Mid December 2004
- Elvis TV role for Bend It film star
(Yahoo! News, December 21, 2004)
Bend It Like Beckham star Jonathan Rhys-Meyers is to play Elvis Presley. The 27-year-old actor has landed the lead role in a US mini-series about the King. He was chosen for his "uncanny" resemblance to Elvis, said executive producer Howard Braunstein. "He was the first person I'd ever thought of for the role. I watched Bend It Like Beckham and when you see him, you just say, 'He is Elvis'," Braunstein said. "He has the physical look and the style that embodies Elvis, both the sweetness and the sex appeal." The Irish-born actor got the role by sending in a film of himself made up like Elvis and imitating the singer's distinctive drawl. "It was uncanny - the voice sounded so authentic," Braunstein said.
Scream actress Rose McGowan will play screen siren Ann-Margaret, who starred with Elvis in Viva Las Vegas and had an affair with him before he married Priscilla. Randy Quaid will play Elvis's manager Colonel Tom Parker in the mini-series, called Elvis, for US network CBS.
- Dolly Parton's gaudy, girlish style still glitters
By Patrick MacDonald
(Seattle Times, December 21, 2004)
Talk about holiday cheer! Dolly Parton was as bubbly as champagne and as sweet as a candy cane Sunday night at Everett Events Center. In a white form-fitting, spangly bodysuit dripping with rhinestones, she looked like a life-size ornament, a buxom angel just right for the top of the Christmas tree. It wasn't a Christmas-themed show, however, but the last date in a long tour that began in October. Titled "Hello, I'm Dolly," the show was a life and career retrospective, in which she talked as much, or more, than she sang. ... She sang some surprising covers, including John Lennon's "Imagine," Kris Kristofferson's "Me and Bobby McGee," Melanie's "Brand New Key," John Denver's "Thank God I'm a Country Boy" (changed to "Girl") and Elvis Presley's "Viva Las Vegas." Elvis showed up again, played by one of the guys from her 10-member band, in her novelty song, "I Dreamed About Elvis." ...
- Spiga Bar
By Matt Preston
([Melbourne] Age, December 21, 2004)
WHERE: Spiga Bar, Menzies Alley, Melbourne Central, 360 Elizabeth Street, city, 8676 7515
PRICES: $5.50-$6.60 a slice; piadinas $7.70
CARDS: AE D MC V Eftpos
HOURS: Mon-Thurs 7am-6pm, Fri 7am-10pm
Licensed
WHERE: Carlton Espresso, 326 Lygon Street, Carlton, 9347 8482
PRICES: $4.50-$6 a slice; piadinas $6.50
CARDS: n/a
HOURS: Mon-Sat 7am-5.30pm
Unlicensed
Melbourne's "new wave" pizza explosion has given us many good things, but, as with any revolution, for every Elvis Presley thrown up there will be a hundred Pat Boones or Fabians. It seems now that almost every cafe offers pizza by the slice. Reheated to order, this is almost always inferior to the real thing. The good ones I could count on the fingers of my right hand - and still have fingers left over. ...
- THE BEATLES AND ELVIS ON STAGE
By Jeremy Rangiawh
(harnesslink.com, December 21, 2004)
The Beatles and Elvis Presley were undoubtedly the most exiting and popular acts the recording industry has ever known. In the upcoming weeks Mighty M Gaming at Monticello Raceway will honour both when presenting two of the finest tribute acts performing today.
The wildly popular and award winning Beatles tribute band, Strawberry Fields, will make a return engagement in the Lava Lounge on three evenings beginning New Years Eve on Friday, December 31 and continuing through Sunday, January 2. Then, to coincide with the King's birthday, Mighty M Gaming will present "Memories of Elvis" on Saturday, January 7 and Sunday, January 8. ... However, even before the Beatles came on the scene Elvis Presley was a legend. And to this day more performers impersonate Elvis than anyone else. The "Memories of Elvis" tribute featuring Joe Angerosa is one of the very best. Angerosa has been performing an Elvis tribute for the past 25 years. The Utica, N.Y. native has been dubbed "the best Elvis this side of the Mississippi." ...
