August 16th, 2002
- Elvis Presley: Still a pop icon
By Jim Patterson
(msnbc.com / Associated Press, August 16, 2002, see also August 7, 2002)
The reigning king of rock 'n' roll or an easy punchline? Twenty-five years after his death, Elvis Presley continues to be an enormous pop-culture presence - both as a beloved musician and an easy laugh. White jumpsuits, big ol' sideburns and "Thankyouverymuch" make easy marks.
Presley, once the symbol of beautiful, rebellious youth, didn't help himself much near the end. There's the specter of the pill-popping superstar crooning "My Way," or falling off the commode and dying at 42. But Presley's role in ushering in a cultural revolution also reverberates. Many performers credit him as an inspiration. His worldwide album sales are estimated to top 1 billion, and his music is reaching new generations. As for the old fans, tens of thousands are expected to file into Graceland, Presley's home-turned-tourist-attraction in Memphis, to mark the 25th anniversary of his death on Aug. 16. For them, he's no joke. "Why are media people surprised every time they see this?" says Dave Marsh, a music critic and Presley biographer. "Forty-seven years after 'Heartbreak Hotel,' and they still don't get it, or still think it's going to go away."
- Long live the king
(Canberra Times, August 16, 2002)
When he's not unblocking S-bends Vince Gelonese is an Elvis Presley impersonator. But the Canberra plumber prefers to be called "an entertainer that does Elvis songs" because "there's only one Elvis". He still wears the garb though, and grows the side-burns and mumbles "thankyervery much" convincingly. Gelonese lives in Sydney, but he's in Canberra this week because he's in demand. Well, all things Elvis are. August 16 marks the 25th anniversary of Elvis's death. And for a dead rock 'n' roll star he's doin' OK. Elvis held the number-one spot on Australian music charts for four weeks with the remix of his hit, A Little Less Conversation. With that sort of momentum, who knows, Elvis's 33 movie soundtracks might even resurface. Bring on Song of the Shrimp or There's No Room to Rumba in a Sports Car. There's no stopping "the King's" reign. ...
- Elvis is dead
Editorial
(Red Issue: the definitive Manchester United website, August 16, 2002)
Yes folks after 25 years Elvis Presley is still dead but other things aren't so certain.
- Elvis' daughter, ex-wife 'attend' vigil
(Sun-Sentinel / Associated Press, August 16, 2002)
Elvis Presley's newlywed daughter, her movie star husband and her mother secretly visited Graceland in the wee hours today morning and watched from the mansion windows as fans carried candles to Elvis' grave in an all-night vigil on the 25th anniversary of his death. A Graceland representative, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that Lisa Marie Presley, husband Nicolas Cage and mother Priscilla Presley arrived after midnight to witness the largest gathering of fans since Presley died at the mansion on Aug. 16, 1977 -- an estimated 35,000. They were unseen by the crowd as they entered and left. They then made a brief stop at Elvis Presley's Memphis, a restaurant and night club on Beale Street, where they watched revelers from the privacy of a VIP area. The family also prepared for an appearance at the 25th Anniversary Concert at the Pyramid Arena tonight. About 14,000 tickets were sold months ago. An additional 500 tickets that were made available Thursday were snapped up within five minutes, the Graceland representative said.
- No wooden hearts at rainy Elvis vigil
(Courier Mail, August 16, 2002)
A FIERCE rainstorm could not dampen the enthusiasm and loyalty of more than 7000 Elvis Presley fans as they held a candlelight vigil at his Graceland mansion to pay homage to the king of rock 'n' roll 25 years after his death. To the sound of Elvis's voice singing Memories, fans queued up the driveway of his Graceland estate toward his gravesite yesterday where they rekindled a flame that burned by the singer's grave. The ceremony began an hour late because of a thunderstorm that swept into Memphis just as fans were congregating outside Graceland's gates. A minister led the crowd in the Lord's Prayer before the vigil.
- Faces Of The Week: Aug. 12 - 16, 2002
(Forbes, August 16, 2002)
Doers and doings in business, entertainment and technology: "Before Elvis, there was nothing." Agree or disagree with John Lennon's existential notion, but you've gotta admit: 25 years since Elvis Presley passed away -- or went incognito -- and the King is still takin' care of business. Thousands of the faithful gathered at Graceland, his sprawling mansion-cum-museum/shrine (overseen by widow Priscilla Presley), to engage in a candlelight vigil for the soul of Elvis Aaron, including a recitation of the Lord's Prayer. Besides inspiring rock and blues musicians on both sides of the Atlantic, the swivel-hipped son o' the South who shocked prudes and heated up teens continues to appear on every stratum of pop culture. From postmodern lit like Elvis and Hitler, a novella in which Presley time-travels to WWII to defeat der Führer, to Mojo Nixon's campy punk anthem, "Elvis is Everywhere" (with its off-kilter history lesson: "Who built the pyramids? Elvis!"), the sideburned Hunk of Burning Love has not yet left the building.
