Early June 2003
- How good is your Elvis impersonation?
By Michael Starr
(
New York Post, June 11, 2003)
HEY - maybe there is a home for Elvis impersonators after all. Fox will rework and Americanize a British show called "Stars in Their Eyes," in which everyday people get makeovers to resemble their favorite pop stars "through elaborate hair, make-up and costuming, precision choreography and breathtaking stage scenery." The show, produced by reality powerhouse Endemol, will be renamed "Soundmix" and will air for six weeks this summer. "We'll have five people on each show doing performances of an entertainer they idolize like Madonna, Frank Sinatra or Christina Aguilera," David Goldberg, president of Endemol USA, told The Post.
- Sinatra popularity still climbing after his death
(
CTV / Associated Press, June 10?, 2003)
As improbable as it may sound, Frank Sinatra is the man of the moment. Sixty-four years after he became a star and five years after his death, Ol' Blue Eyes is everywhere ... Cary Hoffman, a vocal doppelganger whose TV program My Sinatra aired during WLIW-TV's pledge drive last week, has "a lot of theories" of Sinatra's enduring appeal. "One thing is it's a backlash against no melodies (in today's songs)," said Hoffman, whose show pulled in enough money June 3 to warrant a prime-time rebroadcast Saturday. "Also people want to have a romantic feeling from songs." "He was the quintessential bad boy of popular culture," McAnuff said. "Elvis and John Lennon and Johnny Rotten and P. Diddy and Eminem - they all owe part of their style to Frank. He was tearing up hotel rooms before some of them were born."
- Elvis is sexier than Justin in poll
(
Birmingham.co.uk, June 9, 2003)
He may be one of the world's most lusted-after stars but Justin Timberlake is less sexy than long-dead Elvis Presley, according to pop fans. And Timberlake finishes only one place ahead of Eighties relics Duran Duran - currently trying to revive their careers - in a poll for music channel VH1.
The accolade of world's sexiest music star unsurprisingly goes to Kylie Minogue who famously danced with Timberlake at the Brits earlier this year. Timberlake finished in 14th place, one spot behind the King of Rock'n'Roll, who still has admirers all shook up almost 26 years after his death. Duran Duran were at 15.
- 'King' honored at birthplace
(
Clarion-Ledger / Associated Press, June 9, 2003)
Rock 'n' roll pioneer Little Richard gave a raucous performance and Mississippi Republican gubernatorial candidate Haley Barbour worked the crowd at the Elvis Presley Festival here. "Hello, hello. Are you happy to see me?" Little Richard said. "I've been working to get down here a long time. Down in Elvis' kingdom." Presley was born in Tupelo.
Little Richard, 70, got things started Saturday with Good Golly, Miss Molly. Backed by a nine-piece band, Little Richard covered his classics like Tutti-Frutti and dipped into other numbers like Blueberry Hill and Old Time Rock n' Roll. Some people had staked out their territory in front of the main stage with lawn chairs as early as 4 p.m. for the 8:30 p.m. start. Music was only part of the story.
- Elvis' Record Collection to Be Released
By Associated Press
(
Orlando Sentinel, June 8, 2003)
From Chuck Berry to Bobbie Gentry, the King liked them all.
Graceland and Elvis Presley Enterprises have cataloged Presley's record collection with 1,000 albums and singles filling up a 24-page list.
Elvis Presley Enterprises, which owns the rights to all things Elvis in the United States, allowed only a cursory look at the list. A partial copy of the list will be released this month as a perk for members of the Elvis Presley Collector's Club, formed by Graceland as an insider's view of the King's things. "He used to say, `I can appreciate the best of everything,' " says Elvis friend and disk jockey George Klein, who once asked Elvis why he liked opera stars Mario Lanza and Enrico Caruso. There is only one opera recording (by Lanza) in the Elvis collection, which Graceland spokesman Todd Morgan says "leans heavily to black rhythm and blues and to black and white gospel."
Graceland archivists cataloged the recordings by title and last names of artists, so exact numbers in each category aren't readily available. That's because many of the groups and solo artists who began as gospel singers crossed over into pop and rhythm and blues and later returned to their gospel roots.
But Elvis' friends said they did not need to see a list to know that gospel recordings were his favorites and the music he most often played for friends. "He loved close harmony," says Red West, a former member of the Memphis Mafia, the nickname given to Presley's closest group of friends. He says Elvis' favorite groups were the Harmonizing Four and Golden Gate and his favorite gospel singers included Jimmy Jones, Jake Hess (who sang with the Statesmen and later formed the Imperials) and Mahalia Jackson.
It was that close harmony that also made him a big fan of the Ink Spots and The Platters, especially love songs, says West.
