Early December 2003
- BADLY DRESSED BOY: The tea-cosy look was rejected
(manchester news, December 13, 2003)
BADLY Drawn Boy, Bolton's most famous tea-cosy wearing son, is definitely a miss when it comes to rock fashion. The eccentric singer-songwriter's woolie has been voted second-worst pop outfit in a survey of 14,000 music fans by Woolworths. The worst? The Bucks Fizz pull-off skirts, which formed part of the group's routine when they won the 1981 Eurovision Song Contest.
Elvis Presley's jewel-encrusted white jumpsuit was voted the greatest rock "look" of all time. The king's cape beat pop princess Kylie Minogue's gold hot pants and Madonna's "pointy" bra. Overall, the jumpsuit emerged as the clear style winner, with three entries in the Top 10 - Elvis, Abba and Justin Hawkins, of Christmas number one contenders The Darkness. ...
10 BEST OUTFITS
Elvis Presley's jewel-encrusted white jumpsuit; Kylie Minogue's gold hot pants; Sex Pistols' ripped jeans and pins; Madonna's conical bra; Britney Spears' schoolgirl look; Kiss's leather, studs and face paint; Michael Jackson's red leather Thriller outfit; Abba's flared jumpsuits; Michael Jackson's black trousers, white socks, black shoes; Justin Hawkins' revealing white jumpsuit. ...
- Sony, Bertelsmann Sign Music Merger Deal
By Boris Groendahl
(Reuters, December 12, 2003)
German media company Bertelsmann and entertainment conglomerate Sony of Japan have agreed on a merger of their music units in the latest move to consolidate an industry grappling with a four-year crisis. The 50-50 joint venture, Sony BMG, would be the world's second-largest record label, combining the recorded music units of Bertelsmann's BMG and Sony Music, but excluding music publishing and CD production. ... Sony BMG would combine the world's second-largest label Sony, which includes such artists as Beyonce Knowles and Bruce Springsteen, with the No. 5 contender, Bertelsmann's BMG, which is home to Britney Spears and Elvis Presley. The new label would rival market leader Universal Music's 25.9 percent share of global music sales, with a share of 25.2 percent based on 2002 sales. ...
- Rock pioneer seriously ill
(Ananova, December 11, 2003)
Legendary guitarist Scotty Moore, who played with Elvis Presley for over a decade, is in a serious condition following brain surgery. Moore, 71, has been admitted to Baptist Hospital in Nashville after doctors found an accumulation of blood between the brain and the skull, said his long-time companion, Gail Pollock. She said that doctors think he will be able to play guitar again after physical therapy. Moore teamed with Presley and bassist Bill Black in the early days of rock'n roll to record That's All Right Mama for Sun Records in Memphis. Moore continued with Presley until 1968, his guitar riffs helping define other Presley hits like Heartbreak Hotel and Hound Dog.
- On TV, vows don't seem so sacred
By Matthew Gilbert
(Boston Globe, December 10, 2003)
Some people marry to acquire green cards or china patterns. Others do it to fine-tune their public image -- getting hitched to Elvis Presley's daughter, say, to appear normal in the wake of child-molestation allegations. ...
- Ex-Elvis Guitarist in Stable Condition
(Yahoo! News / Associated Press, December 10, 2003)
Guitarist Scotty Moore, who played with Elvis Presley for over a decade and helped shape some of Presley's most memorable tunes, was in serious but stable condition Wednesday following brain surgery, hospital officials said. Moore, 71, was admitted to Baptist Hospital last week after doctors found a subdural hematoma, an accumulation of blood between the brain and the skull, said his longtime companion, Gail Pollock. The surgery was Friday. Pollock said in a statement posted on Moore's Web site that doctors think he'll be able to play guitar again after physical therapy. Moore teamed with Presley and bassist Bill Black in the early days of rock 'n' roll to record "That's All Right (Mama)" for Sun Records in Memphis. Moore continued with Presley until 1968, his guitar riffs helping define other Presley hits like "Heartbreak Hotel" and "Hound Dog." Moore was elected to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000.