- Royal treatment for the King's big 7-0
(Kansas City Star, December 20, 2004) (subscription required)
It's now or never if you wanna hunka-hunka of Elvis' big birthday. After cashing in on the 40th anniversary of the Beatles concert in KC in September, promoter Jim Kilroy is saddling up for the King of Rock 'n' Roll's 70th on Jan. 8 at the Grand Emporium. ...
- Can't help fallin' for this: Elvis water
By JENNIFER WING ROTHACKER
(Charlotte Observer, December 20, 2004)
The oddball auctions on the Web site eBay have taken a Carolina turn: Wade Jones, a 40-year-old salesman from Belmont, is selling water he says Elvis Presley drank from during a Charlotte concert in 1977, six months before he died. Jones spoke with staff writer Jennifer Wing Rothacker.
Q. Describe your item.
It's a small glass vial that has the remnants of the water that was in Elvis' Styrofoam cup, if you can believe that. I'm totally serious. I've been made fun about this since 1977.
Q. How did you obtain this?
I was 13 at the time; it was my birthday. I went with my mom to the Elvis concert on Feb. 21, 1977, at the Charlotte Coliseum (now Cricket Arena). ... When Elvis gave his band introductions, he was drinking from a Styrofoam cup. ... I had binoculars. After the concert was over, I told my mom I'm going to go up there and see if I can get someone up there to give me a scarf (that Elvis would give out to women during the show). (An officer on stage) said `No, can't do that, it's property of the Elvis Presley show.' ... I saw the cup Elvis drank out of, so I asked the policeman to give it to me. I didn't say it was the one Elvis drank out of because he might have kept for himself. It was three-quarters filled with water. It had ice in it... crushed ice, not cubes
Q. How did you know it was water?
I drank some.
Q. What was your mother's reaction to this find?
She wasn't overwhelmed.
Q. So you wound up saving this cup -- with the water?
I knew if I left it out (at home), it would evaporate, so I got some Saran wrap and a rubber band.... I stuck it in the door of the freezer. It stayed there from '77 until the mid-80s. Where I was moving didn't have a deep freezer, so I thawed out the cup ... there is just a tiny amount (of water) that's left. That's when I found a bottle for it. I got a plastic cork and with a hot glue gun made a seal. ... I also have the Styrofoam cup in a glass case.
Q. Why post it on eBay now?
(Recently on eBay), someone sold a grilled cheese sandwich (with an image of the Virgin Mary) for $28,000 and the cane of a ghost sold for $65,000. ... This is a little more interesting and quirky. ... Of all the Elvis collectibles you can buy, I'm sure I'm the only person with water out of his concert drinking cup.
Q. Why would anyone want to buy this?
I heard of one lady who toured Graceland, went through the Jungle Room and found a toenail on the rug. Now, she has a traveling Elvis toenail museum.
Q. How much do you hope to make?
My minimum bid is $100 (No bids as of Sunday night).
Q. How can you prove Elvis drank this water?
It's been a mission of mine to go on the Internet and find a photo of Elvis holding my cup. He only wore that suit two times in 1977 -- in Florida two nights before and the night I saw him. ... I've gotten quite a few pictures of Elvis at that concert and beside him on the stool are four Styrofoam cups. In one of the pictures, he's holding my cup. He only drank from the one. Of course, I couldn't prove it, but it really is.
Q. You have to admit, it sounds like a scam.
...I have almost a 100 percent (positive) rating (as eBay seller).
Q. Does the winning bid just get the water?
You get the photo of him holding the cup, the glass vial of water and a statement from me attesting that the water is from the 1977 concert.
Q. Are you ever going to sell the Styrofoam cup?
No. I couldn't sell it. It's locked up in a trunk.
- A very Elvis vacation
(Press-Telegram, December 20, 2004)
Joe Fabio and his wife, Celine, submitted this picture of them recently at the home where Elvis Presley was born in Tupelo, Miss. The Norwalk residents left there and drove to Memphis, Tenn., and visited his home at Graceland, where he was buried. It was fabulous, they said. Long live the King of Rock 'n' Roll!