- ELVIS: 25 years after his death, the king still is beloved by millions
By ROD HARMON
(Bradenton Herald, August 16, 2002)
Twenty-five years ago today, the king of rock 'n' roll died. It's hard to believe it's been a quarter of a century since Elvis Presley passed on to the Great Jam Session in the Sky. His impact was so large that his mark still can be found in every aspect of popular culture.
- McLeod, the king of Elvis fans
(Times of India, August 16, 2002)
Ten years ago, Paul McLeod's wife gave him an ultimatum: "Elvis or me." Elvis won. McLeod claims to be the world's greatest Elvis fan, but his passion goes beyond fandom to a level that defies labels and sets new standards for celebrityobsession. In the absence of Mrs. McLeod, Paul lives with his only son -- Elvis Aaron Presley McLeod -- in a two-storey antebellum clapboard house in Holly Springs, not far from the real Elvis's hometown of Memphis. The house, "Graceland Too," is less a home than a museum and the headquarters of a unique 24-hour, seven-days-a-week, 365-days-a-year two-man operation to build the world's most extensive Elvis database. Visitors are welcome day or night and, for five dollars, can tour the house, whose every square inch -- floors, walls, ceiling, staircase -- is covered in Elvis memorabilia, some of it clearly worth a fortune.
- 25 years on, Elvis lives in hearts and minds of countless fans
By Larissa Dubecki
(Herald Sun, August 16, 2002)
Elvis Aron Presley, it is alleged, kicked off his blue suede shoes and left the building 25 years ago today. But the king lives on, more or less, in an enduring legacy of rock 'n' roll, conspiracy theories and a new hit single. ... The faithful will keep their yearly date with the King at Melbourne General Cemetery today, at a memorial erected by the local chapter of the Elvis fan club several months after his death. ... The president of the Elvis Presley Forever Club of Australia, Sean Aron Sumner, and vice president Atef Salama beat today's expected rush of more than 500. Mr Sumner, who made his own studded Elvis circa-1972 jumpsuit, likes "everything but the movies" about Elvis. "He was a good person. He gave away so much." ... Greg Noble, senior lecturer in cultural studies at the University in Western Sydney, said Elvis' popularity stemmed from his embodiment of the rangs-to-riches story, and his fall through the corrution of greed in his later life.
- Burning love for Elvis lingers
By Holly Lloyd-McDonald
(Herald Sun, August 16, 2002)
Elvis has not left the building, says veteran Elvis Impersonator Rick Charles. Instead, he is living comfortably in a US witness protection program after a carefully planned "death", orchestrated by his management and US Government. While Charles firmly believes the King is alive and well, more than 75,000 Presley pilgrims have travelled to his grave at Graceland in memphis, Tennessee, to mark the 25th anniversary of his death.
- A little more conversation - Elvis Presley: The Sun Sessions
([Melbourne] Age, August 16, 2002)
It is no surprise that people keep seeing Elvis. Of all the facts on sideburns, jumpsuits and fried peanut butter and banana sandwiches released to mark today's 25th anniversary of his death, it is the revelation that 17 million Americans admit they have impersonated him that stands out. ... The more serious enthusiast, however, should appreciate the timely appearance tonight of Elvis Presley: The Sun Sessions (8 pm, SBS), a documentary the network cut from its impressive series, Classic Albums, as a stand-alone tribute.
- Brush with Elvis on a slippery slope
By Piers Akerman
(Daily Telegraph, August 15, 2002, p.28)
Most reporters have their share of stories of their brushes with the famed and the infamous. ... here - for the first time - is the story of my encounter with The Legend. ... Elvis was generous with his time, posed on his ski mobnile, talked of his friends in the sheriff's deparment, asked about Australia, and seemed pleased to be able to help us do our jobs. Most times it is the biggest stars who are the most gracious and those whose careers are going nowhere who have difficulty with their fans and the media.
- King's legacy still rocks 25 years later
By Martha McKenzie-Minifie
(Times P Online, August 15, 2002)
ELVIS¹ eyes follow you throughout the Donaldsons¹ Bucklands Beach home - his image staring out from almost every wall. A complete collection of musical Elvis plates are displayed in their kitchen. And while the computer screensaver shows images of the King of Rock and Roll, the stereo croons Elvis¹ gospel sounds. Long-time fan Lyn Donaldson¹s devotion to Elvis is as strong today as it was when he died, 25 years ago on Friday. ...
- Return to splendour
By Kerrie Murphy
(Australian, The View section, August 15, 2002, p. 1)
Elvis Presley once sang, "I'm a steamroller baby, I'm going to roll over you", which goes to show that whatever it was that made him the king of rock 'n' roll, it probably wasn't insightful lyrics. ... Tomorrow is the 25th anniversary of when that self-proclaimed churning urn of burning funk left the building for the final time, but as the success of Just a Little less Conversation [sic] shows, with a little help from JXL, the King can give the likes of Eminem a run for his money. ... [Lists Australian television programs about Elvis for the week] ... Nine's waiting until Saturday to dust of Elvis - That's the Way It Is (3 pm), the 1970 doco/concert movie about the King. We're well into the fat, Las Vegas Elvis here. ...