- Seattle Cabbies Get Green Light To Wear Costumes
(Boston Channel / Associated Press, December 9, 2003)
Elvis Impersonator Tells City Council, 'A-Thank You Verruh Much': The 'King' could be your next cabbie in Seattle.
Seattle's city council has voted to allow taxi drivers to wear costumes if they wish. The new regulations follow a run-in between taxi inspectors and cabbie Dave Groh, an Elvis impersonator. He was fined $60 last spring for not wearing the required black pants and a crisp shirt. Under the new law, drivers will be allowed to wear costumes that depict a "readily identifiable and generally well-known public figure, personality or fictional character." But masks aren't allowed. Groh told the council after the vote, "Uh, a-thank you verruh much."
- Cab Elvis comes to town: Ordinary taxis were too boring for Mr Groh
(BBC News, December 9, 2003)
Would you like Elvis Presley or Marylin Monroe to be your cab driver? Then welcome to Seattle! Under the US city's new taxi dress code, cabbies are now allowed to dress up as "a readily identifiable and generally well-known public figure, personality or fictional character". The Monday's ruling by the city council was prompted by a long and vigorous campaigning by David Groh, a local cab driver who likes to dress up as Elvis Presley. Mr Groh - who calls himself Cab Elvis - adopted the new look after the 11 September terrorist attacks in order to cheer up shell-shocked Americans. The driver said many passengers liked his Elvis outfit, and the "joy that it brought to people was apparent," according to New York Times newspaper.
But the idea drew ire from taxi inspectors, and the Elvis-impersonator was fined $60 for not wearing the required uniform - black trousers and a shirt with a collar. After losing his appeal, Mr Groh filed a lawsuit, which he later agreed to drop. The new code, however, has a number of quite strict limitations. Cabbies cannot wear masks, impersonate police officers and firefighters, or have skimpy outfits. Any application for a fancy dress must be approved their employees, and photographs in and out of costume must be posted inside cabs. So don't expect Marylin Monroe to give you a night ride in Seattle, after all.
- Pat Boone's Christmas Celebration show plays in Lodi to nearly 400
By J. Paul Bruton
(Lodi News-Sentinel, December 8, 2003)
Pat Boone's Christmas Celebration, featuring his live band, came to Hutchins Street Square on Friday night, helping the nearly 400 concert-goers to get into the ol' Christmas spirit. The show started with a montage featuring Boone's movies, television appearances and extensive compilation of records spanning nearly six decades of performance. Famous for his smooth talking, smooth crooning and smooth acting, the 69-year-old Boone cruised onto the stage in a white leather jacket with red, white and blue motif, white pants and, of course, the ever-present Pat Boone trademark white shoes.
Boone quickly launched into a rendition of "Thank You For Being a Friend," and walked into the audience to shake hands with appreciative fans. "I thank you for being my friends," said Boone, "Otherwise, I certainly wouldn't even be here." Boone said he believes that all of his fans that come out to see him expect to hear some of the hits that made him famous, and coughed as he hesitantly admitted that the date for his hit, "Ain't That a Shame," was 1955. "It went straight to No. 1, and was a huge hit for Fats (Domino) and Pats," he joked. Boone continued with more of his hits, then spoke about how he shared the spotlight, and some of the same songs, as another famous singer."Perhaps some of you have heard of him, his name was Elvis something ... Presley, I think," Boone punned. "Yeah, we did some of the very same songs, at the same time, but somehow they just didn't come out in the exact same way," he laughed. ...
- When bad things happen to good talent
By Erik Spanberg
(Christian Science Monitor, December 8, 2003)
When Santa Barbara County's district attorney charged Michael Jackson on with child molestation last month, the anticipated melange of media overkill and mordant jokes moonwalked to center stage. Lost in the choreographed shuffle, though, was Mr. Jackson's once-dazzling music. The King of Pop's history of eccentricity, controversy, and now, scandal puts him at the top of a lengthy roster of musicians whose legacies may be determined by their police records rather than their recordings.
Think of Chuck Berry, arrested in 1959, and later jailed, for transporting a 14-year-old prostitute across state lines. Or Jerry Lee Lewis, whose killer career all but died after revelations of his marriage to a 13-year-old second cousin surfaced in 1958. Now comes Mr. Jackson, whose "Thriller"-era hits "Billie Jean" and "Beat It" defined and dominated popular culture in the 1980s. A decade after a multimillion-dollar settlement averted a similar case, he may be forced to go to court this time around.
