Mid November 2002
- Las Vegas OKs Impersonators Deal
(Yahoo! News / Associated Press, November 14, 2002)
It's good to be The King - and profitable, too. The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority this week approved a one-year contract extension with talent agencies that book "meet and greet" Elvis Presley impersonators for the authority's marketing events. Elvis impersonators will continue to get $650 per daily appearance on behalf of the city where the rock 'n' roll icon never really left the building. The amount is nearly double the $350 that showgirls receive for similar four-hour gigs.
- Film Gets Behind Scenes in Motown
By CHRISTY LEMIRE
(Yahoo! News / Associated Press, November 14, 2002)
You've heard of Marvin Gaye, the Supremes, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles and the Temptations. But you probably haven't heard of the Funk Brothers. "Standing in the Shadows of Motown" aims to change that. The documentary tells the story of the studio musicians behind the biggest Motown hits of the '60s, including "Ain't Too Proud to Beg," "Baby Love," "Nowhere to Run," "My Girl" and "Dancing in the Street." (And that list doesn't even scratch the surface.) According to the filmmakers, the Funk Brothers played on more No. 1 records than the Beatles, the Beach Boys, the Rolling Stones and Elvis Presley combined. But they've never enjoyed the same fame as the Motown artists who sang those songs.
- Entertainer Celebrates Pledge of Allegiance Victory
Source: The Gold Label
(Yahoo! Finance / PRNewswire, November 14, 2002)
Along with Congress, entertainer Pat Boone's celebrating the passage in Congress yesterday of new legislation that once again reinstates the use of "under God" in the pledge of allegiance.
Boone just visited Congress to help promote the legislation and is now touring the country, in conjunction with Wal-Mart store appearances, promoting his new single, "Under God," which hails the use of the two contested words in the pledge of allegiance. Next week, "Under God," the single from the singer's just-released "American Glory" CD, will score No. 36 on the Billboard Top 100 singles chart. It marks Boone's return after 40 years to the Billboard singles' chart. ...
Boone travels to a half dozen more cities on his "under God" pilgrimage before the holiday. Between 1955-1959, Boone was the number two best-selling recording artist, behind Elvis. On Sun., Dec. 1, he's one of the stars in the "Blockbuster Hollywood Christmas Spectacular" parade in Hollywood, to be telecast on NBC Dec. 15.
- Putting Chesapeake Bay's oystering heritage into perspective, Maritime Museum unveils mollusk paraphernalia
By JOHN BIEMER
(Yahoo! News / Associated Press, November 13, 2002)
ST. MICHAELS, Maryland - Before the feisty blue crab climbed to the top of the heap, the oyster was king of Chesapeake Bay seafood. ... In October, the museum completed an acquisition that it hopes will help put the bay's oystering heritage into perspective: nearly 900 rare and antique cans, advertising signs and assorted knickknacks devoted to what's known in shore parlance as "arsters." Museum representatives believe it is the largest and most valuable collection of its kind. ... One can from Chas. Neubert & Co. of Baltimore touts its oysters as "The kind with that natural delicious salty tang of the sea." Another, dating from the 1950s, is decorated with a waterman who bears a striking resemblance to Elvis Presley.
- Don't prop up phone firms; let them fail
By David S. Isenberg
(Yahoo! News / USA TODAY, November 13, 2002)
Telephone companies of all kinds are in trouble. Their stock is plummeting. Their enormous debt is mounting. Workers are being laid off. They're sinking so quickly, in fact, that they're calling for government bailouts to survive. ... A bailout of the old telephone companies would not only throw money down a hole, but also would delay this new technology boom that's waiting to happen. ... When Elvis died, one pundit cracked, ''Good career move.'' That's the advice we would give to the obsolete telecoms: Fail -- fast.
- Doctor Who Claims He Treats Elvis Under Federal Investigation
By Maria Antonia
(Yahoo! News / KMBC, November 13, 2002)
It's been a long time since Elvis Presley died in 1977 ... unless you go by the book Dr. Donald Hinton says he wrote along with Elvis Presley, a book that has people lining up at signings, buying the book and the idea that the king of rock and roll will re-appear this year. But a document we've obtained indicates it's the doctor who's taken a hit. "I've been treating Elvis Presley for the last several years," Hinton says. A woman who's heard his story filed a complaint with Missouri's Board for the Healing Arts about claims in Hinton's book that he has been treating Presley. The board reprimanded Hinton. He's now on five years probation.