Rock bands are a rarity in the collection. There were four Beatles albums and albums by Chicago and the Turtles, but West says Elvis preferred soloists.
West, a songwriter, once tried to turn Elvis on to the song "Green, Green Grass of Home," but Elvis wasn't interested. When Tom Jones recorded it, Elvis was returning to Memphis on a tour bus.
"When we got within range of Memphis, he kept stopping every few minutes to call George Klein (at WHBQ radio) and got him to play it every few minutes from Little Rock to Memphis," West recalled.
Jones and Presley later became good friends, often visiting each other backstage after their Las Vegas shows.
There are relatively few female singers in the record collection, but Elvis' friends say his favorites included Anne Murray (for her "clear and distinctive voice"), Vicki Carr ("It Must Be Him"), Jackson, Della Reese, Dionne Warwick, Bobbie Gentry, Leslie Uggams, Timi Yuro, the Andrews Sisters, the McGuire Sisters and his former backup group, The Sweet Inspirations.
His record collection includes a duet album between Memphis father and daughter Rufus and Carla Thomas.
Elvis, the rocker and balladeer, was not a fan of jazz, but he had an album by Duke Ellington, "Newport 1958," in the collection. There was also only a small sampling of classical music -- Brahms' "Symphony No. 1," Beethoven's "Konzert Fur Klavier Und Orchestra No. 5" and Mozart's "Requiem Mass in D Minor."
- Energetic audience enjoys Elvis
By Camille Comer
(Daily Journal, June 8, 2003)
On the last day of the fifth annual Elvis Festival Sunday, the large crowd at First United Methodist Church took matters into their own hands.
When a late piano player delayed the beginning of a gospel concert featuring the Unity Mass Choir, The Port Gibson Heritage Singers, Travis Ledoyt and Tawana Westbrook, a woman began playing the "Battle Hymn of the Republic" on the piano as people of varying ages, races and religious denominations jumped to their feet singing.
When the Unity Mass Choir entered a few minutes later, piano player safe at the keys, audience members began clapping and stomping in rhythm to the lively music.
... Travis Ledoyt, an Elvis tribute artist, completed the afternoon playing hymns Elvis-style. Ledoyt, who said he had never played in a church before, joked continuously with audience members while taking several requests. "Travis is one of the few that does the early days of Elvis," said Debbie Brangenberg, director of the Downtwon Tupelo/ Main Street Association and the Elvis Festival. "He's a crowd favorite -- a very talented, versatile young man who will continue to be part of the festival." Although gospel music has been absent from the festival for the past two years, Brangenberg feels it is an important part of remembering Elvis.
"Gospel was Elvis's beginning roots," Brangenberg said. "He started with gospel - both black and Southern gospel in church, and our festival is surrounding the early days and heritage of Elvis and the musical styles that helped to shape his music."
- France's cool king of rock fires up his acting career
By Sorina Diaconescu
(Sun-
Sentinel, June 8, 2003)
... on this side of the Atlantic, Johnny Hallyday -- rock star, seller of 80 million records, national hero in his native France -- is perhaps best known for giving American upstart Jimi Hendrix his first leg up as an opening act in the '60s, and for appearing occasionally in oddball flicks.
... Hallyday has always fancied himself a total performer in the Elvis mold and doesn't much mind. "I'm excited about acting in movies," he says. "It's interesting to forget who you are and start to become somebody else, speak differently, carry on with a different attitude, you know?"
- Area artisans showcase their craft in 40-pound cheddar
By Genelle Millard
(Post-Crescent, June 8, 2003)
A cheesy Elvis. A cheesy Winnie the Pooh. A cheesy golf course. For cheddar or for wurst, these were the centerpieces of Saturdays 15th annual Great Wisconsin Cheese Festival. "It's definitely a Wisconsin-type item," said Troy Landwehr, who carved a dairy-based Presley out of one of the three 40-pound blocks of cheddar. "I don't think it would go over as well in another state, but people appreciate the aesthetics here."
Landwehr, of Vandenbroek, who has a bachelor's degree in fine arts from the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design, said he received a one-hour lesson from a cheese-carving professional 15 years ago through the 4-H Club.
- 'Buyer beware' still sound idea: Staying Safe - Online Auctions
By ANDREA WEIGL
(newsobserver.com, June 05, 2003)
Whether you're looking for an Elvis Presley musical decanter or a pair of pink suede Manolo Blahnik boots, eBay is a shopper's paradise. But buyers need to beware of the risk of falling victim to fraud.
Becoming an educated consumer is the best way to avoid being ripped off in the bidding process, said Kevin Pursglove, a senior director of communications for eBay, an online auction company in San Jose, Calif.
