Early March 2004
- Zeta target of anti-smoking effort
By Robin Turner
( Western Mail, March 8, 2004)
THE favourite daughter of Swansea, the anti-smoking capital of Wales, has found herself in the firing line for lighting up on screen. As council officials in Swansea prepare for No Smoking Day on Wednesday, Catherine Zeta-Jones has become the target of anti-smok- ing groups. They are fuming at new research which shows on-screen indulgence in cigarettes is back to 1950s levels, when stars such as Greta Garbo, Katharine Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart frequently lit up. Oscar winner Catherine Zeta-Jones, alongside other stars like Nicole Kidman and Pierce Brosnan, has been blamed for helping to glamourise smoking by doing it on the big screen. ... Modern films looked at in the study included Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring, the Bond film Die Another Day and Star Wars: Attack of the Clones. The 1950s movies included Jailhouse Rock starring Elvis Presley and A Star is Born with Judy Garland. ...
- Putting the boots away:Pennington closing shop after 50 years in business
By Mark Anthony
(Courier, March 7, 2004)
Black or brown, slip-on or lace-up. Those were the only choices for work-boot shoppers at Pennington Boots in the old days.
That was in 1954, just after Harkey's Shoe Shop sold out to F.L. Pennington. The longtime Russellville staple is closing its doors after 50 years in business under the Pennington name. ... But there are better memories, too. He remembers the day Elvis Presley died. "I was dying a pair of boots and had a bottle of Dr. Pepper on the bench," he says. "I heard they had just found Elvis dead and put the dauber back in the Dr. Pepper bottle and picked up the dye bottle and took a swig. Needless to say, that wasn't my drink of choice. I managed to spit most of it out before I could swallow enough to hurt me. But it sure did wonders for my teeth and clothes." ...
- Lawmakers experience DeSoto
By ROBERT LEE LONG
(DeSoto Times, March 6, 2004)
From the RiverKings to the King of Rock and Roll, more than 70 lawmakers from around the state will get the red carpet treatment this weekend as they tour the state's fastest-growing county. ... Legislators rolled into DeSoto County aboard two chartered buses Friday and were treated to a dinner and reception at the DeSoto Civic Center and a RiverKings game, where they were the honored guests. ... Lawmakers today also will be afforded the opportunity to tour the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis and then be wined and dined at Graceland, home of Elvis Presley, a native Mississippian. The reception will actually be housed in the pavilion where Elvis' jet, the Lisa Marie, is housed. In addition to touring the home, legislators can tour the king's car collection. Lawmakers will have a prayer breakfast at their hotel on Sunday before departing for home.
- BUBBA HO-TEP: Elvis wants his mummy
By Mike Bell
(Calgary Sun, March 5, 2004)
The plot is as original as they come: Elvis Presley (Bruce Campbell), living in an old folks home after his prince-and-the-pauper switch with an Elvis impersonator was made permanent after said imposter's well-publicized death on the commode, teams up with an elderly black man (Ossie Davis), who thinks he's John F. Kennedy, to stop an ancient mummy from sucking the souls out of the other rest home residents. And the results, in the hands of writer-director-producer Don Coscarelli, are as uniquely wonderful and hilariously entertaining as the premise. Coscarelli (known for indie cult classics Phantasm and The Beastmaster), treats the characters and events with humour and warmth, and as though all are entirely plausible, giving the film as much horror-movie atmospherics as realistic simplicity.
Likewise, the actors - most notably the brilliant Campbell, who made a name for himself with Sam Raimi's Evil Dead films - play it somewhat straight, with none of the winking irony that lesser talent would rely on. It would have been too easy to play the potbellied Presley for easy yuks, but Campbell, under layers of makeup, gets those laughs with some subtlety, while finding actual dignity and pathos in the forgotten King. Hard to believe, sure, but no more so than the fact that millions of dollars were spent and millions more will be made this weekend bringing a crappy '70s cop show to multiplexes everywhere.