The board for the healing arts found that Hinton improperly and excessively prescribed hydrocodone, a prescription pain reliever. Bob Twillman, the pain management director at the University of Kansas' Cancer Center, said the drug would be classified as a narcotic. We showed him the board's findings: that in a little over three years Hinton prescribed more than 34,000 units of drugs containing hydrocodone to one patient.
"That's almost four times the limit of what we recommend, so it really would be a serious overdose if a patient took that much," Twillman said.
The board found Hinton split these prescriptions among eight pharmacies to hide his excessive prescribing of hydrocodone. "I thought, 'That is incredible, that is way too much medication for any patient so obviously there's something else going on here than just using this for pain,'" Twillman said. The board says the hydrocodone was prescribed to a patient identified only as L.S. of North Carolina. The board's findings make no mention of an Elvis angle, even though it's the main concern in this complaint we obtained, a complaint that alerts the board to a person from North Carolina whose initials are L.H.S. The complaint adds some of those Hinton is involved with have tried in the past to get drugs from nurses. Outside his local office is where we found doctor Hinton recently.
"Are you able to tell us where all those drugs went?" Antonia asked Hinton. "Uh ... to a patient," Hinton said. He used to talk about the return of Elvis. "Elvis has told us several times that it will be this year," Hinton said. But the doctor isn't talking now.
"But I really can't comment about anything," Hinton said. ... "I can't believe he's not being prosecuted by somebody for this," Twillman said. But now federal investigators are following the ranks of suspicious minds questioning what's going on.
And Elvis has little time left ... if he's coming back this year.
- Plaxo Launches: Makes it Easy to Keep Contact Information Up-to-Date
Source: Plaxo Inc
(Yahoo! Finance / PRNewswire, November 12, 2002)
If Elvis Presley were alive today, he might sing, "Return to sender, no more. Address known. There's such number. Plaxo is home." But since Elvis has left the building, he will never discover that starting today, there is a new, simple, secure and reliable way to get all your contact information up-to-date and complete. The Sequoia Capital-funded Plaxo Inc. has launched and made its Plaxo Contacts beta version available and free to all.
- 'Boss' Springsteen To Salute 'King' Presley On TV Special
By Hadley Freeman
(Yahoo! News / Launch Music, November 12, 2002)
The Boss," Bruce Springsteen, will pay tribute to "The King," Elvis Presley, in an all-star, prime-time television tribute to Presley slated to air November 28 on NBC. Cher has also just been added to the roster of artists and celebrities that will honor Presley during the hour-long special, Elvis Lives.
Others providing commentary on Presley's musical legacy include U2 frontman Bono, Tom Petty, Sheryl Crow, Britney Spears, Aerosmith's Steven Tyler, Chuck D, former President Bill Clinton, Carson Daly, Bob Weir, Sarah Jessica Parker, Denis Leary, Dennis Hopper, Kevin Bacon, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Serena Williams, and Governor Jesse Ventura. The special will be hosted by Chris Isaak, and performers will include Dave Matthews, No Doubt, Norah Jones, and Isaak with LeAnn Rimes.
Elvis Lives will explore the enduring cultural impact of Presley, and also celebrate the successful worldwide debut of the definitive Presley collection, Elvis 30 #1 Hits, on RCA Records. The show will present stories, observations, and reflections from renowned individuals about Presley's importance, followed by select performances of four Presley classics by contemporary artists. Also included will be historic footage of Presley's own performances and interviews interspersed with coverage of the recent international commemorations of the 25th anniversary of his death.
- How Beatles lost a hard day's fight with Lee Marvin
By Hadley Freeman
(The Guardian, November 12, 2002)
The Beatles' final single, Let It Be, was yesterday named the greatest chart-topper that never was. The song, held off the prime spot in 1970 by Lee Marvin's Wanderin' Star, topped a poll of the best songs that were denied a number one and peaked a place below. After last week's listing of Britain's best-loved number one singles to mark the 50th anniversary of the UK music charts, this follow-up survey, might provide consolation to England's beleaguered cricket team, as it proves that winning really is not everything. Many songs now considered classics were kept from the top spot by decidedly less timeless tunes, according to the opinion poll, commissioned by the digital music channel Music Choice. Elvis Presley's Suspicious Minds was unable to fight the dominance of Rolf Harris's Two Little Boys in 1969, and the Rolling Stones' Brown Sugar was blocked by the less durable Knock Three Times by Dawn in 1971.