- The big bang: Plans begin for blowing up Baptist
By Scott Shepard
(Memphis Business Journal, June 02, 2003)
When it blows, it will be the biggest implosion in history. Work will begin in earnest later this year on knocking down the 1.2 million-square-foot former Baptist-Medical Center hospital, which promises to be a logistical nightmare. But the first phase, environmental abatement, promises to be less spectacular. And chances are the complex will come down in phases. First to go will be the oldest part of Baptist, the Physicians & Surgeons building, parts of which are almost 100 years old. That will provide easy access to another old building, which is tucked behind UT's Nash building.
"We're planning the demolition now," says Steve Bares, president of the Memphis Biotech Foundation. "We don't have a final plan, but it's likely that we'll take out the oldest of the old first. That will preserve the power plant and give us practical access to the hospital as we prepare it for demolition." The hospital's 30-year-old power plant serves not just the hospital, but is plugged into various buildings at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. Also, the 910 Madison office building is 100% dependent on its power, while half of the 930 Madison building is. Switching all of the electric, plumbing and sewage connections to MLGW will take at least a year.
... Another funding opportunity comes from the room where Elvis stayed when he went to Baptist to dry out. Fans could stand on Union and know when he was in the hospital because the nocturnal King would have the windows covered with aluminum foil. ... "People have suggested that we sell all of the Elvis room tiles," Bares says. "I'm walking a fine line here, and I don't want to offend anybody." ...
- Driving Into the Future
By ANITA HAMILTON
(Time, June 02, 2003)
Derek Lipscombe can start his car without taking the key out of his pocket. When he shifts into reverse, he can see if anything is behind him without glancing in the rearview mirror or turning around to take a look. And he can keep pace with the car ahead - no matter what the speed - without tapping the accelerator, hitting the brakes or fiddling with the cruise control.
A prototype of some supercar of the future? Nope, it's just Nissan's Infiniti FX35, a cross between a sports car and an SUV. Lipscombe, 36, an attorney in Santa Barbara, Calif., opted for a series of add-ons that have turned the latest Infiniti into a state-of-the-art technological marvel. Hundreds of thousands of other Americans are doing likewise, shelling out for cool gadgets that can help with the drive, entertain backseat passengers and - though there's some disagreement here - make the trip safer. These add-ons are pumping some fuel into the auto industry's depleted tank. New-car sales have sagged in recent months, but many buyers are willing to shell out extra for everything from satellite radios (about $200) to sensors that warn you if the car gets too close to something ($700 and up) to portable hard drives that can hold 5,000 of your favorite MP3s for that big summer road trip ($800). "People want luxury. They want entertainment. They want convenience," says George Barris. He should know: the legendary car customizer designed the original Batmobile and once decked out a Cadillac limo for Elvis Presley with a TV, a record player and even a gold-plated, electric shoe buffer (in the 1960s, that passed for cutting-edge automotive style). ...
- Festivalgoers Prove Presley Still The King
By JILL KING GREENWOOD
(tbo.com, June 2, 2003)
One room of Patti Perkins' Lithia home is filled with Elvis memorabilia, from stuffed animals to dolls, to photos, movies and records. So, Perkins was in ``Elvis heaven'' Saturday, surrounded by men in jewel-encrusted jumpsuits, groovin' to the music of the King at Tampa's first Elvis Festival. ``This is so fabulous,'' said Perkins, as she danced to ``Hound Dog'' with friend and fellow Elvis fan Gail Byrne of Tampa. ``I have loved him from the time he first shook his hips on `Ed Sullivan,' '' the TV variety show that first broadcast Elvis to the nation in the late 1950s.
Perkins and Byrne joined nearly 1,000 other Elvis devotees at the festival along the Franklin Street Mall. The event included more than a dozen Elvis impersonators singing tunes and milling about the crowd, along with a classic car show, a sock hop, an Elvis karaoke stage and peanut butter and banana sandwiches, said to be the King's favorite. The festival was sponsored by the city Parks and Recreation Department and was a benefit for the Friends of Tampa Recreation and the Elvis Presley Foundation.
Nilo Menendez, arts and special events manager for the city, said it took organizers more than six months to get the go-ahead from Elvis Presley Enterprises to bring the festival to Tampa. ``You have to follow very strict guidelines and rules as far as trademarks and the songs and images of Elvis go,'' said Menendez, who added that officials hope to make the festival an annual event. ``But it was worth it. We've had a great crowd today.''
Elvis impersonator Russell Cortese, a full-time firefighter in Safety Harbor, said he's always been an Elvis fan but took up the art of paying tribute to the King just last year. ``The more and more I find out about Elvis, the more amazing he is,'' Cortese said.