... Rock music's history is littered with drug and alcohol addiction, payola scandals, divorce, adultery, and other ravages of fame. Public forgiveness, industry experts say, often hinges on whether the star has hurt others or only himself. Forgiveness may also hinge on not getting caught. Consider Mr. Lewis, all but banned from radio after his marriage to an underage girl was reported. In contrast, Elvis Presley, the original pop King, escaped a similar fate when his manager, Colonel Tom Parker, kept the future Priscilla Presley's age under wraps. Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page had a much-discussed adolescent girlfriend accompany him on tour, but was never charged with any illegal indiscretion. ...
- Utah fans will enjoy more than a football game in Memphis
By Tom Wharton
(Salt Lake Tribune, December 7, 2003)
Beale Street is the heart of the city's nightclub district. The New Year's Eve bash will celebrate the 50th anniversary of Rock 'n' Roll. (Memphis Convention and Visitors Bureau)
The Mississippi Delta was shining
Like a National guitar
I am following the river
Down the highway
Through the cradle of the Civil War
I'm going to Graceland
Graceland
In Memphis Tennessee
Poorboys and Pilgrims with families
And we are going to Graceland
-- Paul Simon
Paul Simon certainly didn't have University of Utah football fans in mind when he wrote the words to "Graceland." But the red-clad fans haven't been able to get those lyrics out of their heads since the Utes earned a trip to the 45th annual AXA Liberty Bowl in Memphis on New Year's Eve. The Utes will take on Conference USA champs Southern Mississippi.
Before last month, the chance to play a bowl game in the town that bills itself as "The Home of the Blues and Birthplace of Rock 'n' Roll" has seemed like an impossible quest for the championship-starved Utah football team. But as Paul Simon wrote, "I've reason to believe we all will be received in Graceland." Now, as many as 10,000 Utah fans may be spending Dec. 31 in Memphis, where they will find more than a football game to occupy their time. Elvis Presley's Graceland home will be decked out for the holidays and open on Dec. 31 to visitors curious to see how "The King" lived and where he is buried. (But take note: Graceland will be closed New Year's Day.) Real fans might want to plunk down $25.25 for the "Platinum Tour" that will allow them to see the mansion, auto museum, Elvis's custom jets and The Sincerely Elvis Exhibit. Others can pick and choose depending on their time and interest.
... This New Year's Eve marks the start of Memphis' yearlong celebration of what it calls the 50th anniversary of Rock 'n' Roll. According to the Memphis Convention and Visitors Bureau, 19-year-old Elvis recorded his first record, "That's All Right" at the city's famed Sun Studio on July 5, 1954, a date many claim as the true beginning of rock.
... Beyond Graceland, music history lovers will find much to occupy their time. They can visit the Center for Southern Folklore (http://www.southernfolklore.com); take a tour of the Gibson Guitar Factory and Memphis Rock 'n' Soul Museum (http://www.memphisrocknsoul.org); visit Sun Studio where Elvis, Johnny Cash and Jerry Lee Lewis made seminal recordings (http://www.sunstudio.com); or tour Soulsville, the Stax Museum of American Soul Music (http://www.soulsvilleusa.com ).
... Memphis also played a key role in the civil rights movement. The National Civil Rights Museum is a 40,000-square-foot facility built at the Lorraine Motel where Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. It features the history of the American civil rights movement in 19 exhibit halls. ...
- Global warming, Christmas carol overkill have Austrians in a not-so-merry mood
By WILLIAM J. KOLE
(Montana Standard / Associated Press, December 5, 2003)
It could be the weather - there's nary a snowflake in sight. Maybe it's angst over unprecedented labor unrest or global warming melting away ski slopes in the Alps. Whatever it is, Austria - known worldwide for its magically festive Christmas traditions - is in a Grinchy state of mind. In this tranquil country where a priest penned "Silent Night'" in 1816, Elvis Presley's "Blue Christmas'" suddenly seems more appropriate - or would be if only more Austrians were in the mood for Yuletide music. Just in time for this weekend's season-opening St. Nikolaus holiday, labor unions are pressing stores to stop the incessant playing of carols, denouncing the practice as "psychological terrorism" that grates the ears of shop employees. "They become aggressive and develop an aversion to Christmas music," said Gottfried Rieser, a leader of the campaign. "It gets to the point where on Christmas Eve, when they're at home with their families, they can't stand "Silent Night" or "Jingle Bells" one more time." ...