- Logan woman meets Mom 26 years later
By Kathy W. Hathcock
( News-Democrat & Leader, March 5, 2004)
To the world of rock and roll the date of Aug. 16, 1977 will always be remembered as the day the king of rock and roll died, Elvis Presley. But to a Logan County couple, Jerry and Carol Holloway, the day will be always be remembered as the day their family began. Aug. 16, 1977 was the day they had waited years for, the day they drove to Lexington and saw for the first time their [adoptive] daughter, Kimberly Shea, three and a half months old and by far the most precious baby either one of them had ever seen. ...
- Osama likened to Elvis as the hunt goes on
By Mike Collett-White
(Alertnet / Reuters, March 5, 2004)
"Sightings"" of Osama bin Laden have been likened to those of Elvis Presley by U.S. military spokesmen inundated with speculative reports of the whereabouts of the elusive terror chief. The latest rumour in Kabul placed the world's most wanted man in the Tora Bora mountains south of the eastern Afghan city of Jalalabad. It happens to be the same range where some say bin Laden narrowly escaped death during a U.S. military assault late in 2001, shortly after the fall of Afghanistan's Taliban militia.
"I can't speculate on every Elvis/bin Laden sighting," said U.S. spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Bryan Hilferty, in an e-mailed reply to a Reuters question about the rumour in which he compared speculation about bin Laden to recurrent outlandish reports of sightings of the late rock star Elvis. "I have no information on coalition troops in an operation in Tora Bora. Of course, we do have troops in Jalalabad and they constantly patrol in Nangahar province." ...
- Elvis spotted bringing music lessons to kids
By Heather Knight
(San Francisco Chronicle, March 5, 2004)
San Francisco parents and philanthropists can now check out www.elvis.com for more than a virtual tour of Graceland. The official site for the King of Rock and Roll has teamed with Little Kids Rock, headquartered in San Francisco, to funnel funds into music programs for elementary students. Just click to www.elvis.com/littlekidsrock.html where a photo shows Elvis with his trademark smile, gelled hair and guitar and the line, "Imagine if this kid had never learned to rock."
It's not so hard to imagine these days -- with music programs at public schools across the city being slashed because of budget cuts. Little Kids Rock, founded in 1996 by David Wish, a former Redwood City and San Francisco elementary school teacher, aims to fill the hole by bringing free music lessons and instruments to classrooms. The program has expanded to New York, New Jersey -- and yes, Elvis' old stomping grounds in Memphis, Tenn. The group has gained the support of Paul Simon, B.B. King, Bonnie Raitt, Carlos Santana and Phish. But perhaps the support of Elvis is its biggest celeb coup, with his estate's site telling viewers to give money to the nonprofit and "Put music back where it belongs -- in our schools!"
"Elvis loved kids and would have been proud to support Little Kids Rock," said Scott Williams of Elvis Presley Enterprises Inc. "What better way to honor Elvis' legacy than to help bring music into our children's lives?" Wish, executive director of Little Kids Rock who now lives on the East Coast, added, "Without Elvis, where would music be today? It is only fitting that by supporting music education for our kids, Elvis is still the man behind the music."
- Straight Jacket
By Sophie Best
([Melbourne] Age, March 5, 2004)
My Morning Jacket is an enigmatic band name, befitting the magical grandeur of their sound - a spacey, reverb-heavy mix of psychedelic country, cosmic soul and classic southern American roots-rock. ... The album It Still Moves was recorded in a grain silo, with a reverb chamber rigged up to layer James's vocals in cathedral-like echoes. ... This love of reverb comes from Roy Orbison's and Elvis Presley's classic recordings in Nashville's famed RCA studio B. ...