- Silent Strings: First Lady of Gospel, Martha Carson has died
(CyberGrass, December 20, 2004)
Irene Amburgey (Martha Carson), often referred to as "The First Lady of Gospel Music," died December 16, 2004. Martha was born Irene Ambergey in the town of Neon, Kentucky on May 19, 1921. Her contributions to Gospel Music were many. Her music was influencial to many of America's other artists including Elvis Presley. As a gifted guitarisit with a soulful voice, she carried her music far and wide. ...
- Impersonator gives up kidney for his friend
By Bernadette Sedillos Self
(El Paso Times, December 20, 2004)
El Pasoan Bud Sanders, 52, who enjoys impersonating Elvis Presley, donated one of his kidneys to a longtime friend who was suffering from renal disease. The operation was performed in August. The recipient is enjoying improved health, and Sanders says the operation hasn't hampered his performances.
Myths and facts of organ donation ...
- Another bloody night out on 'animal farm': Paramedics pick up the pieces amid Christmas blitz on binge drinkers
By Sandra Laville
(The Guardian, December 20, 2004)
As an icy wind blew in a flurry of snow, broken and discarded umbrellas rolled down St Mary Street like tumbleweed. In a doorway of the Walkabout bar, six Santas, four angels and an Elvis Presley huddled together to shelter from the cold. From inside his Mercedes van, Mike Loveless watched as a man stumbled towards him, his white shirt soaked in blood, dripping from his smashed up nose. ... Parked on a strip of Cardiff city centre known as "animal farm", Mr Loveless, a paramedic with 18 years experience, had the unenviable task of picking up the pieces. In a pilot scheme running in south Wales, Mr Loveless spends his 10pm to 4am shift at the heart of the Christmas revelry answering 999 calls to leave the main fleet of ambulances free to answer serious incidents elsewhere. ...
- Elvis folks inject spirit for Lifeblood donations
By Mitzi Hunt
(East Memphis Appeal, December 19, 2004)
Elvis Presley Enterprises is partnering with Lifeblood to ensure patients in community hospitals don't have a "Blue Christmas." To encourage individuals to donate blood in December and offset the typical blood shortage during winter months, EPE is providing T-shirts -- featuring an Elvis holiday print by local artist Joe Petruccio -- for blood donors. ...
- Homeless, hungry in a land of wealth and plenty
By Peggy Hutchinson
(ARIZONA DAILY STAR, December 19, 2004)
He gave his life for his country. But Carlos didn't die on the battlefield. A homeless veteran, he was beaten to death on the streets of Tucson. Patrick's nickname was Elvis Presley. He carried Elvis' ID and could sing and dance just like "the King." Sometimes he would sleep in his brother's garage so he could get to know his nephew and niece. Sometimes he would stay in Primavera's Emergency Men's Shelter. His liver didn't hold out. Patrick died this year: poor, sick, and homeless. ...
- The eternal allure of Peter Pan
By Muriel Reddy
([Melbourne] Age, December 19, 2004)
At the grand old age of 100, Peter Pan may well be proof that fame has a life well beyond 15 minutes. The ageless, androgynous youth has spawned a worldwide industry covering books, plays, musicals, film, a TV series and pantomimes. To mark his milestone birthday, there is a new film, a centenary edition of Peter Pan and Wendy, and a plethora of productions of the play, musical and pantomime. Next month, Peter Pan, The Croc Rock Pantomime which, under the creation of Alexander McKenzie, features Peter Pan as a cross between James Dean and Elvis Presley, will open at Her Majesty's Theatre. It will run for 22 performances from January 5 until January 22. ...
- 'Good Vibrations' could be fun, fun, fun
By DAVID HINCKLEY
(Omaha World-Herald / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS, December 19, 2004)
It was inevitable that two of America's great repositories for romantic fantasy - California and Broadway - would one day meet. Specifically, the date will be Jan. 27, when "Good Vibrations," a story that incorporates 30 songs Brian Wilson wrote for the Beach Boys in the 1960s, opens at Broadway's Eugene O'Neill Theater.