- Elvis, or at least his greatest hits, coming to Broadway
(St Petersburg Times / Associated Press, December 5, 2003)
Always eager to keep Elvis Presley working, managers of his estate have turned their sights on Broadway. Presley died in 1977 at his Memphis residence, Graceland, but his music and his value as an entertainer or advertising pitchman are as alive as ever. All Shook Up, a musical commissioned by the Elvis Presley estate and featuring a string of Presley's hit songs, is scheduled to open on Broadway in spring 2005. It will first play Goodspeed Musicals' Norma Terris Theater in Chester, Conn., May 13 to June 6, 2004. The plot concerns what happens in a loveless town when a magical jukebox and a lady-loving, leather-clad stranger arrive, producer Jonathan Pollard said Tuesday. It takes place in the mid 1950s in roughly "Anywhere USA," he said. ... All Shook Up is not about Presley and actor does not play him in the show, but it includes 20 of his songs, including such hits as Heartbreak Hotel, Love Me Tender and Burning Love as well as lesser-known pieces. ...
- Elvis is gone, so was fan
(Washington Times / London Sun / UPI, December 5, 2003)
British police had to break into the home of an Elvis Presley fan who was deafening his neighbors with 24 hours of non-stop "Heartbreak Hotel." Sleepless residents called police after hearing the King's classic track 400 times at a volume so loud, windows rattled, The London Sun reported Friday. Once inside, police discovered Pete Ellis wasn't even home but had left his CD player on repeat. The Lincolnshire man has been hit with noise complaints in the past, but this time a magistrate ordered his stereo system destroyed and imposed a $175 fine. Ellis was reportedly not "All Shook Up."
- 10 Great Places to Have a Historical Holiday
By WILLIAM J. KOLE
(USA Today, December 4, 2003)
Historic mansions are attractive holiday destinations for families seeking a peek into past traditions ...
Graceland Memphis [item 5]
Elvis Presley famously decorated for the holidays. Today, "the staff continues Elvis' traditions by placing Christmas trees in several rooms. Look outside for Elvis' life-size Nativity scene, the lighted aluminum trees and the winding driveway outlined with hundreds of blue lights." ...
- 'The music business is more brutal than the sex industry'
By Neil McCormick
(Telegraph, December 4, 2003)
Is there too much sex in pop music? As controversies go, this one is a hardy perennial, periodically poking its head out ever since Elvis had to be shot from the waist up during his American television debut. These days, of course, it takes a bit more than a rotating pelvis to get viewers hot under the collar. Indeed, if one of today's stars were to be shot from the waist up, it would probably be because they had neglected to put on their underwear. Watching pop videos, one might conclude that the thong was the height of street fashion. ... "At least with the sex business they're gonna give you your money in your hand after you're done. The music business, you get screwed and you don't even get your money!"
- LV pedicab operator shuts down: 100 drivers out of work
By Richard N. Velotta
(LAS VEGAS SUN, December 2, 2003)
Las Vegas' largest operator of pedicabs -- bicycle-powered rickshaws that move tourists up and down the Strip -- is taking his vehicles off the road after his drivers were threatened with arrest for operating illegally. Richard Beauregard, who operates AmeriCab Inc., in Las Vegas is mulling his legal options after being told that Clark County officials would draft an ordinance outlawing pedicabs on some streets even after he and a competitor operated pedicab businesses for years.
... Beauregard said AmeriCab drivers pay $30 a day to lease a company pedicab and everything they make in tips they keep. The best drivers, he said, make $250 to $300 a day. "It's all in the personality of the driver," Beauregard said. "Some of them sing Elvis songs, some of them whistle, some of them tell jokes. It's all an entertainment experience and the more entertaining you are, the more money you can make." ...