- 'Passion' fervor spreads to books and music
By Elysa Gardner
(Yahoo! News / USATODAY.com, March 4, 2004)
Public interest in Mel Gibson's controversial epic, The Passion of the Christ, is not being limited to the film itself. The predominantly instrumental soundtrack, released Feb. 24 by Sony Music and Integrity Music, a Christian label, sold 48,777 units last week, according to Nielsen SoundScan. Although that figure is not a blockbuster number for conventional soundtracks, only two other score-driven soundtracks - Star Wars, Episode I: The Phantom Menace and Episode II: Attack of the Clones - have sold more in their debut weeks. The Passion CD will top next week's Billboard soundtrack and contemporary Christian sub-charts and rank No. 2 on the Internet chart. It will enter the overall album chart at No. 19. ... Universal South Records will release Songs Inspired by The Passion of the Christ on April 6. The 12 tracks feature vintage material from artists such as Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen and Ricky Skaggs, plus a new song by Jessi Colter, Waylon Jennings' widow, and their son, Shooter.
- John Calliano's dramatic glam for Christian Dior
(Hello Magazine, March 4, 2004)
John Galliano unveiled his latest ready-to-wear collection for Christian Dior in characteristically theatrical style, seemingly taking inspiration from everything from Elvis Presley to Thirties-era film divas for his latest collection. Sporting an anything-goes palette of hot pink, bright yellow, sea green and electric blue, models such as Gisele and Karolina Kurkova were unrecognisable as they sashayed down the Paris catwalk with rockabilly pompadour hairdos and colourful Jean Harlow-meets-Russian doll makeup. Galliano's Dior autumn is all about technicolour shades, animal prints and oversize fur collars, with a splash of metallic gold and Las Vegas kitsch - neon leopardskin print bowling bags with oversized hanging dice for example - thrown in for good measure. ...
- Rodeo Houston 2004
By Mark Williams
(Bulletin, March 4, 2004)
The Houston area has barely had time to recover from Super Bowl Fever -- and the Janet Jackson fall-out (no pun intended ... okay, so it was) -- and it is already break out the Stetsons and the Tony Lamas for an annual thing they call rodeo: the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo to be exact, better known these days by the trendy moniker, Rodeo Houston, kicking off this weekend at Reliant Park. ... Large country diva Wynonna (Thursday, March 4 at 7PM) returns for another year at Rodeo Houston (her sixth as a solo act), although she presumably won't drive herself here after a recent drunk-driving conviction in Nashville. Wynonna has had her ups and downs since her mom retired over a decade ago, but came back strong in 2003: What The World Needs Now Is Love, her first CD in three years, features her most eclectic work to date and a hunka-hunka good cover of Elvis Presley's "Burning Love". ...
- Here's 'Buddy'
By Alessandra Djurklou
(U-Daily Bulletin, March 3, 2004)
Brief but vital chapter of rock 'n' roll history comes to life this weekend on the Terrace Theater stage. Buddy Holly was only 22 when he died in a plane crash in 1959, but his songs can still be heard on radio stations worldwide, and he is considered a groundbreaker in the rock 'n' roll arena, influencing many musicians, including the Beatles and Bob Dylan. ... Born Charles Hardin Holley in Lubbock, Texas, in 1936, Holly taught himself to play guitar, piano and violin at a young age. He was performing by age 12 with a bluegrass duo he started with a friend. By the time he was 16, his duo was famous in his hometown. Two years later, Holly and his band, which had now grown to five, got a chance to perform with Elvis Presley and Bill Haley and His Comets. This experience made Holly decide to give up country music and try his hand at rock 'n' roll. ...
- Jones Livens Festival With Old-School Hits
By JEFF HOUCK
(Asbury Park Press / Associated Press, March 3, 2004)
Three songs into his set Tuesday at the Florida Strawberry Festival, country music legend George Jones took a moment to give the audience a brief State of the Music address. ``These new, young, hot country music stars,'' he said, his voice trailing off. ``They're not recording songs about drinking,'' he said. ``They're not recording songs about cheating.'' He took a pause as laughter ran through the crowd. ``Lord, ... I'd be without a job,'' he said, prompting huge applause. ``This love thing, ... it's going too far.'' ... Jones' voice isn't what it was a decade ago, but what it lacks in power it more than makes up for in texture. His range - from a bottom-feeding baritone to a soft falsetto - remains wonderfully intact. It's hard to believe this man shared the bill on the Louisiana Hayride with Elvis Presley.