"When you leave 'Mamma Mia!' you feel good. You've had fun." ... "Good Vibrations" clearly aims for the same effect. So will "All Shook Up," which uses Elvis Presley songs to tell the story of a girl who wants to escape 1955 small-town America. "All Shook Up" is scheduled to open on Broadway in March after a warm-up run in Chicago. ...
- Fontainebleau marks half century of greatness
By BETH DUNLO
(Miami Herald, December 19, 2004)
The Fontainebleau occupies a place in the landscape that is not merely Miami Beach, it is also etched indelibly in the landscape of our minds. This month, it turns 50. This hotel -- for the past 25 years it has been officially the Fontainebleau Hilton -- set the stage for the Miami Beach of the Jackie Gleason Show, Ed Sullivan and Arthur Godfrey, the one depicted in Goldfinger or The Bellboy. Miami Beach has never shunned excess or glamour or glitz, but the city did not known real excess before the Fontainebleau came along. Each president of the past five decades, 10 of them in all, has walked through the Fontainebleau's doors, the ones with the characteristic signature bronze ''F'' as handles. Many of them have been greeted by the same doorman, Floyd ''Mac'' McSwane, who has worked at the Fontainebleau since the hotel opened Dec. 20, 1954. Frank Sinatra, Bob Hope and Elvis Presley have performed here. Films have been shot here from the '50s on, ...
- Tradition shines on Christmas Carol Lane
By Genoa Sibold-Cohn
(City Herald, December 19, 2004)
A sketch of a hip-gyrating Elvis Presley is glowing in blue light in front of a 25th Avenue home in Kennewick. Next to the king's image is a 4-feet-by-8-feet songbook bearing the title of his famous holiday song -- Blue Christmas. A block away, large lighted snowflakes are attached to windows and line the walkway to a home on 24th Avenue. The wintery decor represents another favorite carol, Let It Snow. These two homes are among 49 others that owners have decorated with Christmas carol songbooks west of Garfield Street and north of 27th Avenue. This is Christmas Carol Lane, where the large wooden songbooks have adorned homes on 23rd Place, 24th Avenue and 25th Avenue for more than 40 years throughout the month of December. ...
- Rare Beatles Guitar Tops Bill at Showbiz Auction
(Yahoo! News / Reuters, December 18, 2004)
A guitar played by George Harrison of the Beatles was sold for $567,500 on Friday, topping the bill at what auction house Christie's said was its biggest ever sale of show business memorabilia. ... Among other lots, a pair of Elvis Presley's leather stage pants raised $35,850 and a Bob Dylan album cover with the songwriter's signature and handwritten lyrics sold for $33,460.
- Head North for a Winter Wonderland
(Red Nova, December 17, 2004)
A trip to Vancouver over the holiday season doesn't have to be just about shopping. It can be as much fun as peering over the railing of a 230-foot-high suspension bridge into a raging river gorge, riding a tramway to the top of a 3,700-foot, snow-covered peak overlooking the city, or hopping a miniature train through an extraordinary Christmas display in Stanley Park - all in the same day.
The popular 15-minute, miniature-train excursion through a forested area of the park, past more incredible holiday light displays, is a visual overload that's worth every cent of the $5.65 (U.S.) admission price - rain or no rain. The train car seats are a little cramped for adults, but there's still enough room to tap your foot to a variety of Christmas music tracks that are coordinated with displays along the route. About five minutes into the ride, as the train navigated a tunnel of blue Christmas lights, Elvis Presley's famous 1950s soulful holiday tune "Blue Christmas" replaced a traditional rendition of "The Twelve Days of Christmas."
Near the end of the ride - this even startled me - an Elvis impersonator on stilts burst out of a strange-looking, free- standing stage in the park and gyrated wildly as he headed toward the train out of the darkness, all the while lip-syncing one of the King's rock 'n' roll holiday tunes. The scene was surreal but a lot of fun.