- When it comes to rock, Elvis is king
(MSNBC / Associated Press, August 15, 2002)
When Americans were asked in a new poll to name the greatest rock 'n' roll star of all time, Elvis Presley was still the king - by a wide margin. Almost four in 10 named Elvis Presley in the ABC News poll released Wednesday, two days before the 25th anniversary of his death. All others were in the low single digits.
- Elvis alive and well on the net
(New Zealand News - Technology, August 15, 2002)
Elvis may have "left the building" but the "King of Rock 'n' Roll" lives on in the endless corridors of cyberspace. With the 25th anniversary this week of Elvis Presley's death on August 16, 1977, millions of fans are eager to connect with him via the web -- providing a near-religious experience for some and undeniably profitable opportunities for others. Using the Google search engine alone to input the popular phrase: "Elvis has left the building" yields over 68,000 results on the internet. That sentence, originally an announcement at the end of an Elvis concert to persuade fans to go home, has come to generally mean that something -- anything -- is complete.
- ELVIS IN GLASS OF HIS OWN
(Hull Daily Mail, August 14, 2002)
Not many men are brave enough to celebrate 29 years of married life by buying their wife a new front door. But that is exactly what Peter Smurthwaite did for his Elvis-crazy wife Marion. And it is only because of her undying love for the King of rock 'n' roll that the zany 53-year-old did not get it in the neck. Mr Smurthwaite, of Bricknell Avenue, West Hull, bought the Elvis-inspired door as an anniversary gift for his childhood sweetheart.
- Elvis' 1960s films: Losing the magic
By DOUG NYE
(The State, August 14, 2002)
While Elvis Presley was in the Army, his manager, Col. Tom Parker, made sure the public didn't forget the king of rock 'n' roll. New recordings were released periodically during his absence and Parker also made sure there was plenty of newsreel footage of Elvis in uniform serving his country. By the time Presley was mustered out, Parker had numerous movie deals locked up. Elvis starred in 27 films during the 1960s. Many provided solid (and harmless) entertainment, but as the decade wore on, the quality of his films began to deteriorate. ...
- Elvis lives! Here's where
(New York Daily News, August 14, 2002)
There aren't a lot of things that would make me sign up to visit Memphis in August. The 25th anniversary of Elvis Presley's death is one of them. The best way to understand Memphis in midsummer is to imagine a pancake on a griddle. But August is when Elvis died - Aug. 16, 1977 - so that's when, every five years, I return to Graceland and the Heartbreak Hotel and the little takeout place right up the road where they're still more'n happy to tell you how Elvis used to stop in regular for a sack o' cheeseburgas. ... The people attending have a range of stories. Some are scholars. Most are just fans, some so immersed in Elvis that when you tell their stories back in New York, your friends need a 12-step program to stop laughing.
dhinckley@edit.nydailynews.com
- Will says he felt uncomfortable with Elvis track
(Ananova, August 14, 2002)
Will Young says he turned down the chance to duet with Gareth Gates on an Elvis cover. He said he felt "uncomfortable" performing on the track Suspicious Minds. The pair release their first joint single, The Beatles' The Long And Winding Road, on September 23. The single is a double A-side which also features the Elvis Presley classic Suspicious Minds, sung by Gareth. Will said: "Although I was invited to join Gareth to duet on Suspicious Minds, I was uncomfortable with the track and suggested he did it solo as it suits his voice well. "It sounds fantastic and I hope both tracks go down equally well." However he does perform a song on his own, Jackie Wilson's I Get The Sweetest Feeling, as a bonus track on the single. Following the forthcoming release the two stars say they will "move on" to follow divergent career paths. Will said: "After this, both Gareth and I will move on and take the different musical routes we both wish to follow."
- Elvis One More Time
By Sage Stossel
(The Atlantic Online, August 13, 2002)
Twenty-five years after his death, Elvis Presley still retains a strong presence in American popular consciousness. Shrines to him abound, "Elvis sightings" are still occasionally reported, and contemporary musicians continue to draw inspiration from his distinctive musical and personal style. In the years since his death, two Atlantic contributors have looked back at Elvis and his music, offering insight into who Elvis was, and what Americans saw in him.
- Elvis expected to beat The Beatles in autumn LP battle
(Ananova, August 13, 2002)
Elvis Presley's upcoming greatest hits album is expected to become the biggest selling LP of the year. HMV's Gennaro Castaldo says it should even outsell the 'ultimate Beatles' album, rumoured to be released in October. Elvis' Number 1s LP is due out on September 23, helping mark 2002 as the 25th anniversary of Presley's death. Castaldo told NME.COM: "The Elvis CD will have mass appeal. "There are two streams of potential fans. The existing fans who will buy anything that is released, and younger fans who came to Elvis through the JXL remix.
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