The festival also featured a concert of early Elvis music by Largo resident and Elvis impersonator Brent Howell. Howell performed to a packed crowd at the 1,446-seat Tampa Theatre, 711 N. Franklin St.
- Out there: Dogged determination
By Michele Howe
(Star-Ledger, June 1, 2003)
You may not be able to teach an old dog new tricks, but you can get him to solve a calculus problem. At least that's what Tim Pennings, associate professor of mathematics at Hope College in Holland, Mich., discovered when he took his Welsh Corgi for an outing to Lake Michigan to play fetch with his favorite tennis ball.
"Most calculus students are familiar with the problem of finding the optimal path from point A to point B," Pennings said. "Standing on the water's edge at Point A, I throw the ball into the water at Point B. Elvis (his dog) runs along the shore a portion of the way, then plunges into the lake at a point of his choosing and swims diagonally to the ball. By the look in Elvis's eyes, it seems clear that his objective is to retrieve it as quickly as possible."
Pennings assumed, then, that Elvis unconsciously attempts to find a path that minimizes retrieval time. But he wanted to test his theory.
So, he clocked Elvis's running and swimming speeds, and spent three hours collecting data measuring the distance between the ball and the shore and where Elvis jumped in the water to retrieve it. Plotting the results revealed that, in most cases, the dog chose a path which is in close agreement with the optimal path calculated mathematically.
In fact, given a variety of factors -- waves, the movement of the ball in the water and others -- Pennings suggests that dogs may choose a path that is actually better than the calculated ideal.
"Although he made good choices, Elvis does not know calculus," admits Pennings, who published his findings in the May issue of The College Mathematics Journal. "Though he does not do the calculations, Elvis's behavior is an example of the uncanny way in which nature often finds optimal solutions."
- Elvis festival shakes up Tampa
By RON MATUS
(St. Petersburg Times, June 1, 2003)
Diane Openlander didn't wake up Saturday intending to be Elvis. But when she got downtown and saw no fewer than a dozen other impersonators, it was as if the King himself had struck her with a rhinestone-studded thunderbolt. She pulled a bell-bottomed jumpsuit, over-sized shades and wicked pompadour wig from the Elvis bag in her back seat, then hit the bathroom of the Tampa Waterside Marriott. "I couldn't help it," said Openlander, 57. "I thought, "I can't stand it anymore."'
And so a decked-out Openlander joined more than 500 other people who were paying homage at Tampa's first Elvis Festival on Franklin Street. Elvis lovers gawked at hot rods, wolfed down peanut butter and banana sandwiches and let a city parks worker paint lamb-chop sideburns on their faces. When Elvis impersonators hit the karaoke stage, they mouthed the words and shimmied.
I hope my suit don't split now baby, sang Bill Akins, to the tune of Suspicious Minds, as he bounced in a tight white thing he claimed was not polyester. Later, to the tune of Glory, Glory Hallelujah, he crooned: Hush little baby, because you know, that Elvis will never die.
... The day's events culminated with a concert of Elvis tunes at Tampa Theatre. Proceeds from Saturday's event will benefit Friends of Tampa Recreation Inc. and the Elvis Presley Charitable Foundation.
The city intends to make it an annual event, said Nilo Menendez, an Elvis fanatic who happens to be the special events manager for the parks and recreation department. (His get-up included a white cape with sequined collar and puffy blue tassels.)
Downtown Tampa needs a signature event, he said. So why not Elvis?
Elvis Presley passed through Tampa more than once, most notably at the beginning of his career and near the end. Here are some highlights:
- Col. Tom Parker, the former carnival barker who helped guide Presley to stardom, became the singer's manager in 1955. But before he became a promoter, Parker was the dogcatcher in Tampa. During that time he started the Humane Society Cemetery, the pet graveyard.
- Elvis first came to Tampa when he was 21, a month before he made musical history with his appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show. He performed at Fort Homer Hesterly Armory on Aug. 5, 1956, and the Florida Theater in St. Petersburg two days later.
- Here's what the Times wrote about his Aug. 5 Tampa appearance: "He was greeted with deafening screams from the audience . . . which oddly enough was sprinkled liberally with adults. . . . He rocked 'n' rolled his way through seven numbers, laughing, winking, pointing and wriggling. . . . Asked later what he will do when this rock 'n' roll "fad' passes, he said, "I'll probably sit back and think about what I once had - with no regrets.' "
- In 1961, Presley visited Weeki Wachee Springs during a break from filming the movie Follow that Dream, which was shot in Citrus and Levy counties.
- In 1977 Presley was back, performing at Tampa's Curtis Hixon Hall and St. Petersburg's Bayfront Center. He died a few months later.
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