- Lennon and Presley to square up in Broadway
(Yahoo! News / Reuters, December 2, 2003)
The stage is set for a Broadway showdown between two of the most influential pop stars of the 20th century. The Lennon Project, a musical about the late Beatle John Lennon scheduled for 2005, will have
some competition from All Shook Up, an Elvis Presley musical, reports the New York Times. Commissioned by the Presley estate and featuring 20 of Presley's best known songs, All Shook Up is neither a revue nor a bio-play. "Elvis is not a character," Jonathan Pollard, one of the producers, tells the newspaper. "It's an original musical comedy about how a magical jukebox and a leather-jacketed stranger transform a loveless town."
- Elvis Pictures Go on Display for First Time
(Yahoo! News / Reuters, December 2, 2003)
Candid photographs of 1950s rock pioneers Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly and Bobby Darin, snapped by a high-school photographer and kept in storage for 40 years, went on display for the first time Tuesday. The collection includes pictures of Elvis taken in Cleveland in 1956 when local newspapers were on strike and teen-age photographer Lew Allen showed up with a camera. Allen, then 17, was the only photographer at the concerts. "I was the only guy in my high school who knew how to handle a camera, so I went along. It was a wonderful experience to take pictures of Elvis at the start of his career," Allen told Reuters. Other rock legends captured by Allen's lens include the Everly Brothers, Dion -- of 1950s band Dion and the Belmonts -- and Holly. ... A small number of the pictures have been displayed at Graceland in Memphis, but most have not been seen in more than 40 years, kept in boxes in Allen's basement.
- Holiday CDs reviewed
(8th item)
(Record Online / Associated Press, December 2, 2003)
Elvis Presley, "Elvis: Christmas Peace" (BMG/RCA)
The King's new two-disc collection is here to ensure that fans don't have a "Blue Christmas." "Elvis: Christmas Peace" is easily Presley's most complete holiday compilation, the bonus being an additional disc with 20 of his classic gospel recordings. Although all 40 of these tunes have appeared previously, it's nice to have them all on one - noticeably remastered release. So come all ye faithful to the yuletide yearning of pop's original King.
- Jackson still rockin' like a hurricane
By OSH SHAFFER
(Houston Chronicle / Fort Worth Star-Telegram, December 1, 2003)
She was a wildcat, a hell-raiser, a gorgeous black-haired woman with a voice that could rip up a honky-tonk and a slinky dress that hugged a pair of excitable hips. She dated Elvis Presley and wore his ring. She offended Grand Ole Opry regulars with her bare shoulders. She howled alongside Carl Perkins, watched Jerry Lee Lewis pound the ivory off pianos and lived a hotblooded life typically denied to women of the 1950s. They called her Hurricane Wanda, queen of rockabilly. Wanda Jackson slides open a closet and fishes out her old Martin guitar, the one with her name painted in black across the bottom, studded with rhinestones. ...
- Elvis Presley Songs Will Fuel New Broadway-Aimed Musical, 'All Shook Up'
By Kenneth Jones
(Yahoo! News, December 1, 2003)
The estate of Elvis Presley wants some of the legit theatrical action enjoyed by Mamma Mia!, which exploits ABBA pop hits of the past, and has commissioned a new musical to use the songs of the late king of rock 'n' roll. The New York Times reports that Goodspeed Musicals will present "All Shook Up" in spring 2004, and that commercial producers Clear Channel Entertainment and Miramax are aiming the show for a 2005 Broadway berth. Joe DiPietro (The Thing About Men, I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change) will pen the book of the original show, which does not have Elvis as a character, the paper reported. Some 20 songs made famous by Elvis will reportedly be heard.
A spokesman for Goodspeed Musicals told Playbill On-Line the show will have a developmental run at Norma Terris Theatre in Chester, Connecticut May 13-June 6, 2004. DiPietro penned book and lyric to the current Goodspeed-Terris attraction, O. Henry's Lovers (it closes Dec. 7). Producer Jonathan Pollard told the Times All Shook Up is a musical comedy about "a magical jukebox and a leather-jacketed stranger" and the impact they have on a "loveless town."
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