- No more Apacheland (Item 2)
(Asbury Park Press / Associated Press, March 3, 2004)
Apacheland, a Western movie set and tourist attraction in Apache Junction, Ariz., heavily damaged by fire last month, will not be rebuilt. "There was not any insurance, plus we lost the income from all the (merchant) rentals," owner Sue Birmingham said Monday. The cause of the fire, which started on the second floor of a restaurant, hasn't been determined. The set was built around 1960 and served as a backdrop for movies including "Charro!" starring Elvis Presley. The last major film, "Blind Justice," was shot there a decade ago. Since then, shooting has consisted primarily of commercials and miscellaneous fare such as a Playboy video. One building, the Elvis Presley Memorial Chapel, was spared in the Feb. 14 fire. Birmingham said the chapel will be converted into a restaurant.
- Are you reading tonight?
By JOE ZEDALIS
(Asbury Park Press, March 3, 2004)
Teachers at the Emma Havens Young Elementary School surrendered their classrooms yesterday to special reading tutors whose methods were sometimes -- what else? -- special. Patrick F. Kennedy, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations for management and reform, quizzed fifth-graders on the moral of "The Fisherman and His Wife." El King, an Elvis Presley impersonator from Long Branch, read a Lilo and Stitch book, and he occasionally clicked on a cassette player and wiggled to "Hound Dog," "Burning Love" and "Heartbreak Hotel," his cape flapping behind him. It was all part of Celebrity Reading Day and the Read Across America programs at the school.
- John Kerry faces the Elvis factor
(Yahoo! News / AFP, March 1, 2004)
As Democratic presidential candidates discussed Iraq, Haiti and the US economy in a televised debate this weekend, they suddenly found themselves asked to address an altogether more unexpected issue. Does the clear front-runner John Kerry have "enough Elvis" to take on Republican President George W. Bush? Judging by their bemused reactions, none of the four aspirants to the White House had given much thought to the campaign's hitherto unheralded Presley factor, but the questioner, CBS anchorman Dan Rather, was insistent. [as below]. ...
- John Kerry vs Elvis
By Giles Hewitt
(iol.co.za, March 1, 2004)
As Democratic presidential candidates discussed Iraq, Haiti and the United States economy in a televised debate this weekend, they suddenly found themselves asked to address an altogether more unexpected issue. Does the clear front-runner John Kerry have "enough Elvis" to take on Republican President George Bush? Judging by their bemused reactions, none of the four aspirants to the White House had given much thought to the campaign's hitherto unheralded Presley factor, but the questioner, CBS anchorman Dan Rather, was insistent. "You know what I'm talking about," Rather said, explaining the concept as a Texan expression pertaining to a person's charisma or, in political jargon, his "likeability" rating. ...
- Kerry says: Elvis still dead?
By Jennifer Graham
(Stanford Daily Online Edition, March 1, 2004)
This column shall serve as an open "WTF mates" letter to both John Kerry and the South as a last ditch plea before Super Tuesday. Let me elaborate. This year's State of the Union was nothing short of a moment of glowing pride for any real Massachusettsian - but not because of what was said in the speech. Let's be honest, anything a Texan cowboy says that makes John Ashcroft and Don Rumsfeld radiate giddy schoolgirl smiles is not likely to tickle the residents of the only state that voted for George McGovern instead of Nixon in 1972. So if it wasn't a barrage of liberal policy proposals, what could please residents of such a Democratic bastion?