- HOT TALK: Cyndi's Exit, Lee Ann's Hair, Rhonda's Discovery: Spring Book Spotlights The Browns
(9th item)
By Edward Morris
(CMT.com, November 11, 2002)
August House, of Little Rock, Ark., will publish Maxine Brown's memoir, Looking Back To See, this coming spring. She is the senior member of the singing group, The Browns, whose recording of "The Three Bells" dominated the country and pop charts in 1959. Jim Ed Brown later became a successful solo artist and remains a popular member of the Grand Ole Opry. Early in their career, The Browns, befriended young Elvis Presley, who toured with them and regularly visited their home. Brown is amazingly candid in chronicling the sleazy side of show business -- especially for women -- as well as citing such triumphs as performing on American Bandstand and The Ed Sullivan Show. It's a savvy look at country music as it's being buffeted by the first waves of rock 'n' roll.
- Legendary Musician Johnny Griffith of Motown's Funk Brothers Dies at the Age of 66
Source: Artisan Entertainment for Funk Brothers
(Yahoo! Finance / PRNewswire, November 10, 2002)
Pioneering keyboard player Johnny Griffith of the Funk Brothers, the band that created the music of the Motown sound, died on Sunday, November 10, 2002. He was 66 years old. Born in Detroit, Michigan, Griffith was one of the few classically trained musicians who played at Motown. In his early years, Johnny toured with Sarah Vaughn, Dinah Washington and Aretha Franklin. Johnny's contributions to music history can be heard on such songs as "Stop In The Name Of Love," "Wonderful One," and Marvin Gaye's "Heard It Through The Grapevine." The Funk Brothers respectfully noted, "Johnny was a superior musician and incredibly fluid on his instrument. He was a large contributor to the Motown sound and to the group of musicians proudly known as the Funk Brothers." ... The Funk Brothers are the group of musicians the helped to create and define the music of Motown. Their work can be heard on hits from such performers as Diana Ross and the Supremes, The Temptations, Marvin Gaye, The Four Tops, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, and many others. The Funk's vital influence on music remains to this day, with these musicians having played on more number one records than The Beatles, The Beach Boys, The Rolling Stones and Elvis Presley combined.
- Queen reigns over UK pop charts
(CNN, November 9, 2002)
A list of the Britain's favourite 100 pop singles ever made has been compiled in Britain to mark the 50th anniversary of the UK charts.
And clinching the top of the pops slot is Queen's perennial favourite 'Bohemian Rhapsody.' The chart shows modern music losing out to the golden oldies, with not one track from the past 18 years making it into the 25 greatest chart-toppers.
John Lennon's 'Imagine' -- a song which topped the charts only in the aftermath of its author's death -- was runner-up. ... Only four tracks from the past decade -- Kylie Minogue's 'Can't Get You Out Of My Head,' Elvis Presley's revamped 'A Little Less Conversation,' Oasis's 'Don't Look Back In Anger' and U2's 'Beautiful Day' -- make it into the entire top 100.
- 'Bohemian Rhapsody' Tops Fan Poll
(Yahoo! News / Associated Press, November 9, 2002)
"Bohemian Rhapsody," Queen's rousing rock classic, has been voted the greatest hit of the last 50 years, according to a poll released Saturday. The band's 1975 operatic rock song beat out John Lennon's "Imagine," and "Hey Jude" by The Beatles, which took second and third places respectively. Simon and Garfunkel's "Bridge over Troubled Water," and George Harrison's "My Sweet Lord" took the next two slots, according to the poll conducted by The Official U.K. Charts Company, which received 190,000 internet votes to compile the list. The top two spots replicate the results of a poll published by Guinness World Records earlier this year. "Bohemian Rhapsody," a six-minute piece that first topped the music charts in 1975, made it to No. 1 again in 1991 when it was released a second time to raise funds for charity after the death of the band's lead singer, Freddie Mercury. It was the first single to top the charts twice in the same version and the only song to have hit the No. 1 spot twice at Christmas. The Beatles claimed 14 of the top 100 slots, far ahead of any other act. Contemporary stars barely get a mention, with only four tracks from the past decade making it into the top 100. Just Kylie Minogue's "Can't Get You Out Of My Head," Elvis's revamped "A Little Less Conversation," Oasis's "Don't Look Back In Anger" and U2's "Beautiful Day" represent the past 10 years. There have been 941 No. 1 songs since the charts began 50 years ago.
