tupelo's legend is spreading far and wide. Margaret Kennedy, a video journalist with Voice of America, spent Wednesday and Thursday finding out how Tupelo shaped Elvis Presley and how Elvis Presley shaped Tupelo.
- [Photo]
(Yahoo News, June 27, 2002)
Caption:
As "The King" Elvis Presley's portrait looks on, Senate Minority Leader Trent Lott of Miss., right, and Sen. Phil Gramm, R-Texas prepare to meet reporters on Capitol Hill Thursday, June 27, 2002 to call for passage of the federal budget. The theme of the news conference was to reflect on 1974, the last year the Senate did not pass a budget and Elvis was still "The King." (AP Photo/Ron Edmonds)
- Elvis: Long live the king
[By Nigel Patterson]
(Tiscali Musix , June 28, 2002)
The King? The Pelvis? The first man to literally rock and roll? The most impersonated celebrity ever? How can one describe a man who is quite possibly the biggest musical (and more importantly cultural) icon in Western music? Well, as it's nearly the 25th Anniversary of Elvis Presley's death (August 16th), and we thought we'd celebrate the great man's life and music, and bring you up to speed with his career and musical canon. ... For the latest Elvis news visit the Elvis Information Network site (www.elvis.com/ein) which includes a large Elvis Links page.
- New Generation Resurrects Elvis
By PHIL KLOER
(Entertainment News Daily, June 28, 2002)
Guess who's back, back again? Not just Eminem, but an earlier singer-provocateur who got the country all shook up. The other E - Elvis. ... (as below)
- Suddenly, Elvis' sound is everywhere
By PHIL KLOER
(Atlanta Journal-Constitution, June 27, 2002)
Guess who's back, back again? Not just Eminem, but an earlier singer-provocateur who got the country all shook up. The other E -- Elvis. In recent years, it seemed like the King really was dead -- no new sightings at late-night doughnut shops, no greasy tabloid revelations, barely a trickle of books; even daughter Lisa Marie, the former Mrs. Michael Jackson, who seemed to have inherited her daddy's freakazoid gene, hasn't been in the gossip columns lately. With the 25th anniversary of his death coming up Aug. 16, Elvis had never been deader. Suddenly, with the unexpected bang of a pistol shooting out a TV set, Elvis is back on top, No. 1 in surprising new ways. The No. 1 album for the last four weeks, "The Eminem Show," finds the rapper paying backhanded tribute to his roots, defiantly bragging that he's getting rich off music forms pioneered by black people, just as Elvis did in the mid 1950s. ... The No. 1 song on the British charts is a techno remix of a 1968 Elvis obscurity, "A Little Less Conversation," amped up to 21st century standards by Dutch DJ Tom Holkenborg, who goes by the name Junkie XL. (The Elvis estate wouldn't let "Junkie" appear on the label of an Elvis song -- imagine that -- so it's credited to JXL.) ... The consensus among Elvis scholars is that he was manipulated most of his life, mainly by his manager, Col. Tom Parker, sometimes by his label, RCA, and in death, by his estate. (Eminem, no matter what you think of him, is far more in control of his image than Elvis ever was.)
Go to Mid-late June 2002
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