- Tom Jones is still the cat who makes the ladies purr and throw underwear
By Aidin Vaziri
(San Francisco Chronicle December 17, 2004)
Elvis Presley died on a toilet. Wayne Newton is gathering dust in Las Vegas. Neil Diamond started writing love songs to E.T. It seems Tom Jones is the last lothario left standing. Which means it is up to him to satiate the raging hormones of mothers and aunts worldwide. Opening a sold-out four-night stand at the Fillmore on Wednesday, the 64- year-old Welsh crooner proved he was not only fit for the job but quite eager to take it on.
He bound onto the stage with his shirt flapping open halfway down to his navel, hips swiveling and that bone-shaking voice booming over the plaintive refrain of "We're blowin' up this party with this sex bomb," from "Tom Jones International." You don't get that at a Neil Young concert.
With his onetime contemporaries either stagnant or dead, Jones technically didn't need to do much more than show up, bare the chest and sing, "What's New Pussycat?" for the millionth time. But that's not his style. Jones doesn't want to be objectified. He wants to be respected. ...
Comments to: avaziri@sfchronicle.com
- World's Greatest 'Elvis' Promoter Joins Zamage Advisory Board
(tmcnet.com / Business Wire December 17, 2004)
Zamage Digital Art Imaging, Inc. (www.zamage.com), (Pink Sheets:ZMGD) the world's leading publisher of photo-to-art artwork using proprietary processes, is pleased to announce it has signed an agreement with Sid Shaw, the leading promoter of Elvis and Elvis memorabilia in the world to join the Advisory Board. "This is a great achievement," says Stewart Irvine, CEO of Zamage. "Sid Shaw is recognized as the leading promoter of Elvis in the world and we are very excited to have him join our Advisory Board as a consultant."
Licensing Agreements with Elvisly Yours will also enable Zamage to market and sell a range of Elvis Presley memorabilia throughout the world, especially through the planned chain of "Elvisly Yours Restaurants" (www.elvisly-yours.com).
Since 1979 Sid Shaw's name has been synonymous with Elvis Presley. He launched his company in 1978 and registered "Elvisly Yours" as a trademark in 1979. By the following year, the company was the leading supplier of Elvis souvenirs and memorabilia in the world. He achieved worldwide fame at the end of the 1990's after waging an eight-year court battle with Elvis Presley Enterprises in the UK over trademark rights to Elvis Presley merchandise. He eventually won landmark Judgements in the UK High Court and Court of Appeals.
His influence is worldwide, extending even to Russia. His business dealings in that country made Elvis a household name in the late 1980s and early 1990s with "Presleynost" and "Presleystroika." In fact, a Anglo-Russian business venture in 1992 was opened by none other than Vladimir Putin, then Deputy Mayor of St. Petersburg.
"I am very excited to be working with Zamage and "The Art Of The King" project. Elvis is one of the top ten brand names in the world and together we can revolutionize the Elvis Presley market in memorabilia," says the 'King' of Elvis promotions, Sid Shaw.
... The Art Of The King: "The Art Of The King" is the first digital photo-to-art website devoted entirely to Elvis Presley. The visually stunning collection of Elvis photos will soon be available through Zamage Digital Art Imaging, Inc.
- Owner of entertainment company takes fun seriously: This businessman does singing telegrams and Elvis impersonations -- on the side
By DEB GRUVER
(The Wichita Eagle December 16, 2004)
Roy Helm's work wardrobe is a little more out there than most businessmen's. For one thing, he has a belt that weighs 10 pounds. It's part of one of his four Elvis costumes. Helm spends much of his time dressed up as Elvis. And Neil Diamond. Johnny Cash. Roy Orbison. Vince Gill. Willie Nelson. Marty Robbins.
... Helm gets the most requests for his Elvis show. He said he started impersonating Elvis "as a joke, and it blossomed from there." He takes the work seriously. He has two costumes made by the company that furnished Elvis' costumes. ...
Go to earlier articles
|