None other than the sight of a ruddy Ted Kennedy disgustedly shaking his head at each bewildering statement emanating from George W. Bush's mouth. (Strangely, if you access the video version of the State of the Union from the White House Web site, their film excludes the shots of Kennedy that where aired on network television. Shocker.)
If ever there was a symbol for the essence of Massachusetts (minus the alcohol and manslaughter), who could trump this eight-term senator who stands his ground as a lightning rod for criticism from the wicked heartless conservative establishment?
But more than that, they are boring and elitist. Stiff. ... Self-righteous. Out of touch with the common man. Their fathers didn't work in mills because they're all damn intellectuals. And, as Dan Rather might imply, they really just don't have enough "Elvis." ...
- Focus on: Restoring relations
By NIKO PRICE
(knoxnews.com / Associated Press, March 1, 2004)
Does lifting of U.S. travel ban to Libya mean countries can resume love affair? The walls of the Advancement Primary School are decorated with cheerful murals of a bunny rabbit, a hatching chick - and a wolf wrapped in an American flag, blood dripping from its fangs. This is a country where rioters drove out the United States by setting fire to its embassy a quarter-century ago. A nation that has suffered for decades under U.S. sanctions. A place that, until Thursday, most Americans could not legally visit. And yet Libyans are among the world's most unabashed fans of Americans and all things American. ... Recent overtures by Libya to the United States brought the lifting of the 23-year-old travel ban, as well as the prospect of a suspension of U.S. trade sanctions and of a restoration of diplomatic relations. For most Libyans, it can't come soon enough. "You may not know much about Libya, but we know everything about America," said Awatef al-Mezuwki, 28. "The young generation tries to talk like Americans. They say, 'Hi, guy,' 'Hi, man.' We have been waiting for the Americans for 30 years. ... Libyan government offices sport air-conditioners with the brand name "Power USA." Young Libyans dream of trips to the United States. Abdul Hamid is a devoted fan of all things American - Kenny Rogers, Elvis Presley and westerns on Turner Classic Movies, beamed to his house by satellite. ...
- It's a party to beat the band
By Sandra Fish
(Boulder Daily, March 1, 2004)
Glenn Miller's milestones remain impressive:
- Received the first gold record for sales of more than 1 million
- Forty-five tunes on the charts in a single year.
- Surpassed only by Elvis Presley in record sales for RCA. ...
- Elvis and Shergar bet defies odds
By John Mehaffey
(Reuters, March 1, 2004)
Any bookmaker would give generous odds against a verified sighting of Elvis Presley in London. Should the late American singer ride into town on the slain Irish racehorse Shergar, the odds would lengthen. If he were then to qualify for the Wimbledon men's singles final and play Lord Lucan, who vanished after his children's nanny was murdered in 1974, bookmakers William Hill would pay one million pounds to a punter, who has wagered five pence at 20 million to one. "The book remains open," says a deadpan Graham Sharpe, the firm's media relations director. ...
- Blue suede shoes all that's missing
By Maggie Alderson
(Chicago Globe, March 1, 2004)
How clever of celebrity-friendly designers Dolce & Gabbana, during a weekend when all the red carpet big-names - including many designers and US Vogue editor Anna Wintour - were in Los Angeles for the Oscars, to find a different kind of famous face for their fashion show. And this was all about the face - their opening model was Riley Keough, daughter of Lisa Marie Presley, granddaughter of The King, Mr Elvis Presley. Talk about rock 'n' roll royalty. Stella McCartney and Jade and Elizabeth Jagger who are also involved in fashion are minor royals by comparison. At first Riley looked like just another very pretty 14-year-old with great legs and beautiful skin, just a bit shorter and more nervous than the veterans alongside her. But then, at the end of the show, as she strutted off arm in arm with the designers, her lip curled up slightly and there it was - a heart-stopping genetic imprint of her granddaddy. So that was all thrilling, but really Domenica Dolce and Stefano Gabbana's designs are so wonderful, they almost don't need to bother with the added-value big names. Their clothes are celebrities in their own right. ...
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