- Universal Goes the Extra 'Mile' for Security
By Bill Higgins
(Yahoo! News / Reuters, November 8, 2002)
Since when does a movie premiere in Westwood require the same security as a Salman Rushdie book-signing in Kandahar? From the look of things at Monday's "8 Mile" premiere, a man takes his life in his hands when he walks those mean streets in search of a movie and a bag of popcorn. Then, when Eminem and posse did depart the relative safety of their vehicles, the rapper made his way down the press line with a speed that gave new meaning to his film character's nickname: "Rabbit." To watch the trenchcoat-wearing, NFL linemen-size bodyguards waddling after him was visual comedy at its best. ... A model of graciousness, director Curtis Hanson moved through the party greeting guests and said about his film: "I saw a chance to make an Elvis movie --- a different kind of Elvis movie."
- World-Class Athletes, Adventurers Toy Around for Charity
Source: Jack in the Box Inc.
(Yahoo! Finance / BUSINESS WIRE, November 8, 2002)
Big Brothers Big Sisters is getting a BIG hand from some BIG names -- people like 11-time NHRA Funny Car champion John Force, explorer Robert Ballard and surfing great Rob Machado. In a unique auction organized by The Jack in the Box Foundation to benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters, toys that accompanied these and other top athletes and adventurers as they raced, surfed, climbed and even mushed will be sold on eBay, along with photos and other memorabilia from their adventures. The 10-day auction begins Friday, Nov. 8.
"Unlike other auction items that are merely autographed by celebrities, these toys have actually participated in at least one bona fide, sometimes life- or limb-risking event," said Kathy Kovacevich, community relations manager for The Jack in the Box Foundation.
The five-inch-tall "bendable" toys, formerly offered at Jack in the Box(R) restaurants, participated in [various] adventures, including: skydived with the Flying Elvi.
- Chubby Checker still twistin'
(ninemsn, November 8, 2002)
Chubby Checker says in a telephone interview the most incredible thing that happened to rock and roll was not Elvis or The Beatles - it was his 1959 version of The Twist.
- Readers Say: Copyright Protection (6th item)
By NAOMI KOPPEL
(Yahoo! News / Associated Press, November 8, 2002)
"Dr. Seuss, Meet Milton Friedman" (Oct. 28, p. 132) says an individual's copyright protection continues for life plus 70 years. That could be 100 years. Why should copyright protection be greater than patent protection? If Elvis Presley's daughter uses her wealth to enrich our society, that has missed me. Yet the law dumps millions into her bank account. But if a company develops a lifesaving drug -- they get about 17 years. A hundred years for copyrights compared to 17 years for patents. Does that sound fair? Carl Charbonnet Mountain Brook, Ala.
- Audrey Hepburn's sons demand Swiss village return memorabilia
By NAOMI KOPPEL
(Yahoo! News / Associated Press, November 8, 2002)
... But the display in Tolochenaz, where the actress lived for 30 years, is preparing to close this month. Hepburn's sons, Sean Ferrer and Luca Dotti, have demanded that all their exhibits be returned, claiming Tolochenaz has commercialized the Hepburn name in a way that would have distressed their mother. The villagers claim Ferrer is closing the exhibition down because it is too small-scale. "What upsets Sean Ferrer is that the commercialization of certain products doesn't fit with his view of how to commercialize the Audrey Hepburn name. Ours is just a little exhibit in the countryside," said Francois Girard, mayor of Tolochenaz, population 1,683. But Ferrer said villagers had tried to hype the Hepburn connection, including by seeking to change the name of a road to "Avenue Audrey Hepburn" and by placing signs in the cemetery where she is buried that point to the pavilion. Girard and other officials scoff at Ferrer's claims that they have used the exhibition to attract tourists to a shrine like Elvis Presley's Graceland. "It's absolutely ridiculous," Girard said. "The village doesn't benefit in any way, either directly or indirectly." Since it opened in 1996, the pavilion has received 27,000 visitors - an average of just 14 per day, said Franca Price, executive director of the Audrey Hepburn Foundation Switzerland, which manages the exhibition. And tourists don't stay once they've seen the display and Hepburn's grave. "Look at the village. It doesn't even have a tea shop. The post office closes at noon," she said. The nonprofit foundation has donated around 380,000 Swiss francs (US$253,000) to children's charities from the entry fee and the sale of postcards, dried lavender from Hepburn's garden, jams and jellies, as well as from special events.
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